Tag: Entree

Nasi Lemak (the Easy Version)

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Nasi lemak is a Malaysian breakfast staple but I love it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I already have a knockout nasi lemak recipe but it’s time-consuming, and sometimes I want a shortcut without sacrificing flavor. This version saves you the trouble from making your sambal ikan bilis base from scratch, and you can make many of the components ahead of time, too.

Ingredients:

For the coconut rice:

  • 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt

For the sambal ikan bilis:

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup dried anchovies
  • 1/2 cup sliced shallot
  • 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
  • Salt

To serve:

  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
  • 2 cucumbers, sliced on an angle
  • Dry-roasted peanuts
  1. Make the coconut rice: combine the rice, water, coconut milk, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt in a rice cooker and cook according to rice cooker instructions. Let stand 10 minutes, then fluff the rice and keep warm.
  2. Make the sambal ikan bilis: heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and let them sizzle in the oil, stirring until they are golden and crisp, about 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary so the fish does not burn. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon. Add the shallot to the pan, return the heat to medium, and cook the shallot in the oil until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
  3. Return the anchovies to the pan and stir in the chili garlic sauce. Stir in the sugar and lime juice. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt if needed.
  4. Assemble the dish: pack a small bowl with coconut rice and invert onto a plate. Garnish with quartered eggs, a scoop of sambal ikan bilis, cucumber slices, and peanuts.

Fettuccine with Clams and Sun Gold Tomatoes

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The only thing better than fresh tomatoes and pasta in the summer is fresh tomatoes and pasta with shellfish in the summer. Adapted from Bon Appetit, this incredibly easy fettuccine comes together in a matter of minutes, making the best of the season’s bounty. If you can, use fresh pasta here, although dry noodles will work just fine too.

Ingredients:
  • Salt
  • 3 pounds clams, scrubbed
  • 12 ounces fresh fettuccine
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons white miso
  • 12 ounces Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes, halved, divided
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup torn basil, plus more for serving
  1. Partially fill a large bowl with cool water, add a handful of salt, and mix to dissolve. Add clams; let sit 15 minutes to expel grit. Drain and rinse. Repeat with a fresh bowl of cool water and salt. Set aside.
  2. Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute short of al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Set pasta aside.
  3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Pour in wine, add drained reserved clams, and increase heat to medium-high. Cover and cook, until clams are open, about 4 minutes. Transfer opened clams to a large bowl. Leave unopened clams in pot, re-cover, and continue to cook, checking every 2 minutes to remove any open clams; discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes.
  4. Reduce heat to medium and stir in miso to dissolve. Add half of the tomatoes and cook, pressing occasionally with spoon to help break open, until some of the tomatoes burst and release their juices, about 4 minutes.
  5. Add butter, remaining tomatoes, and reserved pasta and cook, tossing and adding reserved pasta cooking liquid a little at a time if needed, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce (it will thicken as it sits). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add clams along with any juices and basil and gently toss to combine.
  6. Arrange pasta on a serving platter and top with more basil.

Buttered Sungold Tomato Pasta

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It’s tomato season! It’s cliche, but if you have top-notch ingredients you really don’t need a whole lot else. When you get your hands on some homegrown Sungold (or similar cherry-esque) tomatoes, make this summery pasta dish. Get the best quality fresh pasta you can find too. Or better yet, make your own.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces fresh tagliatelle pasta (or similar)
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 pints Sun Gold tomatoes, cut into halves, divided
  • Salt
  • 4 teaspoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 4 tablespoons torn or sliced basil, divided
  1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add garlic cloves and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Mix in 1 pint tomatoes, a big pinch of salt, and ¼ cup water. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes burst and become saucy, 6–8 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
  3. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with tomato sauce. Add butter, fish sauce, remaining tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the basil. Using tongs or a wooden spoon, cook, stirring and adding a few tablespoonfuls of pasta cooking liquid if needed, until pasta is coated and glossy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Divide pasta among serving plates and top with more Parmesan and remaining basil. 

Chicken with Basil and Fish Sauce

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I finally got J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s tome The Wok a few months ago and honestly? It’s one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever cooked from. All hits, no misses. The first dish I cooked out of the book was this Thai-style chicken stir-fry, with an Iranian twist. Lopez-Alt calls for Thai basil this recipe, but I was gifted a bumper crop of Persian basil and used that instead. Both basils posses a strong anise and licorice-like flavor so the substitution worked perfectly. Serve this with jasmine (or basmati!) rice and think of it as a delicious Thai-ish Iranian-ish mashup.

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/8-inch slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • Hot red pepper flakes to taste

For the stir-fry:

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 2 minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cups loosely packed Persian or Thai basil leaves
  1. Prepare the chicken: Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover with cold water, and vigorously agitate it. Drain through a strainer set in the sink and press on the chicken with your hands to remove excess water. Return the chicken to the bowl and add the fish sauce, pepper, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch. Stir vigorously with your fingers for 30 seconds. Set aside while you prepare the remaining stir-fry ingredients (at least 15 minutes).
  2. Prepare the sauce: Combine the fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and chile flakes.
  3. Make the stir-fry: Heat 1 tablespoon oil and the smashed garlic cloves in a wok over high heat until the garlic is sizzling at starts to brown. Add the chicken, spread it into a single layer, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, tossing, and stirring frequently, until the exterior is just cooked, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  4. Wipe out the wok and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the shallots are softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Add the basil and toss until they’re wilted. Transfer to a plate and serve with rice.

Chicken Larb and Bean Thread Noodle Lettuce Cups

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I absolutely love larb and I absolutely love bean thread noodles in all their permutations. These lettuce cups are kind of a love child of both these dishes — not authentic by any means, but delicious nonetheless. Packed full of herbs, they make a perfect quick and easy meal when you’re craving something light but satisfying.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minceed
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • Salt
  • Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
  • 4 ounces bean thread noodles, prepared according to package instructions
  • 1 head butter lettuce
  1. In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the chicken and salt and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with the onion, basil, cilantro, mint, peanuts, and bean thread noodles and combine with the sauce. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  4. Spoon the chicken and noodle mixture onto lettuce leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.