Best Sesame Spinach Recipes

SPINACH, TOFU AND SESAME STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or wok, and add the tofu. Stir-fry until the tofu is lightly colored, three to five minutes, and add the garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute, and add soy sauce to taste. Add the spinach and stir-fry until the spinach wilts, about one minute. Stir in the sesame seeds, and add more soy sauce to taste. Remove from the heat.
• Using tongs, transfer the spinach and tofu mixture to a serving bowl, leaving the liquid behind in the pan or wok. Drizzle with the sesame oil, and add more soy sauce as desired. Serve with rice or other grains, or noodles. You may also use it as a filling for whole wheat pita bread.

SESAME TOFU WITH COCONUT-LIME DRESSING AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Prepare the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime zest and juice, sambal oelek and brown sugar until sugar dissolves completely. Slowly stream in the sesame oil and whisk until the mixture is emulsified and creamy. Taste and season with salt as needed; set aside. (You'll have 3/4 cup dressing. Save any extra in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
• Prepare the tofu: Pat the tofu dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. In a medium bowl, whisk together panko, sesame seeds and black pepper. Season the mixture generously with salt. In a second medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, dip the tofu slices one at a time in the egg whites and coat well. Transfer to the bowl with the panko mixture, coating well on all sides, then move to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining tofu slices.
• Line a large plate with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium (10-inch) cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-low. Working in batches to avoid crowding, pan-fry the tofu until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. (Don't overcook, or the sesame seeds will turn bitter.) Transfer the fried tofu slices to the prepared plate. Repeat with the remaining tofu, adding oil and wiping out the pan as needed.
• Prepare the spinach: Wipe out the skillet, and heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds, taking care not to scorch the garlic. Add the spinach by the handful, increasing the heat after the first handful and allowing the greens to wilt before adding more. Sauté until wilted and most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce and black pepper, and fold to coat well. Taste and add salt as needed. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Place spinach in a serving bowl. Add fried tofu on top, and drizzle with half of the coconut-lime dressing. Sprinkle the chives over the tofu, and serve immediately, with more dressing on the side.

STIR-FRIED SESAME SHRIMP AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Place the shrimp in a large colander and rinse with water. Sprinkle generously with salt and toss together for about a minute. Rinse with water and repeat. After rinsing one more time, drain on paper towels. Pat dry with more paper towels.
• Combine 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste) and the sugar in a small bowl and place close to your wok.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the garlic, ginger and chili flakes and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Push to the sides of the pan and add the shrimp in one layer. Let cook undisturbed for 1 minute, then add the remaining oil and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Add the sesame seeds and spinach and stir-fry for 1 minute, until it has begun to wilt but the wilting is still uneven. Add the salt and sugar, sprinkling it evenly over the spinach, and continue to stir-fry until the spinach has wilted but is still bright and the shrimp are cooked through and bright pink, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat, drizzle on the sesame oil, toss together and serve, with rice, noodles or other grains.

SESAME SEARED TUNA AND SUSHI BAR SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Place spinach in a dry pot set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until it just begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer into a strainer to cool.
• While spinach cools, toast white sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until light golden brown. Transfer into a mortar and pestle and crush into a very coarse paste, leaving some seeds whole. Add white sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine and reserve.
• Transfer cooled spinach to a towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Chop roughly and add to a mixing bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving.
• Mix mayonnaise, miso paste, and rice vinegar together for miso mayo sauce. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
• Lightly salt tuna steaks, and then coat all sides well with as many sesame seeds as you like, pressing them lightly as you do.
• Brush a nonstick pan with oil and place over medium heat. Sear tuna steaks in the hot pan for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, as well as each edges.
• Slice and place tuna over the miso sauce. Brush tuna with ponzu and serve with spinach salad on the side.

FIRECRACKER SPINACH SALAD WITH ORANGE SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• 1. For the dressing, cook the orange juice in a saucepan until reduced by half. Combine with the honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, water and hot sauce in a blender. Add the shallot and ginger and process until smooth. Store in the refrigerator.
• 2. For the salad, mix the spinach, daikon sprouts, carrot and jicama in large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat well. Garnish with the sesame seeds.

ASIAN SPINACH AND SHRIMP SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Bring orange juice to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to about 1 Tbsp., about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, place spinach in large bowl, and set aside.
• Whisk reduced orange juice, zest, ginger, vinegar, and honey together in small bowl. Whisk in vegetable and sesame oils and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss shrimp, orange segments, and scallions,with 2 tablespoons dressing in bowl and season with salt and pepper. . Toss spinach with remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach among 4 individual plates and top with shrimp and oranges. Serve.

SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil and fill a large bowl with cold water and a handful of ice. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, vinegar, sugar, garlic and pepper to taste, until the sugar has dissolved. Set the dressing aside.
• Blanch the spinach in the boiling water until just wilted, then scoop straight into the cold water. Drain well and squeeze out any excess water. Gently loosen the clumps of spinach with your fingers, transfer to the bowl of sesame dressing and toss together. Cover and chill for about 1 hr to let the flavours mingle.

GARLIC-SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook 8 to 10 garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a skillet with vegetable oil until the garlic is golden. Add 10 cups baby spinach and cook until wilted; add a big splash of water and some salt. Top with toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD WITH SESAME-POPPY SEED DRESSING

Steps:

• Divide the spinach, strawberries and celery between two salad plates. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, vinegar, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Drizzle over salads. Sprinkle with almonds; serve immediately.

