Baby Green Mangos with Spicy Rice Powder Fish Sauce

This is one of my favorite fruit snacks of all time. Thanks goes to my mom, who brought the mangoes down from Dallas with her during her recent visit. The tartness pairs perfectly with the sauce I made. I actually learned how to make this sauce as a young boy and it has stood the test of time. The sauce is salty, sweet, and spicy which is definitely a Southeast Asian flavor profile.

Just in case you can't procure any green mangoes, this sauce goes well with: green apples, dill pickles, cranberries and many other tart fruits.

Please forgive me for the cloudy picture. My camera lens cover is scratched and I'm waiting for a replacement. Hopefully it'll come in before my next blog.

Sauce ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon roasted rice powder
1/4 tablespoon dried crushed chili pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (homemade padak or bottled will both work)
1 shallot thinly sliced
3 fresh Thai chili peppers thinly sliced

Directions:

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Thinly slice your mangoes and discard the seed and the membrane housing the seed. To eat, simply dip your mango or desired fruit and eat. The combination of the dried and fresh chili peppers makes this a very spicy sauce. Feel free to reduce the amount of chili peppers used or have a glass of milk near by.

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Hot and Crunchy Shrimp and Chicken with Avocado Cone

I believe that if you wanted to call something a cone it should be more than a gimmick. The cone should be more than just a paper snow cone cup; it should enhance the character of the dish itself.

So the first thing I decided to do differently was to deep fry the flour tortilla into a cone shape that could be utilized as a serving vessel itself. The cone was dusted with chili powder and paprika to help impart an extra level of spice and flavor.


Instead of making cole slaw and a spicy aioli, I combined the two elements and created a Sriracha aioli slaw. This consisted of shredded cabbage, carrots, and Sriracha ailoi.


I also did away with breading the avocado and deep frying it, I left it in its natural form to ensure that the rich and creamy flavor doesn't get masked.


The last element of this dish consists of using corn flakes as breading for the shrimp and chicken. I didn't change the use of the corn flakes but I did eliminate the sesame seeds and added roasted ancho chili flakes to add a touch of heat along with your basic salt, pepper, and sugar to help boost the flavor. The chicken and shrimp were marinated in salt, pepper, garlic, powder, cayenne pepper and paprika before being coated in the egg wash and battered.


Ingredients:


Large flour tortillas (10 inch diameter)
Canola oil (for deep frying)
1 chicken breast (halved and then cut into long strips)
12 shrimp (peeled)
1 cup corn flakes (processed and ground)
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon roasted ancho chili flakes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup shredded cabbage (loosely packed)
1/2 cup shredded carrot (loosely packed)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves
1 - 2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce


Directions:


Start by making the slaw first so that the cabbage and carrots get a chance to absorb some flavor before the dish is assembled. Shred your cabbage and carrots and set aside in a large bowl. In a food processor add the 2 garlic cloves and begin processing. Next, add your mayonnaise and Sriracha and continue processing for about 10 - 15 seconds. Your aioli is now complete and should have an orange coloring. Add your aioli to the cabbage and carrots and mix well. Set this aside in your refrigerator until you're ready to assemble your cone.


The next step in creating this dish is to create the cone itself. Heat the canola oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees. Fold the tortilla so that the bottom portion is smaller than the top portion. This will create your cone shape. Now take some egg wash and brush it on the inside of the top part of the tortilla that overlaps. Gently squeeze this area so that the egg wash works as a glue to hold the tortilla together while frying. Place the side with the egg wash into the fryer first. This will seal the tortilla and ensure that it will not open during the frying process. Continue cooking this side for about 2-3 minutes and then rotate the cone and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat until the entire cone has been evenly fried. Immediately after removing the cone from the fryer dust it with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of chili powder and paprika. Set this aside on a towel to cool and drain.

Marinate the chicken and shrimp separately by adding the following to each: 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix well and let this rest for at least 10-15 minutes.

To create the breading, add the corn flakes to the food processor and blend until the grains are semi-fine (a few large chunks won't hurt either). Process enough corn flakes until you get about 1 full cup after processing. Add this to a deep dish along with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons ancho chili flakes, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Mix these ingredients well and set aside.

Now that you have everything ready, it's time to setup your breading and frying station. Start by dipping the proteins in the egg wash and then the breading and directly into the fryer. The shrimp should be done in less than a minute and then chicken takes anywhere from 2-3 minutes. Remove the fried proteins and set it on some paper towels to cool and drain.


To build this cone, I stuffed it with the Sriracha slaw first since this contains the sauce for the cone. Then the chicken strips and shrimps were stuffed on top of the slaw. Next, layer the avocado delicately on top of the proteins and add another layer of the slaw.


Click here to go back to the review of "The Mighty Cone"

Tom Yum Poached Chilean Sea bass

This is one of the ways I have combined one of my favorite soups (Tom Yum) with one of my favorite fish (Chilean Sea Bass) The concept is pretty simple - first you make the soup and then you slowly poach the fish until it's cooked through. Because I was making three dishes at the time I was making this one, I opted to make a very quick Tom Yum soup with easy ingredients.

