Category Archives: Soups & Salads

Thai-Style Steak Salad

Entrees, Soups & Salads

 

  • 1/4            cup fresh lime juice
  • 1               tbsp soy sauce
  • 1               tbsp sugar
  • 1/2            tsp red-pepper flakes
  • 3               tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2               boneless rib-eye steaks(each 8 oz and 3/4 inch thick)
  •                  Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/2            lb carrots(3-4 medium)
  • 1               medium head romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1- inch ribbons
  • 1/2            cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1               cup fresh bean sprouts (optional)
  • 1/3            cup salted peanuts, chopped (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Make Marinade:
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and oil.  Season steak generously with salt and pepper;  place in a baking dish.  Pour 1/4 of marinade over steaks(reserve remaining marinade).  Turn steaks to coat.  Let steaks marinate up to 30 minutes.
  3. In a large skillet, cook steaks on medium-high heat, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium- rare.  Transfer to a cutting board; tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest, 5 a 10 minutes.  Slice steaks across the grain into 1/4 inch- thick slices;  halve slices crosswise.  Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with reserved marinade.
  4. With a vegetable peeler, cut carrots into long ribbons.   Add to steak in bowl along with lettuce and mint;  toss to combine.  Divide salad among four shallow bowls. Sprinkle with bean sprouts and peanuts, if desired, or serve it in a large serving ball.

 

 

 

 

Thai Mango salad

Soups & Salads

Serves 6
Ingredients

  • 4               cups torn greens
  • 2               firm mangoes
  • 1               sweet red pepper
  • 1               sweet yellow pepper
  • 2               carrots, coarsely grated
  • 1/4            cup coarsely grated fresh ginger
  • 2               cups bean sprouts
  • 1/4            cup coarsely chopped mint
  • 1/4            cup coarsely chopped basil
  • 1/4            cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 1/2            cup  coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
  • 1/2          cup (125 mL) thinly sliced green onions
  • 2             tbsp (30 mL) coarsely chopped fresh mint

Dressing:

  • 1/4           cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
  • 1              tsp (5 mL) grated lime rind
  • 2              tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
  • 1              tbsp (15 mL) fish sauce or soy sauce
  • 2              tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
  • 1              tsp (5 mL) minced hot pepper
  • 1/4           tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

 Instructions

  1. Julienne cut all the vegetables and the mangoes. 
  2. Line a salad plate with torn greens.
  3. Add all the salad ingredients.
  4. In a bottle mix the dressing ingredients.
  5. Pour the dressing on the salad before serving.

 

 

Beef Fajita Salad

Entrees, Meat, Soups & Salads

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4              cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1              recipe meat or Chicken Fajita 
  • 1              cup grated cheese
  • 1              recipe Salsa
  • 1              recipe  Guacomole 
  • 1/2           cup sour cream

Instructions

  1. Spread the lettuce on 4 plates.
  2. Top with Fajita mix.
  3. Spread some cheese on it
  4. Spread the salsa on it.
  5. Top with guacomole and sour cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tabbouleh Salad

Soups & Salads

Salads are an important part of the Lebanese menu. No meal is complete without a platter of crisp salad vegetables or a toss salad.

The king of Lebanese salads is the famous Tabbouleh, made with parsley and bur’ghul.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup bur’ghul 
  • 8-10 spring onions 
  • 1 tsp salt 
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper 
  • 1/4 tsp mixed spices 
  • 5 cups very finely chopped parsley 
  • 1/4 cup very finely chopped fresh mint 
  • 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped  
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice 
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Wash the bur’ghul and drain well by squeezing out excess water with cupped hands. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Trim the spring onions to leave about 20 cm (8″) of green. Finely chop the white of the green onions and mix it into the bur’gul with the salt, pepper and spices. Finely chop the green of the spring onions and place it with parsley, mint and tomatoes on top of the bur’ghul mixture. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  3. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss well. Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste.
  4. tabbouleh is usually served in a wide based bowl or deep serving dish and garnished with lettuce leaves. When it is served as a mezza a large spoonful is placed in a lettuce leaf, wrapped into a roll and eaten with the fingers.
  5. Variation:
    Add 1 small cucumber or 1/2 green pepper (both finely chopped) to the salad.

