Crispy Snapper over Hot & Sour Broth

With all of this 'winter weather' lately - that term has a much different meaning in Australia than in the North America - I was beginning to feel like I was coming down with a bit of cold.  Not really in the mood for a chicken noodle soup fix, I decided to make a hot and sour soup, which is known to be a remedy for the common cold.  I went with some pretty classic Thai flavors to acheive that balance of sweet, spicy, and sour. 

To  make this tasty cold medicine into a full meal, I served a fillet of crispy skin snapper over the broth and added some rice vermicelli noodles for a bit of substance.  I threw some mung beans sprouts into the broth to add a crunch and a bit more nutrition and added a garnish of fresh herbs to brighten up the dish.

I must say, I was very pleased with the result and this it was DEFINITELY the best tasting cold medicine I've ever had!  Make sure to taste your broth to ensure you've balanced the flavors nicely.  With a beautiful broth as a base, you can really add any vegetables, herbs, etc. and will have a lovely outcome.  Throw in some tomatoes, enoki mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, whatever you want! 

Crispy Snapper over Hot & Sour Broth

Ingredients

4 snapper fillets, skin on
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
4 cups chicken stock
2 Thai chillies
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 thumb ginger, peeled and sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, sliced
3-4 tbsp fish sauce
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp palm sugar
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp mung bean sprouts
4 oz. vermicelli rice noodles

Garnish:
1 tbsp mint, sliced
1 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tbsp basil, sliced and lightly fried

Directions

1. In pot or large saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer.  Slice the chillies in half lengthways, and add to sock with the garlic, ginger, lime leaves, lemongrass, fish sauce, lime juice, and pepper.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to package instructions.

3. Taste and adjust the stock as necessary.  Strain and return to the pan, keeping warm.

4. Score the snapper skin and season the fish with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a pan over high heat, but not smoking.  Cook the fish skin side down for about 4 minutes or until golden and crispy.  Weigh the fish down with another pan while it cooks to prevent it from curling.  Turn over and cook for another minute.

5. Stir onions and sprouts into the broth. 

6. To serve, place a mound of noodles into the bowl.  Spoon broth around, and place fish on top.  Add a bit of lime juice to the herbs and mound on top of the fish.

Even if your cold doesn't go away, at least you just had an amazing meal!

Green Papaya Salad with Grilled King Prawns

I cannot get enough Thai food, I absolutely love it!  If there was one word that I would use to describe this cuisine, it would be harmonious.  Thai cooking is based on blending the five basic flavors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and hot.  It's often lightly prepared but achieves a perfect balance of these flavors in each dish or in the overall meal. 

When cooking Thai food at home, your most valuable tools are your tastebuds.  I am constantly tasting to ensure that I achieve that perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour, hot, and sometimes bitter.  Too sour?  Need more of kick?  Not sweet enough?  Below are a few ingredients that I find key when I am trying to balance out my dish:

         - Sweet - palm sugar, honey, fruit

         - Salty - fish sauce, soy sauce

         - Sour - lemon, lime, sour fruits

         - Hot - fresh chilli, dried chilli, pepper

         - Bitter - raw leaves, bitter fruits

         - Fresh herbs and aromatics are also key - cilantro, lemon grass, Thai basil, mint, ginger, galangal, garlic, to name a few...

Green papaya salad is a very popular dish in Thailand and it's one of my favorites as well.  I would make it more often but it's not always easy to find green, unripe papayas.  You cannot substitute a ripe papaya as both the texture and flavor will not suit the dish.  Unripe papayas have a very mild flavor but absorb flavors well.  Healthy and packed with flavor, this dinner didn't stand a chance!  I added some grilled prawns to add a bit more substance.  Needless to say, there were just a few lonely fish heads left on my plate...

