LouieNep Food

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.

(by Lorraine) As most of you know, Louie does the cooking and I do the baking. Today I’m going to share a dirty little secret of mine- a recipe for pie crust that’s quick, easy, and can be made in the microwave! Trust me, no one will ever know.

Lorraine’s Secret Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup cold water
WHAT TO DO:
In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt; cut in shortening. In a separate, medium bowl, mix together beaten egg, vinegar and cold water. Using a fork, slowly mix beaten egg mixture into flour mixture. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Roll onto a floured surface. Microwave shell on ‘HIGH’ for 4 to 5 minutes.

If making piecrust in a microwave makes you shudder, you can also use the above recipe to make piecrust in a regular oven. Bake in a preheated hot [425�F / 220�C] oven, until golden brown. Instant piecrust… and loads better than storebought!

UPDATE: I am no longer running a recipe contest. Thanks to all of you who joined, and to the winners!

The way this community has grown in these past few weeks is just amazing. Thank you so much to all of you posting in the comments, sending me tons of email, and - most of all - submitting your recipes! You know I love it, and love you all.

I’ve decided to hold a monthly recipe contest for original submitted recipes. We’ll be awarding gift certificates from some of our favorite online retailers in varying amounts, so if you haven’t already please read the contest rules, then submit an original recipe of your own.

Today I’m pleased to feature one of our winning recipes, sent to me by email by Tet. We tried it out yesterday, it’s glorious, and a definite winner!:

Quickie Strawberry Shortcake
Purchased pound cake (we used Sara Lee :-))
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced

Whip cream in a large chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and Grand Marnier, and keep whipping until stiff peaks form. Using a large serrated knife, cut pound cake horizontally into 4 even layers. Place bottom cake layer on platter, spread with whipped cream, top with sliced strawberries. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with whipped cream. Garnish with remaining strawberries. Chill 30 minutes to 3 hours before serving. Delish!

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.

When, like me, you’re cooking for two most of the time, it can be difficult to portion your cooking so you aren’t left with a whole month’s worth of leftovers.

We love the mini salad and herb spinner from OXO because not only is it perfect for spinning a salad for two, its non-slip, and extremely easy to use.

I got this as a gift from a friend familiar with my tastes for fun kitchen tools. Who knew I would become so dependent on this?

It slices perfect pats of butter (butter must be chilled), and is just one of those tools that become necessary the more you use it.

How to use it:

Simply place Butter Cutter over a stick of chilled butter and press down. Voila! Perfect pats of butter.

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.

Let me just say that- at the risk of sounding cliche- I love how the Internet puts you in touch with people all over the world. Today I received an email from one William T., an English expat who so kindly sent me his recipe for traditional english bangers.

I’m reprinting his email for your reading pleasure:

Dear Louie,
I really love your site. People say that if Europe was to become “hell”, the English would do the cooking! In riposte, as an English expatriate living abroad, I yearn for the traditional “Bangers ‘n Mash” dinner- something the English can claim to be their own recipe and be proud of ! So I am sending you a recipe for the best savoury sausages on the planet….
After you thoroughly wash and rinse the sausage casings, soak them in pineapple juice for 24-36 hours (in the fridge) and then rinse them again prior to stuffing them. This process softens the casings and makes them much more tender and palatable!
1/2 lb ground lean pork
1/2 lb lean ground veal or lamb
6 ounces suet
fresh breadcrumbs, made from 3 slices of white bread,including crust
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried majoram
2 teaspoons dried sage
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon finely grated rind of lemon
1 large egg
prepared hog casings (can’t get sausage casings, shape the sausage mixture into patties instead of link sausages) (optional)
1. Knead together the pork, veal, fat, and bread.
2. Stir the salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, mace, thyme, marjoram, sage, onion powder and lemon peel into the egg, and then knead into the meat mixture.
3. At this point, I fry a small sausage patty and taste it so that I can adjust the seasonings, because the recipe so far is fairly mild.
4. Firmly stuff the mixture into the prepared hog (sausage) casings.
5. Prick any air pockets with a pin.
6. Poach, broil, grill, or fry them before serving.
7. Serve the bangers, drowned in nice thick onion and mushroom gravy, with a heap of mashed potatoes.
8. The raw sausages can be refrigerated for 3 days, cooked sausages for 1 week.
9. They can also be frozen (raw, poached, or broiled) for 3 months.
All the best, William T.

Thank you, William!

Before I begin, I want to say how pleased I am to welcome a new guest chef . Lolita very kindly emailed me her recipe for Banana Butterscotch Rum Trifle, which was yesterday’s featured recipe. Thank you, Lolita!

There’s nothing worse for me than dry, overcooked fish. The secret to cooking fresh fish so that it’s perfectly moist? Seal in its juices. This recipe for salt-baked snapper is one of our all-time favorites: it’s quick, easy, and doesn’t require a whole lot of fancy ingredients.