Ingredients:

Chilean Sea Bass (4 ounce cut)
1 stalk lemongrass
2 inch piece of galangal thinly sliced
1 quart chick stock
4-6 kaffir lime leaves
4-6 Thai chili peppers (roughly chopped) or 2 tablespoon Nam Prik Pao (Thai chili paste consisting of fried garlic, shallots, chili peppers, and shrimp paste)
2-3 tablespoon tamarind powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3-5 tablespoon fish sauce
1 can straw mushrooms
3-4 Roma tomatoes (quartered)


Directions:

Add chicken stock, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves in stock pot on high heat and bring to a boil. Once the ingredients have come to a boil, reduce the heat down to medium low and add salt, tamarind powder, chili peppers or nam prik pao, fish sauce, tomatoes and mushrooms. Adjust the tartness by adding or reducing the amount of tamarind powder. You can also adjust the spiciness by adding or reducing the chili peppers or nam prik pao. I suggest that you add half the amount listed above for both ingredients first and then add more later to please your palette.

This is the base of all Tom Yum soups, so if you decide to add shrimp, chicken, tofu, etc. this is the time to add it. Your final step is to reduce the soup down to a simmer and place the fish in the soup. Depending on the size of the fish it shouldn't take longer then 6-10 minutes for the fish to fully cook in the soup.

Creole Shrimp and Mussels

I have to admit it.... I'm an addict and I'm addicted to steamed mussels.

No matter what restaurant I go to, I always seem to order it. As this dish is typically served with french bread, for this reason, it becomes even more addicting. As bread is the perfect ingredient to soak up the delicious creole sauce. As a matter of fact, the sauce is probably the star of this dish. Everyone that knows me, knows that I've been struggling to master the art of bread making. Well, I think I finally found the right formula to make french bread. If you have the time you might want to try it out, but I'm going to warn you now, it takes a lot of patience.

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh or frozen mussels
1 pound shrimp
1/2 can Cento Whole San Marzano Tomatoes (14 oz)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Several sprigs of cilantro or parsley for garnish (roughly chopped)
5-6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 large shallot (diced)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

In a deep pan or pot on medium-high heat toast the dried basil, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper for about 4-5 minutes. This will cause it to smoke a little bit but, this is okay, continue stirring but do not let it burn. Add the oil to the toasted herbs and continue stirring. Add the shallots and garlic and stir for another minute or so. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. With a wooden spoon or whatever utensil your prefer, begin crushing the tomatoes and let this cook for an additional 2 minutes before adding the chicken stock. Once the chicken stock has been added, while stirring consistently, begin adding the heavy cream and butter. Allow this simmer for at least 15 minutes. As you will want to serve this dish hot and fresh, add the shrimp and mussels to the sauce 5 minutes before serving so you don't over cook it. Cover with a lid to allow the steam to cook the mussels and shrimp. Check after 5 minutes. Shrimp are ready when they have a pink color while the mussels shell will be opened. Garnish with cilantro or parsley before serving.

French Bread:

1 cup cake flour
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (for the bowl)
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 packet active yeast
1 large egg
1 small egg (for the egg wash to brush on the bread)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:

Add yeast to 1/2 cup warm water and let the yeast activate for about 5 minutes or until it begins to foam. In a mixing bowl add both types of flour, sea salt, and sugar and mix well. Add the oil and continue kneading the dough. Next add the egg into the flour mixture and continue kneading. Add the 1/2 cup of water containing the yeast to the dough and continue kneading. Slowly add the last 1 cup of water to the dough mixture while kneading at the same time. By the time all ingredients have been added, the dough will be elastic that's on the slightly sticky side. However, if the dough is too sticky dust it with flour and continue kneading or if it's to dry the add a little more water.

Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest and rise for approximately 4 hours. After the 4 hours, divide the dough in half and begin shaping your bread. Place the dough on to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cover again with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise again for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap from the sheet pans and brush the bread with the egg wash. Bake for approximately 25 minutes and brush again with egg wash. Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes. Remove the bread and place on a cooling rack.

Yam Neua (Thai Beef Salad)

Normally you would see this beef salad tossed with all the vegetables to incorporate the meat and the sauce. However, I prefer to eat this as an appetizer and have displayed it as such in the above picture. I don't go to Thai restaurants very often but when I do, this is one of my favorite dishes. The thinly sliced beef and pungent vegetables pair perfectly with the spicy sesame vinaigrette.

Steak Ingredients:

1 pound beef (skirt steak, rump roast, or sirloin)
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon lemongrass (finely ground)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients above and let the beef marinate for at least 2 hours. You then have different choices of cooking methods; obviously grilling is preferred but if you live in an apartment like me, using the broiler in the oven isn't a bad option. You'll want to cook the beef to your desired doneness (rare, medium-rare, medium, etc.) I would recommend to not cook this cut of meat well done; as this will definitely dry out and become tough to chew and eat. Unfortunately, it’s hard to determine the time to cook the beef since the cut and thickness of the beef may be different. When the meat is at your desired doneness; let the meat rest for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting - as all the juices will run out if you cut the meat without resting. To cut: slice the beef as thin as possible against the bias.

The best way to check for your desired doneness of the meat is with a thermometer. Here is the temperature range:

(Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit)
Rare 120 - 125
Medium-Rare 130 - 135
Medium 140 - 145
Medium-Well 150 - 155
Well Done 160 - above

Spicy Sesame Vinaigrette Ingredients:

2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon palm sugar
2 tablespoon sesame oil
4 Thai chili peppers (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves

Sauce Directions:

Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and palm sugar and mix well. Next, slowly drizzle the sesame oil into the mixture while whisking. Lastly, mix in the chili peppers and garlic.

