This Asian Slaw Squash Salad Recipe is Shaken, Not Stirred.

The Asian Slaw recipe I like to make this time of year is with the abundance of Fall squash available. The recipe isn't a top secret; you don't need security clearance or a license to kill. But, in secret agent fashion, this squash salad is shaken, not stirred.

Proper knife skills will make this job much easier, and holding your chef's knife correctly is the first important step. Many people think you hold the handle of a chef's knife like a club, with a death-grip of fingers meeting palm.

The correct way to hold a chefs knife is between thumb and fore-finger where the handle meets the blade. Then, wrap the remaining three fingers around the handle. This grip "locks" the knife in place to avoid it turning in your hand.

For our Asian Slaw, we have to create an attractive julienne of yellow squash and green zucchini. I don't want to include the seeds in this squash salad, so the first cut is around the core of the squash, leaving as many seeds behind as possible. Those seeds I have cut from the core are scraped out with a spoon.

Cutting ingredients into attractive, consistent pieces is the reward of good knife skills. I'll cut 2 inch pieces from the squash, and then cut them into thin julienne of 1/8th inch. Like many of my students, I find that using the chef's knife is addictive and fun.

However, for a more consistent cut, we can also use a mandoline. This very dangerous, very sharp slicing device will cut a perfectly consistent julienne just by passing the squash over the sharp blade and teeth. If I set the depth correctly, it will leave all the seeds behind.

Now, this squash salad just needs a "flavor profile". If we're to make an Asian Slaw, then we'll need ingredients and seasonings that remind us of Asian cuisine. My first thought is green onion, and using the "tip/fulcrum" method with my chef's knife, I cut green onion tips into thin slices and add it to the julienne squash salad in a plastic container.

The real flavor is created in the seasonings that I add from this point forward. With some sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, black sesame seeds, and wasabi powder, I create an immediately identifiable flavor profile for our julienne squash salad.

It's a very simple process to place a lid on your plastic container and shake, shake, shake. You'll be combining ingredients better than stirring or tossing. When I let this rest in the refrigerator, I know that the vinegars and salts will be acting on the vegetables to change the flavor, texture, and moisture content to make a flavorful, crispy fresh, nutritious Asian Slaw.

You don't have to make Asian Slaw. You can create any type of slaw recipe you desire with this same procedure. After using your knife skills or mandoline to create a julienne of your favorite vegetables, you can add any combination of vinegars, sauces, seasonings, and flavors you desire.

What goes into your favorite slaw? Please leave a comment and list the ingredients.