Mananya Cooks: Tom Yum Fried Rice

You like Tom Yum Soup, right? How about fried-ricing it up? You will love love love this dish. This is a Mananya Original! A

1 cup of cooked rice (White or Brown)

Half of a lemongrass (use bottom half only)

5 kaffir leaves (de-stemmed)

1 whole galanga (peeled)

3 tbs chili soya bean sauce (can be found at Vietnamese or Thai stores only)

3 tbs Fish Sauce

1 medium white onions

2 tbs oil (canola or olive)

1 tbs minced garlic

handful of mixed seafood/chicken/or beef

Pulse lemon grass, galanga, and kaffir leaves in a food processor, set aside. Saute garlic in oil. Add soya bean sauce along with the onions and your seafood/protein of choice. Add in the herbal mixture. Stir thoroughly then add the rice. Continue to mix and add the fish sauce. Top the cilantro and serve with a slice of lime!

Tip: NEVER make fried rice with hot or warm rice. It will make your final product mushy. Make sure your rice is at room temperature.

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Thai-Style Pasta with Ketchup, a household favorite!

Growing up, we always ate this dish during lunch time. It is often made with elbow pasta, but you can use any pasta/flour or egg noodles. The secret is to overcook the pasta before stir frying. A soft sloppy chew is best for this dish!

 

6 cloves garlic

1/2 cup of ketchup

2 tbs of sugar

2 tbs of white soy sauce (soya bean sauce, not soy or fish sauce)

2 cups of cooked pasta

1/2 cup ground meat of choice

1/2 cup of cilantro

1/4 cup green onions

1/4 cup cooking oil (canola or olive oil is fine)

 

Cook pasta and pre cut garlic, cilantro and green onions. As I was cutting up the garlic, P'Noo said that smashing it is best. I agree with her (it releases the taste of the garlic better.) But, I was a bit too lazy to smash garlic at such early hours 😉 In a hot wok, add oil, garlic and meat. Once cooked, add your pasta, ketchup, sugar and white soy sauce. Add your cilantro and gren onions towards the end of your cooking. Mix evenly and serve! Yummy!

 

 

 

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Recipe: Stir-fry Arugula, nutty peppery goodness

Who said you shouldn’t cook arugula? My philosophy in cooking is the same as my fashion life.

***If you like it.. wear it again and again…in many different ways. In ways others might not approve. Wear it. Until you get sick of it. Break all the rules.. Because you want to! Most importantly, it’s because you like it! So, who cares!*** I love arugula! So I am going to cook it the way I want to.

Arugula is known for its nutty + peppery taste. Imagine it stir fried with minimal ingredients! And.. With a hot bowl of rice. Delicious!

1 bag of pre washed arugula
Dash of salt
Sprinkle of black pepper
1/4 sliced garlic (use fresh!!!)
2 tbs of oil (I tend to use OO a lot)

In a medium-hot pan, put in your garlic. Don’t let it burn! Wait a couple of seconds so that the garlic is defused into the oil. Put the entire batch of arugula in. It will sizzle due to the water contents. Wait 5 seconds and move the greens around in the pan. Wait 3 seconds more, turn off the heat and let it settle. Please do not over cook your greens! You’ll lose all its nutrients. At the end, add salt and pepper.

You’ll notice that your arugula probably welted down to a tiny bowl. But, that’s okay! Just make more!

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Recipe: Grilled Steak with Zap Citrus Thai Salsa

Sometimes, a girl just wants a good piece of……….. steak. 🙂 My favorite place to get good meat = Whole Foods or COSTCO.

Living in a condo, cooking a good steak is a challenge. BECAUSE THE FIRE ALARM IS SOOO SENSITIVE!! So included in this gallery are pictures of Stan fanning the beeping smoke detector. Thank goodness the fire department didn’t come.

2 pieces of steak/beef of choice (see for cuts http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/typesofcuts.aspx) I used chuck
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt

For the Zap Salsa (Zap means outrageous flavor in Thai.. The kind of flavor that makes your mouth water)

1 tangerine or orange
1 tomato or 5-6 grape tomatoes
Handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 small onion
1 lemon
1 thai bird chili
Salt to taste
Dash of fish sauce

I use a grilling pan that can be found at Sur La Table. It’s awesome. See my previous posting for more information or visit http://www.surlatable.com There are some important rules to grilling or cooking meat. 1) make sure it is at room temperature before you put in on heat 2) Once it hits hot surface, leave it alone! Don’t play with it. Only move it when it’s ready to be flipped. So begin favoring it with just good ole’ salt and pepper. Be generous.

