Sunrise Surprise Smoothie

This is a Weathertop original recipe - we came up with this during a long week of cold weather, coughing, and leftover fruits in the fridge. 

Ingredients

• 1 banana, ripe and peeled
• 1 mango, ripe and peeled
• 1 can of mango slices, dump the syrup
• 3 cup of Banilla yogurt
• 1 cup of orange juice

Steps

1. Toss the banana and mango into the blender.
2. Add yogurt and blend on puree for 20 seconds.
3. Add orange juice and puree for 20 more seconds.

Serves 4 with a 1 cup serving.

Shakshuka!

This is one of those classic Middle Eastern recipes that every nation claims and every nation has a different version of.  Our variation is based on the David Lebovitz's hybrid recipe (I have read both of the source recipes he cites and neither is as good as his version).  So, good, even the next day, so make sure you save half a loaf of crusty bread or baguette for the next day.

Also, we sub different greens - collards, spinach (fresh or frozen), and kale all work well here.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 Anaheim chile pepper, stemmed, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 quart of tomato puree, OR 1 quart of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 pint of chile-heavy salsa (no simple salsa need apply)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 cup greens  kale, collards, or spinach), coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 to 6 eggs

Steps

1. In a wide skillet or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted. 
2. Add the chile pepper, the salt, pepper, and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.
3. Add the tomatoes, honey, and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened somewhat but is still loose enough so that when you shake the pan it sloshes around.  Stir in the chopped greens.
4. Turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce. 
5. With the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, then drag a spatula gently through the egg whites so it mingles a bit with the tomato sauce, being careful not to disturb the yolks.
6. Turn the heat back on so the sauce is at a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time-to-time.

We get leftover sauce here - next day we add more puree or good chile-heavy salsa to boost it out.  Either way serve it ladled into bowls with plenty of crusty bread or baguette slices available.

Chicken Cacciatore, Hilltown Style

We love chicken cacc, but it (like many homestyle dishes) has many different variations.  We wanted one that retained the flavor but had less of the fat of the traditional breaded versions.  The crunch of the chicken was nice but not necessary, especially as leftovers got it soggy.  This is our result:


Ingredients

• 1 4lb chicken, cut up into 8 pieces and skinned
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large bell peppers, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup green olive brine
• 1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup green olives
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano 

Steps 

1. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. 
2. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. 
3. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Add the brine, the tomatoes with their juice, broth, olives and oregano. Simmer 10 minutes.
5. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. 
6. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
7. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken
8. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Miang Kam - Thai Tasty Tidbits

Miang kam is a tasty snack often sold as street food. It involves wrapping little tidbits of several items in a leaf, along with a sweet-and-salty sauce. Chewing all the myriad ingredients together gives taste receptacles on the tongue and mouth a thrilling experience – from the rich, roasted flavors of coconut and peanut, to the tanginess of lime with zest and the pungent bursts of diced ginger and chillies. It makes a great party food.

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 bunches of bai cha plu (wild pepper leaves), or substitute large leaves from 1-2 bunches of spinach; or 1 head of leafy lettuce, tear leaves into 3- to 4-inch round or square pieces

Filling Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup small dried shrimp
• 1/2 cup roasted unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup diced ginger (about the size of a pea)
• 1/3 cup diced shallots or onion the same size as the ginger
• 1 lime, cut into small peanut-size wedges, each with both peel and juice sacs
• 4 heads pickled garlic, stem removed and bulb cut into peanut-size pieces
• 6 serrano peppers, cut into thin half circles; or use Thai chillies ( prik kee noo), cut into thin rounds
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup finely ground dried shrimp
• 1/2 cup roasted shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup palm or coconut sugar
• 2 Tbs. fish sauce (nahm bplah), or to taste
• 1/2 cup water

To roast coconut, place unsweetened fresh or dried shredded coconut in a dry cast iron pan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the coconut shreds are evenly a golden brown and very fragrant. Pickled garlic is available in jars from Southeast Asian markets.

Arrange the spinach or lettuce leaves and filling ingredients on a large serving platter, piling each separately and aesthetically for a pleasing presentation.

To make the sauce, grind the dried shrimp, roasted coconut and peanuts separately and as finely as possible in a clean coffee grinder. (For the dried shrimp, measure out 1/4 cup after the shrimp is ground.) Place in a small saucepan together with the palm sugar, fish sauce and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, stirring frequently to make sure all the ingredients are well blended and the sauce as smooth as possible. Cook about 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of light batter. Transfer to a sauce bowl and allow to cool to room temperature before using. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.

To eat, take a spinach or lettuce leaf, fill it with a little bit of everything, top with a dab of sauce, roll or wrap up, stuff the entire leaf packet into your mouth and chew everything all at once. Enjoy the explosion of flavors!

Slow Cooker Stroganoff

We love stroganoff - it goes back to our Burlington days when we were vegetarian and tried desperately to recreate a good stroganoff with mushrooms and silky tofu to make the whole thing work with a deep flavor and a creamy sauce.  Today, we serve it with our beef and lots of extra mushrooms.  Sorta hybridizing the two ideas - a traditional stroganoff has beef and sour cream and the earthiness of the mushrooom/sherry version.

Plus this one is all about the slow cooker - yea!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon
• 2 1/2 lbs of steak or chuck, cubed
• 3/4 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 16 ounces of mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tsp of dried dill
• 1/4 cup of dry sherry
• 1/4 cup of corn starch
• 1 cup of sour cream

Steps

1. Saute the onion in 1 tsp of olive oil.
2. Transfer the onion, steak, water and beef bouillon to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Saute mushrooms in 2 tsp of olive oil.
4. Add mushrooms, dill and sherry in the last 15 minutes.
5. Remove the meat and thicken the juices with the cornstarch.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.
7. Serve over egg noodles.

Perfect Custard

This is a great base custard, especially for trifle. Hold those egg whites for another day (angel food cake, anyone?).

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 8 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps

1. Heat milk in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling.
2. While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
3. Add 1 cup hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and registers 170°F on thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes (do not boil).
4. Immediately force custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in butter and vanilla.
5. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, until cold and thickened, at least 3 hours.

Sausage Apple Pie

I saw this recipe in a related form over at Simply Recipes (see recipe link below). That version has a lot more cheese (3 cups more!) and a more "set" consistency. We were looking for a recipe to use up the last of a bag of Granny Smiths, then we used them up making Apple Crisp.

But I had the idea in my mind. I searched for something that was savory, but not "breakfast-y". I made this one up based on what we had - but there are some great versions out there.

• Amy's Apple Sausage Pie (many variants, but "apple pie filling"? Nope.)
• Apple and Sausage Pie from Simply Recipes (cheese-crazy)
• Sausage and Apple Pie in a Cheddar Cheese Crust from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 1 lb of sausage (pork, chicken, or turkey; ground or in casing)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3-5 apples (Granny Smith or Empire), sliced well
• 3/4 cup of good applesauce (if storebought, add cinnamon and nutmeg)
• 1/4 cup of cheese (feta, extra sharp cheddar, nothing mild)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Slice or remove the sausage from the casing and saute till browned. Remove the sausage from the pan.
3. Reserve the juices and saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove and keep on reserving the juices!
4. Next comes the apple - if you use 3 apples, bulk it out with some potatoes (I had a leftover baked potato, I sliced it thin).
5. I mixed the sausage, onion/garlic, applesauce and apple/potato together. Add in cheese at this point. Taste it, add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Drape the pie crust over a 9-inch pie pan.
7. Place the filling inside the crust and "tamp down".
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 F.

Serves 6.

Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

We both have a strong memory of comfort food built around cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. And after cold, windy days like today (our annual Farm Open House, 45 F in a gusty 20 mph wind), we need a bit of super-warm comfort.