Salt-baked Whole Red Snapper
A 2-lb whole red snapper, cleaned with head and tail intact
2 pounds kosher (rock) salt
1 cup water
1 fresh lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

Preheat your oven to 450F. In a bowl, stir together salt and water until combined well. On a large baking sheet, spread half of the salt mixture in a rectangular shape just slightly largers than the fish. Set fish on top. Halve lemon crosswise, and cut 3 slices from one half, reserving remaining half. Insert lemon slices into the cavity of the red snapper. Pat remaining salt mixture over the fish to cover completely. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Do not overbake.
Tap all around the edge of the salt crust with the back of a large spoon to loosen and lift top off. Squeeze juice from remining lemon half over fish, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve, and enjoy!

We like to have this with individual bowls of steamed rice, but it’s also great with a side salad or a small portion of buttered vegetables.

(by Guest Chef Lolita) This recipe brings back fond memories of English school puddings, and the thought of sinking my teeth into the exquisite eggy vanilla-ness of the custard just makes me want to head back to boarding school.

Although traditionally trifles are made from your garden variety English fruit, I like using bananas, not only because I live in the tropics (and the prospect of finding decent cherries or raspberries is a near impossibility), but because their unique banana-creaminess is the perfect complement to the butterscotch and custard. I would suggest making the custard yourself, using the incomparable vanilla bean, but I suppose a packet of “Bird’s Eye” custard should do the trick. This recipe is based on Delia Smith’s Banana and Madeira trifle. Not being mad about madeira, I substituted dark rum.

Also, it should be noted that trifles are really a delicious way to make good use out of leftover cake, custard or fruit, so the amounts of ingredients really depend on what you have around and the size of your serving bowl.

And one more thing, you should plan to make this the day before you want to eat it, or at least 12 hours in advance to get the flavors to develop into what will become an incredibly rich and sinful, mouth-watering trifle bliss.

Banana Butterscotch Rum Trifle
What You Need
A glass bowl
3 medium bananas
Sponge cake - leftover cake or even ladyfingers (for Tiramisu enthusiasts) will do. The amount depends on the bowl you use, as it should cover the base by a few inches.
Whipped cream - about 2 1/2 cups - again, depending on the size of your bowl. - you really have to think in terms of “layers” when making a trifle.
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup pecans

For the Butterscotch Sauce ( you can double the recipe and any leftovers can be used as an impromptu ice cream sauce!):
1/2 cup golden syrup
1/ 4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp. good vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark rum

For the Custard
1 packets worth of “Birds Eye Custard” (again, leftovers can be used for pouring on cakes or fruit at another time)
or
1 vanilla pod, cut into 3 pieces
1 1/3 cup whole milk
1 1/3 cup cream
7 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar

First make the butterscotch sauce by placing the butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring now and then until it dissolves. Add the rum, and let it cook until you see that it has all melded together, then add the cream and vanilla slowly. When it is all combined and looks like a good sauce, take it off the heat and set it aside to cool off.

Now make the custard. Put the cream and milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla pod, scraping the seeds out with a knife, then tossing the whole thing in. Simmer this gently to infuse the vanilla flavor. While it simmers, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until it becomes a creamy, pale yellow mass. Now pour the warm milk and cream into the egg yolk mixture, beat for a bit, and return it all into the saucepan. Over low heat, stir the whole lot until it gets creamy, and coats the back of a spoon. This usually takes 10-15 minutes of standing over a hot stove, mindlessly stirring or whisking. Not my favourite part either, but so worth it, I promise! When the custard is thick, take it off the heat , remove the vanilla pods, cover with a towel and set aside.

And now for the fun, assembly bit. Take the cake slices and slice them to form squares of about an inch and a half thick. If you are using ladyfingers, cut them in half. Spread half of the squares with the butterscotch sauce , then “sandwich” them by placing another cake square on top, do the same if you are using ladyfingers. Now arrange the squares nicely to fit the bottom of your glass bowl. Poke the cake with a few stabs of a fork, and drizzle the rest of the rum. If you can’t be bothered with the sandwiching process, or have leftover cake that can’t be cut into squares, just line the bowl with it as best you can, stabbing a bit with a fork and drizzling the rum, then pouring about half of the butterscotch sauce on top. Peel and slice the bananas into 1/4 inch chunks, and arrange it into the bowl. Pour the rest of the butterscotch sauce in, then the custard on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 12- 24 hours.

About 15 minutes before you want to eat it, toast the pecans in a dry non-stick pan, or in the oven for about 4 minutes. Whip the cream. Take the trifle out of the fridge, and spread the whipped cream on top of the custard. Drizzle with the pecans, and serve!