World Recipes

Thai Beef Salad

From the kitchen of Martin James - Copenhagen, Denmark

1 pound (500g) beef rump steak
1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
2 tablespoons shredded mint leaves
150g spinach leaves
2 (260mg) Lebanese cucumbers, seeded, sliced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Combine beef with juice and mint in medium bowl, cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours or until required.

Heat oiled large pan; cook beef until browned on both sides and cooked as desired.

Cover beef and let rest 5 minutes; cut into thin slices. Combine beef with spinach and cucumber in large bowl.

Gently toss combined vinegar, sauce and sugar through beef salad. Serves 4.

Per serving: 8.6g fat; 2g fiber

Grilled Five-Spice Chicken

Source: Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table - Mai Pham

Makes 4 servings

1 (2 1/2 pound) whole chicken, preferably free range, rinsed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
4 whole star anise, lightly toasted in a dry pan for 3 minutes,
    pounded or ground into a fine powder
1/2 cup Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Cut the chicken into 6 pieces and make 1 or 2 slashes in each piece for faster cooking. Trim and discard any excess fat. Pat the chicken dry.

In a bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, turmeric, five-spice powder and salt. Stir well to blend. Add the chicken pieces and turn several times to coat them evenly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Start a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to moderate heat. (You can also use a broiler.) Thirty minutes before cooking, add the freshly toasted star anise powder to the marinated chicken, turning so the meat is coated evenly.

Place the chicken, skin side up, on the grill. Cook 10 minutes, then turn over and grill until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear, another 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. While grilling, move the chicken pieces around so that they cook evenly. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the dipping sauce.

Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 clove garlic
1 fresh Thai bird chile
1 1/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/6 cup soy sauce, preferably Chinese style
1 1/4 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp
1/8 cup water, or to taste

Place the garlic, chile and sugar in a mortar and pound into a paste. (You can also chop the garlic and chile by hand.) Transfer to a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice and water. Stir until well blended. This sauce will keep up to 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator in a tight-lidded jar.

Quick Thai Eggplant Soup

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms (caps only,) or use white mushrooms
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed and cut into 1-inch squares
1 envelope Coconut Ginger Soup Mix (a Taste of Thai brand)
2 chopped plum tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, stems included
8 ounces chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a medium-size pot, heat chicken broth over medium heat. Add eggplant and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.

Add onion, bell pepper, soup mix, tomatoes, coconut milk and cilantro, and return to a simmer. Add chicken and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve hot as a soup or over rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: Cal 379 (56% fat) Fat 24 g (20 g sat) Fiber 5 g Chol 50 mg Sodium 242 mg Carb 19 g Calcium 51 mg

Spicy Thai Slaw

Source: Delicious Decisions by The Junior League of San Diego, CA

1 medium cucumber
2 serrano chiles
1 small Savoy cabbage, shredded (about 1 pound)
4 green onions, minced
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon soy sauce

Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds. Coarsely chop cucumber; set aside.

Rinse chiles; remove and discard stem ends. Cut chiles in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Chop chiles. Combine cucumber, chiles, cabbage, green onions, peanuts and garlic in a bowl; toss well.

Combine oil and remaining ingredients; stir with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture; toss gently. Cover and chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Grilled Prawns (Vietnam)

1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp or king prawns
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Mix the onion and garlic with peanut oil. Add the prawns and toss to coat. Leave to marinate for at least three hours or overnight.

Grill the prawns or broil them for about 5 minutes, turning once. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the sauce and pour it into a small sauce bowl, placed at the center of the platter of prawns.

Serves 4.

Thai Chicken Salad

4 small dried cloud ears or 2 pieces dried black fungus
1/2 (3 3/4 ounce) package cellophane noodles
2 scallions (with tops), thinly sliced
1 small whole chicken breast, cooked, skinned and shredded
6 medium shrimp, cooked and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach
1/4 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
1 tablespoon minced mint leaves
Romaine or leaf lettuce leaves
Minced fresh cilantro
Dressing

Cover cloud ears with hot water. Let stand 20 minutes; drain. Cut into thin slices. Cover cellophane noodles with cold water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Cook noodles in boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes; drain. Cut noodles to shorten strands; cool.

Mix scallions, chicken, shrimp, spinach, peanuts and mint. Line a small platter with romaine leaves; arrange cellophane noodles on top. Spoon chicken mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with cilantro and cloud ears.

Serve with Dressing.

Yields 4 servings.

Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped

Mix all ingredients.

Grilled Eggplant with Soy Sauce (Vietnamese Vegetarian Version)

2 Asian eggplants (long and thin,
    but not baby eggplants)
4 scallions, minced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

Prick the eggplants in several places with a fork, then grill over a charcoal or gas grill for about 20 minutes or until the flesh is soft but before the skin burns. Remove them from the grill.

When they are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them in half lengthwise. Put the scallions into a bowl. Heat the oil in a pan until very hot, then pour it over the scallions. Drain them immediately. Sprinkle the scallions over the eggplants, then gently pour the soy and fish sauces on top.

Crab Noodle Soup (Vietnam)

In Vietnam and in many Vietnamese restaurants, this soup is served with the crab ground almost to a powder or even in patties. Serves 4 as a complete meal.

8 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cups flaked crabmeat
6 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound rice vermicelli, cooked
1/2 head lettuce, finely shredded (Romaine
    is preferable to iceberg)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 limes, quartered

Heat a large heavy pan over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots in the hot oil until soft. Add the crabmeat, tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Pour in 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.

To serve, divide the vermicelli among 4 large individual bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, and top each serving with a handful of lettuce and bean sprouts and squeezes of lime juice.