When you think of Southeast Asia think of exotic and tropical (hot, humid and plentiful rainfall). Lively tropical colors of hot pinks, lemon yellow, lime green and rich purples. Sea breezes, beautiful palm trees and spicy vibrant ingredients.
Tantalizing, flavorful, intoxicating, spicy and healthful cuisines. India, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Borneo, Java, and Bali. Don't get excited about not having all the ingredients you think you might need, as here are a few of the staples; onions, garlic, shallots, peppercorns, fish sauce, coconut milk, soy sauce, chilies, tamarind concentrate, cilantro, coconut, ginger, Kaffir lime, mangos, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lemon grass, Thai basil, chili paste are just to name a few. Most of these dishes are not hard to make either.
I hope you enjoy your culinary adventure from the recipes listed below and remember to have fun and try something new that you might normally shy away from.
Vietnamese Style Iced Coffee - strong and sweet
1/2 cup coarsely ground french roast coffee (espresso grind)
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Place the ground coffee into a French press (this is one of the times I actually use my French press). Add boiling water and allow to steep for about 5 minutes. Stir, then slow press down the plunger until the grounds are trapped at the bottom of the carafe. Put 2 Tbl. each of condensed milk in four 8 oz. glasses. Fill the glasses two-thirds full of ice cubes. Divide the coffee among the glasses and swirl the milk into the coffee. Bet ya can't drink just one they are so addicting.
Lang-Son Chai - Indian spiced sweet tea
2 black peppercorns
4 cloves
5 cardamon pods
1 star anise
3 cups water
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbl. palm or light brown sugar
2 Tbl. loose black tea leaves
Lightly crush peppercorns, cloves, cardamon and star anise together in a spice mill, do not pulverize. Transfer spices to a saucepan. Add water, ginger, and cinnamon. Bring to boil, remove pan from heat, cover and steep for 5 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, regular milk and sugar and return to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea. Cover and steep for 4 minutes. Stir and strain into a pitcher. Adjust sweetness. Serve either hot or cold.
Crab Dumplings with Curry
1 1/2 lbs. fresh lump crabmeat
1/4 lb. ground pork
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
12 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. Asian fish sauce
1 Tbl. palm or golden brown sugar
Cooked white rice
Curry
1 (19 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup Thai green curry paste (Asian grocery stores)
1 Tbl. Asian fish sauce
1 Tbl. palm or light brown sugar
Make a spice paste with cilantro and garlic by pounding together with mortar or chopping together finely. Place in large bowl and combine with remaining dumpling ingredients, mixing by hand. Form mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and set aside.
For curry skim the thick cream from top of can of coconut milk and pour into saucepan, reserving milk. Heat coconut cream over medium heat about 1 minute. Add green curry paste and cook for 2 minutes stirring. Add coconut milk and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add fish sauce and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved and blended with curry. Carefully add the dumplings and raise heat to high, bringing to a boil. Gently boil for 3 minutes stirring very carefully once or twice. Place rice on serving platter and add dumplings and sauce. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
Cambodian Mussels with Pineapple and Thai Basil
5 lbs. mussels
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp. Thai chilies, minced (or more if you like it hotter)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (good quality)
1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbl. fish sauce
2 Tbl. palm or light brown sugar
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1/4 cup Thai basil, torn
1 baguette, sliced for sopping up juices (warmed in oven in foil)
Wash mussels well in a few changes of clean water. Pull of beards and discard any broken shells. Let mussels stand in clean water while broth is prepared.
Heat oil in large pot and add garlic and chilies until garlic begins to turn golden or about 1 minute. DO NOT BURN or you will start over. Stir in chicken stock, coconut milk and wine, then add turmeric, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Add mussels, cover and cook until shells open anywhere up to about 8 minutes. Shake the pot after about 2 minutes to move them around. Any mussels that won't open need to be discarded. Ladle the mussels and broth into large serving bowl. Top with pineapple chunks and basil. Serve with bread alongside to dip in broth.