The trick with this recipe is not to fall back on making Campbell's instead. It does take about 30 minutes of simmering, but it is worth it. We use our own quarts of tomato puree from the year before. The tomatoes are all gone by then, but I have 14 oz cans of Muir Glen diced tomatoes handy to give it some texture.

The 30 minute simmering time is to allow the basil time to get well-mixed.

And finally, we don't buy cream this way (unless it is going into whipped cream). So I used 1/2 cup of whole milk - not from the store which may have some cream removed, but absolutely fresh off the udder, whole goat milk. The cream there is part of the allure of the texture and gives a nice floor to the sweet tomato flavor.

"Tastes like summer."

Ingredients

• 1 quart of tomato puree, hopefully your own
• 4 medium sized tomatoes, diced OR 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp of dried basil OR 10-15 fresh basil leaves (best)
• 1 broth cube (I used Herb-Ox vegetable bouillon cubes)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream OR 1/2 cup whole milk w/ cream

Steps

1. Add the quart of puree, the diced tomatoes, broth cube and the basil to a medium sized pot. Bring to a fast simmer then down to a low simmer. Hold there for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the 30 minutes are up, turn off the heat and stir in the cream/whole milk and serve immediately hot.
3. While the soup is simmering, you might as well start making grilled cheese sandwiches!

Serves 4.

Vietnamese Beef Pho

Vietnamese Pho is pretty much "awesome broth that has lots of crunchy, yummy add-ons." Obviously then, the broth makes the soup. There are two schools of thought here: make a slow cooked beef broth out of good knuckles, oxtail, or other bones plus a mix of almost "garam masala" type spices. You can see a discussion of those spices at Steamy Kitchen's version of Pho.

It really benefits from remembering that this is "jumped up street food" and so our recipe is fairly flexible based on what is in the fridge that needs to get used super-fast. At its core, the Pho needs a solid beef-y broth, sprouts, beef, and something from the onion family (leeks, onion, scallions, etc). Top with lime juice and cilantro/basil and we are ready.

Even Bri will eat this soup.

Ingredients

• 6 cups of broth from cubes
  
• 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1/3 cup of an Oriental sauce (stir-fry sauce, plum sauce, even gravy!)
• 1 inch of grated ginger root
• 1 dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup of sliced onion family (leek, onion, or scallions)
• 1 cup of carrots sliced
• 1 lb of flank steak, chilled then sliced very thin against the grain
• 8-10 oz of rice noodles
• 2 cups of sprouts
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, diced

Steps:

1. In a large pot, heat the broth water to high simmer.
2. Add sauces, ginger and red pepper. Stir well and simmer until uniform.
3. Add onion, carrots, steak and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Add rice noodles and cook 6-8 minutes (read package carefully).
5. When the noodles are done, serve immediately by ladling into bowls. Top with sprouts, cilantro (basil is also good). Make sure there is more hoisin sauce and hot pepper sauce available on the table.

Shrimp and Vegetable Paella

This is an old recipe for us, pre-dating "us" but I honestly don't know where I found it. I love paella in its many versions and this one does it for me - lots of flavor from the garlic, wine, and carrot (of all things, that carrot stands out here) and most importantly the marinated artichoke hearts.

There are many times when paella is great, especially as a spring or early fall dish - but today was 10 F with crazy gusts, a driveway that filled with snow, and nothing but low gray clouds. Paella worked today too.

Ingredients:

• 6 scallions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp of fresh parsley - or 1 1/2 tsp of dried parsley
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 1/2 cup of water (or better broth)
• 1/2 cup of white wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 lb of medium shrimp, thawed and shelled
• 4 carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, each quarter sliced into 3s

Steps:

1. Saute the scallions, pepper and garlic in some olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the parsley and rice, saute for 1 minute and stir often to coat the rice.
3. Add the broth, wine, shrimp and carrots and simmer 20 minutes, covered.
4. Finally, add the artichoke hearts (plus all juices from the jar) and stir well.
5. Serve hot to 4 hungry people.

