Tag: Asian

Thai-Style “Sausage” Lettuce Wraps

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This dish is very (emphasis on very) loosely based on the herby, spicy sausages that are ubiquitous in northern Thailand. These were everywhere when I visited Chiang Mai years ago: in the markets, at our hotel, and street vendors. And they were delicious.

This lighter, humbler version is adapted for a weeknight meal at home but it nevertheless satiates my craving for northern Thai food. Sometimes a piece of lettuce, some rice, and a bit of meat is all you need.

Ingredients:

For the chili dip:

  • 2 shallots, unpeeled
  • 1 head of garlic, unpeeled
  • 4 Anaheim chiles
  • 1 serrano or Thai chile
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt, to taste

For the “sausages”:

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 makrut lime leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons red curry paste
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • Butter lettuce or similar, thinly sliced daikon, and cooked sticky or jasmine rice, for serving
  1. Make the chili dip: heat the broiler. Broil shallots, garlic, and Anaheim and serrano chiles on a rimmed baking sheet, turning halfway through, until charred in most spots, 5-8 minutes.
  2. Peel shallots, garlic, and chile, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a food processor and pulse to a coarse paste. Mix in lime juice, cilantro, fish sauce, and sugar; season with salt.
  3. Make the “sausage”: Combine chicken, shallot, lime leaves, curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and cilantro in a medium bowl; season with salt. Using your hands, mix well until chicken is sticking to itself and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Using wet hands, form about 2 tablespoon-sized scoops of chicken mixture into 1-inch thick patties.
  4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook patties until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
  5. Serve patties with chile dip, lettuce, daikon, and rice.

Soy-Butter Beef with Shishito Peppers

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This easy one-pan dish is all about capturing the last bit of summer before the season’s peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and stone fruit are gone for another year. Tossed with seared steak and a buttery umami-bomb sauce, these shishito peppers steal the show. Serve with rice for a super satisfying meal.

Ingredients:

For the beef:

  • 1 pound boneless New York strip steak or sirloin, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil

For the sauce:

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
  • 6 green onions, white and pale green parts and dark green parts separated, sliced on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces
  • 12 ounces shishito peppers, stems removed, sliced in half on a diagonal
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
  • Steamed rice, for serving
  1. Marinate the beef: Toss beef, cornstarch, soy sauce, and oil in a medium bowl until meat is evenly coated. Let sit at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill (no need to bring to room temperature before cooking).
  2. Make the sauce: Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, black pepper, and 2/3 cup water in a small bowl to combine; set sauce aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high. Add half of beef in a single layer, separating clumps as much as possible. Cook, undisturbed, until deep golden brown underneath (meat will be pale on the other side), about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate, Repeat process with another 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef.
  4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same pan over medium-high. Cook white and pale green onion parts, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred in spots, about 2 minutes. Add shishito peppers, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add beef and reserved sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add dark green onion parts and butter. Stir vigorously until butter is melted.
  5. Serve beef and shishito peppers alongside rice.

Ponzu-Salmon Avocado Toast

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We’re continuing this summer’s basic millennial avocado toast theme with ponzu-salmon avocado toast. Adapted from Bon Appetit, this simple meal is as if sushi met avocado toast and became dinner. It’s easy, it’s delicious, it’s genius.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice, plus more
  • 1 Armenian or 3 Persian cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled ginger
  • Salt
  • 4 ounces cold-smoked salmon, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 4 slices sourdough bread, toasted
  • Toasted sesame seeds and toasted nori seaweed snacks, for serving
  1. Mix mayonnaise and chili-garlic sauce in a small bowl; set aside.
  2. Mix soy sauce, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in another small bowl; set ponzu sauce aside.
  3. Place cucumbers, avocado, and pickled ginger in a medium bowl; season with salt. Squeeze a little lemon juice and toss gently to combine.
  4. Dip each piece of reserved salmon in ponzu sauce and add to bowl with cucumber mixture; toss gently until just distributed.
  5. Spread some spicy mayonnaise over each piece of toast. Top with salmon mixture and drizzle a small amount of remaining ponzu over. Sprinkle toast with sesame seeds, then crumble seaweed snacks on top.

Ginger-Ponzu Tuna Poke

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Remember a few years ago where fast-casual poke spots were opening up in what seemed like every other corner? I liked that. It was a food trend I could get behind. I love poke bowls, especially in the summer, but I’ve started making them at home more often because a lot of those poke restaurants aren’t around anymore (come back please!).

This gingery tuna poke gets its creaminess from the addition of macadamia nuts and an unmistakable herbaceousness from shiso leaves. You can use salmon just as easily as tuna here.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (preferably Meyer) ponzu
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions, plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh shiso (Japanese or Vietnamese), plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon crushed unsalted roasted macadamia nuts, plus more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil, plus more to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger, plus more to taste
  • 1 pound skinless sushi-grade tuna
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Toasted white sesame seeds
  • Cooked short-grain white rice and nori seaweed, for serving

Directions

  1. Stir together soy sauce, lemon juice, green onions, shiso, macadamia nuts, sesame oil, and ginger in a medium bowl. (Mixture should be slightly creamy.)
  2. Cut tuna into bite-size (about 3/4-inch) cubes. Add tuna to ponzu mixture in bowl; gently stir together until well coated.
  3. Season with salt to taste. Adjust flavors with additional ponzu, green onions (pungency), shiso, macadamia nuts, sesame oil (velvety richness), ginger, and/or salt to taste. Serve atop individual bowls of rice and garnish with sesame seeds, more shiso leaves, and nori seaweed; serve immediately. (Poke itself can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)

Avocado, Mango, and Orange Salad

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This is the perfect tropical-esque salad to bridge that time of spring when the weather is intermittently cool and warm. Got some winter citrus leftover in the fridge? Toss them in with creamy avocados and mangoes and you’ve got a bright, tart and slightly sweet salad that comes together in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 orange, peeled and cut into 1-inch segments
  • 2 teaspoons unsweetened shredded dried coconut
  1. Whisk together parsley, oil, lime and orange juices, jalapeno, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add mangoes, avocado, and orange and toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
  2. To serve, transfer salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle with coconut.