chilies

Spicy Papaya-Carrot Salsa

three delicious salsa variations
By jgreghenry Published September 15, 2010
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 small chayote, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2.5 c papaya (solo or mexican) chunks (1/2 inch)
  • 0.333333 c white vinegar
  • 1 habenero chili, seeded and minced
  • 1 t light-brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 t coarse salt

Directions

Bring 3/4 cup water, the chayote, and carrots to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add papaya, vinegar, chiles, sugar, and salt. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, until chayote and carrots are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Process one-third of mixture in a food processor; return to saucepan, and stir to combine. Salsa can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Notes:

serves 6

Source: Martha Stewart Living

Pea Tendril Salad with a Warm Sesame and Red Chili Dressing

Pea Tendril Salad with a Warm Sesame and Red Chili Dressing
By jgreghenry Published October 3, 2009
Prep time: 5
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 0.5 lb ender young pea tendrils
  • 2 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T asian fish sauce
  • 0.5 T coarse salt
  • 1 T roasted sesame oil
  • 1 small red thai chili pepper, thinly sliced
  • 0.333333 c peanut oil
  • 0.5 pn shallots, thinly sliced
  • 0 black sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1. Rinse, drain and gently pat dry pea tendrils and coarsely chop for easier eating. Place them in a serving bowl or platter. 2. Combine vinegar, fish sauce, salt, sesame oil and red Thai chili slices in a small bowl. Let the flavors meld for a few minutes then pour over pea tendrils. Toss to coat. 3. Heat a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the peanut or vegetable oil and swirl before adding the sliced shallots. Lower heat and fry until the shallots begin to get dark golden brown, stirring so they don’t burn (about 2 minutes). Spoon some of the hot oil and all of the shallots over the pea tendrils. The hot oil will wilt the tendrils in some places. 6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish and serve immediately.

Notes:

serves 4

Mango Salsa

lamb burgers topped with mango salsa
By jgreghenry Published September 28, 2009
Prep time: 10
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1 large mango, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2 T fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 2 t red wine vinegar
  • 2 T fresh lime juice
  • 0.5 t sugar
  • 0.5 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in medium sized bowl. Let the mixture stand at room temperature at least 1/2 hour before serving. Or alternatively, it may be kept in the refrigerator, but no longer than 24 hours - it doesn't keep well.

Notes:

makes about 3 cups

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Gkai Pad Gka-prow)

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Gkai Pad Gka-prow)
By jgreghenry Published August 8, 2009
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 3 T canola oil
  • 15 clv garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into small 1-inch chunks
  • 12 thai chilies (prik kee noo) cut into very thin rounds
  • 2 small kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-gkrood), cut in chiffonades
  • 3 t black soy sauce (semi-sweet see-yew dahm wahn)
  • 2 T asian fish sauce
  • 2 c fresh thai basil (stems, leaves and flower buds)
  • 1 pn red pepper
  • 0 more fish sauce and thai chilies for garnish
  • 0 lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Start by putting the chunks of chicken into the food processor. Pulse the meat 8 or 9 times. Do not turn the meat into a paste. You want something a bit chunkier than ground meat. This will make for plenty of meat surface to come in contact with the flavorful sauce. Heat a wok or very large skillet until its surface is almost smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface. It should “dance” and shimmer a bit if the pan is properly heated. Stir in the garlic and shallots. Stir continuously to keep them from burning. Though it is fine if they color some. Almost immediately add the chicken. Stir-fry the mixture 1 to 2 minutes. When the chicken begins to change color but has not cooked all the way through yet toss in the chilies and kaffir lime leaves. Sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Season to taste with fish sauce. Once the chicken has cooked through stir in the fresh basil and toss well. Stir-fry another minute or so, until the basil is wilted. Sprinkle with red pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Serve with plain steamed rice and a small bowl of fish sauce with some chilie slices floating in it and a few lime wedges on the side.

Notes:

If you cannot find semi-sweet black soy sauce use regular soy sauce and a tablespoon of brown sugar.

Market Matters- Pea Tendrils Portend The Spring

08 Mar 2009

curly pea tendrils on kitchen counterSpring. Spring. Spring, spring, spring!

It's almost here! You can feel it. It's not just the change in the weather. We have been having spring-like weather off and on for weeks.

I can tell it's nearly here by the changes I am seeing at the Hollywood Farmers Market. I saw the very first, super fat, really luscious looking asparagus spears today. I saw spring onions and ramps. I tasted some delicious baby celery.

I was hoping to find fresh green garlic. But those (like morels and favas) are still a week or more away. But I am getting excited knowing that, like spring, they will soon be here.

Another sure sign of "pre-spring"is pea tendrils. Soon they will mature and burst forth with lovely pea filled pods. But this week the pre-cursor is here in the form of tendrils.

I picked up some curly snow pea tendrils for this week's Market Matters. A more delightful vegetable is hard to imagine. They have such cheery little personalities too. I swear I could hear them singing in my bag all the way home (heigh-ho heigh-ho, it's home from work we go)...

Sippity Sup Continues »
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