CRANBERRY-SESAME SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• In a small skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add almonds; cook and stir until lightly browned. Remove from heat., Place spinach and cranberries in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until blended. Add to salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

SPINACH WITH SESAME SHOYU DRESSING

Steps:

• Rinse spinach and drain lightly. With water still clinging to leaves, cook in 3 batches in an 8-quart pot over moderately high heat, covered, turning occasionally with tongs, until wilted and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer as cooked to a colander, then rinse under cold water until cool and drain well. Squeeze small handfuls of spinach to remove as much moisture as possible, then in 3 batches wrap spinach in several layers of paper towels and squeeze to remove even more moisture. Coarsely chop spinach.
• On a 16-inch sheet of plastic wrap, form half of spinach into a 13 1/2- by 1 1/2-inch log. Repeat with remaining spinach on another sheet of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap and your hands to roll, compact, and smooth sides of logs. Remove and discard plastic wrap. With a sharp knife, cut each spinach log crosswise into 9 (1 1/2-inch) pieces (18 total), then arrange, cut sides up, on a platter, reshaping and smoothing mounds with your fingers.
• Finely grind 2 teaspoons sesame seeds in a blender, then add peanut oil, vinegar, mirin, shoyu, sesame oil, and salt and blend until combined well. Spoon 1 teaspoon dressing over each spinach mound, stirring dressing occasionally (it will separate as it stands), and sprinkle mounds with remaining 4 teaspoons sesame seeds.

SPINACH SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Boil the kettle and put the spinach in a large colander set over the sink. Pour over enough boiled water to just wilt the leaves (you may need to do this in batches), then leave to cool. When cool, squeeze the spinach to get rid of the excess water.
• Make your dressing by combining all the remaining ingredients (except the sesame seeds) together with 2 tbsp water. (Add a little more water if you want a runnier consistency.) Pour a little dressing over the spinach and toss to coat, then drizzle over the remainder. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve.

SPINACH SALAD WITH ORANGE SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Wash spinach well and pat dry with paper towels.
• Trim stems from spinach and discard.
• Tear spinach leaves into bite size pieces and place in a large serving bowl.
• Add sliced red onion.
• Zest 1 orange and set aside.
• Squeeze juice into a 2 cup measure to make about 1/3 of orange juice.
• Add zest to juice and mix well.
• Whisk in raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, honey, ginger, dry mustard, salt and pepper.
• Remove rind and white membrane from the remaining 2 oranges and discard.
• Holding each orange over the measuring cup to catch the juices, section by cutting between membranes and add orange sections to the spinach.
• Drizzle dressing ovr salad, tossing gently to coat.
• Sprinkle salad with sesame seeds.

SAUTEED SESAME SPINACH WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Heat sesame oil, olive oil, and garlic in a medium skillet over high heat until garlic starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add pepper, mushrooms, and asparagus. Cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Add spinach and continue cooking until slightly wilted. Sprinkle vegetables with sesame seeds and serve immediately, garnished with lime wedges.

JAPANESE SPINACH WITH SWEET SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the spinach 3 to 4 cups at a time. Cook and stir to wilt, then add more spinach.
• Grind the sesame seeds into fine crumbs using a mortar and pestle. When spinach is wilted, move it to the sides of the pan and sprinkle sugar in the center. When the sugar melts, stir in the spinach to coat.
• Transfer spinach to a serving plate and sprinkle ground sesame seeds on top.

COLD SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Wash spinach well, discarding any course stems, and drain in colander. In a 3- to 4- quart saucepan bring water to a boil. Add spinach and steam covered, 2 minutes. Drain spinach in colander, gently pressing out most of liquid. In a bowl toss spinach with oil, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Chill spinach, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
• While spinach is chilling, in a dry small heavy skillet (not non-stick) toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Toss spinach with sesame seeds and vinegar.

SESAME SPINACH WITH GINGER AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Mince garlic and in a small dry skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. In a heavy 6-quart kettle heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook garlic and gingerroot, stirring, 30 seconds, or until fragrant and golden. Add spinach by handfuls, stirring, and cook until just wilted.
• Serve spinach sprinkled with sesame seeds.

SPINACH WITH SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the spinach, oil, sugar and soy sauce. Cook the spinach, stirring, until the leaves are just wilted, about 3 minutes. Spread the spinach out flat on a plate to cool quickly in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. (This will keep it a vivid green.)
• When the spinach is cool, taste and correct seasoning. Pile in a bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

SESAME SPINACH AND BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Discard stems from spinach. Stack leaves and cut into 1/3-inch strips. Peel beets and with a sharp thin knife or a mandoline slice very thin. Cut beet slices into fine julienne strips and transfer to a bowl with spinach.
• In a small bowl stir together vinegar, soy sauce, oil, and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
• Toss spinach and beets with vinaigrette and garnish with sesame seeds.

SEARED SALMON WITH SESAME BOK CHOY AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add salmon and cook turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add mushrooms to oil in skillet and cook stirring until wilted and golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, and then add bok choy with water still on leaves if possible. Cook and toss until just tender, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add spinach, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce. Season with salt, or to taste, tossing to combine. Serve the vegetables topped with salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds.