Lime and sweet chili broccoli with roasted almonds

September 5, 2012September 3, 2022 Belinda

This so light and delicious with the sweet chili sauce and lime giving it real balance and depth, the the almonds the crunch.

2lbs broccoli, chopped into large bite-sized florets
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp grated lime rind
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
A good pinch of sugar (optional)
1/3 cup roasted slivered almonds to sprinkle on the top

Boil or steam the broccoli until just tender. Meanwhile, roast the almonds for about 9 minutes at 350F (watching them closely, incase of burning) until golden brown.
Mix the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and grated rind, cilantro and sugar together in a small bowl. Drain the broccoli and put in a large serving bowl or platter
Pour the mixture over the hot broccoli, sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve.

Enjoy!

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Sauces

Two delicious Asian fusion sauces for fish, chicken or pasta

August 21, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

Chilli-lime cream sauce

This sauce is terrific with either grilled fish or pasta. Thanks to Bon Appetite magazine back in 2005.
Makes about 2/3 cup

1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced shallot
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp *chili-garlic sauce
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan.
Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes or so.
Add the cream and boil until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, mix in the chili-garlic sauce. Add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking just until melted before adding the next piece. Warm through without boiling and serve.

* Chili-garlic sauce is available in the Asian section of the supermarket or at Asian supermarkets

Coconut-Curry Butter Sauce

A mixture of South Indian and Asian fusion flavors. Lovely with salmon.

3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Premium unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp Indian curry powder
2 bay leaves
3 -4 whole cloves
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, but keep chilled
Kosher salt to taste

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce except for the butter and salt.
Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces to 1/2 cup.
Turn the heat down to low, then whisk in the butter until it is incorporated into the sauce.
DO NOT let the sauce boil at this point or it will curdle horribly!
Season to taste and serve

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Soup

Spicy coconut mussels with lemongrass (CleanCuisine)

August 14, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

Thank you to the NY Times for this recipe. it is divine and one can’t stop slurping the sauce and mopping it up with chunks of baguette!

Serves 2
Takes about 35 minutes

2 tbsp coconut or safflower oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass trimmed (outer layers of leaves removed) and finely chopped
1/2-1 small hot chile,(like Scotch Bonnet, Jalapeno, Thai bird or Serrano) seeded and finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 lbs fresh mussels, rinsed well
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 tsp Asian fish sauce, or to taste
1/2 cup whole cilantro leaves
lots of fresh baguette

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot until hot.
Add the shallot, garlic, lemongrass and chile, cook over a medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and the mussels. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook until the mussels have opened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl, leaving the liquid in the pot.
Stir the lemon zest and juice, fish sauce and cilantro into the pot. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or lemon juice if needed. (The fish sauce provides the salt)

As the mussels are cooking, halve the baguette lengthways and heat the broiler. Place the halved pieces cut side up on a baking sheet. Heat under the broiler until just golden.
Put the mussels in two wide, shallow bowls, ladle the broth over them and serve with the baguette.

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Marie Claire’s Vietnamese prawn and chicken salad (CleanCuisine)

August 9, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is so light and tangy and one of the best salads I know. Well worth making and wonderful for entertaining in the summer!

Serves 4 – 6

12 oz small cooked prawns
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fish sauce
4 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
15 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1 tsp sugar
2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
2-3 carrots, grated
4 oz snow pea sprouts or other sprouts
1&1/2 English cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
6 scallions (spring onions) , finely sliced
3 x baby cos (romaine) lettuce, finely sliced
1 -2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
optional 1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
optional 1 avocado, cubed

Peel the prawns and put them in a bowl
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, fish sauce, lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, mint and sugar.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then pour the mixture over the prawns and toss until the prawns are well coated.
Add the chicken, carrot, snow pea sprouts, optional cubed avocado, cucumber, spring onion and lettuce.
Lightly toss together then pile onto a serving platter or into individual bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds. (dry roasted peanuts)

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Braised coconut spinach with chick peas and lemon

June 10, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

Poured over a roasted sweet potato, this is powerhouse vegan comfort food, with loads of flavor and solid sustenance from the chick peas and sweet potato.

Serves 4 s a main dish or 6 as a side

2 tsp oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped. (If they’re in oil, drain them first.
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tbsp juice)
1 dried hot red pepper or a dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1lb baby spinach
15 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp salt, or more, to taste
1 tsp ground ginger

To serve

Whole roasted sweet potatoes
cilantro leaves, to garnish
toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish

Directions

Heat the oil or ghee in a large deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat.
Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown.
Add the garlic, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chick peas and cook ver high heat for a few minutes or until they are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion/garlic mixture.
Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time, this will take about 5 minutes. Stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next lot.
When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger and lemon juice.
Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chick peas are warm through.
Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if necessary.
Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes with cilantro leaves and toasted coconut to garnish.

Note

This is thick enough on it’s own to eat with a fork, it’s not terribly soupy, but it’s saucy enough to eat over pasta, rice, brown rice, quinoa or any other grain.

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts

Asian lettuce cups with spicy ground turkey filling (CleanCuisine)

June 5, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This makes 4 to 6 servings

1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, you may need more depending on the size of the an you’re using.
3 tbsp minced red onion or shallots
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (I prefer the dark meat)
4 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
1 tbsp chile garlic sauce, or more if you like spicy food
1 tsp fish sauce
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
1/3 cup chopped peanuts (dry roasted are nice to use)
1 large head or 2 small heads of Boston or Butter lettuce as long as you can fill it well. (See picture)

Chop the onion and set aside.

Peel the ginger root then grate with the large holed side of a cheese .
Chop the garlic finely.

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan, add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute or so.

Add the ground turkey to the frying pan with a bit more oil, if needed, breaking apart the meat and spreading it out in the pan, then add the soy sauce, chile garlic sauce and the fish sauce. Cook until the turkey is brown and crumbling apart and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

While the turkey cooks, wash, dry and chop the fresh cilantro making 1 cup. Remove the core end from the lettuce, separate the leaves and wash, drying gently in a salad spinner.

Chop the peanuts and put them in a small bowl to serve at the table.

When the turkey is done, add the freshly chopped cilantro and mix well together, cooking for about 2 more minutes.

Serve the turkey filling and lettuce leaves in separate serving bowls alongside the chopped peanuts in the smaller bowl.

Each person takes a lettuce leaf, fills it with the desired amount of filling, tops it with some chopped peanuts then eats the mixture from the lettuce cup.

Sme people like to fold the lettuce over to resemble a taco, but be careful your lettuce id not the breaking sort and you are left with a large pile of filling on the table!

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Fish

Crab Cakes with Ginger and Coconut milk

January 15, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This a recipe by Barbara Tropp from the “More than Burnt Toast” Food Blog
Spectacular and so different!

Ingredients

1/4 bunch of cilantro or parsley (depending on your taste) leaves and stems finely chopped
2 tbsp grated ginger
4 scallions sliced into thin rings, using the white part and about 2″ of the green part.
1 tsp (or more to taste) of Chinese chili sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 pieces of white sandwich bread (as close to the Pepperidge Farm brand as possible) crusts removed, cut into tiny pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb jumbo lump blue claw crabmeat

In a bowl, mix the cilantro, scallions, ginger, chili paste, salt, coconut milk, bread pieces and egg together.
Set aside.
Inspect the crab meat for bits of shell being very careful not to break up the lumps of claw meat.

Gently fold the cilantro/ginger mixture into the crabmeat. Taste for seasoning. Gently but firmly press the crabmeat mixture into patties. Do this by filling 2 inch rings with the mixture, removing the ring and then gently pressing the edges towards the center.
Place the patties on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour which will make the crab cakes firmer and less prone to breaking apart.
Gently “film” a cast iron or any other sort of frying pan with vegetable oil, NOT olive oil and saute the crab cakes until browned.
Turn gently and brown the other side.

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains

Curried rice with lentils

November 13, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

A great Mark Bittman recipe. Serves 4 – 6

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
3/4 cup red lentils
1 cup long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock
salt, pepper to taste
1- 2 tbsp melted butter
Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

Put the oil in a large, heavy pan with a tight lid and heat for one minute.
Add the onion and saute for 3- 5 minutes, until starting to brown on the edges.
Add curry powder and saute 1 minute, then add stock and bring to the boil. Add the lentils and rice, bring back to a boil, then lower heat to a steady simmer and cover.
Cook for 20 minutes or until rice is done and lentils are tender. (Bittman says if the liquid is not all absorbed, boil off the excess, but I didn’t have to)
Season with salt and pepper then stir in the melted butter just before serving. Garnish with the chopped parsley or cilantro or you can stir it through at the last minute

Asian flavors · Beverage · Do-ahead

Masala Chai (Hot spiced Indian tea)

November 13, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

Another great recipe from “One Perfect Bite” fellow food blogger.

1 cup water
4 tsp Darjeeling or other loose black tea
2-3 crushed green cardamon pods
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, smashed
2 cups milk
3-6 tsp sugar

Place water in a 2 qt saucepan and bring to the boil
Add loose tea leaves to water. Stir in the crushed cardamon pods and smashed ginger.
Add the milk and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
Add sugar to taste. Simmer for 1 minute longer or until the sugar is fullydissolved.
Strain the mixture through a strainer into cups or tempered glasses.
Yield is about 3 servings