The Elegant "Side" of Grigal - Cilantro & Carrot Salad

One question I never get asked is, "What is something I can serve as a side dish when I make Chinese food?...I'm just sick of rice and noodles!"   I have the answer, but FIRST, did you know that in a TRUE Chinese meal, the last course is soup because it allows the roast duck entree to "swim" towards digestion?  Think about it...

When I watch modern food shows on television, there are a couple things that bother me:

1. They are losing their perspective (in my opinion) by attempting to compete with reality television.  Now I know there are a lot of people that enjoy that type of entertainment and that's fine, but to me, they are taking the fun out of straight up cooking by attempting to add pointless drama in an attempt to give desperate people their 15 minutes of fame.  (Case in point:  I just saw an advertisement for ANOTHER new reality show on the Food Network called "Sweet Genius"...more like Sweet Jesus enough of these reality shows - much less the ones centered on sweets. Our country is obese enough as it is.)
2. They operate under the assumption that people have access to all the ingredients they put into their entress, sides, and appetizers when in fact, many people want to cook these cool menu items but can't obtain the ingredients due to grocery store limitations. 

The 2nd point came to mind a while back when I was in search of something to serve on the side of one of my Chinese based meals that wasn't just the typical rice or chow mein.  Oddly enough, I have some Chinese leftovers in the fridge that I'm going to have tonight so this would be a good opportunity to make this side again. This dish complements the heartier meals better by the way; a perfect example is beef with broccoli.  I like it because it's cheap and the ingredients are easy to obtain anywhere.  Here is my Cilantro & Carrot salad and this dish is awesome not only because it tastes good & is healthy for you, but also looks dynamite.  It's also remarkably easy once you get the knife technique down.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Large Carrots, Peeled
• 2 Stalks Celery, Matchstick Sliced
• 2 Tbsp. Cilantro, Chopped
• Approximately - 1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
• Approximately - 1/2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 1/4 Tsp. Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp. Salt

How To Make:

• First, you want to run approximately 1/8" thick slices up the length of each carrot with your knife - spaced about 1/4" apart. This will give you almost a snowflake or flower shape to the carrot once you slice them.  This works better with a paring knife, but as I started this tonight, I realized I never took any paring knives when I moved so I had to do this with a standard chef's knife to prove it can be done.   Immediately after, I added a paring knife to my shopping list on my fridge.  Don't believe me?

• Once carrots have been sliced, toss them in a medium bowl.  Slice the celery into matchstick slices, chop the cilantro and add to the bowl with the carrots.  Give a stir to mix.
• Combine the sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl, pour over the vegetables and combine thoroughly.  Serve immediately.  -- This recipe tastes really good, but everyone's palette is different.  If you find it tastes almost too "smoky" for you, you probably added a bit too much sesame oil.  If it tastes a bit too "vinegary"....well...you... probably added a bit too much vinegar.  Tweak it to your taste buds.