Grilled Stuffed Endives with Vermicelli

Vietnamese Grilled Stuffed Endives with Vermicelli (serves 4-6)


http://ravenouscouple.blogspot.com/2011/01/grilled-stuffed-endives-vermicelli.html

Meat Stuffing
1 lb of either ground pork, chicken or beef
2 tablespoons of finely minced lemon grass
1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon of minced shallot
1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
8-10 medium sized California Endives (save two for raw accompaniment)

Noodles and Accompaniments
1 package of thin vermicelli rice noodles
1/2 cups raw California endives, thinly julienned across the grain
2 tablespoons  of roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
2 tablespoons of scallion oil (heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, remove from heat and add 2 tbs finely chopped scallions)
fresh herbs such as mint, basil, diced cucumbers
nuoc mam cham

Nuoc Mam Cham (Dipping Fish Sauce)
Printable Recipe

• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon rice or plain vinegar (optional)
• 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 hot chile pepper or Jalapeno (at least)
• 3 clove of garlic, use more or less according to taste
• ~1/8 cup fish sauce, adjust to taste
• pickled carrots and daikon, optional.
• Rooster brand chile garlic sauce (optional)

Add water and sugar to mix well to dissolve. You can heat the water up before hand to make it dissolve quickly. Add lime juice and vinegar (optional). It should taste like a very very bland lime-ade. If you have a morter, crush the garlic and chiles (if not, finely mince them) together and add to the mixture. Finally, slowly add the fish sauce a few tablespoons at a time instead of all at once. Taste frequently and stop when you feel it's just right. It's much easier to adjust the flavor of the dipping sauce by adding the fish sauce at the end bit by bit, adjusting to your personal taste. For a deeper red color, add some chile garlic sauce. You can also add pickled carrots and daikon into the nuoc mam cham as well.

pickled carrots and daikon

Prepare noodles in advance by boiling according to directions, drain, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine meat with garlic, shallots, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, oil and mix well and set aside in fridge for flavors to meld.

Prepare endives by cutting the end and separating each leaf (California endives are not grown in dirt and are handled under sanitary conditions, so there is actually no need to wash, but if desire, wash and rinse dry) Stuff each endive with the meat mixture, being careful not to overstuff. The endives will form a natural cup--fold over the edges of the endive over the leaf. Brush each stuffed endive on both sides with oil and lightly season with additional fresh cracked salt and pepper.

Add small amount of cooking oil to grill pan over medium heat and carefully add the stuffed endives meat side down. Allow meat to cook, brown, and develop sear marks by not moving the endives, roughly 3-4 minutes. Turn over and sear the endive side another 30-40 seconds and remove from heat and set aside. In same pan, heat another 2 tbs of oil and when hot add the scallions and remove from heat.

In a serving bowls, add vermicelli noodles, raw julienned endives, fresh herbs such as mint and basil, diced cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon. Add the hot grilled stuffed endives and top with coarsely roasted peanuts and scallion oil. Add nuoc mam cham to taste and enjoy.

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Ragu over Fettucine Pasta

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/wild-mushroom-and-truffle-ragu-over-fettucine-pasta-recipe/index.html

Prep Time:

25 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

35 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 pounds wild and exotic mushrooms, cleaned and diced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups mushroom, chicken or veal stock
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 4 teaspoons truffle oil
• 1 pound fettucine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Chopped fresh herbs, for garnish (such as basil, parsley, thyme)

Directions

Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter to the pan. Once the butter melts and starts to foam, add the diced onions and saute until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they have released most of their liquid, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme, oregano, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and stock to the pan. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil and reduce to a gentle boil. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper, and add the basil, parsley and truffle oil to the pan. Stir to incorporate and reserve while you cook the pasta.

Fill a large 6-quart pot with 1-gallon of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Season the water with salt. Place the dried pasta into the boiling water, and stir using a long handled spoon until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, or until it has a slight chew, about 12 to 14 minutes. Once cooked, remove the pasta from the water and drain through a colander set in the sink. Pour the pasta onto a large platter or bowl, and spoon the sauce over top of the pasta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and chopped fresh herbs.

Soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) Recipe

Soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) Recipe

From Rasa Malaysia:

http://rasamalaysia.com/soba-recipe-japanese-buckwheat-noodle/

Serves 2 people Ingredients:
Soba noodles (2 rolls)
8 pieces of sliced Naruto or Japanese fishcakes
1 scallion (cut on the bias)
1 bunch spinach (lightly boiled, squeezed dry of water, and cut into 2-inch length)
1 box buna shimeji mushrooms (lightly boiled and set aside)
Dashi:
4 1/2 C water
1/4 C loosely packed kezurikatsuo (shaved bonito)
3″ piece of dried dashi kombu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste






Method:
For the dashi, bring the water to a boil in a pot. Once it boils, turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer (boiling makes the stock cloudy). Put the dry bonito flakes into a disposable soup bag and tie the top. Drop the satchel in the water along with the kombu. Let this steep for about 30 minutes, then discard the soup bag. Add the seasonings to make the soup base.
Boil a large pot of water and boil the soba for the length of time specified on the package. When they’re done, rinse them under cold water and set aside.
Transfer the soba into two bowls, top them with spinach, naruto, buna shimeji mushrooms. Pour the dashi broth over everything. Serve immediately. If you like an extra color and kick, you can serve the soba with shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7 spice chili flakes).

