Ok…first off I know this is a stretch and that some people will be put off by this recipe. Let me start by explaining the inspiration for this recipe. I was thinking about how to come up with a healthy macaroni salad that uses less mayo. I suddenly remembered my tofu sauce that I used for my Pink Beets with Sesame Tofu Sauce and how I could make something similar to it to substitute the mayo (although, I still add a little in). Somehow during this revelation (and I admit that sometimes my train of thought wanders) I decided that I needed to incorporate hiyayakko (cold tofu with toppings) into the macaroni salad. Thus, this recipe is based on a deconstructed hiyayakko PLUS macaroni salad. YES, weird, but still interesting and worth a try if you’re not a die hard mayo fan. I will try to use the tofu again to make a more classic macaroni salad but I’m tired of eating two test batches for now so it will probably have to wait.
Ingredients
2 cups of elbow macaroni
2 myoga or 1/3 cup chopped myoga
1/4 cup green onions finely chopped
1/8 cup marinated yellow onions (see below)
tofu sauce (see below)
1 tablespoons of low fat mayonnaise for a little mayo taste (optional)
salt to taste
Marinated Onion Ingredients
1/4 cup or 1/4 of a small yellow onion thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. of salt
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
Tofu Sauce Ingredients
160 grams or a little more than 3/4 cup of kinugoshi tofu (silken tofu)*
1 tbsp. of sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. dashi powder
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
*Firm tofu will not work for this sauce. It will be too thick and will not create a creamy consistency.
Directions
1) Prep the onions: Slice the onions thin and add the salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Wash and squeeze out any moisture and add the vinegar and sugar and allow to marinate while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
2) Boil the macaroni a little more than aldente, wash and drain.
3) Combine the tofu sauce ingredients and mix until smooth in a food processor or blender.
4) Add the sauce to the macaroni and mix
5) Add in the finely chopped green onions, finely chopped myoga and marinated onions.
6) Add in the mayonnaise if you prefer a little extra creaminess.
7) Add salt to taste.
Put the onions in a bowl and add the salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
Add the tofu sauce ingredients into food processor (I have a mini one) or a blender and mix until smooth.
Slice the bottom part of the onion into half or thirds before chopping.
Slice the myoga into slices first.
Line them up and chop them into smaller pieces.
Add the tofu sauce to the macaroni and mix well. Then add the green onions, myoga and marinated onions and mix well.
Add mayo and salt to taste.
Serve the mac salad into small servings as part of a Japanese meal as shown here or on a plate as a side.
umamitopia.com: Authentic Japanese, CA fusion, French & Italian influenced recepies.
Naomi Kuwabara was born and raised in California but spent many summers in Japan growing up. She has spent time living in Hokkaido and Osaka, both meccas for Japanese cuisine. Her passion is cooking and sharing her experiences cooking Japanese food with others. Her blog Umamitopia is about her experiences cooking Japanese food. Her greatest inspirations are from her mother and grandmother. Her cooking adventures can be found at http://umamitopia.com.