Green Papaya Salad with Grilled King Prawns

Ingredients

12 large king prawns, deveined, head and tail on

1 chilli, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Green Papaya Salad:
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 tbsp coarse salt, more as needed
2 chillies, chopped
2 tbsp dried shrimp
2 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 green, unripe papaya, shredded or finely julienned
1 cups bean sprouts
3 green onions, sliced diagonally into thin strips
1/2 cup Thai basil, large leaves sliced into strips
1/4 cup coriander, roughly chopped
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed (I left these out as my fiancé claims he’s allergic)

Directions

1. Combine ingredients for marinade and marinate the prawns while you make the salad.

2. Pound garlic, salt and chillies in a pestle and mortar. Add dried shrimp and sugar and pound into a coarse paste. Mix with lime juice and fish sauce.

3. Gently bruise the papaya, combine with the sprouts, onions, and herbs, and toss with the dressing.

4. Make sure to taste test to ensure the flavors are balanced. Not sweet enough - add a little honey. Not salty enough- add a little more fish sauce. Too sweet or salty - add more lime juice. Need a bit more a kick – add some minced chilli.

6. Grill the prawns for 3 minutes on each side until just cooked through.

7. Sprinkle the salad with peanuts and arrange the prawns on top.

Grilled Tuna with Chilli Onion Salsa

Fresh, good quality tuna steaks don't really need much, just a little salt, pepper, and olive oil... but we all need a little variety in our diets right?  Whether it be fruit, or in this case, onion based, I love a tangy salsa served over tuna straight off the grill.  Tuna is so easy to grill due to it's firm texture, but be careful as it will dry out if overcooked.  It is typically served medium rare, seared on the outside and warm in the center.  Serving a sauce over the tuna does give you a bit of breathing room if it is slightly overcooked as the sauce will add moisture to your dish.

I was definitely in the mood for something with a kick, so this chilli onion salsa was just what the doctor ordered.  The tuna was perfectly cooked with a sweet crust and tender, juicy center.  Add more or less chilli but definitely don't leave it out completely!

Grilled Tuna with Chilli Onion Salsa

Ingredients

4 tuna steaks

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tablespoon caster sugar

For salsa:

1 red onion, minced

6 stalks green onion, white and light green parts only, minced

2 red chillis, minced

1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and finely minced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

cilantro, to garnish

fried shallots, to garnish

Method

1. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, oil, vinegar, ginger and sugar for marinade.  Add tuna and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients to make salsa and let sit at room temperature until your tuna is ready to grill

3. Prepare grill for cooking over medium high heat and thoroughly oil.  I like to use to tongs and rub an oil soaked paper towel over grates.

4. Grill tuna for about 2 minutes on each side until the sugars have caused the outside to slightly caramelize and the it is cooked to medium rare.  Grill more or less to your liking. 

Why buy?

As I mentioned in a previous post, lately I've been all about making my own sauces, condiments, etc.  With minimal effort, I'm happy to say I have a fridge stocked with homemade jams, barbeque sauce, sweet chilli sauce, preserved lemons, homemade vinaigrettes, and a couple of marinades.  I love knowing exactly what's in my food and that is made with wholesome, fresh ingredients. 

I threw a bit of the sweet chilli sauce from last week into a stir-fry that I made last night, so much better than using store-bought!  You can use it as an accompaniment to barbecued chicken or shrimp, use it in a stir fry sauce, or as-is as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or dumplings.  Mine came out pretty spicy for a sweet chilli sauce so next time I might deseed a few more of the chilis to remove some of the heat. Either way, it's super easy, will last for months, and tastes great.

Sweet Chilli Sauce

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups caster sugar

2 cups white wine vinegar

2 cups water

3 lemongrass stems, peeled and sliced very thin

8 garlic cloves, peeled

15 long red chillies, 10 seeded, all chopped *

1/2 tsp salt

* The more chillies that you deseed, the less heat will be in the sauce

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, and water.  Bring to a boil

2. Meanwhile, puree lemongrass, garlic, chillies and salt in a food processor

3. Add to saucepan and simmer until reduced by half and thickened.

4. Cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months. 

Mango Rice Salad

Here's one to get all of my North American friends excited about mango season.  It's easy to get in a rut with rice and forget that there are endless possibilites to give this grain a makeover.  This rice 'salad' is very easy and will totally transform plain old white rice into a sweet, spicy, tangy, and delightful side dish.  You may serve the rice warm or at room temperature.  This would go beautifully with a sticky honey-soy pork tenderloin. 

