HEAT COOKS THE BOOKS: Tahini crunch noodle salad

If you’re anything like us and indulged in a little too much cheese over the festive period, then don’t worry. Let’s start 2016 off with a healthy noodle salad to help flatten those tummies.

Tahini crunch noodle salad
Serves 4
2 carrots
2 large cucumbers
2 large handfuls ofBkale (about 100g)
5 spring onions, finely sliced
200g cooked flat rice noodles
4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Small handful of fresh coriander and mint, roughly chopped
For the tahini dressing:
1 chilli, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled
and finely chopped
3 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil, plus extra for massaging
the kale

1. Peel the carrots into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Do the same with the cucumbers, but turn the cucumbers and peel from
the other side when you reach the seeds in the
middle (discard the seeds).
2. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and loosen with a few tbsp of water until it reaches the consistency of single cream. The
dressing keeps well in the fridge for up to five days.
3. In a large mixing bowl, massage the kale with a small drizzle of sesame oil until it is tender. Add the carrots, cucumber, half the spring onions, noodles, half the sesame seeds, coriander and mint.
4. Pour over the dressing and toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Scatter over the remaining sesame seeds and spring onions to serve. This salad is great enjoyed straight away, but will also keep well if made in advance. Recipes taken from Fresh by Donal Skehan (Hodder, £20). Follow Donal… will air on The Food Network in January.

Heat’s Verdict:
Corrie says, “I’m not usually a fan of salad for lunch in winter, but if it also includes noodles, I can make an exception. After a big, indulgent Christmas, I was craving something light and fresh, so Donal’s dish was just what the doctor ordered. I halved the recipe, though, as I only needed two portions, but I still covered it in the same amount of dressing. What? It’s still healthy if you do that, I think. Anyway, so where were we? Oh yes. ‘Finish with the toasted sesame seeds…’ Oh, I was supposed to toast them? Untoasted ones had to do and they did very nicely. Yum, Donal.”