Poached Chicken Breast with Cucumber Salad

Here's a very refreshing, yet protein-rich side dish for the upcoming warm season. I'm listing the basic soy sauce + sesame oil flavor, but you can be creative by adding mayonnaise, mustard, miso, minced umeboshi, or hot chili sesame oil (ラー油).

Poached Chicken Breast with Cucumber Salad

• 2 Persian cucumbers, thin-sliced 
• 1 Chicken breast
• 1/2 tbsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Sake
• White sesame seed
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar

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makes 2 servings

1. In a heavy bottomed pot ( I use Le Creuset pot), place a piece of chicken breast, add sake and just enough water so that chicken won't stick on the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook in a low heat.
2. Once water start boiling, cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Keep the lid on, and let it steam for about 5-10 minutes.  
3. In a bowl, add sliced cucumber, sprinkle some salt and mix. After 5-10 minutes, squeeze the cucumber and drain extra water. 
4. Take out the chicken from the pot, shred it with your hand, and add them to the cucumber. 
5. Add chopped ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar to the bowl and mix them well.
6. If time allowed, chill for 15-30 minutes, sprinkle sesame seed at the end.  

Note: .

CrunchyTangy lotus root salad

The crunchy, sweet yet delicate flavor of lotus root has numerous health benefits. It is high in fiber, and an excellent sources of vitamin C. Lotus root has traditionally been used to treat various respiratory problems, as well.

Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) also have remarkable medicinal qualities. Their powerful acidity has a paradoxical alkalinizing effect on the body, neutralizing fatigue, stimulating the digestion, and promoting the elimination of toxins. This is the Far Eastern equivalent to both aspirin and apple; not only is it a potent hangover remedy for mornings after; more than that, an umeboshi a day is regarded as one of the best preventive medicines available.

CrunchyTangy lotus root salad

1 section of lotus root
1 piece of umeboshi pickled plum
5~6 leaves of basil
a dash of ponzu sauce
1 tbsp of mayonnaise
white sesame seed
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makes 2~3 servings

Chop each end of lotus root, peel the skin off, slice them in 2-3mm thickness.
Soak them in water with a little vinegar for 5-10 minutes.
Remove a seed from Umeboshi, mince it by chopping, chop basil leaves as well.
Boil water in a pot, throw in strained lotus roots, cook them for 1~2 minutes, drain water right away.
While still hot, coat them with ponzu sauce, once less hot, add mayonnaise, basil and minced umeboshi and mix them together. Serve chilled, sprinkle sesame seeds when serve.