Vietnamese Pork, Shrimp and Coconut in Lettuce Leaves - love these
1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined finely chopped
1/2 lb. ground pork
7 oz. sweetened flaked coconut
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly on diagonal including green part
20 fresh kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly (any Asian grocer will carry these)
2 Tbl. soy sauce
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
1 Tbl. seasoned rice vinegar
2 heads butter lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
Thai chilies, thinly sliced
Place shrimp, pork and coconut in mixing bowl and mix well; set aside. Heat wok over medium high add about 1 Tbl. oil, then add garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add shrimp and pork mixture stir frying about 3 minutes. Mix in scallions, lime leaves, add soy and vinegar and stir fry 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peanuts. Taste and adjust seasonings. Arrange lettuce leaves on platter, place meat mixture into serving bowl alongside. Add bean sprouts, cilantro, cucumbers and chilies into serving bowls. To serve; take a lettuce leaf, add some meat mixture, and accompaniments. I like to drizzle with a little Hoisin sauce or I make a spicy peanut sauce (see recipe below) to drizzle on, but it's not required.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 heaping cup of Thai red curry paste
1 Tbl. dark soy sauce
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
Pour coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to gentle boil over medium. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until mixture thickens back of spoon about 15 minutes. Place in a bowl and serve alongside pork, shrimp lettuce cups.
Laotian Gazpacho
3 slices French bread
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbl. red wine vinegar (good quality)
7 large ruby red tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 cups chilled V-8 juice
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red onion, small dice
1 English cucumber, lightly seeded and diced
3 Tbl. serrano chilies, minced (or more if you like a little spicier)
1/2 cup Thai basil, chopped
3 Tbl. fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Hot sauce to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread on baking sheet, drizzle with 1 1/2 Tbl. olive oil and sprinkle with coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic. Place bread in oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven.
In a blender add 2 1/2 Tbl. olive oil to blender and add vinegar and garlic toast, breaking up with your hands. Process until mixture is ground smooth, scraping down sides. Transfer this to large mixing bowl. Stir in all other ingredients mixing well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Remove, stir and taste again adjusting flavors if desired. To serve; Ladle into serving bowls.
Salad of Bali
6 cups butter lettuce leaves, torn
3 cups watercress, torn
3 star fruit, sliced into thin stars - love this
2 small pink grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and cubed
Dressing
1 large ripe Haas avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 tsp. Chinese chili garlic sauce
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. light brown sugar or palm sugar
2 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. Tamarind sauce
3 Tbl. fresh lime juice
For salad; on a large platter, add lettuce and watercress. Place fruits over top of greens. For dressing; in a bowl, mash avocado well until smooth, add remaining ingredients and whisk together until combined. Spoon dressing over greens and fruit.
One of my favorite rice dishes Coconut Rice with Mangos
1 cup jasmine or long grain white rice
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. sugar
pinch of salt
3 firm, ripe mangos, peeled and chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
vegetable oil
First off, heat oil until very hot in deep sided saute pan. Add sliced shallots and fry until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain; set aside.
Rinse rice in cold water and drain. Place rice in large saucepan. Stir in coconut milk, water, sugar and salt bringing to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low simmer cooking until done about 20 minutes. When cooked turn off heat and keep covered letting stand for about 10 minutes. Fluff rice and place on serving platter. Add chopped mangos and sprinkle with crispy shallots.
Filipino Stir Fried Noodles
12 oz. dried pancit bihon or dried Chinese egg noodles
olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
2 serrano chilies, finely minced
1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into thin diagonal strips
1/4 lb. spicy smoked sausage, thinly sliced such as chorizo
1 cup green cabbage, sliced into 1-inch wide strips
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and cut into diagonal thin slices
2 Tbl. light soy sauce (we like the gluten free type)
1 Tbl. fish sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock (good quality)
3 scallions, thinly diagonal cut including green part
fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large ruby red tomato, seeded and chopped
Place noodles in large bowl and pour over boiling water soaking about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. With a deep wok or large deep sided saute pan, add oil and get very hot, add onion, garlic, ginger and chilies stir frying for about 2 minutes. Add shrimp, chicken and sausage, stir frying for about 3 minutes. Mix in cabbage, carrot, soy and fish sauce stir frying well. Pour in chicken stock cooking for 1 minute stirring frequently. Add noodles and scallions cooking and stirring for 2 more minutes. Place onto large serving platter. Garnish with cilantro and tomato.