Applesauce Muffins

I am almost ashamed to say that these are from... gasp... Martha Stewart. I will say this, she does cuten-up food and can decorate like nobody's business. And, apparently, she can do muffin recipes. Or at least somebody on her staff can.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups store-bought applesauce
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Measure flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves together into a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Put 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, the granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
4. Mix in eggs, one at a time on medium speed.
5. On low speed, mix in applesauce and then flour mixture.
6. Stir in nuts by hand.
7. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
8. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
9. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 12 big or 15-18 medium size muffins (depending on how high you fill the cups)

Olive Cheese Balls

This is an old family recipe from somewhere - so tasty, it works great with the salty sourness of green olives (it does not work with Kalamata or black olives). Great appetizer for winter get-togethers.

Betty Crockers' take adds too much dough

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 oz)
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 48 small pimiento-stuffed olives, drained and patted dry

Steps:

1. Grate cheese - we like using a food processor because cheese grating can be really tiring, especially if you make a double batch to freeze.
2. Stir together cheese and flour in large bowl.
3. Stir in melted butter and mix thoroughly. If dough seems dry, work with hands to warm.
4. Mold 1 teaspoon dough around each olive; shape into ball that just covers the olives. Roll it around in your palm, if it makes "points" then prune those off.
5. Place each ball on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown on edges.

Pork Loin with Apples and Mustard-y Cream Sauce

Carol found this recipe in the wonderful "The Best of Gourmet - 20th Anniversary Edition" - so many great party ideas packed in one book, we actually bought it after we kept it out of the library for too long.

This is a wonderful autumn and winter recipe - not for the coldest of days, but perfect for those warming snaps when the cold breaks and the snow melts. The sauce is wonderful as a "gravy" over rice pilaf with peas (our traditional side dish).

Ingredients

• 1 (4-lb) boneless pork loin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples (3/4 lb total)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup packed, dried pitted prunes, quartered
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Steps

1. Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Halve pork loin crosswise, then pat dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper(total).
3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, 1 piece at a time, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes per piece.
4. Transfer to a roasting pan as they brown (do not clean skillet) and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally at least 2 inches into meat registers 150°F, 40 to 50 minutes.
5. While pork roasts, peel, quarter, and core apples, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges.
6. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Add apples, prunes, broth, and water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Stir in cream and mustard and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, partially covered.
9. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
10. Add wine to roasting pan and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Stir pan juices into cream sauce along with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper and heat sauce over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.
12. Cut each half of the tenderloin crosswise into 4 slices.
13. Serve pork with sauce - we like to have pilaf and peas on the side, great all mixed together.

Makes 8 servings

Treasure in a Squash

Jen made this for a brunch - she used a turk's hat squash, hollowed out and then packed with the apple-cranberry casserole. Fabulous as a side or dessert, especially when you can dig the spoon deep and remove some squash and apple at the same time.

Ingredients

• 1 (5 lb.) squash
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 large tart apples, peeled, cored & diced
• 1/2 c. cranberries
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. walnuts, crumbled

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Lay squash on its side and cut off 1/4 of it to make a lid. Remove seed and strings.
3. Melt butter in skillet, add onion and saute until soft about 5 minutes.
4. Add apples, cinnamon, raisins and sunflower kernels. Stir and toss until well mixed. Cook about 5 minutes.
5. Scoop apple mixture into squash and replace "lid".
6. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 8.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These sweet potato fries are a family favorite. So easy and our Notorious Non-Eater of Sweet Potatoes actually enjoys them. Not as oily as the fried sweet potato fries from the restaurant and so easy to make in the background while making something as the entree.

And it is packed with vitamins - if my sweet potatoes were not so lumpy, I would skip peeling them. Nice smooth ones from the store may be clean enough to keep the skins on - more vitamins and antioxidants!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes. Cut each potato in half, and then into quarters. Then, slice into fry shapes, about 1/2 inch wide.
3. Put the sweet potatoes into a resealable plastic bag.
4. Add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon.
5. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries.
6. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until slightly browned.

