Pad Thai ☺

This recipe is adapted from Wandee Young and Brian Ayanoglu's book, "Simply Thai Cooking." Pad Thai looks a lot more complicated than it is. Allow about 2-1/2 hours preparation time. Cooking time is about 10 minutes. I prepare the tofu and the tamarind sauce ahead of time. This recipe makes 4 generous servings.

Prepare ahead:

tamarind sauce (see ingredients below)
fried tofu (see below)
garnishes (see below)

Prepare before frying:

1/4 c peanut or canola oil
1 t garlic, minced
4 oz uncooked boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
12 30-count shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 eggs
8 oz pad thai noodles
1/3 c unsalted roasted peanuts
2 c bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
4 spring onions, including green tops, 1/2" slices on the diagonal

Tamarind Sauce:

1/4 c tamarind paste
1/3 c hot water
3 T fish sauce
2 T sugar
juice from 1 lime

Fried Tofu:

12 oz block of firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 1 x 1/2 x 1/2-inch slices
1 T cooking oil

Garnishes:

1/2 t Thai chili powder (you can substitute cayenne)
1 chili pepper (Thai, jalapeno, etc.) seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 c cilantro leaves, rinsed and dried
1 lime, cut into eighths

Tamarind Sauce

In a small bowl, pour the hot water over the tamarind paste, and break the paste up in the water with a fork. Set aside for 15 - 20 minutes.

After the paste has softened, pour the paste mixture into a wire strainer over a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to mash the paste through the strainer. Strain as much of the pulp as you can, using a rubber spatula to scrape the pulp off the bottom of the strainer into the bowl. You should end up with about 5 T of pulp. Discard the seeds and residue in the strainer.

Add the fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice to the tamarind pulp. Mix together and set aside. (You can make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it until you fry the pad thai.)

Fried Tofu

Heat the oven to 450°F. Lightly toss the tofu and the cooking oil to coat the tofu. Place a wire rack on a shallow baking sheet. Spread the tofu in a single layer on the rack. Roast the tofu for about 10 minutes, then use a spatula to turn the pieces of tofu. Continue roasting the tofu, turning it every 7 - 10 minutes until is is golden brown. Cool and set aside. You only need 1/3 of the tofu for this recipe.

Noodles

A half-hour before frying the pad thai, fill a large saucepan with very hot tap water. Add the noodles to the water. The noodles should soften quickly in the hot water. Set the noodles aside for 20 - 30 minutes.

Peanuts

To crush the peanuts, put them on a cutting board, and crush them with a rolling pin. You can also chop them in a food processor, but the rolling pin gives better results. Do not crush the peanuts too much. If the peanuts require additional toasting, heat a skillet over medium heat, add the peanuts, and shake the skillet every minute or so until the peanuts are brown. Be careful not to burn them.

Frying the Pad Thai

When you are ready to fry the pad thai, drain the noodles, and put them back in the saucepan. Bring a quart of water to boil and pour over the noodles. Soak the noodles for another couple of minutes, then drain them. Set the noodles aside.

I put each ingredient in a small bowl or plate and line the ingredients up on the kitchen counter in the following order: garlic, chicken, shrimp, 1/3 of the prepared tofu, eggs (broken into a dish), drained noodles, tamarind sauce, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts and onions, Thai chili pepper and garnishes.

Heat a large wok on medium-high heat. Add the oil. As soon as it shimmers, add the garlic and stir with a metal spatula. Fry just until the garlic begins to brown, less than 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until the pink has disappeared. Add the shrimp and tofu and stir-fry until the shrimp is opaque. Slip the eggs on top without breaking the yolks, and let the eggs cook for about a minute.

Add the noodles to the wok, and fold the mixture from the bottom of the wok. Stir fry for another minute. Stir in the tamarind sauce, and add 2/3 of the crushed peanuts. Stir to incorporate the peanuts, and then fold in 2/3 of the bean sprouts and all of the green onions. Remove from the heat

Carefully pour the pad thai onto a large serving platter or into a large bowl. Sprinkle with the Thai chili powder. Sprinkle with the remaining crushed peanuts. Arrange the chili pepper slices and the cilantro leaves on top of the pad thai. Place the lime slices and the remaining bean sprouts around the edge of the dish. Serve immediately.

Piquant Sauce for Fish or Whatever

2 T olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
2 t fish sauce or Worcestershire Sauce
2 t Tabasco or hot sauce
3 T ketchup
2 t prepared mustard
2 t brown sugar
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t smoked Spanish paprika (optional)
6 pimento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped
2 t capers, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan, and heat until bubbly. Serve either hot or cold. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Fish Tacos ☺

Serves 2 or 3

A tip of the hat to Ortega® as the inspiration for this Fish Tacos recipe. I substituted tuna for white fleshed fish, and lime juice for lemon juice in the original recipe. I also added chipotle pepper, and I left out the 1/4 c cilantro in the mayonnaise mixture, because I didn't have any.

Filling

1/2 c sour cream (non-fat is okay)
1/2 c mayonnaise (low-fat is okay)
2 chipotle peppers en adobo, finely chopped (about 2T)
1 package taco seasoning mix, divided
3/4 lb tuna steaks, cut into 1/4" x 1" pieces
2 T vegetable oil
2 T lime juice
8 corn tortillas, warmed

Toppings - If you are in a hurry, make use of the salad bar at the supermarket. You can even cheat with store-bought guacamole.

chopped tomatoes
chopped scallions
chopped cabbage or curtido
guacamole (1 avocado, 1/4 t salt, juice of one small lime)
sour cream

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle, and 1/2 spice mix in a small serving bowl.