Mango Rice Salad

Ingredients

2 cups water
2/3 cup light coconut milk

1 1/4 cups uncooked long-grain rice
3/4 cup chopped green onion
2 mangos, peeled and diced
1 red chili, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup Thai fried shallots (I used store bought to save some time and effort)
1/4 cup shredded coconut toasted
juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring water and coconut milk to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

2. Allow the rice to cool for 5 minutes and add all ingredients.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Thai-style Whole Snapper

Cooking a fish whole is probably the best way to get all of the flavor that you can out of the fish.  As with most meats, cooking the flesh on the bone makes it very juicy and flavorful.  It also makes for a very dramatic presentation as long as your guests are comfortable seeing the whole fish, head and all.  Make sure your fishmonger has scaled and cleaned the fish as this is a task I doubt you have much interest in.

Tell me this little guy isn't just aching to get doused in a spicy marinade, thrown on a sizzling grill, and devoured by 2 hungry mouths love that love a bit of spice.  I hope he likes chili...

Using some pretty typical ingredients in Asian cooking, I made a fresh, yet quite spicy marinade to give our tasty friend a little kick.  You can really use whatever you like - add different herbs, less chili, MORE chili, skip the coconut, add more lime if you want it zingier.  Whatever goes!  A lesson learned on my part... next time I need to more heavily oil the grill, or better yet, use a fish basket.  I had some issues with the skin sticking to grill.  Despite looking a little rough, it was absolutely delicious.  I served the fish with plain steamed rice to balance the spiciness.

Thai-style Grilled Snapper

Ingredients

1 whole snapper (mine was just over 1 lb)

olive oil

1 tbsp cilantro (coriander) leaves, to garnish

1 lime, cut into rounds, to garnish

Marinade:

1 cup cilantro (coriander) leaves
1/2 cup thai basil leaves

6 garlic cloves

3 shallots

3 chilis

2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp white pepper

 2 tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup coconut cream
2 tbsp fish sauce

Directions

1. Cut incisions diagonally along both sides of fish using sharp knife.  Incisions should be about 1/2 inch apart.

2. For marinade, blend all ingredients in food processor and pour over fish.  Reserve about 1/4 of the marinade for brushing over the fish once it has been grilled.

3. Thoroughly oil grill by soaking a paper towel in oil and using tongs to rub oiled town onto grates. This is an important step, I did not oil my grill well enough which caused the skin to stick a bit.  If you have a fish basket, use it!

4. Grill on each side for about 6 minutes or until cooked through.  Make sure to flip your fish carefully using a large spatula. 

5. Remove fish from grill, pour over remaining marinade and garnish with cilantro.  Now... dig in!!!

Miso-glazed Eggplant

Miso-based marinades are fantastic on fish.  That was the original purpose for this marinade, but I had plenty leftover so I decided to use it for these japaenese eggplants.  The marinade can also be used as a base for sauces or dressings.  It will keep in the fridge for up to a month and or may be freezed so feel free to make this in large quantities.  I wish I had made more!

Miso Marinade

Ingredients

2 cups miso paste

1 cup mirin

1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Use as marinade.

Miso-glazed Eggplant

Ingredients

4 japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup Miso Marinade (see above)

Directions

1. Brush eggplants with half of the marinade and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. 

2. Prepare grill for high heat cooking.  Place eggplants flesh side down and cook for 2 minutes until marinade has caramelized.  Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes until soft.

3. Remove and brush with a little more marinade.

My Asian-fusion Seafood Feast

Since living in Australia, my cooking has definitely been influenced by our proximity to Asia.  I'm really enjoying experimenting with different ingredients and techniques.  The food is healthy, I love the complex flavors, and I can't find anything wrong with eating a ton of seafood!

After a quick run to the market, I stopped by my favorite asian grocery, picked up a few things, and headed home to prepare my seafood feast.  I gathered together all of my 'asian ingredients' and waited for inspiration. 

