Mommy's Perilla Salad

I don't know why people think putting soy sauce and mandarin slices in a chicken salad automatically makes it Asian, but here's a legit perilla salad, usually eaten with Korean barbecue AKA a bad day for PETA.  There's no WTF acidic orange toothpaste taste here.  At least, there shouldn't be.  Thank God.

This is a salad my mother often makes, sometimes as a side dish and always for Korean barbecue.

Ingredients

Perilla leaves

Lettuce (I like Romaine)

Green onion

Soy sauce or salt

Crushed black pepper

Garlic

Sesame oil

Sesame seeds

Crushed chili powder

Optional

Bell pepper (makes for nice coloration and a source of crunchiness)

Sugar or sugar replacement

The How-To

1. Chop the perilla leaves and lettuce.  Bell pepper too, if you want to.
2. SHRED the green onion until they're in slivers about 1/8 to 1/4 inches thin.
3. Toss the perilla, lettuce, and green onion together.
4. Add a little soy sauce or salt, with some crushed black pepper and minced garlic.  You can add sugar/sugar replacement at this point.
5. Toss.
6. Drizzle sesame oil.
7. Garnish with sesame seeds and crushed chili powder.

You know what this needs?  Some orange zest.  Yeahhhhh.  And jelly beans!  Can't forget the freakin' jelly beans!  AND PEACHES.  WE FREAKIN' LOVE PEACHES IN SALAD BECAUSE IT'S OMG SO UNIQUE YOU KNOW BURN IT BURN IT BURNIT KILL IT WITH FIRE BURN BURN BURN

You can consume this with some bacon, and/or rice.  And, of course, in typical Korean fashion, side dishes.  But it's great for Korean barbecue, or in a bulgogi burger.