Asian Carrot and Cucumber Salad

I'm always on the lookout for easy and tasty side dishes to go with our weeknight suppers, and finding keepers is a constant challenge. (I fall back on Velveeta Shells & Cheese far too often. Mmm ... Velveeta Shells & Cheese ...)

Tonight I was making some Asian grilled pork, and I found this side dish in Cooking Light to go with it. The salad is light, refreshing, and flavorful, and also extremely low-cal (47 calories per serving!). It's tangy and has a bit of kick from the cayenne, but not overwhelmingly so.

However, the hubby -- excellent recipe troubleshooter that he is -- suggested a few changes, so I'm including the modified recipe. For example, the original recipe included a much higher carrot-to-cucumber ratio than we'd prefer. (I love cucumbers and they were great with this dressing; the hubby says matchsticked carrots are nearly impossible to eat with a fork, so they shouldn't be the main component.)

In other words, do as I say, not as I do.

I don't think the salad will keep terribly well if you have leftovers. I recommend waiting until everyone else has eaten their fill, and then nabbing all the remaining cucumbers out of it.

Asian Carrot and Cucumber Salad
Serves 6-8

3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
5 oz. matchsticked carrots (half the usual supermarket-sized bag)
3 c. cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. toasted sunflower seeds

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Add the carrots and cucumber, and toss well to coat.

3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.