Ginger, Lemongrass and Thai Basil Sparkler

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

Despite my love of fun, non-alcoholic beverages (kombucha, tea, lemonade, hibiscus coolers, etc., etc.), I’m always dropping the ball when it comes to making them for dinner parties. Folks usually only have one option: water.

But from now on, I’m going to try to up my drink game, big time. And this ginger, lemongrass and Thai basil sparkler is pretty much guaranteed to be paired with all future Southeast Asian meals.

The inspiration came from a ginger and mint lemonade that a friend once made (and for you local folks, his inspiration came from the drink at Govinda’s). But since I’m in Thai mode at the moment, my mind immediately translated it into something with Asian flavors. The lemon morphed into lemongrass and the mint got subbed out for spicy Thai basil. And the sparkling water? Well, I just like the bubbles.

I’m really not much of a drinker these days, so I kept mine virgin. But a splash of rum or vodka would turn this into quite a boozy treat.

Ginger, Lemongrass and Thai Basil Sparkler

Yield: 1 serving

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

1-2 Tablespoons ginger and lemongrass syrup
4-5 Thai Basil leaves
handful of ice, about 1 cup
1 cup sparkling water or club soda
lemongrass leaf for garnish, optional

Directions:

Combine the syrup and the Thai basil leaves in a tall glass. Use a wooden spoon to gently smash the basil leaves to help release their flavor. Add the ice and club soda. Stir to mix and then garnish with a lemongrass leaf, if desired.

Burmese Yellow Fried Rice with Shallots and Peas

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Burmese Yellow Fried Rice with Shallots and Peas

Long after I’ve packed up and moved on from Burma and its cuisine, I’ll still be preparing plenty of my off-the-blog meals using a classic Burmese ingredient combination.

Because if there’s one thing that Burmese food has taught me, it’s that the mixture of shallot oil, alliums, turmeric, cayenne and fish sauce can turn anything any protein or vegetable into something magical. Another lesson? Golden crispy shallots are little edible pieces of heaven.

I almost stayed away from this recipe because I’ve been laying off the grains a bit recently, but I couldn’t resist seeing whether the shallot oil, alliums, turmeric, cayenne and fish sauce combination could work its magic on rice. The answer? Yes, yes indeed. Especially when it’s topped with the aforementioned little pieces of heaven.

It’s often served with a fried egg or two as a breakfast dish, but I loved this fried rice paired with some beef lemongrass sliders, which I’ll be posting in a couple of days. Or, you could always throw in some protein at the same time as the shallots for an easy-peasy one dish meal.

Burmese Yellow Fried Rice with Shallots and Peas

If you’d like to make this dish vegetarian or vegan, substitute 1 teaspoon of salt for the fish sauce.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

* 3 Tablespoons shallot oil
* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
* 5 cups day-old cooked Jasmine rice
* 2 teaspoons fish sauce
* 1 cup frozen green peas
* 2-3 Tablespoons golden crispy shallots
* salt (optional)
* lime wedges for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric and cayenne and give them a quick stir. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened. Crumble in the rice and give the mixture a stir, using the spoon to break apart any clumps of rice. Add the fish sauce and green peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas have cooked through and the rice is heated through. Add the golden crispy shallots and give the mixture one last stir. Taste and add salt, if necessary.

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl or platter and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Toasted Chickpea Flour

Recipes

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Burmese Basics week continues with this toasted chickpea flour, or besan. The Burmese use it as both a thickener for soups and sauces as well as a seasoning for salads.

You should be able to find chickpea flour in an Indian market or health food store. Or if you’ve got a high-speed blender and want to save yourself a trip, feel free to process ground chickpeas until they’ve turned into a fine powder. Just make sure to break out the sifter to remove any lumps or large pieces.

The toasted chickpea flour should only take about 10-15 minutes to make, so there’s no need to make it in huge quantities. But once you taste the depth of flavor and texture it adds to salad, you just might want to.