Creamy Maple Oatmeal

We found this recipe at Quaker Oats website and posted it here, mostly the same. The "craisins" work as well as raisins normally do, but they kick it up a notch with a more rounded flavor. You can substitute water for some or all of the milk, but our most Notorious Non-Oatmeal Eater prefers at least half milk. Plus you can get your calcium this way.

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 cups low-fat milk
• 2 cups aats (we preferred old fashioned)
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup good maple Syrup
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ or bran cereal

Steps

1. In medium saucepan, bring milk to a gentle boil.
2. Add oats, dried cranberries and maple syrup.
3. Return to a boil for 1 minute and then reduce heat to medium.
4. Cook 1 minute for quick oats, 5 minutes for old fashioned oats or until most of milk is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in wheat germ or bran cereal

Yields 4 servings

Calories: 360

Southwestern Coleslaw

We had a shindig to introduce some of the family to the puppies and this was my favorite recipe (I cooked zip for this one, all Jackie). I love the concept of coleslaw - just the right sour balanced against the mayo. But while summertime is traditional coleslaw time (see our Ab-Fab coleslaw), mayo just isn't doing it for me these days.

Jackie brought a different version of this, but I dig this one. We topped pulled pork sandwiches with this - wow, waaayyyy better than just the pulled pork on its own (which apparently is a very popular topping in the South, saves on forks?)

This recipe is from Simply Recipes and her comments on the balance were:

If the seasoned rice vinegar adds too much sweetness for your taste, sprinkle in a little lemon juice. If you are using unsweetened rice vinegar, to get the right balance of acidity and sweet, sprinkle a little sugar over the salad and toss.

Ingredients

• 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 1/3 to 1/2 cabbage)*
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (or plain rice vinegar with added sugar to taste)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps

1. Combine cabbage, grated carrot, radish slices, cilantro, onions in a serving bowl.
2. Add the olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Add the seasoned rice vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Let it sit in the fridge for 4 hours and then serve.

Serves 4.

Thai Beef and Mushroom Salad (Yam Nua Yang)

This recipe is adapted from the superb (and all too quickly out-of-print) "The Ultimate Thai and Asian Cookbook", which I have found used on Amazon for $2.22. We have been swamped with kidding season (finally over) and planting season (now onto weeding!) and this quick and super-delicious and it fits the qualification as a SuperFood (mushroom, cilantro, garlic, chiles, and pretty much everything here is good for you).

This meal is perfect for us right now - heavy on salad, lots of great no fat "dressing" to drizzle over top of it, and an easily marinated slice of "Burgess", our quarter of an Angus cow from LongLesson Farm. These feeds four comfortably - just go heavy on the salad and get some awesome fruit or veg sides to round it out.

Ingredients

1. Meat

• 1.5 lbs of round steak
• 2 Tbsp of lime juice
• 2 Tbsp of fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• 2 small chiles (Serrano are a good choice here)
• 8 ounces of Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

2. Dressing

• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp of lime juice
• 2 Tbsp of fish sauce
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp of cilantro, chopped

3. Salad Fixin's

• 1 (or 2) heads of romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
• handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 of a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced long-ways
• 3 Tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

Steps

1. Marinate the round steak with the fish sauce and lime juice for 2-4 hours.
2. Preheat the broiler (or grill!) to high heat - place the rack at the highest setting.
3. Cook the steak for 2-4 minutes (more for thicker cuts) on each side. The Thai prefer this beef be on the rarer side, but your mileage may vary. Remove the beef and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and add the olive oil.
5. First add the chiles and saute for 30 seconds alone. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. If there is too little oil, add 1 or 2 Tbsp of water to keep it from sticking.
6. Take the pan off the heat.
7. Thinly slice the beef, across the grain. The thinner, the better, so sharpen your knife beforehand.
8. Add the steak slices to the mushrooms in the pan and mix well.
9. Make the dressing by mixing the scallions, garlic, lime and fish sauce, sugar and cilantro in a small bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the steak and mushroom mixture.
10. Lay out the romaine, tomatoes, and cucumber on the table. Each person makes a mound of salad on their plate.
11. Place 1/4 of the steak mixture on the salad and garnishes with the sesame seeds.
12. Make Yum-Yum noises.