I decided on pan-fried ginger scallops, tuna tartare over fried rice, and tuna and mango sashimi cups.  I had intended to make another small dish - something with shrimp and shitake mushrooms but my ideas were bigger than my stomach and I'd have to save those shrimp for something else!

As only the sashimi cups, scallops, and fried rice require cooking, you can do much of the preparation ahead of time and throw a few things together last minute!  For my first tuna dish...

Tuna & Mango Sashimi Cups

 Ingredients

3/4 cup tuna, diced
1/4 cup mango, diced
1/4 cup cucumber, diced
2 tbsp onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp cilantro chopped
2 spring roll wrappers

Directions

1. Combine sashimi ingredients, through lime juice and refrigerate.

2. To make 'cups' for the sashimi, preheat oven to 400 degrees F, slighten dampen spring roll wrappers, cut into rounds, and mold into cups in a mini muffin pan.  Bake for about 5 minutes until firm and crisp.  Remove from pan and let cool.

3. Fill cups with sashimi and serve.  Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.

The spring rolls cups were light, gave a nice crunch, and served their purpose; however, I'd probably try something with a bit more flavor next time.  They would be great if I could figure out a way to do them fried?

Pan-fried Ginger Scallops

 

Ingredients

8 large scallops

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1-inch knob of ginger sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

For sauce:

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp mirin

1/2-inch knob of ginger, grated 

For garnish:

1 tbsp cilantro leaves

1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced

1 red chili, thinly sliced

1 tsp fried shallots

Directions

1.  Heat oil over medium heat and add ginger and garlic slices.  Cook for 4 minute to infuse oil with flavor.  Increase heat to medium high.  Season scallops, add to pan and cook 1-2 minutes on each side until almost cooked through and golden brown.  Remove from pan 

2.  Whisk together ingredients for sauce, toss in pan quickly, and strain over scallops

3.  Garnish with cilantro, green onion, chili, and fried shallots.

And last but not least (my personal favorite of the night)...

Tuna Tartare over Fried Rice

Ingredients

3/4 cup tuna, diced

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp mirin

1 tsp wasabi paste

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

For fried rice:*

2 cups cooked white rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg beaten

For garnish:

1/2 cup watercress

1 lemon, juiced

1/2-inch know of ginger, grated

* This will make more fried rice than is required for this dish, but I don't see that as a bad thing :)

Directions

1. To make your ginger-infused lemon juice for your garnish, combine grated ginger and lemon juice and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

2. Combine all ingredients for tuna and refrigerate.

3. For fried rice, heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic, tossing constantly so it does not burn.  When softened, add rice and stir through. 

4. Push rice up the sides of wok creating a hole in the center.  Add egg and loosely scramble.  Season with salt and pepper.

5. To arrange dish, use circular mold.  Push rice into bottom half of the mold.  Remove tuna from marinade and fill mold.  Strain lemon juice over watercress, toss, and layer on top of tuna.

With the mix of ingredients that I had to work with, there was not way that I could go wrong!  It was a delicious and healthy seafood feast!

 

 

Happy Chinese New Year!

The Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year as it is based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar, fell on February 14th this year.  2010 is the Year of the Tiger.  The Tiger, the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, is a sign of bravery. It is thought to keep away the 3 main tragedies of a household - fire, theives, and ghosts.  Let's hope!

In honor of the New Year, I made a lunch creating my recipe based off Chinese symbolism in the ingredients.  I was actually inspired by a noodle recipe on Martha Stewart's Chinese New Year episode.  My recipe ended up quite different than what I saw, but turned out quite tasty nonetheless!  I used long uncut noodles as they represent longevity in life and added chicken which symbolizes health and prosperity.  I served the noodles on a square plate and topped with rings of fresh green onion as circles represent heaven and squares represent earth.  If you are looking forward to a healthy and prosperous 2010, try my recipe below!

Long-Life Noodles with Wok-fried Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces

2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, julienned
1 leek, julienned
6 stalks green onion, julienned
1/2 cup shiitake mushroom caps pieces
1 1/2 tbsp Shao Hsing wine
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp chicken broth
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 8 oz package chinese long-life noodles, cooked

Directions


1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in wok over high heat.  Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes until browned.  Transfer to bowl.

2. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to wok. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add celery, leeks, 2 tbsp broth, mushrooms, and wine and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with chicken.

3. To empty wok, add remaining broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and salt.  Bring to simmer and add noodles and cook, tossing until liquid is mostly absorbed. Return chicken vegetable mixture to pan, toss with noodles, and cook for 2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

I also followed another tradition by cleaning  house which is thought to sweep away ill-fortune making way for good luck.  I was just trying to take advantage of my fiance being out of town on business. 

Tuna Two Ways

Yesterday I went to the market to pick up some snapper for dinner, but when I saw how beautiful the tuna looked, I couldn't resist!  I picked up a couple sashimi-grade tuna steaks and was on my way!  I was craving some grilled tuna but being that these were so high quality, I wanted to take advantage of their sashimi-grade.  Since I never finish my whole piece of fish anyway, I cut mine in half and decided to make Tuna Tataki as an appetizer and Honey Soy Tuna for dinner with steamed bok choy and brown rice.  Both turned out delicious and I am still receiving accolades from the fiance!  I think I made the right choices for the fate of this tuna!

Tuna Tataki with Citrus Ponzu

Ingredients

1/2 lb sashimi grade tuna

1/4 cup ginger, finely chopped

2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp black sesame seeds (I used all regular b/c I didnt have black)

1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper

salt

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Ponzu:

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp mirin

1 1/2 tbsp fresh orange juice

1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 small chilli, sliced halfway up lengthwise

Directions:

1. For ponzu, whisk all ingredients liquid ingredients together.  Let the chilli sit in the sauce while you cook the tuna.  Remove before serving. 

2. Using sharp knife, cut tuna into long rectangular pieces.  Combine ginger, sesame seeds, and pepper in a shallow dish.  Salt tuna and roll into mixture making sure to press mixture into the tuna.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium high heat.  Sear tuna for 30 sec - 1 min on all for 4 sides.  Place in refrigerator to cool.

4. When tuna has cooled, slice using a very sharp knife and drizzle with ponzu. 

As I said, we both LOVED this healthy and delicious appetizer.  I made a quick salad of shaved cucumber, carrot, and snow peas sprouts tossed with a ginger dressing (ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil).  This would make a great appetizer for entertaining as it can be made a bit ahead of time and cooled in the fridge.  On to the next course...

Honey Soy Tuna

  

Ingredients

For 2 servings

2 tuna steaks, equal in thickness

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, crushed

Directions

1. For marinade, combine soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic.  Marinate tuna for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare grill for cooking over medium high.  Oil and grill tuna for 1-2 minutes on each side until desired degree of doneness.

Might be quite a bit of tuna for one day but that's just how it worked out for us and I didnt mind one bit!  Enjoy!

Salad with an Asian twist!

 

I was making a roasted pork rack basted with a honey soy glaze and I wanted to stick with a somewhat 'Asian theme' in my salad.  I made a mixed green salad accenting it with ingredients typical of an Asian dish. 

The salad turned out great and had nice kick to it!  It was perfect with the sweet and succulent pork. 

Ingredients

Large handful of mixed greens

Small handful of snow peas, halved

1 mango, chopped

1/2 baby cucumber, halved and sliced

1/2 cup of bean sprouts

1/4 cup cashews, toasted 

1 hot chillies, sliced 

 1/4 cup thai basil leaves, torn

Dressing:

1 cucumber, seeds only

2 tsp ginger, chopped 

1 hot chilli

splash of mirin

splash of fish sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients for salad in large serving bowl and set aside.

2. For dressing, use a mortar and pestle to smash all ingredients together.  Halve cucumber and scrape out seeds with a spoon.  Add all ingredients through sesame oil and smash. 

3. Spoon over your salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Pork Dumplings

Pork Sui Mai, or as I like to refer to them, Pork Dumplings, make a great appetizer for entertaining.  They aren't too difficult, you can mix your ingredients a few hours before your guests arrive, they look super cute, and most of all EVERYONE loves them, EVERYONE.  You can easily adapt this recipe to fit your guests tastes or eating restrictions and you can always freeze and save half for another occasion!

