LouieNep Food

This is an email I received from a close friend. We haven’t been in touch for some time and one of the first emails he sends me contains one of his recipes.

Hey Louie,

I LOVE both websites! Totally awesome. I subscribed to the Lasang Pinoy group and subscribed Ria to ComedyDose as well. Hope to see you guys soon and have a taste of your cooking! Here’s one recipe that’s simple and I think you’ll enjoy:

slice into bite-size portions, chicken breast or salmon
smother with dry italian seasoning
cover with italian bread crumbs when ready to cook
sear in butter and olive oil
serve with ginger teriyaki sauce or marinade

Keep in touch!

Jet

Hope you’ll enjoy this quick and easy recipe. But certainly makes your mouth water.

For this recipe you may use cooked meat instead of fresh and just treat it like fresh meat as far as marinating is concerned. In fact, I made up this dish when we had leftover Thai Chicken Pandan my wife had made. So she deboned the chicken to which we added the beef, pork and marinade.

1/4 kilo of fatty beef
1/4 kilo of pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
3 red hot chilies chopped with seeds
1 tablespoon of Thai fish sauce
1/3 cup of lemon juice, fresh or bought very tart lemonade
salt and pepper

1 to 3 cups steamed rice (cooled)

1 head of garlic (peeled for mashing)
1 large thumb of ginger root (peeled for mashing)
3 red hot chilies (chopped with seeds)
peanut oil
1 cup of lemonade (not from concentrate)
1/4 cup Thai fish sauce
salt
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
chopped leeks
chopped wansoy
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This is best eaten with bread pockets that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside… and loaded with roasted sesame seeds on the outside. I don’t have the recipe for this, nor know where to buy it… if anyone has an idea, please let me know!

Alternatively, eat this with rice, with a dash of sesame oil.
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Jamaican jerk chicken or pork is not an everyday dish for us. It’s always (my version of it anyway) incredibly flavorful: spicy, sweet and sour all at the same time, the sort of dish that explodes in your mouth.

The best way to make jerk is on the grill, but I’ve done it countless times in a pan, even in an oven, with excellent results.

This is what we’re having for dinner tonight:

Jerk Pork
First, the marinade- which you will marinate your pork in for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight:
1/2 cup chopped white onion or leeks
4 serrano or jalapeno chiles, chopped with seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

After pork is well marinated, brush pan lightly with some oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Grill pork, seasoned with salt, in batches over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 9 minutes on each side.

Serve with a side of fresh salsa and lots of steamy white rice.

I’m one of those people who buys all types of tortellini- ham and cheese, smoked bacon and garlic, etc., etc.- and ends up just letting it sit in the pantry because I can’t think of anything creative to do with it.

Thanks to email, I now have this deliciously quick recipe:

Dear Jay,
One of my favorite pasta dishes is tortellini & it always gives me a feeling of nostalgia (I grew up with Italians). It’s also very easy to make, especially if you are stuck with a dinner party to prepare for. This is a variant on the traditional “ricotta and spinach” recipe- adding some wild mushrooms, green garlic & wine.
2 x 8 ounce packets of fresh tortellini
1 pound wild mushrooms (fresh preferred)
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup green garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup of white wine
Prepare tortellini according to packet instructions. Clean and chop wild mushrooms. Heat butter and oil to very hot and saute mushrooms very quickly. Add green garlic and wine & simmer for several minutes to make the sauce. Add pasta to pan, toss and cook a minute longer. Serve in warmed soup plates garnished with several bits of sauteed mushroom and a curl of fresh parmesan.
Take care and thanks for making Daily Chef such fun.
Beatrix

Thank you, Beatrix.

This is one of those dishes whose recipe doesn’t do it justice- simply because its cooking aroma is so heady, so unbelievably mouthwatering, it cannot be described in words. Great for leftover steak or beef roast. And, since we’ve been on a “thai spree”, nice and spicy too.

Thai Chilli Beef
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean beef steak, cut into very thin strips
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
2 tsps cornstarch
4 red chillies, seeds removed
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
6 tbsps peanut oil
2 red peppers, seeds removed and sliced thick
2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
2 tbsps Thai fish sauce
shredded basil leaves

1. Place the beef in a bowl with rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch and mix well. Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate - refrigerated- for 20 minutes, turning beef over at least once.

2. Place chillies, garlic, onion and red curry paste in a food processor and blend to form a smooth paste. I like to do this in my mortar.

3. Drain the beef, shaking off any excess marinade. Heat a wok and add 3 tbsps of the peanut oil. When nearly smoking, add beef and stir-fry for about a minute. Remove the beef and set aside.