I cooked mine @ medium. For your cooking preference, visit http://www.askthemeatman.com/beef_cooking_times.htm Flip once or twice, turn off the heat and let it cool. It will continue to cook for another 10 mins. It’s simply perfection. Make sure you cook your meat well…. You don’t want to get sicko!

For the salsa, in a blender, put in your onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and tangerine. Please remove as much pulp and seeds as possible. Otherwise, you are going to get a grossly bitter salsa. You don’t want that. Add salt to taste, thai chili, lemon juice and a dash of fish sauce. Do not substitute with soy sauce, please please. Don’t put too much fish sauce in. Well…unless you’re Thai… Then.. Fish sauce it away!!

This is a very satisfying dish. It just hits you right there… YEAH… RIGHT THERE. I wish I brought leftovers.

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Mananya Cooks: Thai Cucumber Salad

So by far it is majorly one of the most overpriced dish in a Thai restaurant. Imagine, you are paying $4-$6 for a side of cucumber salad … and it probably should be only 50 cents– MAX! For $4-$6, you can make enough Cucumber Salad to feed you – your kids – your co workers – your mama – papa – your neighbors… whomever for an entire week!

 

It's so easy to make it's going to make you think twice about ordering that side dish ever again.

 

2 large cucumbers

1/2 cup of rice vinegar

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of salt

red onions

chili

 

When picking out cucumbers, make sure they are hard .. really hard. Hard means it's fresh. Young and crisp. Just squeeze em'. Cut in half – long length wise, and cut into smaller pieces. Add red onions in.. you can use white onions, but it's just not as pretty, you know what I mean? Add red pepper in also if you want, that'll definitely make your salad look SEXY.

 

Add sugar, vinegar and SALT. Yes, my friends! That's the secret. Adding the salt helps balance the sugar and acidity.

You should probably eat your cucumber salad within 24 hours. These suckers are close to 70% water. So, after too many days in the fridge, you'll notice that your cucumber has developed a lot of liquid. You'll also notice that your salad is a bit whimpy. And who likes a whimpy salad…. That's why it's important to pick a good cucumber…

Enjoy!

 

Mananya Cooks: Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing with Greek Yogurt

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This recipe came to me when I was deciding what to do with all the anchovies lingering in the fridge. I buy everything in bulk. So, of course, I bought enough anchovies to last me a year. Caesar dressing is my favorite (followed by blue cheese dressing). What better way to make it guilt-free other than using… Greek yogurt as your base. So simple. In a blender, combine:

1 cup 0% Greek yogurt (Fage or Trader Joe’s)
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup of white vinegar
1/8 cup of FRESH lemon juice
1 tsp of fresh cracked pepper
2-3 anchovies (depending on your salt-level preference)
1/2 cup grape seed oil (commonly used in salad dressings)
(optional: for Greek yogurt beginners, add in 1-2 tbs of low fat/reduced fat mayonnaise)

All ingredients can be blended together at once. But, for a smoother, thicker and creamier texture, add the grape seed oil in slowly, a little bit at a time. Once done, put in a glass jar. This is a really easy dressing to make ahead of time; keeps in your fridge for one week.

Mananya Cooks: Cilantro Pesto

1 jalapeño

3 handful of unpeeled garlic cloves

1 bunch of cilantro

1 bunch of parsley

1 teaspoon of salt

Olive Oil

 

How about a spicy pesto inspired by Rick Bayless? Si si! So simple you can make it with your eyes closed. Yeah, not really. Roast the jalapeño and garlic on a grilling or cast iron pan for about 20 mins. Make sure to be attentive and turn them over as needed. In a blender, blend the roasted goodies with parsley and cilantro. Uh huh… make sure to peel the garlic! Add salt at the end. Scoop the cilantro pesto into a jar and top off with olive oil. Keeps for 2 weeks. Great on rice, pasta, or in dips!

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Mananya Cooks: Pumpkin Curry

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Happy 2011 my friends! Hope everyone had a great 2010. I start this year’s post with a Mananya Cooks goal.