Burmese Chicken - tastes like you went to an Indian restaurant - when I made this for the catering I used a indoor grill.
4 to 6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 heaping cup of plain yogurt (I use thick Greek yogurt)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbl. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbl. vegetable oil
Chili powder
2 limes, quartered
Cooked rice
Place chicken into a glass casseole dish. In a bowl, mix yogurt, salt, tumeric, cimin, cardamon and ginger and mix well. Whisk in oil. Pour over chicken and mix well with your hands to coat all. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours up to overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and arrange chicken on baking sheet (make sure marinade is on chicken) and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Place on serving platter with lime wedges. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Malaysian Spicy Stir Fried Pork
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground in pepper mill
5 small Thai chilies, sliced
1/3 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed and silverskin removed, cut into 1/4-inch thick medallions
1 large onion, halved and cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup sweet dark soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock, good quality
1 Tbl. light brown sugar
3 scallions, thinly sliced including green part (garnish)
With a mini food processor add ground pepper, garlic, chilies and ginger into a paste. Heat a wok or deep sided skillet over medium. When hot add oil and coat pan. Stir fry the paste for about 2 minutes. Add pork and onion stir frying over high for about 2 minutes. Add soy and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in chicken stock, sugar and simmer for 7 minutes stirring. To serve; add cooked rice to serving platter and pour pork mixture over. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions.
Thai Curry Beef - (friend Fred D. recipe)
1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup Thai red curry paste (any Asian grocer will sell this)
1/3 cup green peppercorns, brine cured, drained
2 Tbl. Asian fish sauce
1 Tbl. light brown sugar
1 lb. sirloin steak
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Thai basil leaves
Cooked rice
Skim the cream from top of coconut milk and pour into a large saucepan, reserving the milk. Turn to medium high heat and add curry paste, stirring until well blended bringing to a gentle boil. Cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in reserved coconut milk. Add peppercorns, fish sauce and stir stirring until sugar is dissolved and blended. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and cover pot.
Preheat outdoor grill, season steak with salt and pepper and cook to desired doneness. Let rest about 5 to 10 minutes before thinly sliced crosswise into thin slices. Remove lid from curry sauce and reheat. Place rice on platter and add steak slices ladling over curry sauce. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Salmon with Citrus Sambal - love this, for the catering I made small appetizer portions to serve (EASY)
1/2 cup orange marmalade (good quality)
1/4 heaping cup of grapefruit juice
1 tsp. sambal oelek
2 lb. salmon fillet about 1-inch thick (skin on)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil
In a saucepan, heat marmalade over low for about 1 minute or until it melts, add grapefruit juice and mix well. Turn off heat and add the sambal, mixing well.
For salmon; rub with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on outdoor grill skin side up then turn to skin side down until skin in crisp. Cut into serving pieces or appetizer pieces and serve with sauce.
Bankok Stir Fried Cauliflower
4 Tbl. sesame oil
2 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
1 Tbl. fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 head cauliflower, cut into 2 inch florets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbl. fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
Chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Heat wok or large saute pan over medium high. Add oil and when oil is hot stir fry garlic and ginger to just lightly browned. Transfer to paper towels. Add cauliflower to pan, season with salt and pepper, stir frying until lightly browned about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and toss with lime juice and zest. Place cauliflower in serving bowl and stir in fried garlic and ginger and chili powder. Top with chopped cilantro.
Vietnamese Coconut Sorbet
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 fresh lime
1 fresh juicy orange
1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
Place water and sugar in saucepan bringing to a boil over medium high, stirring sugar to dissolve. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes. Set aside and cool. Grate the lime and orange zest into a bowl, then juice the lime and orange. Add zest and juices to cooled syrup then mix in coconut milk, cover with plastic wrap and chill until cold. Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions. Serve when sorbet is just frozen but still a little soft and smooth. Place in airtight container and freeze to harden.
Bon Appetit
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31
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