Salad Ingredients:

5-7 green leaf lettuce leaves (roughly chopped)
1/2 white onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 red onion (thinly sliced)
1 tomato (thinly sliced)
1/2 cucumber (halved and thinly sliced)
1 scallion (roughly chopped)
8-10 sprigs cilantro (roughly chopped).
2 jalapenos (thinly sliced)
Handful Vietnamese coriander (just the leaves)

Plating:

Add the salad mixture to the bottom of your serving vessel (plate, bowl, etc.) and place the thin slices of beef on top of the salad. Now drizzle the dressing on top of the beef. This dish can be served warm or cold. However, if you are serving warm, try not to place the hot beef on top of the salad as this will wilt the vegetables.

Balut, Khai Luk, Hột Vịt Lộn (Steamed Fertilized Egg)

This item has many name and you can call it whatever you want; most people would probably call it disgusting. However, these eggs are a delicacy to some and an everyday item for others. All I know is that I woke up this morning and had a craving for it. Everyone knows that Sunday is normally my lazy day; where I don't leave my place at all, but in order to satisfy my craving I had to pay a visit to the local Asian market. After searching for a few minutes and not being able to locate these eggs, I reluctantly asked the Asian lady behind the counter. I asked for the duck eggs and she responded by telling me that she had some but they were too far in development and that she didn't want to sell them to me. But, she said she had the chicken eggs available and guaranteed me that they were just as good and if not, even better. Most people would eat these eggs plain. But I love wrap it in various Asian herbs and dip it in jeow som (see previous posting for Laotian Chimichurri).

Ingredients:

Dozen fertilized chicken/duck eggs

2 whole scallions (roughly chopped)

10-12 sprigs cilantro

10-12 sprigs fish mint

Handful sawtooth herb

Handful Vietnamese coriander

Laotian Chimichurri (Jeow Som)

Directions:

Steam the eggs for approximately 12-15 minutes. Crack the egg open on the larger side carefully. You'll want to keep all the juices in the egg so you can slurp it. Trust me, the juice inside is very flavorful. Then, crack open the rest of the egg and discard the hard white part - it has no taste and has a very rubbery consistency. You can eat the yellow (yolk) part and the young chick/duckling at the same time. I like to savor mine and divide the two and eat them one at a time. I like to shred all of the herbs and veggies on top of each portion and drizzle some sauce on top of that.

If your afraid or disgusted by this dish, you shouldn't be. As I stated before, this is a common everyday dish in other cultures plus it tastes good.

Game Day Wings with a Creamy Sriracha Dip

With the World Series coming to an end last night,I thought it would be appropriate to put together a simple dish that reminds us all of bar food. Most of us are familiar with Buffalo wings served with either blue cheese or ranch dressing. While Buffalo wings are spiced with Tabasco sauce, these wings are spiced with freshly ground black pepper and Sriracha chili sauce. While 10 years ago, you could only find Sriracha at specialty Asian stores and restaurants, it is now probably the most common Asian condiment found in almost every store and restaurant around the country. The creamy dipping sauce I paired with the wings and carrots is also infused with Sriracha.

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings
1/8 cup oyster sauce
1/8 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoon Sriracha (for the chicken)
1 teaspoon Sriracha (for the dip)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns (roughly crushed)
2 tablespoon garlic powder (for the chicken)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (for the dip)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Marinate the wings with the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, Sriracha, peppercorns. and garlic powder. Let this marinate for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).

Deep-fry the wings in canola oil that has been preheated to 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until it is dark brown and the ends are crisp. Remove the wings from the oil and place on a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain the oil and cool down.
For the dip, add the heavy cream and lemon juice to a mixing bowl. Lightly whisk the mixture until it beings to thicken. Add kosher salt and garlic powder and mix well. Finally, add the Sriracha and mix well or until the dip is a consistent pastel orange color. Garnish the dip with finely minced chives and serve along side the wings and veggies.

Remember that if you're planning to cook for game day or a party, preparing anything you can the night before such as marinating the chicken or cutting the vegetables will save you time in the kitchen and will make it a more enjoyable game you can actually watch.

Carolina Style Pulled Pork Sandwich

The previous job I had sent me to many places around the U.S. and the world. But I'll never forget my first project; I was on in North Carolina in the middle of Nowheres-ville and about the only highlight of that trip was the barbecue I sampled there. Different regions of the U.S. specialize in different types of barbecue; for example, Texas is known for brisket and North Carolina is known for pork. Since I still live in an apartment I couldn't smoke the pork shoulder but the dry rub still remains the same. The sauce I created was an apple cider barbecue sauce, much like the one I had in North Carolina. I also made spicy aioli coleslaw from the aioli leftover from yesterdays dinner.

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 pound pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot (roughly chopped)
4 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
1 teaspoon all spice
1 cup water


Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients, except for the all spice, together in a bowl. Then generously sprinkle the dry rub on the pork and pat down at the end to ensure the rub stays on. In a skillet, add the olive oil and turn the heat to high. You'll want to sear in the flavors by browning the entire pork. I used a pressure cooker to save some time in cooking the pork but you can use a roasting pan and an oven as well.

If you're using a pressure cooker, add the water, shallots, garlic, and all spice to the pot. Do the same if you're using a roasting pan. Before putting your pork in the pot or roasting pan you'll want to elevate it to keep it away from most of the liquid. I used a foldable stainless steamer basket for the pressure cooker. For the roasting pan, you can use the rack that comes with the roasting pan. Set you pressure cooker on high pressure and cook for 1 hour, in the roasting pan set your oven to 275 degrees and cook for 3-4 hours. I normally, cover the roasting pan when I cook in the oven to seal in the steam and create a little pressure to help the meat cook and tenderize a little faster. This will also keep it moist. After the the is cooked you can test to see if your meat is tender by pulling on it - if it pulls apart easily, then you're ready to remove it from the pressure cooker/oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes. After it has cooled, use your hand to separate the meat into smaller edible pieces.