If you are finding that this is not quite enough food, add another 8 ounces of mushrooms to the saute pan (use a larger one or cook in two batches). This bulks out the mixture with no fat and lots of good protein.

Mo' Better Drunken Noodles

We had leftover duck, a block of frozen tofu, and an urge to eat something that would drive away the cloudy blues. This mod of a Thai recipe (somewhere between Drunken Noodles and Pad See Ew) took advantage of what we had as fridge leftovers and the produce that our local grocery would stock that wasn't wilted nasty.

We liked it - the fried tofu is awesome - the girls liked it. And it only took 25 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of extra firm or firm tofu, frozen and thawed, drained
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 inch of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 hot Thai pepper or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 6 scallions, chopped
• 8 ounces of cooked chicken, duck breast, pork or beef, sliced
• 1 lb of bok choy or napa cabbage, sliced thinly
• 2 carrots, cut thickly on the bias
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup of basil leaves, chopped
• Lime juice to taste

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce or substitute 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. Thai chili sauce OR 1/2 tsp crushed dried red chilies

Steps:

1. Cook 8 ounces of noodles (wide rice or wide egg noodles) until al dente - cool off with cold running water and set aside.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste for balance - it should be sweet, sour, spicy and hot simultaneously.
3. Fry the tofu in 1/2 inch of canola or peanut oil until crusty and golden. Drain on towels and set aside.
4. Set up a wok with 3 TBSP of oil and stir fry the garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Let it fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the bok choy (or cabbage), meat, and carrots. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
6. Add the sauce to the wok and stir for 1 more minute.
7. Remove from wok and add to a bowl with noodles. Add cilantro and basil.
8. Toss to coat evenly. Taste test and add more hot pepper flakes if you are brave!

Eating Thai Food @ Land Thai (NYC)

It is a sad thing to say it, but there is some crappy Thai food out there. I love the fresh tastes of Thai food - galangal (a perfume-y cousin to ginger), cilantro, lemongrass, fresh seafood, wok-ked beans or greens, and of course hot red peppers. Aah.

Up here in upstate, there isn't much to Thai food (of course, according to the first item from this episode from NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", there isn't much of anything in Albany).

But when we went to NYC, we decided to go looking for something good to eat. Something we couldn't find here. And that rules out pizza and Italian.

We cruised the NY Magazine's restaurant excellent search engine (sort by neighborhood and cuisine) and settled on "Land Thai Kitchen" on the Upper West Side. It was fabulous, fast and fresh and spicy (although the waitress specifically asked if we wanted the kids' salad to be mild instead! Awesome = 25% tip!).

Things we would like to note:

1. Restaurants are smaller (quite the discussion with the 7-yr old about real estate values and the size of city lots). Land Thai is literally 10 feet wide, elbow-to-elbow.
2. Really good food doesn't need to be hard to make - the ingredients here were fresh and not cooked to destruction. Texture choices - yum!
3. Even kids will eat spicy food if it is good.

Things we would like to eat again (I linked to blog recipes that look close)

1. Drunken Chicken Noodles - (above) spicy hot and yummy, this one used wide noodles.
2. Esan Roasted Chicken - (E-san is (as far as I can tell) a commercial version of Nam Jim Jeaw sauce) and this was a dinner which the kids loved and it came with a side of Green Papaya Salad (oh, to die for)
3. Chicken Galangal Soup - delicious broth with big oyster mushrooms in it.

Great recipes for more Thai over here at RasaMalaysia!