If you’re not quite sure how to use the stuff, I’ve got a few recipes for you:

Burmese Grated Carrot Salad
Burmese Chickpea Tofu
Chickpea Banana Muffins

Toasted Chickpea Flour

Ingredients:

1 cup dry chickpeas or 1 cup chickpea flour

Directions:

If using dry chickpeas, place in the jar of a high-speed blender. Process on high speed until fine. Sift the flour to ensure that no lumps or pieces of chickpeas remain.

Place the flour in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until the flour has darkened several shades to a light tan color. Remove from heat and continue stirring for another minute or two to prevent scorching (the pan will still be hot).

Let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container.

Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad with Sesame and Cilantro

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad with Sesame and Cilantro

I was jazzed with the idea of making non-soy tofu, but wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it. So I turned to Southeast-Asian food expert Naomi Duguid. Her gorgeous cookbook has pretty much become my Burmese cooking Bible over the past couple weeks. I chose her tofu salad recipe because it reminded me of Hawaiian tofu poke, one of the only dishes that can get me excited about tofu.

It’s not a complicated recipe. Cubes of chickpea tofu are tossed with a hefty amount of cilantro, toasted sesame seeds and a garlic and shallot oil dressing. However, it was devoured within minutes… just about the same amount of time it took to throw together. So, so good.

Duguid’s recipe called for soy sauce, but I prefer fish sauce. I just love the depth and funkiness that fish sauce adds in stir-fries and dressings. But feel free to stick to soy sauce, Bragg’s liquid aminos or even coconut aminos to make this vegan / vegetarian friendly.

And unlike a lot of other Southeast Asian salads, this one doesn’t pack any heat. Burmese dishes tend to be somewhat mild, but plenty of chili pepper chutneys and sauces are set on the table for folks to selectively add heat when desired. So if you’re a fan of Sriracha, keep it handy. Otherwise I should have a Burmese chili pepper sauce posted in the not-too-distant future that worked great as a spicy condiment for this salad.

Burmese Tofu Salad with Sesame and Cilantro

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

half of a batch of chickpea tofu (about 1 lb.), cut into small cubes
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoons shallot oil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine the cubed tofu, sesame seeds and cilantro in a large bowl and toss to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, fish sauce, rice vinegar, shallot oil and salt and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the tofu mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately or let marinate for 15-20 minutes for the flavors to meld, if you prefer.

Vietnamese Crab and Asparagus Soup

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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I hope you guys don’t mind my taking a quick detour today to Vietnam. I never got around to making this crab and asparagus soup during my Vietnamese phase last summer, but put it on my must-make list for when asparagus returned to the markets.

This recipe definitely veers away from the hot, sour, salty and sweet cuisine that Vietnam is known for. It’s a French colonial recipe reminiscent of a Chinese-style egg drop soup that’s bulked up with fresh asparagus and chunks of tender crab. Good stuff right? It’s been waiting in the wings (i.e. my Drafts folder) until the right time.

And that time is now.

I made and photographed some Burmese food this past weekend, but I’ve been up to my eyeballs with taxes and reading travel guidebooks over the past couple days, so I haven’t been able to do any photo editing or recipe writing. I had been leisurely planning a trip to South America this fall until I found out that tickets to New Zealand are sub $700. Unreal, right?

But the fare is only good for another 20-something hours, so I’ve been furiously trying to figure out a potential itinerary and budget so that I can try and choose between the two locales. Both have amazing scenery, awesome hiking opportunities, and great food cultures, which is making the decision especially difficult…

Vietnamese Crab and Asparagus Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 3/4 pound fresh asparagus
* 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 shallots the size of golf balls)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 2 Tablespoons water
* 2 teaspoons fish sauce
* 1 egg, well beaten
* 8 ounces cooked crab meat
* several green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Trim the base of each stalk, or snap each stalk where it naturally breaks, and discard the bottoms. Diagonally cut the spears into approximately 1-inch pieces.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots and garlic begin to soften. Add the asparagus spears and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another two minutes. Next, add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add it to the soup and then add the fish sauce. While briskly stirring, drizzle in the egg. It should create petals and shreds in the swirling broth. Add the crabmeat and stir. Continue to cook for another minute or two, until the crab is heated through.

Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with green onions.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

I’m a neutrals kind of girl, which means my Christmas decorations typically consist of white lights, natural elements (greens and pine cones), and maybe just a little bit of gold or another metallic for shimmer and sparkle. But I’m all for the red and green color palette when it’s on the dinner table.

My family loves turkey so much that we typically do Thanksgiving 2.0 on Christmas Day. And because there’s generally so so much starch involved (stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc.), it’s always nice to have a non-starchy green veggie or two to balance things out.

A version of this broccoli and cranberry salad has filled that role for several years, but I’m always up for trying something new, especially when it involves roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon.

In this side dish Brussels sprouts get roasted in olive oil and rendered bacon grease and then tossed with toasted pecans, crumbled bacon and dried cranberries in a maple balsamic vinaigrette.

Smoky and sweet with plenty of crunch, this warm salad tastes just as good as it looks. With its festive red and green coloring, it’s the perfect dish for your Christmas meal, but I’m guessing that you’ll be craving it all year round.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

Yield: 6-8 side servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

* 1/2 pound thickly sliced bacon
* 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
* 3 Tablespoons olive oil
* salt and pepper
* 1/2 cup roughly chopped, toasted pecans
* 1/2 cup dried cranberries
* 3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
* 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large frying pan until crispy. Remove strips of bacon from the pan, reserving the bacon grease, and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, either roughly chop or crumble using your fingers.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Wash Brussels sprouts, remove stems (and any yucky outer leaves) and halve. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the rendered bacon grease and the olive oil. Spread onto the prepared pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing once or twice, until the Brussels sprouts are crisp and browned on the outside and tender on the inside.

Transfer to a large bowl or serving dish. Add the Balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and toss to coat. Just before serving sprinkle on the bacon, pecans and dried cranberries and give it a quick toss to mix everything together.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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One of the occupational hazards of being a food blogger? You end up wanting a lot of highly specialized food items. You know, like tortilla presses, crepe makers, Aebelskiver pans, etc., etc.

And since I’ve totally fallen for French pots de crème desserts (coffee version here), I now find myself longing for those miniature pots de crème cups that are impossibly cute but far from practical for a girl with a serious lack of storage space in the kitchen.

Thankfully these dark, rich and creamy French chocolate custards taste just as good in my infinitely more practical ramekins.

Some folks bake pots de crème with a foil covering to keep a skin from forming on the top, but I happily left the foil off. The skin reminded me of the Royal cook-and-serve chocolate pudding that my mom always made when I was growing up.

And was I the only one fascinated by the fact that the skin would “re-grow” if you skimmed the top layer of pudding off while it was still cooling? I was simultaneously appalled and thrilled at the whole thing as a youngster.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

* 2/3 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate chips (or use 4 ounces chopped chocolate)
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup whole milk
* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 Tablespoon Grand Marnier or any other dessert liqueur
* boiling water
* whipped cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking dish with a double layer of paper towels and set six ramekins or pot de crème cups on top of the paper towels (the paper towels will help the ramekins/cups stay in place).

Place the chocolate chips in a large heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan combine the heavy cream and milk over medium heat. Heat until the mixture is just about to come to a simmer and pour the mixture over the chocolate. Stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks, and the sugar. Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture (you don’t want to cook the eggs) until the mixture is well combined and smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and then add the Grand Marnier. Divide the mixture among the ramekins/cups. Pour the boiling water so it reaches halfway up the ramekins/cups. Bake until the custards are set, about 35-40 minutes.

Remove from oven and set the baking dish on a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove the ramekins/cups from the baking dish and allow them to come to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill thoroughly.

Top with whipped cream just before serving.

Curried Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Although the cultural make-up in Hawaii is very diverse, just about everybody follows the Japanese tradition of omiyage. So when folks go on a trip, either for business or pleasure, they often bring back small souvenirs or gifts for friends, family and co-workers.

