Monday, December 26, 2011

And moving on.

"Success!" to quote our favourite tour guide.

Both Christmas lunch salads were devoured with just a tiny bit left over that the hosts happily kept for themselves.

Here then, are the recipes, as promised. Perhaps you can make one for New Year's Eve!

Thai Green Mango Salad
500g green mango [peeled and grated. NOTE! these are Thai GREEN mangoes, not the usual eating types. You should be able to get them from an Asian/Thai grocer. I wish I had a picture of them, but I forgot to take any.]

1/4 cup shallots [raw, thinly sliced]
7 cloves garlic [raw, peeled and crushed]
1/4 cup basil leaves [preferably Thai basil, roughly chopped]
1/4 cup coriander leaves [roughly chopped]
2 tbsp peanuts [buy them raw, toast them in a pan, then roughly chop them in a food processor]

Put some oil in a pan and fry this lot together, in the order as listed:
1 extra shallot [sliced]  and 1 extra clove of garlic [chopped]
200g minced pork or chicken
2 tbsp Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
Put aside.

Put some oil in a pan and fry these 2 ingredients together:
2 tbsp dried shrimp [from any Asian grocer]
2 bird's eye chillies [the small hot ones! sliced]
Put aside.

ASSEMBLY
Put the grated green mango into a big salad bowl. Add all the other ingredients, 1 at a time.
Top off with the herbs and peanuts.
Toss and mix well. Serve!
In the original recipe, this salad was made to be served with steamed rice. But it'll go down just as well at a barbie.

Please do not be put off by the ingredients list. They're pretty common and easy to get here in Sydney. [Not sure if that'll be the case if you're living in Nova Scotia.]

I learnt how to make this salad after having it a few years ago at a Centennial Park foods market. It was So Good, I had to google the recipe after I got home. There were loads on the internet! I printed one out, made adjustments based on what I'd eaten at the market and hey presto!

WARNING! Under no circumstances should you be kissing anyone after eating this. Not even if they have a whole mistletoe bush hanging over their heads. Of course, you can fry up the garlic and shallots, but why be a woose? They're phenomenal eaten raw! Gargle gargle.

***

Here's the other salad I made. The one I've never even eaten before.

I would say most people at Christmas lunch enjoyed it. Just this morning, the hostess called to ask for the sauce recipe, so I guess it's good enough to pass on.

As for me, I felt it missed something. I'm not too sure what yet and will ponder the matter further. Perhaps a trip to a Thai restaurant to eat the real thing might help.

Uncle STeve's Thai Carrot Salad
Reproduced here without permission because he's not answering his email, and with some variations [already].  

4 medium carrots [grated into long strips]

1/2 bunch mint [roughly chopped. Since it's an Asian salad, I decided to use Vietnamese mint.]
1 bunch coriander [roughly chopped]
1 and a 1/2 cups peanuts [buy them raw, toast them in a pan, then roughly chop them in a food processor]
1+ cups shredded coconut [I suppose fresh would be best but I used the moist pre-shredded type, which I picked up at Woollies.]
1/4 cup sliced raisins
1 chillie [sliced, for garnishing]

1 generous handful of fresh bean sprouts

The dressing, which does NOT have to be pre-mixed:
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4+ cups of Thai sweet-chilli sauce
1 tbsp Asian hot chilli sauce

ASSEMBLY
Put the grated carrot into a big salad bowl. Add all the other ingredients,
1 at a time EXCEPT for the bean sprouts.

When it's just about time to serve, add the dressing. [You can adjust the balance of the lemon juice and chili sauces to your liking at this stage.] Toss and mix well.
Finally, add the bean sprouts. Give it a quick last toss and serve immediately.

NOTE! The world will not end if you add the bean sprouts before Aunty May turns up, but they will get soggy in the bowl and won't taste as nice.

***

I hope you enjoy making the salads. If you do make them, please drop us a line and tell us how they turn out. If you have any questions, please ask. I'm feeling in a helpful mood, no doubt because I've been imbibing in some red as I type this.