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large tomato (diced)
1 large shallot (diced)

Directions:

In a sauce pan, add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium high. Add your shallots and cook for about 4 minutes or until it is translucent. Then add your brown sugar and let it melt but not caramelized. Add water immediately after all of the sugar dissolves. Next add your paprika, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes. Bring the heat down to simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes. Now add your apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, and black pepper. Let this simmer for another 10 minutes. With an immersion blender, begin blending your sauce in the sauce pan. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer your sauce to a regular blender and blend until all the large ingredients have broken down.

To assemble your sandwich, take two pieces of bread and layer that with your pulled pork and add about 1-2 tablespoons of your barbecue sauce on top.

The coleslaw is very easy to make. Slice 1/4 head of cabbage into thin strips and add to a large bowl. Now take the aioli we created yesterday and add that to the cabbage. Toss thoroughly to coat all of the cabbage.

This dish is a little time consuming but very worth it. Especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed or you just want to have some food leftover for the next day.

Sin Dahd (Korean Style Barbeque) with a Trio of Sauces

This dish always brings back good memories. When I was teaching and traveling throughout Laos I couldn't wait to get back to Vientiane just so that I could hangout with family and head out to the restaurant Poisan and enjoy a night of eating and drinking. This restaurant is known for their Sin Dahd or Korean style barbecue. They serve it with an assortment of vegetables and your choice of protein (pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, etc.). What was unique was the dome shaped griddle that was heated with hot coals, I truly believe that once the fat drips and singes the coals the aroma it creates is incomparable.

Unfortunately, I live in an apartment and I don't have the dome shape griddle to mimic this experience. Here in the States we tend to just use a regular non-stick flat top griddle. Many of you who have had this during a family gathering know all too much about the electric griddle. I'm probably not alone when experiencing the power outages and blackouts this creates at home, especially when you have two or more griddles cooking at the same time.

For dinner last night I went with simple and very basic Sin Dat. The vegetables included red leaf lettuce, cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, chili peppers, and garlic. For the protein I opted for pork and lamb, both thinly sliced for quick cooking. I prepared a trio of sauces for dipping that included tamarind infused chili soybean, sweet and sour soy, and savory and spicy pineapple.

Wrapping Ingredients:

1 head red leaf lettuce (or any lettuce of your choice)

1 package rice paper (from wrapping)

Several sprigs of cilantro,

2 scallions (roughly chopped)

10-15 cherry tomatoes (halved)

1 large onion (quartered and thinly sliced)

1/2 cucumber (julienne cut)

5 chili peppers (thinly sliced)

4 garlic cloves (minced)

1 pound pork butt w/skin (it's actually the shoulder, paper thin slices)

1 pound lamb arm (thinly sliced)

Directions:

You'll want to separate the skin from the pork butt where the fat meets the actual meat. Save the skin and fat pieces, you'll be using this to cook you meat in. Set your griddle to 275 degrees and add your skin and fat pieces. Once the oil starts releasing from the fat start adding your proteins and onions. Cooking until done and being wrapping with your favorite ingredients and dip in your favorite sauce.

Tamarind Infused Chili Soybean Sauce:

4 tablespoon chili soybean paste

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 tablespoon tamarind paste (reconstituted)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients well and set aside for dipping. Because the chili soybean paste is fermented it has a very salty taste so use this sauce sparingly.

Sweet and Sour Soy Sauce:

1 large shallot (minced)

4 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1/4 cup light soy sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoon tamarind paste (reconstituted)

Directions:

Add oil, shallots, and garlic to a sauce pan on medium high heat. Saute until shallots are transparent. Add soy sauce, sugar, and tamarind paste to the same sauce pan. Mix all ingredients in the sauce pan well and set aside. You can either serve the sauce as is or you can opt to puree the mixture for a smoother and more well rounded taste.  Add thinly sliced chili peppers and garlic for that extra kick.

Savory and Spicy Pineapple Sauce:

1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple (1-2 inch chunks)

1 large shallot (thinly sliced)

3 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)

2 Thai chili peppers

4-5 tablespoon fish sauce

Directions:

Add pineapples to a saute pan on medium high heat. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until pineapple starts to caramelize. Then add shallots, garlic, and chili peppers to the saute pan. Continue cooking all ingredients for about 3-5 minutes. Add the entire contents of the saute pan into a blender and puree. Add fish sauce for the added salty taste.

Cabbage Wrap (Panh Mieng)

My mom was in town this past weekend and she brought me some healthy goodies, tons of fresh veggies straight from her garden that consisted of fresh Thai chili peppers, basil, eggplants, lemongrass, rice patty herbs, Vietnamese coriander and also brought me a refill of pa dak (homemade fish sauce).

Last week I had some health issues causing the doctor to prescribe me a regimen of steroids. The medication caused some weight gain, so this week, I'm back on my wrap diet since this is an ultra low carbohydrate diet with minimal protein. Normally, the diet consists of lettuce but since I haven't had the cabbage wrap in years, I thought I would change things up a little bit (still the same concept, however).  Eating like this helped me lose 25 pounds in a 4 week period; thankfully I'm only looking to drop 7 pounds this week.