And since everybody knows I like to cook, I’m often the happy recipient of spices from around the globe (way better than a snow globe, right?). At the moment I’ve got cinnamon from Saigon, ground chile powder from Mexico and Peru, a spice rub from Greece, and Cuban seasonings from Miami all keeping each other company in the pantry.

And fortunately or unfortunately, I also have a glut of curry powder. Since I almost always make my own custom curry spice blends when cooking Indian food, the curry powder has been slowly accumulating.

Since I’m not one to throw anything out, I decided to seek out some recipes that would help make a dent into my growing supply. This week’s recipe? Curried roasted cauliflower soup. This silky smooth soup is dairy-free, but tastes rich and indulgent thanks to plenty of sautéed onions and roasted garlic and cauliflower.

With a recipe like this in my arsenal, I might work my way through the curry powder after all. Especially because next time I’m making a double batch.

Curried Roasted Cauliflower Soup

If you’d like the soup with chunks of cauliflower, I suggest roasting two heads of cauliflower. In this case, use half of the cauliflower florets to make the recipe as stated above. Then add the desired amount of reserved, roasted cauliflower to each individual bowl.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (see note below)
* 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* salt
* 2 Tablespoons butter (or olive oil if you’d like this to be vegan and/or dairy-free)
* 3 yellow onions, chopped
* 1 Tablespoon curry powder
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 3 cups water
* 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
* 1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower florets and garlic with the olive oil, then spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Roast cauliflower until it turns golden and the garlic is aromatic, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. If you’d like to garnish the soup with cauliflower, reserve four very small florets.

Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add curry powder, cayenne, cauliflower and garlic, water and broth to pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to process until smooth. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and add salt, if necessary.

Ladle into individual bowls and top with cilantro leaves, a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper, and the reserved cauliflower florets, if using.

Gai Du Du- Vietnamese Papaya Salad with Shrimp

Salad

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Gai Du Du- Vietnamese Papaya Salad with Shrimp

Note: major fail on my part! The Vietnamese name for Vietnamese Papaya Salad is Goi Du Du… I’m not sure how I let that typo slip through. I made the correction below but didn’t want to mess up pre-existing links by correcting the title. So, sadly the error will live on…

Those of you who have been reading for a while might remember that I made a green papaya salad with shrimp back when I was cooking Tahitian food. I liked it just fine, but I had a sneaking suspicion that the Southeast Asian version, which incorporates my beloved fish sauce in the dressing, would be even better.

I try not to play favorites. However, I liked this version even better. If you haven’t experimented with fish sauce before, it’s about time you give it a shot. At first the smell can be, shall I say, overwhelming?

I recently made some Ga Kho for my family. While they loved it, my mother (who is blessed/cursed with an excellent sense of smell) couldn’t get over the fish sauce aroma that permeated the kitchen. After cooking with it for years I actually don’t even notice the smell anymore.

I’m lucky enough to be able to buy pre-shredded green papaya at my weekly farmer’s market. This makes the salad a snap to put together. As with many Vietnamese salads, this one doesn’t contain any oil- just a mix of lime, garlic, chile, fish sauce and chile pepper.

Also feel free to play around with the protein add-ins to make this a more substantial one-dish meal; I’ve seen variations of this salad with slices of grilled pork of beef mixed in with the shrimp.

Goi Du Du- Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

* 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 Tablespoons sugar
* 1 Thai chile, minced
* 6-8 cups shredded green papaya
* 3/4 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped (set aside a few whole shrimp for garnish, if desired)
* 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
* 1/4 cup chopped mint
* 1/4 cup chopped rau ram*
* 1/4 cup Thai basil
* 3 Tablespoons roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chile. Stir well and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the green papaya, shrimp, cilantro, mint, rau ram, and Thai basil and toss. Pour on the dressing and toss again to coat. Sprinkle with the peanuts and serve immediately or let the flavors meld for 10-15 minutes and then serve.

Note: if you aren’t able to find rau ram, you can just increase the amount of cilantro, mint or Thai basil so that you end up with one full cup of chopped herbs.