Asian Salad with a Creamy Carrot and Onion Dressing

Soups & Salads

This is a recipe I found in the Vancouver Sun on Wednesday July 10. Chef Antonio Park says “Salad does not have to be a starter and it does not have to be greens”. Asian Salads are textured, layered with colour and flavour, ranging from sweet to salty to sour. Leafy greens share the bowl with julienne vegetables and fruit, hand tossed with dressing and garnished with roasted nuts, sesame seeds and fresh herbs.

Use a grater to finely shred carrots, daikon, green papaya, underripe mango (or any combination of the above) in your salad.

*Plum paste is a bright purple puree made from salted pickled plums available at Japanese and Korean grocers.

Salad

Ingredients

  •  4                 cups green lettuce 
  • 1/2               cup grated carrots 
  • 1/2               cup grated jicima 
  • 1/2.              cup sliced red onion 
  • 1/2               cup sliced cucumber 
  • 1/2               cup sliced tomatoes 
  • 1/2               cup sliced strawberries 
  • 1/2               cup salad dressing

Instructions

Toss everything together and serve.

Dressing

Ingredients

  •  1                  large carrot, peeled and chopped 
  • 1                   large sweet or red onion, peeled and chopped 
  • 1                   cup extra virgin oil 
  • 1                   cup unseasoned rice vinegar 
  • 1/2                cup maple syrup

 Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree at high speed until smooth. Store in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Chef Park’s Crazy Dressing

  • 1                   cup Carrot and Onion Dressing 
  • 1                   tbsp Japanese plum paste*
  •  1                  tbsp white miso 
  • 1/2                cup organic tamari sauce

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Herbed Asian Dressing

  •                       A handful of herbs – basil, Thai basil, Japanese shiso or mint – gives thie dressing a chartreuse colour. Makes about 1/4 cup
  • 1                    cup Carrot and Onion Dressing 
  • 1                    handful fresh basil, mint or shiso leaves 
  • 2                    tsp white miso

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Sprouted Mung Bean Salad

Soups & Salads

This is a recipe I found in the Vancouver Sun on Wednesday April 3.  It is from the restaurant “Varadujula’s L’Attitude 49  in
Chennai, India

Ingredients

  • 4 oz            sprouted mung beans
  • 1/4              cup diced (1/4”) red onion
  • 1/4              cup diced (1/4”) tomatoes
  • 1/4              cup diced (1/4”) gala or delicious apple
  • 1/4              cup diced carrots
  • 1/4              cup diced cucumber
  • 2                 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1                 lime  juice and zest
  • 1                 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4              tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4              cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
  2. Serve in a chilled serving dish on a  bed of lettuce.

To Sprout the mung bean soak it in cold water over night.  In the morning drain and rinse it in cold water.  Cover in an airtight container and store it in the fridge overnight.

Quinoa and Kale Salad

Soups & Salads

 Ingredients

  • 1/2                 cup quinoa
  • 1                    cup water
  • 1/2                 tsp salt
  • 2                    kale leaves
  • 1/2                 cup diced (1/4”) cucumber
  • 1/2                 cup diced (1/4”) carrots
  • 1/2                 cup diced (1/4”) red pepper
  • 10                  small cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 3                    spring onions sliced very thin
  • 1                    tbsp chopped mint leaves
  • 2                    tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1                    lime, Juice and zest
  • 1/2                 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan add the water, salt and quinoa and bring it to a boil on high heat.
  2. Lower the heat to mark 4 and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  Quinoa will split open and will look like a sprouted seed.  Let it cool completely.
  3. Remove the middle stalk from kale and chop the leaves  into thin strips.  Rinse it in cold water.
  4. Add everything together and mix it.
  5. Serve.