By now, everyone should know how to wrap things. If not, it's pretty simple, it is just putting your favorite ingredients on a base - this case it's cabbage - wrapping it up without over filling and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage (quartered)
2 scallions (sliced)
Several sprigs of cilantro (roughly chopped)
5 chili peppers (sliced)
3 inch piece ginger (julienne cut)
1 stalk lemongrass (thinly sliced on bias)
10 cherry tomatoes (halved)
1/2 lime (cut into tiny 1/4 squares, with peel on)
1 bag pork rinds
5 Thai eggplants (quartered)
1 shallot (sliced)
1 handful vermicelli (cooked)
1/4 homemade fish sauce
4 tilapia filets (or 1 whole fish)
4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)

Cooking the fish:

First, you'll need to lightly batter the fish with rice flour (all purpose flour is too dense for this application) so that the fish doesn't fall apart in the deep fryer.  You will then deep fry the fish in canola oil that has been preheated to 350° for about 4-5 minutes. Once the fish has completed frying, place on a towel to drain and cool.

A different and healthier alternative to cooking the fish is simply putting the whole fish (skin on) in a preheated 375° oven for approximately for about 15 minutes or until fish is crispy on the outside.

Dipping sauce:

The dipping sauce is basically a homemade fish sauce (using the whole amount listed above), chili peppers (half the amount listed above), and garlic (half the amount listed above). You can also add tamarind paste  for extra tartness or sugar for added sweetness; of course add these according to your taste.  Beware: this sauce is super potent so use it sparingly. If you don't have homemade fish sauce you can also try using the bottled unfiltered fish sauce from the store or contact me if you need some homemade fish sauce.

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Lemongrass Brisket with Laotian Chimichurri and Spicy Bitter Fish Sauce

This dish is the most common dish prepared when you attend a Laotian barbecue. Growing up, our parents never took us to any barbecue restaurants so we weren't familiar with the slow smoked style that we're familiar with now. Quite honestly, I'm not sure of why we chose the brisket cut of meat. Maybe because it was cheap and fed a lot of people or maybe because of its fat content that bares its true flavor once grilled. Many Americans would probably shun the way we cook the brisket. They prefer the low and slow method and we grill it just like any other cut of meat. I know one thing, no one has ever complained once they've tasted it.

The two sauces I prepared are the most commonly used with this dish. The Laotian "chimichurri" for lack of a better description contains garlic, chili peppers, ginger, scallions, and cilantro. Because it lacks oil, I'm not sure you can really call it a chimichurri, but it's close enough for my comfort. For my baker friend who came to dinner last night, this sauce is for you. The second sauce I prepared is not for the faint of heart or stomach. It's a combination of unfiltered homemade fish sauce, bottled fish sauce, and beef bile. Yes I know, gross right. Well it's definitely an acquired taste but you'll love it if you like the incomparable bitterness that makes one lost for words trying to describe it.

Of course, no Laotian meal is complete without sticky rice. It's been brought to my attention that just because you have the equipment and the correct grain of rice doesn't mean you actually no how to cook it. To my former roommate, I told you to pay attention when I cook instead of just watching television the whole time.

Brisket ingredients:

10 pounds brisket (cut into 10 inch steak pieces along the grain)
3 stalks lemongrass (pureed)
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 tablespoon kosher salt
6 tablespoon hoisin sauce
6 tablespoon oyster sauce
4 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:

Marinate your brisket for at least 3-4 hours if possible, overnight is even better. Set your oven to broil and place the rack on the upper middle section. Cook the brisket on a baking sheet layered with aluminum foil. Cook for 10 minutes on each side for medium rare or to your preferred temperature. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Chimichurri ingredients:

10 Thai chili peppers
1/2 cup ginger (loosely packed)
4 garlic cloves
Juice of 3 limes (approximately 1/2 cup)
8 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup cilantro (loosely packed, roughly chopped)
1/8 cup scallions (loosely packed, finely chopped

Directions:

In a mortar and pestle, combine garlic, chili peppers, ginger, and salt. Mash into a paste and then add all other ingredients and mix well. Add more lime juice or fish sauce to adjust tartness or saltiness.


Bitter fish sauce ingredients:

3 tablespoon unfiltered fish sauce
6 tablespoon bottled fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes (a little more than 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon dried crush Thai chili peppers (more or less depending on how spicy you want it to be)
2 teaspoon edible beef bile
1/8 cup cilantro (loosely packed, roughly chopped)
1/8 cup scallions (loosely packed, finely chopped)

Directions:

Combine the two fish sauces and mix well. Then add lime juice and edible beef bile. Incorporate all wet ingredients well before adding dry ingredients.

Sticky rice:

2 cups Glutinous/Sticky rice
Enough water to cover rice plus a few extra inches above (the rice will absorb some water)

Directions:

Rinse the rice thoroughly, approximately 3-4 times in cool running water. Then soak the rice in a large bowl for at least 2-3 hours or until the grains look completely translucent. You're also going to need some special equipment to cook sticky rice. These are cheap but may be hard to find (contact me if you need help finding it). You're going to need a concave boiler and an open face bamboo steamer (I'll post pics up later). Add enough water in the boiler (approximately 3-5 inches deep) and bring to a boil on high heat. Add rice from bowl to bamboo steamer and set in concave boiler. Cover the top of the steamer and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you'll want to get a wooden spatula and stir the rice around so that it cooks thoroughly from the inside out. Cook for another 8-10 minutes and then stir the rice again to release some of the steam. Remove rice and place in bamboo basket or a similar device to keep warm.

