THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (16 page)

8 ounces dried rice noodles, cooked al dente and rinsed under cold water

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

¼ pound snow peas, trimmed and cut on the diagonal

1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips

1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 recipe Spicy Thai Dressing (see recipe on page 28)

10 basil leaves, shredded (preferably Thai or lemon)

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup bean sprouts

1 lime, cut into 6–8 wedges

½ cup toasted peanuts, chopped

1. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the oils and the soy sauce.
   
2. Blanch the snow peas in boiling water for 30 seconds and then rinse them under cold water.
   
3. Add the snow peas, bell pepper, and the carrot to the noodles and toss.
   
4. Drizzle the Spicy Thai Dressing over the noodle mixture to taste, add the basil, half of the green onions, and half of the bean sprouts, and toss well.
   
5. To serve, place the noodle salad on a chilled serving platter. Scatter the remaining green onions, remaining bean sprouts, and the peanuts over the top. Squeeze the juice of 2 lime wedges over the whole dish, and use the remaining wedges as garnish. Serve immediately.
   

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon fish sauce

cup water

1 stalk lemongrass, inner core finely chopped

3 kaffir lime leaves, chopped or 1 tablespoon lime zest

1 small onion, thinly sliced

5 teaspoons lime juice

1–5 red chili peppers, seeded and chopped (the more you use, the spicier it'll be!)

For the salad:

1 pound calamari, cleaned

15–20 mint leaves, chopped

6–8 sprigs cilantro, chopped

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Baby greens (optional)

1. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
   
2. Prepare a grill or broiler. Place the calamari on a broiler pan or in a grill basket and cook over high heat until tender, about 3 minutes per side. Let cool to room temperature.
   
3. Place the grilled calamari in a mixing bowl. Stir the dressing and pour it over the calamari.
   
4. If serving immediately, add the mint, cilantro, and green onions. Alternatively, allow the calamari to marinate for up to 1 hour before serving, and then add the additional ingredients.
   
5. To serve: Use individual cups or bowls to help capture some of the wonderful dressing. Alternatively, mound the calamari mixture over a bed of baby greens and spoon additional dressing over the top.
   

What Is Calamari?

Calamari is squid! Sometimes you will see the smallest ones sold whole. Otherwise it comes in pearly white pieces that you slice into bite-sized morsels. Calamari has a sweet, mild flavor and only becomes chewy when overcooked
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For the dressing:

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon water

¾ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

For the salad:

1 small head of romaine or Bibb lettuce, torn into bitesized pieces

2 small carrots, grated

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup chopped mint leaves

Chopped unsalted peanuts (optional)

1. In a small bowl, stir together all of the salad dressing ingredients; set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl, toss together all of the salad ingredients. Add dressing to taste and toss until well coated. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top of each salad, if desired.
   

Thai Salads

Thai salads are often light, flavorful, and work fantastically to get you ready for the main meal. Many of the all-vegetable salads are too light to be a meal of their own, but by simply adding some sautéed chicken, shrimp, or tofu to any salad, you've got yourself a nice lunch!

5 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup boiling water

½ cup rice or white vinegar

2 medium cucumbers, seeded and sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

2 Thai chilies, seeded and minced

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and boiling water. Stir to thoroughly dissolve sugar and salt. Add the vinegar and allow the vinaigrette to cool to room temperature.
   
2. Place the cucumbers, onion slices, and the chili peppers in a mediumsized bowl. Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator at least until cold, preferably overnight.
   

Seeding Cucumbers

Seeding a cucumber is simple! Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the soft inner flesh and seeds in one quick swoop. That's it!

½ cup white vinegar

1 Thai chili, very finely minced

1 garlic clove, very finely minced

2 stalks lemongrass

3 cups thinly sliced cucumber

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup cubed tart apple (such as Granny Smith)

½ cup shredded carrot

¼ cup minced mint

¼ cup minced parsley

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, chili, and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let cool.
   
2. Trim and finely chop 1 lemongrass stalk. Place it in a small saucepan with ½ cup of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let cool.
   
3. Trim the remaining lemongrass stalk, peel off the tough outer layers, and finely mince the white portion of the tender stalk within. Reserve approximately 1 tablespoon.
   
4. Combine the cucumber, bean sprouts, apple, carrot, mint, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine the fish sauce, oil, minced lemongrass, the vinegar mixture, and the lemongrass water.
   
5. Toss the vegetables with the lemongrass vinaigrette to taste.
   

To keep the apple pieces from turning brown before you use them, put them in a small container of cool water to which you have added a couple of drops of lemon or lime juice. The citric acid prevents the apple from discoloring
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1 medium papaya, peeled and julienned, or cut into small pieces

½–1 teaspoon salt

3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

4–6 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely

½ cup long beans (green beans), cut into 1–inch pieces

2 teaspoons fish sauce

4 tablespoons Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)