This year, I will dedicate more time to posting Mananya Cooks recipes. Moving forward, I will try my best to post at least once a week. My life is so hectic. I’m only 28 but seriously feel like I’ve lived a life of a 70 year old. If you’re a close friend of mine, you know that statement to be very true. But, this year? It’s about ME. Well, me, YOU and FOOD. 

Honestly, I need to allocate more time to do the things I love — educating YOU on how easy it is to make Thai/Asian food. It brings me joy to know you read and find Mananya Cooks useful. Most importantly, it makes me uber happy to be able to bring you a piece of my culture into your kitchen… and tummy wummy. 

It’s time for a hearty curry. Nothing better in the Winter than comforting meals filled with carb goodness. You can use acorn squash, pumpkin or whatever your gourd of choice may be. This is a  Northern Thai dish that will satisfy all your curry cravings.

1 cup diced pumpkin

1 whole diced onion

1 handful of basil leaves

1 tbs of oil (canola,

1 ready-made red curry paste

1 can of coconut milk (non-sweetened)

3 tbs fish sauce

3 sugar

Let’s begin, ya’ll! 

Cut off the skin of your pumpkin. Be careful because the sucka is kind of tough and thick! Make sure you have a flat platform to work on and a very sharp knife. The smaller you cut or dice, the faster your pumpkin will cook. In a medium-sized pot, heat up a tablespoon of oil and put all of the curry paste in the pot. Cook the curry until it POPS. Watch out!

[It’s very important that you heat up your curry to open up the spices to maximize the intenseness of the paste. Most people add the coconut milk FIRST, then the curry. I mean, that’s totally fine but you’ll get a very bland curry.]

Add the coconut milk and 1 can of water. Bring to a boil and add your pumpkin. Once your pumpkin is cooked (20 mins), add in your onions, sugar and fish sauce. Simmer for 20 more mins, turn off the heat and add your basil leaves. 

You’re done.

Now- does anyone have a 2011 cooking goal?

 

Mananya Cooks: Moo Wan, Recipe for Thai Sweet Pork Belly

Pork belly seems to be all the rage now. I’m kind of confused since I grew up eating pork belly almost once a week and never thought it to be a big deal. This fatty part of the pig in many countries is not seen as an expensive piece of meat since it’s ….well.. hmm..  the leftover no one wants to buy. But in the states, it’s super expensive to buy a slab of fat! Hmm? What’s up with that?

Moo Wan is a very popular dish in Thailand. Often, it’s eaten aside Shrimp Paste Fried Rice because Moo Wan is a perfect sweet compliment to the fishy and salty entree. But really, this dish is great on top of regular ole’ rice, too. Go for the white rice, no need for brown. I mean, why be healthy when you’re about to devour pure fat that will go straight to your thighs AND belly? Go big or go home, right?

2 lbs of pork belly (with skin or without)

1/4 cup of dark sweet soy sauce (found only at Asian markets)

1/2 cup of brown sugar or palm sugar

2 tbs of regular soy

1 whole onion, sliced

1/2 cup of water

Let’s start by cutting the pork belly in bite -size pieces. Brine it for 10 mins in salt water. In a pan, add oil of choice and add the sliced onions. Add the pork belly, water and let it cook until ALMOST done. Add all the other ingredients and let the belly do it’s thang! Within 30 mins, you’ll notice that the dish has begun to caramelize.

To avoid the consumption guilt, drink oolong tea afterwards. If you still feel guilty, drink kombucha, too.

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Mananya Eats: More than just bahn mi @SaigonSisters

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Love mi a good bahn mi. Saigon Sisters’ restaurant…cute. Surprisingly fancy looking. I thought it would be an in-n-out type of joint. Ohhhhh no. Prepare yourself for a dining experience. We’re talking candles, dim lighting and an attentive waitstaff. If you’re used to going to Broadway and Argyle for your Vietnamese fix, expect higher prices and smaller portions–not like your favorite Uptown mom n pop-owned restaurant. Saigon Sisters is just a notch below Le Colonial. A nice date night place.

The plating is gorgeous. Portions are definitely on the smaller side, but all the more reasons to order a variety! This is what our party had:

Beef Pho Soup $10

Bánh Bao, open faced steamed buns $7

Pork Belly, Egg and Rice $13

Tuna Tartar $13

Lobster Fritter on sugar cane $15

Better hurry! For now, they are BYOB.