4. Wipe wok clean. Reheat, and add remaining peanut oil. When hot, add chilli paste and stirfry for 30 secs. Add peperrs, celery, fish sauce and more soy sauce. Stirfry for 2 minutes. Return beef to the wok and stirfry for a further 2 minutes, or until beef is cooked. Serve with shredded basil sprinkled on top.

As I said, this smells absolutely heavenly. Feel free to lessen or increase the amount of chillis depending on how hot or mild you like your food. Delicious served with fragrant jasmine rice, or a bed of freshly cooked glass noodles.

I realize I’ve been a little quiet lately- and for that I apologize. But for all the wonderful people leaving comments lately, I’ve got great news- a whole bunch of new recipes coming at you these next few days!

From John in Singapore comes this wonderful email:

When I visited Chiang Mai with my wife last year, I did a cooking course at our hotel & learnt this recipe. As there was some Thai talk with your Spicy Thai Shrimp soup- I wanted to send you this now.
All the best,
John, Singapore.

Pad Thai (Fried noodles Thai style)

There must be as many recipes for this dish as there are cooks! Adapt to what you have on hand. Most often eaten when going to the market as a quick snack, it is not really a dish Thais cook at home!

1/2 package(16oz)wide rice noodles

2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 lb. pork, cut into 1″ by 1/4″ pieces

3 Tbsp. dried shrimps, small size

2 Tbsp. salted radish, chopped(optional)

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. thin soy sauce, Dragonfly brand

2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 cup bean sprouts

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, break up in a mortar and pestle or chop with a chef’s knife

Cilantro to garnish

Boil 3 cups of water. Pour over noodles in a large bowl and soak for 20 minutes until softened. Drain.

Heat oil in wok, until hot but not smoking. Add smashed garlic. Add pork. Fry until meat is no longer pink. Add noodles, dried shrimps, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and bean sprouts. Stir fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until mixed up and heated through. Add salted radish, if using(rinse if very salty). Stir fry another minute. Toss in the peanuts, tossing to mix. Remove to a platter or individual plates to serve. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 2.

Before I present today’s recipe, I’m pleased to announce a new section: Cook’s Tools.

Today I’m featuring my version of what I consider one of the best dishes in the world:

Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup
What You’ll Need
2 tbsps minced fresh ginger
2 tbsps peanut oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp thinly julienned lime peel
5 cups homemade or tinned chicken broth
1 cup uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup long-grain white rice
6 large mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
4 green onions, chopped

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Saute red peppers and ginger about a minute. Add chicken stock and lime peel, bring to a boil. Stir in rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until rice is very tender. Add shrimp, coconut milk, mushrooms and onion, and cook about 5 minutes- or until shrimp is opaque. Remove from heat. Add lime juice. Use chopped green onions as garnish.

This is spicy, aromatic, and delicious- and the non-traditional addition of rice in the soup makes this a full meal.

(by Lorraine) During a recent trip to the local deli, I came upon the Asian Home Gourmet collection of “spice pastes”. Since I’m always willing to try convenience ingredients such as this, I purchased a pack of their Indian Vindaloo Curry spice paste. From the package:

A famous hot curry from Goa, South-west India. It is well spiced with red chillies, garlic and vinegar.

Instructions on the packet said to stir fry the paste with chopped onions, add bite-sized deboned chicken, some chopped up tomatoes, and simmer in broth for about 20 minutes. But because we had some leftover roast lamb from the night before, and because we were out of tomatoes, here’s what I did:

Stir fry the paste with about half a cup of chopped white onions, add in bite-sized chunks of deboned chicken and lamb, add about a cup of coconut cream (we used the tinned type, but you can reconstitute some from powder as well, just make sure to make it thick), a few tablespoons of olive oil, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Served with some mango chutney and a cucumber-sesame seed salad, t was absolutely delicious. Louie would have preferred it a little hotter, so maybe next time we’ll add some fresh chilies. In any case, we can’t wait to try out Asian Home Gourmet’s other spice pastes.. and writing about our results here!

I love how the simple word “tiramisu” conjures up anticipation. When people ask me what’s for dessert and I answer tiramisu, their faces light up, their eyes widen, and they invariably state that they must leave room for dessert. It’s just that kind of thing, tiramisu.

Today I’m featuring one of my favorite ways to have tiramisu- as sundaes, served in parfait glasses. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it always, always gets raves reviews:

Tiramisu Sundaes
Whisk 1 cup heavy cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form; cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups strong espresso (cooled to room temp) and 3 tablespoons brandy (optional).

Break 4 store-bought ladyfingers in half, dip into coffee mixture until soaked but not falling apart (several seconds). Arrange two halves in a layer at the bottom of each parfait glass. Top with a scoop of coffee-flavored ice cream. Garnish each glass with a dollop of your chilled whipped cream, and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

I got this recipe from a Martha Stewart Living magazine. Say what you will about Martha, I’ve got a whole stack of recipes from her magazines that I love.