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Fish Tacos with Kaffir Lime Aioli

The other day I saw one of my friend's post on Facebook that his wife made him fish tacos. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't invited but that just made me crave it even more. This dish is pretty simple but has a lot of components. I'll try to break it down as easy as possible.

Fish preparations:

2 pounds tilapia filets
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon cayenne peppery
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well, let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake the fish for approximately for 15 minutes (be careful to not overcook, you want the fish to still look and taste moist).

Korean/Spanish rice:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot thinly sliced
1 cup brown Korean rice
32 ounces chicken stock
2 Roma tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

In a deep sauce pan, sauté the shallots in butter and add rice once all the butter melts. Add tomatoes and all the dry ingredients. Then add 1/3 of the stock and cook rice in medium high heat and keep it covered. Once most of the liquid has reduce add another 1/3 of the stock. Repeat this again until all the stock is gone and the rice is cooked.

Cabbage aioli slaw:

1/2 head of red/purple cabbage (thinly sliced)
1 cup kaffir lime aioli

Directions:

Blanch the cabbage in a pot of boiling hot water for about 3 minutes. Strain and let cool. Add kaffir lime aioli (see previous post for this recipe) and toss.

Pico de gallo:

1/2 large onion (diced)
2 jalapenos (diced)
1/2 cup cilantro (roughly chopped)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Mix all ingredients well and adjust salt and sour preference by adding salt or lime juice.

Assembling tacos:

You're going to need tortillas (I used flour) and lettuce. Simply layer the lettuce on top of the tortilla, and then just add the rice, slaw, and pico de gallo. Drizzle with extra ailoi and enjoy.

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Chicken en Papillote

Initially, I was just going to stir fry the chicken but I thought I would showcase another method of cooking. This dish is also call "mok gai" in Laotian cuisine. It is made by using an "en papillote" technique is which basically cooking your food by wrapping it in paper, leaves, foil, etc. I chose to steam the chicken so I chose foil since I forgot to get the banana leaves from my sister's house. This was served with a refreshing papaya salad (no not the super spicy Laotian style).

Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs (bone removed and discarded, meat sliced into 1/2 inch cuts)
1 pound Thai eggplants
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms (stems removed and discarded, tops sliced 1/4 inch)
1 cup fresh Thai basil (tightly packed)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fish sauce
5 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 kaffir lime leaf per package
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 shallot (thinly sliced)
4 Thai chili peppers (roughly chopped)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except kaffir lime leaves in a large bowl and set aside to let it marinade for at least 10 minutes. Tear off a piece of foil paper about a foot long. Add about a cup of the chicken mixture to the bottom end of the foil and place 1 kaffir lime leaf on top. Starting from the bottom lift and fold the foil to cover the mixture. Then fold the sides in and continue folding the foil upwards to the top end of the foil. You're going to want to make sure it has a good seal so that all the juices stay in tack during steaming.

You are also going to need a steamer to complete cooking this dish. On high heat bring the water to a boil. Place each package in the steamer basket and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes.

To serve simply cut the top of the package diagonally from both ends (X marks the spot!). Open from the center and enjoy.

Serve with a bowl of steamed rice or a handful of sticky rice. As I mentioned earlier, I also served this dish with a refreshing papaya salad (See previous entry on making this).

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Spicy Shrimp Salad (Lahb Goong)

Traditionally lahb is made of different varieties of protein such as chicken, beef, fish, pork, and shrimp. For the most part the vegetables and herbs remain the same. The key herb that makes the dish is mint (pak hom lahb). For this dish I've added fresh dill, which I believe is a perfect compliment to the shrimp. Also, many people will make this with raw shrimp but since I don't live near the coast and I don't know how fresh it really is, I've decided to quickly saute the shrimp instead. This is one of my favorite lahb dishes and also my friends from New York. To my friend in New York, I hope your wife will make this for you.

Ingredients:

1 pound peeled shrimp (roughly chopped)
2 scallions (thinly sliced)
1/4 cilantro (loosely packed)
1/4 mint leaves (loosely packed)
8-10 kaffir lime leaves (chiffonade cut)
1/4 dill (roughly chopped)
1 large shallot (thinly sliced)
6 fresh Thai chili peppers (thinly sliced)
3 teaspoon roasted rice powder
1 teaspoon dried crushed chili peppers
Juice of 1 1/2 lime (more or less, depending on how tart you like it)
3 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Quickly saute shrimp in canola oil on medium high heat. Try not to over cook the shrimp. Strain all the liquid and let the shrimp cool down. Toss all the shrimp in a mixing bowl and add all other ingredients and continue tossing until everything is mixed thoroughly.

Normally this dish is served with sticky rice and accompaniments of lettuce, cucumbers, and just about any other type of vegetables and herbs. If you have fresh bean sprouts don't forget to toss that into the salad as well, it'll give the dish a refreshing crunchy texture.

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Braised Short Rib Rice Crepes

This dish always reminds me of my Vietnamese step-grandmother. When she used to own a restaurant my brother and I would always get a large plate of banh cuon. Of course she made it with more of the traditional ingredients such as ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, and onions. I would never turn down a plate of this; when made the traditional way. But me being me, I felt like I had to change it up a bit. Instead of ground pork, I used braised short ribs, marinated the same way with fish sauce, salt and pepper. I replaced the wood ear mushrooms with fresh shiitake mushrooms and the onions with shallots. For the crepe, however, I kept it very traditional, rice flour and tapioca starch, cooked on a non-stick pan since I don't have the traditional cloth steamer.