Bon Apetit! :)

[Sorry. I have no idea how to say that in Thai.]


*

And what about ME?
Some times, I think The Typist gets carried away and forgets whose blog this is.

Here's MY Christmas family lunch story.

This is cousin Ralph. He's my only rellie that turned up.
I don't know why he doesn't look like me. I guess he was not so lucky with the genes.

As usual, I brought my special Christmas lunch.
As usual, cousin Ralph didn't bring anything. So he ended up with 1/2 of mine.
My Cushion told The Typist off for giving 1/2 my lunch away. But it's okay. It was Christmas after all.
It would've been nice if cousin Ralph had said thank you though.    
Don't you think? 

Other than that, I had a good day!
I hope you did too!






























25 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Happy Christmas and a wonderful new year
from Buster and his family in New York.
Woof woof!

Pamela said...

Georgia, you were very generous to share your blog. Those recipes looked so yummy (no, not your lunch; the salads).

I got very jealous when I saw the picture of your cousin with all the shoes around.

When people come to my house this time of year they also take off their shoes at the front door. But their shoes aren't flip flops. They're snow boots.

I hope you get to spend some fun time with both your people between now and the New Year. I can't wait to see if you're making any r.e.s.o.l.u.t.i.o.n.s. for 2012.

What Remains Now said...

Sounds like a successful day! We had a wonderful day too. Now a week off work and a little rest and relaxation!

booahboo said...

dearest Georgia and her Typist,

we are most sorry we are a wee bit late in wishing you the merriest Christmas... our cow lost her voice and got lazy looking for a computer. We all left home since last week and am without any connections.. (she's bluffing). Hope you have had a merry merriest Christmas and can i come over and join you for New Year's lunch? your lunch looks deeeeeeeeeeeelicious. Meantime.. my cow asks me to tell you that the salads looks so very deeeeeeeeeeeeelicious but she is such a lazy cow.. she won't be doing it as it involves a lot of cutting. Annyways.. have a great New year and may the new year brings you all over downunder lots and lots of goodness and laughter. Thank you for being our great friend and thanks for the many laughs.

woofs n licks,
Dommy and sometimes the Piper

houndstooth said...

We had a lovely day, too! We spent the morning with Mom and Dad before they went off on their whirlwind tour of family visits. I'm glad we didn't go along this time, because some of our relatives are a little nutty! I got some lovely things in my stocking from Santa and I'm a happy girl!

Bunny

Jan said...

Your salads sound and look great. We probably won't get around to making them. We enjoy reading cookbooks more than cooking. :-) Our day was lovely but more the deli sandwiches kind of day.

Elizabeth Keene said...

I've never heard of Thai mango, but I bet you're right about it being in an Asian market around here. I have done a cold Mexican salad with regular mango, roasted corn and green chile that's so good (not my own recipe). What I'm trying to say is that even though green mango is unfamiliar, the salad sounds wonderful. I will have to go on a treasure hunt to find the ingredients, though.

That bit of table spread looks divine - big fish and all.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Wow! These recipes looks yummy!
Many thanks!

Sounds you had a good day, dear Georgia.
Kisses and hugs to you and to Mom too.

Jean said...

I wonder if the Thai Carrot Salad needs some ginger (ground ginger root, or just some of the commercial spice)? That seems to be a fairly common ingredient in Asian carrot salads here, and does add a nice 'zing'.

GLP you are a very generous dog to share your lunch (and your blog!). I think you can be thankful only one canine relative came to dinner - sharing with a pack might have left you rather hungry.

georgia little pea said...

Elizabeth - how about a recipe? That Mexican salad combo sounds great. The Thai green mangoes have a dark green skin. They are crunchy though they do soften and yellow eventually. For all I know, they may be unripe regular mangoes!

Jean - ginger sounds logical especially with carrot. But Uncle STeve specifically said not to put that in because it would overpower the other flavours. Maybe it's meant to be a subtle salad haha.

Karen Friesecke said...

Those salads look yummy! Looks like your holiday turned out just right! Merry (late) Christmas!

Greyhounds CAN Sit said...

