Saturday, April 03, 2004

Brunch
Vietnamese-style baby arugula salad with tofu

Dinner
Grilled orange-sage salmon
Grilled foil-packet apples (see 3/30; I accidentally forgot the butter this time, but it turned out the apples didn't stick anyway, and it was just as good)
Steamed broccoli

Recipes:

VIETNAMESE-STYLE BABY ARUGULA SALAD WITH TOFU
A flash of inspiration as I was thinning the arugula bed in the garden. Sometimes I get cravings for Hmong-style Vietnamese salads and nothing else will do. It's left over from having lived in Minneapolis-St. Paul for 12 years. Living in the Twin Cities and not liking Vietnamese food is very much like living in London and not liking Indian food--it's enough to make a true lover of the cuisine secretly believe that perhaps your spot in the city ought to be given up to some more deserving person who's marooned in, say, rural Georgia, and can't get nuoc mam to save his or her life.
This recipe makes 2 servings.

peanut oil for frying
1/2 block of extra-firm tofu
cornstarch for dusting
a couple handfuls of baby arugula
1 carrot, shredded coarsely
half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
a handful of cilantro, chopped coarsely
fish sauce dressing (below)

Heat oil until small ripples appear on its surface. While it's coming up to temperature, blot the tofu with a couple changes of paper towel, then cut it into 1-inch cubes and blot it again, being careful not to break the cubes. Dust the tofu cubes lightly with cornstarch.
Fry the tofu cubes in the oil until golden. Drain on a few layers of paper towel.
While the tofu is cooling, prepare the dressing. Then, when you're ready to eat, divide the arugula, carrot, cucumber, and cilantro between two bowls. Pile the tofu cubes on top.
Serve with ample spoonfuls of dressing--this is one salad where overdressing is a virtue.

FISH SAUCE DRESSING
5 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. water
1/3 c. Vietnamese fish sauce (a.k.a. nuoc mam; Three Crabs brand, with the pink label, is the best)
1/2 c. lime and/or lemon juice (a 2:1 ratio of lime to lemon is optimal)
1 large clove garlic, minced
a pinch or two of red pepper flakes
1/8 c. onion, minced

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and let it sit for at least half an hour before using. This recipe makes enough for about six or eight salads. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a week or so.

GRILLED ORANGE-SAGE SALMON
Thanks to Babs for the orange juice suggestion!
a large, thick salmon fillet (about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs.)
juice of 1 orange
1 Tbs. canola oil
a few leaves fresh sage, minced

Marinate the salmon in the orange juice, oil, and sage for about an hour. Grill over hot coals, skin side first, turning when the skin side is charred. We threw some damp hickory chips in the coals this time, which added a great flavor.

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