Hijiki Seaweed Salad

In my opinion, hijiki (or hiziki) offers the best texture of the seaweeds, especially for salads like this. If you can't find hijiki, arame has a similar texture. 

Hijiki with Carrots
serves 2-4
from TheKitchn.com

1/2 cup dried hijiki seaweed
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup julienned carrots
2 teaspoons sour citrus juice or rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
white pepper, to taste
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Rinse hiziki to remove any sand. (If you don't have a fine mesh strainer, just swirl the seaweed around in a bowl of water, then drain.)

Place hikiji in a bowl with 1/2 cup warm water. Let soak for 15 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, heat sesame oil over low-medium heat. Add carrots and cook until softened.

Add hijiki, citrus juice, or vinegar, sea salt, and a dash of white pepper to the carrots. heat through.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm or cool.

*Serve with steamed rice and soy sauce; add burdock root, tofu, or edamame; or serve with soba noodles for a more complete meal.

Sea Greens and Sesame Salad
"The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison

1 ounce dried, mixed sea greens (1/2 cup)
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar or 1 teaspoon agave nectar
1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons grated ginger, squeezed for the juice (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
1 green onion, finely-slivered, or a few chives, snipped for garnish

Cover the dry sea greens with cold water and soak for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is the texture you like. It does get softer as it sits in the water. Drain it well and squeeze out the excess water.

Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, agave, oil, and ginger juice. Toss the sea greens with the dressing, add the sesame seeds, and toss once more. Garnish with the green onion.