Short rib ingredients:

1 pound boneless short ribs
1 garlic clove (finely diced)
1 large shallot (thinly sliced)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shiitake mushrooms (stems removed, caps thinly sliced)

Directions:

Once again I went with the pressure cooker to save some time. You should too if you have one. Sear the meat on all sides thoroughly, and then add shallots and garlic. Wait for about a minute or two then add the chicken stock and mushrooms. Cook under high pressure for 35-40 minutes. Release the pressure and begin shredding meat with a fork. Strain the mushrooms from the liquid and add the mushrooms to the shredded meat, mix well and set aside.

Rice flour crepe ingredients:

7 ounces (1 1/4 cup) tapioca starch
8 ounces (1 1/2 cup) rice flour
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well (make sure you mix before pouring onto pan). Now comes the tricky part. I actually failed about 5 times before I got the method and temperature right. If anyone out there the would like to sponsor me with a new non-stick pan, I would be more than grateful. Lightly coat the pan with oil and preheat on medium high heat (about 3 minutes) then add crepe mixture with a ladle and swirl pan around, cover for about 30 seconds and then cook for another 30 seconds. You'll want to flip the crepe on to a lightly oiled plate (good luck with this too, you'll want to flip hard and fast).

Apply a small spoonful of the meat on the crepe and begin folding. Keep on doing this until either the filling or crepe batter is gone. Serve with accompaniments and the same sauce you would use for egg rolls (nuoc mam/jeow som van).

Accompaniments:

Blanched bean sprouts
Cilantro
Scallions
Fried crispy shallots
Pork meatloaf (cha lua/yaw)
Cucumbers

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Fried Tilapia with Asian Herb Papaya Salad

Finally, back from Houston where the dim sum was amazing and the traffic sucks. Earlier today I was craving seafood, particularly Dungeness crab, but apparently they're not in season yet. After pacing back and forth in the seafood section, I opted for a fresh, live tilapia. I think what I was really craving for was the spicy chili and ginger sauce that pairs perfectly with either the crab or the fish. The fresh herb salad was the perfect side dish.

Tilapia ingredients:

1 whole tilapia (scales removed and cleaned)
1 quart canola oil for frying
1/4 cup rice flour (to dust the fish)
Handful of rice patty herb
Handful of thinly sliced lemongrass (on bias)

Directions:

Preheat the oil to 350°. Cut 3 - 4 slits on the fish on both sides. Lightly coat the fish on both sides and gently place in the hot oil. Cook 5-7 minutes on both sides. Let fish rest on paper towels after frying to cool off and the residual oil on drain a bit.

Spicy chili, ginger sauce:

10 Thai chili peppers
3 garlic cloves
5-6 inch piece of garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoon fish sauce
Juice of 2-3 limes

Directions:

In a mortar and pestle combine chili peppers, garlic, ginger and salt. Pound into a paste. Add lime juice and fish sauce.

Finishing up:

Place the fish on a bed of rice patty herb and liberally add sauce on top of fish.

Asian herb salad:

1 cup fresh green papaya (shredded)
2 carrots (thinly sliced or shredded)
6 sprigs fish mint herb
6 sawtooth herb (roughly chopped)
1/4 jicama (julienne cut)
6 sprigs Vietnamese coriander
1 tablespoon crushed peanuts
1/4 nuoc mam (same sauce as the egg roll doing dipping sauce)
1 jalapeno (thinly sliced lengthwise)

Directions:

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for peanuts and toss well. Let the veggies and herbs soak in the sauce before plating (3-5 minutes). Add peanuts as the finishing touch. You can add more fish sauce or lime juice to the salad if you prefer.

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Sour Soup "Canh Chua"

This is just a very basic version of this refreshing dish. I was very limited in ingredients while making this dish but no need to worry I'll tell you what other goodies you can add to this dish. After a long labor day weekend I'm still too lazy to go to the grocery store. Thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine and the constant downpour I'm definitely not heading to the store today. Actually, it doesn't make any sense to do so since I'll be heading out of town again this weekend. I did manage to purchase a fresh whole pineapple the last time I was at the market though. Every time I'm getting ready to carve up a pineapple it always reminds me of my mother since she's the one who taught me how to properly spiral cut a whole pineapple. I'm willing to past that on to anyone who cares to learn.

Ingredients:

5 cups water
1 cube Knorr chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon tamarind powder
1 fresh jalapeno (sliced)
1 cup fresh pineapples (cubed)
2 small Roma tomatoes (quartered)
8-10 shrimp (shell on)
1 cup roughly chopped cabbage


Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a stock pot and then add chicken bouillon and tamarind powder. Reduce heat to medium low and add all other ingredients except for the shrimp (add the shrimp 3-5 minutes prior to serving to prevent over cooking).

Optional/alternative ingredients:

Fresh okra (I normally always have okra in my soup) thickly sliced on bias
Rice patty herb "Ngo Om"
Elephant ear stalks "Bac Ha" peeled and cut into 3 inch french fry shapes
Catfish (peeled and chopped into 3-4 steaks)

Bonus:

If you're reading this post and would like a free 1 year subscription to Bon Appetit magazine let me know. The first person that responds will win this prize. You can respond in the comments section, thanks!

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Spicy Beef Noodle Soup

I used shredded cabbage here since I served all of the
bok choy and mustard greens to the guests.