I think green Mangoes might be difficult to get in New Zealand too! At least around my neck of the woods. We don't even have an Asian grocer in my little town. But if I can track a green Mango down I'll have a go at your salad:) They both sound totally yummy! Maybe a touch of lemongrass in the carrot salad?

Ralph looks very cute even if he doesn't have any manners, Georgia. But not as cute as you! Wonderful Christmas spirit on your part to share your lovely looking lunch with him. I just caught Frankie noshing on one of my thongs (which I thought was out of his reach!) they wouldn't have been safe if he was at your Christmas lunch!

Kristine said...

Happy holidays to you! I am glad you enjoyed your lunch, even if you had to share it. Cousin Ralph is pretty cute, I must say. It's nice the two of you get along so well!

I don't know if it's possible to get green mango in Nova Scotia. Sadly, we don't have very many Asian grocers here. The Asian population is much smaller and made up primarily of exchange students. There are, however, many Greek and Middle Eastern markets and those are a lot of fun. But I don't know if that will help me make either of these salads.

I hope all is continuing to go very well!

georgia little pea said...

I knew Nova Scotians would have a problem!

Over here, you can get all kinds of Asian foods at the supermarket. Tofus are popular, lots of chillies and chili sauces, Asian leafy greens (everyone and their grandmothers do stir fries), fruits (some like lychees and mangoes are even grown here now). In fact, I got quite a few of my salad ingredients from our local Woollies!

Ahh well...I shall post some salads suitable for Nova Scotians next time :) x

Elizabeth Keene said...

Okay, you asked, so here is the roasted corn, black bean and mango salad recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-corn-black-bean-mango-salad-10000000223498/

It came from Cooking Light magazine. I really do love it, but I substitute plain green chile pepper for the chipotle chile. I've had it both ways, and I just don't care for the smokiness from the adobo sauce. The recipe makes A LOT of salad.

georgia little pea said...

BLACK beans! how exciting. i wonder if they're the same as the black beans i use in feijoada or the turtle ones. i can take a lot of chilli heat, but that orange Mexican one kills me! THANKS E :)

Elizabeth Keene said...

I have learned something new today. :) They would be the black turtle beans that one would use in Brazilian feijoada (the new thing I learned). I've always known them as just black beans, frijol negro in Spanish. YUM! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada

georgia little pea said...

Huh? But you DON'T use turtle beans for feijoada. ? ? ? This is why I'm not a cook ;p

chandra said...

I'm definitely going to make the thai carrot salad, thanks for the recipe! I like Jean's idea about adding ginger but I trust any recipe that you share because you make the best chocolate cake in the world.

-c at ddy.

p.s. you asked about sand dollars. they're actually the skeletons of tiny marine life that wash up on shore after the animals have died. i think they got their name because the markings look kind of like coins. i just learned that in new zealand they're called sea cookies or snapper biscuits, which are much more delicious names.

georgia little pea said...

Thanks for that, Chandra! I'm glad you dropped by to remind me. I haven't been reading and following up on blogs the last few days. Holidays :) That's what I thought a sand dollar might be based on your pic. They're all great names though.

Choc cake mmm... Haven't made it in a while. Hope the carrot salad works out for everyone who says they're going to try it. I have yet to go to a Thai restaurant to eat the real thing. The mango salad is the best! Too bad you can't try it because of the meat. Good luck x

melf said...

Both salads look so yummy! I'm going to see if I can make the mango one this spring. What a great picnic item!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Georgia!

Friko said...

If your typist says the salads taste as good as they look I must try them.

Kind of you to share your lunch, Benno wouldn't let anyone near his.

Sage said...

I'm so glad you shared, Georgia, but I hope you got a little extra to make up for it!

I think your Typist did a magnificent job on her salads too. Did you get a little bite of carrot at least? I know my Toby would have--he's such an omnivorous dog....

Robert said...

Thanks for sharing these great recipes!

simon pender said...

Yum. Love that Thai and Viet food.
I like that last picture, hahaha, going home in the car, tucked under the arm.
Si