Mix together tuna, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and remaining spice mix. Let stand for a few minutes. Fry the tuna mixture in a medium high skillet, turning it at least once. The tuna cooks very quickly, two to three minutes on each side. As soon as the tuna is done (it will have turned a whitish color), place the fish in a serving dish.

Fill warmed tortillas with tuna and a tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Top with chopped cabbage, tomatoes and scallions, guacamole, and sour cream.

Shrimp and Chicken Chowder

Serves two, but you can always double the recipe.

Note:This recipe has lots of ingredients, but it goes together very easily, so don't be intimidated! You can make the stock ahead of time OR you can use 2 c unsalted chicken or vegetable stock. If you don't have fish sauce, you can get it at an Asian market. (Golden Boy brand is excellent.) You can substitute salt to taste (1/2 teaspoon to start) plus 2 T water, but the fish sauce really adds a wonderful flavor. Substitute a hot chili powder for the Thai roasted pepper, if you don't want to make your own (the recipe for Thai Roasted Pepper follows this recipe).

The stock

2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped (quarter-inch dice)
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 med carrots, peeled and grated
4 c water
4 whole allspice
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet (I use cast iron). Add the onions, and cook them until they soften and begin to brown. Add the celery. Stir occasionally, and continue frying until the celery begins to lose its bright green color. Stir in the carrots and fry until the carrots are very limp and begin to brown. Toward the end of the cooking, you will need to keep stirring the vegetables with a metal spatula, because the oil will be absorbed, and the vegetables will stick to the skillet.

When the vegetables have finished cooking, transfer them to a 2-1/2 qt stockpot. Pour some of the water into the skillet to deglaze it, and add to the stockpot with the rest of the water. Add the spices, and bring the stock to a boil, then turn the heat down such that the stock continues to boil, and continue to boil, uncovered, until it is reduced to half its volume (about a half hour to 45 minutes).

Remove the stock from the stove, and strain it into a container. Set it aside (or refrigerate) until you are ready to make the soup. Discard the solids in the strainer.

The meat

10 raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1/4 lb raw chicken breast strips, sliced in half-inch pieces
2 T fish sauce
2 T rice vinegar (or lime or lemon juice)
2 cloves minced garlic
black pepper to taste
1/4 t Thai roasted pepper (or chili powder)

Read the Note, above, about substitutions for the fish sauce and Thai roasted pepper.

In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to finish the soup.

The rest of the soup

1 small can corn, undrained (8.75 oz)
1 med potato, peeled and grated
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
bean sprouts (optional)

In a soup pot, heat the stock and canned corn to boiling. Add the grated potato, and continue to simmer uncovered for three to four minutes. Add the shrimp and chicken mixture and simmer until the meat is cooked, about three minutes. Remove from the stove.

Put a couple of tablespoons of bean sprouts in the bottom of each soup bowl. Stir the cream into the soup, then ladle the soup over the bean sprouts and serve immediately.

Thai Roasted Peppers

The name is a misnomer, because the chilies aren't roasted, they are fried!

Note: Prepare the peppers in a well-ventilated kitchen. The fumes of the frying peppers can irritate your eyes. When you are grinding the peppers, be careful about touching your fingers to your face or rubbing your eyes. The ground pepper can irritate your skin. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers.

2 - 4 oz whole dried Asian chili peppers
2 T peanut oil

Line a metal strainer with paper towels.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat until the oil has a sheen, but isn't smoking. Add the peppers, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds, until the peppers are shiny and have turned darker, but before they burn and turn black.

Immediately remove the peppers to the strainer. Let the peppers drain and cool. Dab them with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

When the peppers are completely cool, grind them in a food processor or spice mill until they are finely ground. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Use the condiment very sparingly....

Macaroni Salad

1-9 oz box macaroni - cook until tender; drain

2 c salmon (No. 1 can)
3 Tbsp grated onion
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Flake and add to macaroni.

3 eggs hard cooked
1/2 to 3/4 c mayonnaise

Add 2 eggs to salad - use 3rd as garnish.

Salmon St. Regis

I created this recipe in the wilds of a Montana dude ranch. I had a lot of fun with this. I hope you do, too.

3 salmon steaks
3 kumquats, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 t. fresh rosemary leaves
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the kumquats, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. Bruise together with a pestle.

Sprinkle each steak with salt and pepper. Arrange the steaks in a glass baking dish and spoon the kumquat mixture over the steaks.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Arrange on serving plates. Spoon pan juices over steaks and serve. The dish goes well with beets and asparagus. Try it with a Pinot Grigio.

Pan-Fried Salmon

This recipe will stink up your house, but it's worth it! I tried this very skeptically, and am now a true believer. Those people at Cook's Illustrated turn salmon into a religious experience!

Have a couple of salmon filets or steaks cut about 1-1/4 inches thick. Salt and pepper the salmon.

Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet on high (yeah!) for three minutes. Add 1 teaspoon canola or peanut oil, and immediately place the fish skin-side down in the skillet. Fry for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to medium high, and continue cooking for 3-1/2 minutes.

Turn the fish with a metal pancake turner, and continue frying for another 3 minutes. While the fish is cooking, line a plate with paper towels. When the 3 minutes are up, remove the fish to the plate, and blot the fish with paper towels. Let the fish sit for a couple of minutes.

Squeeze a couple of wedges of lemon or lime on the salmon, and serve. Salmon prepared this way is crispy and moist. I'm not a big salmon fan, but fixed this way, it's a winner. Just remember to open the windows and spray the room deodorizer.