Papaya and Mango Salad

Soups & Salads

Despite the use of papaya, which one may think of as sweet, this salad is actually savory.  When not ripe, papaya has a slightly tangy flavor. The texture is crisp and firm, sometimes to the point of crunchiness.

The dish combines the four main tastes of the local cuisine of Thailand,  sour lime, hot chili, salty, savory fish sauce, and sweetness added by palm sugar.


 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 2                cups grated green papaya
  • 2                cups grated green mango
  • 1                grated carrot
  • 1                red pepper
  • 1/4            English cucumber
  • 1                2” piece ginger
  • 1                hot red pepper thinly sliced(optional)
  • 2                limes
  • 1/4            cup chopped mint
  • 1/4            cup chopped cilantro
  • 4                cups chopped lettuce
  • 1/2            chopped peanuts

Dressing

  • 2                tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4            cup rice vinegar
  • 1                tbsp brown sugar (or palm sugar)
  • 1/2            tsp salt
  • 1/2            tsp black pepper
  • 1                tbsp fish sauce
  • 2                limes( juice)

Instructions

  1. Coarsely grate all the vegetables and fruit or julienne cut them.
  2. Add the rind of limes.
  3. Mix everything except lettuce and peanuts.
  4. Line a deep dish with lettuce and add the salad.
  5. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bottle.
  6. Before serving, pour the dressing on the salad and  sprinkle with  peanuts.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Soup

Soups & Salads

Prep time: 15 min

Total: 45 min

Serves 4

Instructions

  • 1                   tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1                   6-in tortilla, cut into bite-sized strips
  • 1                   leek, thinly sliced
  • 2                   peppers, chopped
  • 2                   celery stalks, chopped
  • 3                   garlic cloves, minced
  • 1                   tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/4                tsp hot-red-chili  flakes
  • 1/4                tsp nutmeg
  • 1                   cube chicken bouillon
  • 2                   skinless boneless chicken breasts or
  • 4                   skinless, boneless chicken thighs, excess fat  
  •                      trimmed       
  • 1                   cup frozen corn nib lets
  • 2                   limes
  • 1/2                cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Heat a  very large, wide pot over medium heat.  Add  2 tsp oil.  Add tortilla strips.  Cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, 2 to 3 min.  Remove to a paper- towel-lined plate. Add remaining 1 tsp oil to pot.  Add leek.  Cook, stirring frequently, until leek softens slightly, 1 min.  Add peppers and celery.  Cook until vegetables begin to caramelize 12 min.  Add garlic and cook 1 min.  Stir in 3 cups of water and spices.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Stir in bouillon cube until dissolved.  Add chicken.  Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 6 min.
  2. Remove chicken to a cutting board.  Using two forks, shred chicken.  Then stir into soup along with corn.  Cook until corn is hot, about 2 min.  Stir in lime juice from one  lime, along with cilantro.
  3. Serve soup garnish with tortilla strips.
  4. Soup keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 1 month.  If making ahead, stir in cilantro just before serving.

Shopping tip:

Bouillon cubes have just as much flavor as boxed chicken broth-and they’re more affordable and easier to store.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Snacks & Appetizers, Soups & Salads

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2            avocados
  • 1            cup cooked shrimps
  • 1/4         cup diced cucumber
  • 1/4         cup diced carrots
  • 1/4         cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/4         cup diced celery
  • 2            tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2            tbsp sour cream
  • 1/4         tsp salt
  • 1/4         tsp Black pepper
  • 1            lime (zest and juice)
  • 1            lime for decoration
  •               Parsley sprigs  for decoration

Direction

  1. Cut the avocado in half.  Remove the pip and dice the avocado.  Save the skin.
  2. Take the shrimps and rinse them in cold water.  Drain the water
  3. In a bowl add avocado, shrimps, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, celery, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, lime zest and juice.  Mix everything.
  4. Fill the avocado skin with the salad mix, decorate with lime wedges and chopped parsley