This is one of those dishes that tend to work like magic on a Saturday or Sunday morning after drinking heavily the night before. With the knowledge that I would be hosting guests this past weekend I actually started this dish on Thursday so that it'll be ready for Friday night and Saturday morning. The true cook time of this dish is about 3-4 hours. I was first introduced to this dish at an Austin downtown restaurant, Chinatown. At that time my friend was a bartender there and after bar hopping all night long, this was the perfect dish to cure the hungriness that was a result of too much alcohol consumption.  There are many variations of this dish that use different noodles and vegetables, the Vietnamese have Bun Bo Hue and the Laotians have Kow Poon (both use vermicelli noodles). The variation that's presented here is closer to the Chinese version.

Ingredients:


2 1/2 pounds boneless beef shank (you can also use beef shanks with bones) (2-3 inch cubes)
1 large yellow onion (diced)
4 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoon chili soybean paste
6 garlic cloves (crushed)
12 cups water
2 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoon soy sauce
6 whole star anise
2 scallions (chopped)
5 Roma tomatoes (quartered)
1 tablespoon crushed peppercorns
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 package Shandong noodles

Directions:         

Add oil to a stock pot on high heat. Add meat and brown on all sides. Add
onions and garlic and half of the chili soybean paste. Cook until onions become
translucent. Add water and bring soup to a boil. Now add all other ingredients
and wait for water to boil again. Reduce heat to low to medium low and continue
cooking soup for another 2-3 hours or until meat becomes tender. Feel free to
adjust your soup with fish sauce for extra saltiness, sugar for sweetness,
chili soybean paste for spiciness, or lime juice for tartness. You'll also want
to precook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water for 5-8 minutes prior
to building your bowl.

Accompaniments:

You can add almost any type of vegetables and herbs to compliment this
soup. I've listed the basic accompaniments and some other options as well and don't be afraid of using your own imagination to match with your palette preference.

Basic accompaniments:

Baby bok choy (blanched)
Pickled mustard greens (roughly chopped)
Scallions (sliced on bias)

Optional/alternative accompaniments:

Cilantro (roughly chopped)
Purple or green cabbage (paper thin slices)
Red or white onions (thinly sliced)

Chicken Curry

Tonight Bistro 331 had some last minute guests with last minute requests (Hey that rhymes..) One of my special guest loves quail eggs and one of my favorite things to do with quail eggs is to put them in curry. I also made a variation of the French cake, recently blogged, as well. Many prefer rice with curry but I love bread with mine. Thanks for doing the dishes ladies and thank you for signing on as followers and next time don't touch the remote control.

Curry ingredients:

6 chicken thighs (chopped and quartered)
6-8 garlic gloves (minced)
1 large shallot or small onion (diced)
2 stalks lemongrass
1 - 1 1/2 inch piece galangal root (sliced 1/8 inch thick)
2 inch piece ginger (julienne cut)
2 chili peppers (halved)
8-10 kaffir lime leaves
1 can straw mushrooms
1 can quail eggs (I used 2 here for my friend, yeah you know who you are)
2 large russet potatoes (cubed)
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon red curry paste (or more if you want to spice it up)
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
3 tablespoon fish sauce

Directions:

In a stock pot over medium high heat add chicken, garlic, and shallots. No need for oil here, there's more than enough oil from the chicken thighs. Continue stirring until chicken has browned and cook all around the outside (don't worry the chicken will continue stewing and cook completely). Add each of the above ingredients one at a time while stirring curry, except the quail eggs and potatoes (make sure these are last). After adding all of the ingredients continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes on medium-low heat with the lid on (this will tenderize the chicken and give time for the potatoes to cook properly). Finally, serve over a bed of rice or sliced french bread (toasted of course).

As I mentioned earlier, we also had desert. You can check out that recipe from a previous blog. I ditch the blueberries and almonds this time and went with kiwi instead. Also, instead of making 1 large cake I made 4 smaller cylinder shaped cakes (this was actually easier to manage). To cut the cake into round pieces I used and old tomato paste can that I cleaned and cut both ends out of (sometimes you have to be resourceful). The finish product can be seen above.

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Chicken Quesadillas with Fire Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I'll be going out of town this weekend so no cooking for me. But I wanted to post a little something you can do with leftover tortillas. You might have to actually go but the tomatillos though, I'll be surprised if you had leftovers of that. Everyone enjoy your weekend and if you have questions, comments or request feel free to post a comment.

Chicken quesadilla with fire roasted tomatillo salsa

Salsa:

5 tomatillos
3 garlic cloves
1 large jalapeno
14 grape tomatoes
Several sprigs cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Place 1st 3 items on foil and underneath the broiler until charred. Flip until other side is charred as well. I even used a torch afterwards to ensure charredness (if that's a word). Add ingredients to food processor and blend until all items are thoroughly mixed. Add salt to desired taste. Add roughly chopped cilantro and thinly sliced tomatoes and mix well.

Chicken quesadilla:

3 chicken breast
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Tortillas
Cheddar cheese
Monterrey jack cheese

Directions:

Mix 1st 8 ingredients well and cook in oven at 375° for about 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Place 1st type of cheese on tortilla, then add chicken (cut in strips), then add other cheese and place another tortilla on top and cook for 5-7 minutes at 375°. Cut into quarters or eighths and serve.

I also like to add sour cream on top as well, this will help to tone down the heat from the salsa. If you don't have any sour cream, you can do like me and make something similar it really is a "sour" cream.

1/2 lemon juice and zest
1/4 heavy cream
Pinch of salt

Mix well until it starts to thicken and then serve on top of quesadilla.

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