Spicy Pickled Okra

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/spicy-pickled-okra-recipe/index.html

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001

Prep Time:

30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

4 min

Cook Time:

30 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

4 or 5 pints of pickled okra (

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh young okra (2 to 3-inch pods are best)
• 1 quart white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons kosher salt
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 16 fresh hot peppers
• 1/3 cup whole mustard seed
• 1/3 cup whole dill seed

Directions

Wash okra under cold running water. Trim stem ends of okra, leaving at least 1/3-inch of the cap intact. Soak okra in ice water for 1 hour, drain, and pat dry. Divide okra between 4 or 5 pint-sized sterilized canning jars, placing them cap side down.

In a large enameled pot, bring vinegar, salt, garlic, hot peppers, mustard seed, and dill seed to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Divide peppers, garlic cloves, and mustard and dill seeds evenly between jars. Cover okra with hot pickling liquid by at least 1/4-inch, leaving at least 1/2-inch from the jar rims. Make sure there are no air bubbles in jars, wipe rims clean, and cover jars with lids and screw bands firmly in place. Process jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water and cool. Jars should seal as they cool. Allow pickles to mature at least 4 weeks before consuming.

Any jars that do not vacuum seal properly should be refrigerated and consumed within 2 weeks.

Korean Fried Chicken

From Kitchen Wench:

http://www.insanitytheory.net/kitchenwench/korean-spicy-deep-fried-chicken/

Chicken Marinade Ingredients
3kg chicken wings
1 cup milk (can substitute with soy milk if lactose intolerant)
2 tsp salt
3 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
5 cloves garlic
1/2 finely grated brown onion

Chicken Coating Ingredients
3 tbsp Korean curry powder (Ottugi Korean curry powder is the one we use, I’ve tried other curry powders but it just doesn’t taste right)
1/2 cup potato starch
1  1/2 cup tempura flour

Tempura flour is a pre-mixed low-gluten flour that contains some seasonings and leavenings (the brand I use contains baking powder). You should be able to purchase this at any Chinese/Japanese/Korean grocery store. If you can’t find it, then substitute it with 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup corn starch, sifted together twice.
As far as Korean curry powder, I’ve only seen it stocked online or at Korean grocery stores – though your local Asian grocer might have it on the shelves if you’re lucky.

Sweet & Spicy Sauce Ingredients
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/3 cup tomato sauce (Western-style, not the Asian ones which taste completely different)
1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire/Worcester Sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tsp dried chilli flakes

Important Cooking Notes:
The process to make this dish is rather long, but it important that you do not miss any of the steps as this will alter the final outcome. The difference between this dish and Western-style deep fried chicken is that it is twice-fried to give it an exterior that stays crisp and crunchy despite being left overnight in a thick, spicy sauce! Our family also prefers using a dry coating to any sort of batter, as this gives an extremely thin end coating and doesn’t compete with the flavourings of the chicken and the sauce.
Also, in case you are tempted to use larger portions of chicken – don’t. The small and fairly uniform size of chicken wings is what allows for fast and even cooking. There’s no rule that says you can’t use other cuts, but in that case, I take no responsibility for whatever happens to your cooking times and the potentially dry and/or undercooked meat you will have in the end.
The utensils you will need for this dish are:

• deep-fryer (we use a wok which we use just for deep-frying)
• wire cooking net (found in Chinese grocery stores and excellent for deep-frying) or a slotted spoon
• a large, flat, metal strainer (found in Korean grocery stores), or a few large metal colanders lined with kitchen towels
• mixing bowls
• chefs knife, meat cleaver and chopping boards
• a large, clean plastic bag
• garlic press
• grater
• Measuring spoons & cups

1. The first thing that you need to do is prepare the chicken. Of course, if you buy pre-cut and prepared chicken wings then you’re fine, but I prefer to cut and trim them myself…just because

A chicken wing has three sections – the ‘drumette’, the mid-wing and the wing tip. Use your meat cleaver to cut through each joint so that each wing is cut into three pieces.

2. Once your wing has been split into three pieces, cut off any thick chunks of skin from the wingette and mid-wing (there is usually 2-3 bits that can come off, you want the remaning skin to be just paper thin segments). Discard the removed skin and wing tips as they will not be used.

3. Cut three slits into each side of the drumette and mid-wing section – this will allow the pre-frying marinade to get right into the meat to keep it moist and impart a little flavour. Once you’ve prepared all the chicken wings, set aside for now.

4. Mix up the marinade in a large bowl – milk, salt, pepper, sugar, ginger, garlic and onion. Stir to combine.

5. Add the chicken and turn a few times with your hands to ensure that the chicken is evenly covered. Allow to sit for 1 hour, then drain well for at least 15 minutes.