We were having a small dinner party and I decided to send out a quick note before planning the menu to check if anyone had any dietary or personal restrictions ... at the end of the day (my own pickiness included) we were at no beef, no peas, nothing from the sea, no uncooked mushrooms, no salads with egg, and no lamb.  Luckily pork dumplings fit the bill for an appetizer.  If you steam them in a bamboo steamer, I suggest just serving them right out of there!

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork (about 500 g)
1 cup cabbage shredded (about 1/8 head) plus a few large leaves line steamer
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg white
1/2 tsp black pepper
50 wonton wrappers

Dipping Sauce:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup green onions, minced
1 tsp ginger finely chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar

Directions

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients down to pepper.  Refrigerate until you prepare the dumplings.

2. For dipping sauce, add oil to sauce pan over medium heat and sautee onions and ginger until soft.  Add soy sauce and rice vinegar and bring to boil, remove from  heat and let cool.

3. Line levels of bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.  Alternatively, line whatever you are using to steam with baking paper.

4. Working with one wrapper at a time, place a large tsp of mixture into center, wipe water around the edges with your finger,  and pull all of the sides up and squeeze into a beggar's pouch.  Place on backing sheet dusted with cornflour or place directly on steamer and cover with plastic wrap until ready to steam.  Keep wrappers covered with damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. 

5. Steam for 5-7 minutes until pork is cooked through.  Serve with dipping sauce.

To freeze, place uncooked dumplings on baking sheet in freezer.  Once frozen, transfer to aircontainer placing baking paper or plastic wrap between layers.  Steam directly from a frozen state for 10-12 minutes.

Why Thai?

Why NOT Thai?!  I absolutely love Thai food as the dishes are often lightly prepared but have very complex flavors - a balance of sweet, spicy, salty and sour. 

To bring a little taste of Thailand into my kitchen, I made a spicy pot of Tom Yum Goong, a hot and sour prawn soup.  As I wanted to make it very spicy, I needed a side to take some of the heat off my tongue so I could get threw the bowl.  I did my own take on khao dome, coconut rice sticky rice in banana leaves.  I've seen this made by steaming plantains in with the rice, but I had picked up some beautiful ripe mangos at the market and wanted to incorporate these into the dish.

Everything turned out great and I look forward to more experimentation on my next culinary trip to Thailand!  Check out the recipes below!

Tom Yum Goong

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, skins intact *
6 cups water or stock
1/3 fresh galangal, peeled and chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
4 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed and quartered
1 can straw mushrooms, halved
1 1/2 tbsp roasted red chili paste
2 tsp fish sauce
3 thai chilis, sliced
1/3 cup cilantro chopped
1/3 cup green onion, sliced
2 tsp lime juice

* if you have time, buy shell-on shrimp, simmer shells in water for 1 hour and strain to make broth for step 1

Directions

1.  In medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil and add galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Strain and discard solids and return broth to saucepan.
2. Add mushrooms, chili paste, fish sauce and chilis and bring to boil.

3. Stir in shrimp, green onion, and cilantro and cook for 3 minutes until shrimp are done.  Stir in lime juice and serve immediately.

Khao Dome with Mango

Ingredients

1 cup glutinous rice (sticky rice)
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 package banana leaves, washed, trimmed
1 ripe mango,  sliced

Directions

1. Rinse and drain 1 cup rice several times to remove any debris.  Add cold water to cover and let sit overnight (or at least 4 hours).
2. Add coconut milk and sugar to saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until dissolved.
3. Stir in rice and cook until it resembles a porridge, stirring throughout.  Remove from heat and cool.

4. Take sheet of banana leaf sliced to about the size of a sheet of paper and place a heaping spoonful of rice inthe center.  Fold as you would wrap a gift and place seam side down into bamboo steamer.  Repeat with all leaves.  Steam for 40 minutes

5. To serve, open leaves to expose rice and topped with mango slices