[CH] Re: Kitchen Link E-Newsletter/02-27-98
ChefChile (ChefChile@aol.com)
Mon, 2 Mar 1998 15:18:05 EST
Here are a couple of recipes from the Kitchen Link E-Newsletter that contain
our favorite item. With a little doctoring the heat level could be kicked up
a few notches to meet our normal (?) standards. Hope you enjoy them.
ChefChile@aol.com aka "John"
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TOM YUM SOUP
Here's my best recipe for Tom Yum Soup. It was given to me by my cooking
teacher, Somphon Nabnian at the Chiang Mai Cooking School in Chiang Mai (a
northern city and very beautiful!) Somphon is a fabulous teacher.. . if you
ever get that way, do look him up. here goes . . .
11 oz. shrimp, washed, peeled and deveined
(keep the peels for making broth)
3 cups water
2 stalks lemon grass, sliced
(you may just have to put in lemon slices instead)
5 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces, discarding the stems
3 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tomatoes, each cut into 8 pieces
5 thin slices of ginza (Thai ginger) peeled
3 cups straw mushrooms, cut in 1/2
20 small green chilies
3 tablespoons fish sauce (you can substitute a little salt for this)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
coriander, chopped (may be omitted)
Put the peelings in a pan with the water and bring to the boil. strain the
stock, discarding the peelings.
Bring the stock back to a boil and add the lemon grass, lime leaves,
shallots, garlic, tomatoes, and ginger and bring to the boil. add the
mushrooms and bring back to the boil and add the chilies and the fish
sauce. cook 2 minutes, add the shrimp and reheat to boiling.
When the shrimp are cooked, turn off heat and stir in lemon juice. serve
garnished with coriander.
* If you do not have shrimp, use chicken stock and add chicken. also can be
made with pork cubes, mixed seafood, or tofu (this is really good) if you
use chicken or pork, add the meat before the mushrooms and cook thoroughly.
*if you don't want it too spicy, reduce the # of chilies, or leave them whole
To be quite honest, the easiest way to cook Tom Yum is to go to your local
Asian market and buy a packet of "tom yum" seasoning paste. it will have
directions on the paste for making the soup.
Thai people like this REALLY hot and usually add way more chilies than i do.
Sawatdee and have lots of sanuk (fun!)
sara
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Posted by Debbie on April 28, 1997
LUNCHEON TEA IDEAS
Here is a wonderful Rice Salad and Poppy Seed, Onion and Cheese Batter Bread.
You could also do some nice quiches and serve a Greek salad of baby
lettuces, tomatoes, capers, red onion, olives, feta with a dressing of
olive oil, red wine vinegar and garlic. Add to this some fresh fruit and
some muffins.
SOUTHWESTERN RICE SALAD
1 whole Serrano or Jalapeno chili
2 Garlic cloves or to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium tomato
1/2 yellow bell pepper
5 green onions
1/2 small jicama (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup cilantro (loosely packed)
2 1/2 Cups cooked rice (cold)
2 Avocados
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese
This recipe calls for a food processor. But can be made without one.
Core, quarter and seed the tomato. Cut bell pepper, onions, and jicama into
1-inch pieces. Cut cheese into 1/2-inch cubes.
STEEL KNIFE: With machine running, drop chile and garlic through feed tube
and mince. Add oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt and mix 5 seconds, stopping
once to scrape down sides of work bowl. Leave in work bowl.
Add tomato, bell pepper and green onions to work bowl; chop coarsely using
about 10 on/off turns. Transfer tomato mixture to large bowl. Add jicama
and 1/2 cup cilantro to work bowl and chip coarsely using on/off turns. Add
jicama mixture and rice to tomato mixture and toss to combine. (Can be
prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Up to 2 hours before serving, peel avocados and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Mix avocado and cheese into salad. Adjust seasoning.
Garnish salad with fresh cilantro sprigs. I like to serve as a nice summer
lunch with cheese bread.
REMINDER: A Serrano is very hot, small fresh green chili available at Latin
American markets and some supermarkets. For less heat use Jalapeno or
lessen the amount of chili.
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