6. Toss together the potato starch, Korean curry powder and the tempura powder in the clean plastic bag, then add the chicken and toss it around to ensure it is evenly coated.

Preheat the oil to approx 160 degrees C. Dust off any excess flour from each chicken piece, then add a few pieces to the hot oil (being careful not to overcrowd as this will make the temperature of the oil drop and affect the cooking process). Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side to ensure even cooking.

7. Once the chicken has been deep-fried for about 10 minutes and is very lightly golden, use the slotted spoon to remove from the oil and place in your metal strainer/colander to cool. Try and keep the chicken pieces in a single layer – this avoids oil dripping from piece to piece during the cooling process, and also allows steam to escape so that the chicken coating stays crisp. Allow the chicken to sit and drain for about 10 minutes.

8. Increase the temperature of the oil to 180 degrees C, and fry the chicken for a second time for another 8-10 minutes, or until each piece is golden brown in colour (the picture below and to the right shows the colour difference between the first fry and second fry).

Once all the chicken pieces have been deep-fried for a second time, set aside on your metal strainer/colander.

9. While the chicken is resting, finely dice 1 1/2 onions and saute in a a frying pan with a little olive oil.

10. Once the onion is soft, add the ketchup (tomato sauce), sweet chilli sauce, water, Worcestershire/Worcester Sauce and chilli flakes. NOTE – add chilli flakes according to taste. If you’re a wuss when it comes to things hot & spicy, then you should reduce the amount to 1 tsp. If you love your chilli, you could even bump this up to 3 tsp (no more though, as this is a very strong sauce as it is). Allow the sauce to simmer until slightly thickened.

11. Once the sauce is ready, add a few chicken pieces at a time to the sauce and give them just a very thin coating of sauce – if there is too much, then it will overpower all the other flavours in the dish.

Plate up and enjoy with rice, banchan, and lots of pickles (which will be a post all of their own!)

Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)

Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef) Ingredients:

From Rasa Malaysia:

http://rasamalaysia.com/bo-luc-lac-vietnamese-shaking-beef/

Beef Marinade
1.5 lbs beef sirloin (or any cut you like) cut into 1″ cubes
2 tbs minced garlic
1.5 tbs sugar
2 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1 ts thick soy sauce
Vinaigrette
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1.5 tbs sugar
1/2 tbs salt
Dipping Sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 ts kosher salt
1/2 ts fresh cracked pepper
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 bunches of watercress, long stems trimmed
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Cooking oil for frying
Method:

Prepare marinade by combining garlic, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, thick soy sauce and sesame oil with the beef for at least half an hour, preferably 1-2 hrs.
Prepare vinaigrette by mixing rice vinegar with salt and sugar. It should be a balance of sour, salty and sweet.
Thinly slice the red onion and use about 3-4 tbs of the vinaigrette to pickle and set aside covered in fridge for about 10 minutes. Prepare bed of watercress and tomatoes in a serving platter and set aside.
Heat a large wok or pan over high heat. Add about 2 tbs cooking oil and when it begins to smoke, add an even layer of beef and allow to sear for about 2 minutes, before “shaking” to sear the opposite sides for about another 1-2 minute more to brown all the sides.  Do this in batches to cook all the beef if necessary.
Transfer beef to bed of watercress and tomatoes. Drizzle another 3-4 tbs of vinaigrette over the beef and greens and top with pickled red onions. Lastly, squeeze lime juice over salt and pepper in a small ramekin.
Enjoy!
Cook’s Note:
We like our beef medium rare and test the meat by touch and sight–it will plump up slightly and be bouncy to the touch with a spatula.

Thai Basil Chicken Recipe

Thai Basil Chicken Recipe (Gai Pad Krapow) 
From Rasa Malaysia:
http://rasamalaysia.com/thai-basil-chicken-recipe-gai-pad-krapow/

Ingredients:
10 oz boneless and skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast (ground)
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 shallots (finely chopped)
1 1/4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 big bunch of Thai basil leaves (stems removed)
6 bird’s eye chilies (chopped and pounded with a mortar and pestle) or 1-2 fresh jalapeno cut into slivers
2 dashes ground white pepper
2 tablespoons oil







Method:
Add oil into a heated wok, follow by chopped garlic and shallots. Stir fry the garlic and shallots until aromatic, then add the chicken meat into the wok. Use the spatula to quickly stir-fry and break the ground chicken meat into small lumps. When the chicken meat changes color, toss in the chilies and the seasonings (fish sauce, palm sugar, and sweet soy sauce) and continue to stir-fry. Add in the basil leaves and do a few quick stirs until the basil leaves are wilted and you smell the exotic fragrance of the basil leaves. Sprinkle two dashes of pepper powder into the dish, do a final stir, dish out and serve immediately.
Cook’s Notes:

1. If you love Thai food, you should check out authentic and popular Thai recipes on Rasa Malaysia.
2. You can also serve this spicy basil chicken as lettuce wraps, it tastes great with fresh lettuce and Thai sweet chili sauce.