Lemony Taste Vegetable Salad

It's middle of the year, the hot season is around the corner.  Despite the current unpredictable weather with ocassional heavy downpours at anytime of the day, the weather is still humid, warm and sometimes unbearable too even in the evenings.

So it's time to enjoy a light refreshing salad once in a while instead of stir fry vegetables for lunch or dinner.  Since I have most of the ingredients in my pantry, this is an easy salad suitable to serve with fried rice.  Trying not to sweat it out in a hot kitchen whenever  possible.. ha..hah.  I think it's a healthy salad [cos' it consists of 5 colours].

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

1 zuchini [about 250 gm] - washed - smashed with a cleaver, remove the seeds and break into smaller bits

1 red carrot - cut thin strips

1 piece black fungus - soaked and blanched in hot water - cut thin strips

100 gm chicken breast/fillet - season with a little salt/pepper - steam or roast to cook - then tear into shreds

a handful of agar-agar strips - soaked in cool boiled water - drain and cut into 3 cm lengths

some toasted sesame seeds

Salad Dressing - Mix together in a bowl

Juice of 1 lemon

2-3 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp white rice vinegar [optional]

1. Put zuchini, carrot, black fungus, agar-agar strips in a big bowl [make sure they are well drained].   Add in chicken meat.  Toss to mix well all the ingredients.
2. Pour salad dressing over vegetables.   Toss to mix well.
3. Transfer salad to a serving bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate until serving time.
4. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds before serving.