It's mid-August, and in my corner of the country it is hotter than a two-dollar pistol! But being a die-hard foodie means never using the excuse "it’s too hot to cook." I do, however, adapt my cooking and eating habits to the season. With the abundance of fantastic produce and wonderfully flavorful and cooling summer fruits, it takes only a little creativity to beat the heat, culinarily speaking. Often I take the easy route, making sandwiches or no-cook pasta sauces (in fact I’ll share my favorite with you shortly). Sometimes beating the heat means braving the mosquitoes and humidity briefly to grill a delicious meal that we enjoy in the blessed cool of the air-conditioned dining room. Other times, I like to mix it up a little. Asian cooks know that one of the best ways to cool out in the summer swelter is to turn up the Scoville units and break a cooling sweat. In that spirit, join me after the jump! It’s dinnertime!
A favorite summertime tune to set the mood...now this is what I call cool!
I adore big flavors and a generous dose of chile, so Thai was a natural for this cooling menu. I started learning to make Thai food about 15 years ago, while living in backwater Alabama with no ethnic restaurants within about 75 miles. The nice thing about backwater Alabama was that in the summertime it actually feels like Thailand (OK, I've never been, but...). We were able to successfully grow our own lemongrass
(completely gratuitous but cute photo of baby froggie on my lemon grass)
and kaffir lime tree, as well as the various herbs like mint, basil, and cilantro that give Thai cuisine its pungent fragrance. I prepared this menu a few weeks ago, with Mr. Kat and my nephew helping. Mr. Kat made the soup (it's his specialty).
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This recipe calls for toasted rice powder, which helps the mixture become cohesive and adds something indescribable to the finished dish. It's easy to make: heat a skillet, add some white rice, and shake the pan 'til the rice is golden brown. Let it cool and grind in a coffee mill it 'til it looks like sand.
1 lb ground white-meat chicken
water for simmering
Juice of 1-2 limes (depending on their size and juiciness)
2 stalks lemon grass, tough outer part removed, chopped very fine
1Tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
1 tsp brown sugar
Approx 2 Tbsp finely chopped of EACH: mint, basil, and cilantro
1 tsp finely chopped fresh chile (jalapeno, for instance)
1/2 tsp ground chile powder
1/4 cup toasted rice powder
Lettuce (any kind you like) for serving.
Bring water to a simmer in a skillet. Add chicken and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon. When cooked through, use a slotted spoon and transfer chicken to a bowl. Add all remaining ingredients. Spoon onto lettuce leaves and eat at room temperature or chilled.
Tom Yum Kun Soup
This is the classic hot, tangy and fragrant soup served in most Thai restaurants. Serve it with the chunks of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in it, with a "discard" dish on the table.
4 cups chicken stock
1 large stalk lemon grass, outer part removed, cut into 2" pieces
3-4 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
1-2 Tbsp tom yum kun paste (to taste)
2 Tbsp nam pla
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 lb fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
approx 1/2 cup mushrooms (whatever you like)
2-3 fresh chiles (jalapenos or serranos), split lengthwise, seeds removed
chopped cilantro for garnish
Bring stock to a simmer. Add lemon grass and kaffir lime, and stir in paste, nam pla, juice and sugar. Add shrimp and mushrooms and simmer just 'til shrimp is pink and cooked through (about 5 minutes). Garnish with cilantro.
Spicy Grilled Beef Salad
This may be my favorite Thai dish, next to red curry chicken. A super-simple (and fat-free) dressing, lots of colorful and crunchy vegetables, and aromatic grilled steak combine to make an intense and very satisfying yet light supper. I generally serve this on top of Romain lettuce leaves, with plain jasmine rice on the side. I've never tried it with tofu, but I would imagine you'd have a good result. Chicken or shrimp works well, too.
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
3-4 cloves roughly chopped garlic
1/2 chopped habanero pepper (use milder if you like, or more if you like!)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp nam pla
2 tsp brown sugar
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until chunks of garlic and pepper are small. Set aside.
Slice a variety of fresh vegetables into shapes that please you. I generally use about 1/2 of a seedless cucumber, 1/2 of a red bell pepper, radishes, and thin-sliced red onion. Toss vegetables together in large serving bowl.
Meanwhile, light your grill! I like sirloin for this salad, but flank steak or another flavorful cut (nothing too fatty) will work too. I personally like the steak grilled medium rare for this dish. Grill 1 lb of steak and let rest about 10 minutes. Slice steak very thinly against the grain and toss (juices too!) with the vegetables and dressing.
Optional but HIGHLY recommended is a delicious adult beverage. I adore mojitos, and decided to sub fresh basil for mint. It was fantastic!
2 shots rum
1 lime
2 scant tsp sugar
1 sprig basil or mint
ice
Place sugar in shaker. Cut lime in half and squeeze juice in with sugar. Place the juiced lime in the shaker and muddle lime, sugar , and basil or mint together. Fill shaker with ice and rum. Shake it like a Polaroid picture and pour into chilled Martini glass.
I'm not big on dessert, but I couldn't resist picking up a pint of one of Haagen-Dazs' new five-ingredient ice creams - the Ginger is subtle and creamy, a perfect end to a great meal!
So from the steamy swamps of NE Florida, I bid you good evening and invite you to share with us - What's For Dinner?