Sesame Broccoli Salad

One of my favorite side dishes to make. It's easy to make. And it's also something we eat as a snack.

A wonderful way to liven up broccoli! If you like sesame flavors as I do this will please your palate. I put the broccoli crowns in boiling water, for 2 minutes, then set it aside. I toasted the sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat. I made the marinade and cut back slightly on the amount of white sugar to 1 tsp. I added freshly ground black pepper to the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and threw everything over the broccoli to marry all day in the refrigerator. The broccoli soaked up the sauce and I really liked the slight crunch of the broccoli with the hint of sesame flavors throughout each bite. The slight tang from the vinegar was nicely balanced out with the white sugar. I am glad I did not add the full 2 tsp of sugar otherwise it would have been too sweet for me. This marinade can esily be adjusted and it is easy to put together. I served this alongside Betsy's Mandarin Orange Salad and Asian Grilled Chicken, also from this website.

This was quick and easy. Next time I will leave the sugar out.

For my taste, the amount of sesame oil listed in the recipe would be extremely overpowering. So I cut it way back to only about a tsp and used vegetable oil for the remainder. Also quickly blanched the broccoli and then stopped the cooking with cool water to retain the color and crispness. Chilled the salad and dressing and garnished with the warm toasted sesame seeds (toasted in a skillet, not the oven). A different flavor that I would make again, but probably not very often and always as a cold salad.