Leek Crisps w/ Lemongrass Chili Reduction

The Lowdown:

What do you do when you've been playing video games all day instead of cooking dinner for your guests? Well, if this is a problem for you, then I have the answer. I'm not going to lie, it happens more often than I'd like to admit. The answer is simple. Pray. Or on the other hand, you could rip through your kitchen and see what you have. When push comes to shove -- improvise. By improvise I mean to make something up that nobody has heard of so it sounds exotic.

I've been thinking that leeks are the perfect shape to be used as a cracker for a while now. Okay, that too is a lie. It happened earlier in the day. Anyway, it was go time and I had no plan or no idea if I had the ingredients for my  non-existent plan. While hunting and foraging in my fridge I notice I had leeks and a mango that was bought for something else that didn't materialize. Perfect! The sweet and pine-like flavour of the mango would help tame the onionesque flavour of the leek.

As for the sauce, well that was another story. I really wanted to incorporate lemongrass, which meant that ginger was a perfect secondary flavour. With those two things simmering in the frying pan I decided that spice would go well with this -- thus, a chili pepper. Now that all these ingredients were already started I may as well stick with the South East Asian theme. Really, I had no choice. It seemed like my only option remaining, considering people were coming over in 30 minutes. One day I will plan ahead. One day. Not today. Not tomorrow. Although it is ironic that I'm planning on not planning.

I fed these to two very picky people (ugh the worst!), both of which didn't know what a leek was. Therefore, I feel like they were a good sample (guinea pig I mean) to test this creation out on. Fortunately for me they loved them. Unfortunately for me, they ate them all while I was preparing the main course. I guess you have to choose your battles, and hungry women are not the battles I'll be choosing anytime soon.

The Playlist:

(Printable Recipe)

1 Leek, stalk only sliced into 1/4 inch circular disks.

1 Mango, cubed (1 inch).

1/8 cup Cabbage, julienne.

1/8 cup flour.

1 cup chicken stock.

Pepper to taste.

Lemongrass Chili Reduction

1 Chili pepper, minced.

3 inches Lemongrass, soft inner part minced.

2 tsp Ginger, minced.

1 tsp Chili powder (Thai if you can find it).

1 tsp Corriander, ground.

2 tsp sugar (or honey).

2 tbsp Olive oil.

3 tbsp Rice wine vinegar.
3 tbsp Red wine vinegar.

5 tbsp Chicken stock.

2 tbsp Fish sauce. 

The Skinny:

1.  Place the leek disks into a shallow bowl and cover with chicken stock. Allow to sit, as the chicken stock will mellow out the leek's onion flavour.
2. On medium heat add oil, chili pepper, lemongrass, and ginger. Stir constantly until lemongrass becomes fragrant (about 5 minutes). Then add the remainder of the reduction's ingredients except for the chicken stock. Cover and allow to simmer on low for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Put flour and pepper into a shallow bowl (or bag) and coat the leek disks. Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the leeks and cover the pan. Fry the leeks for 2-3 minutes per side.
4. While leeks are cooking remove the lid from the reduction. Add the chicken stock and turn onto high heat. Reduce the liquid by the desired amount. If you are pressed for time add 1/4 tsp of corn starch to form a paste (although its not quite as good this way).
5. Place a piece of mango on each leek disk and drizzle lemongrass chili reduction. Garnish with the cabbage.
6. The left over reduction (or a new batch) goes well as a dressing for a cabbage, sesame seed, and dried cranberry coleslaw.

Featured in: 33 Shades of Green, Mandy's Recipe Box, Chef in Training

Thai Mango Red Curry w/ Grill Pineapple

 The Lowdown:

Current scenario: thanks to Rock, Paper, Ingredient (RPI) there are about four thousand mangoes in my fridge at the moment and I have no idea what to do with them. The worst part is, I won RPI and chose mango as the ingredient. I don't even really like mango, nor have I ever used one for anything other than anger management while trying to peal and de-seed them. I'm used to winning; but unlike normal, I had to quickly think after winning RPI, rather than the usual celebration dance I normally do. I drew a blank, then blurted out mango in a desperate frenzy to fill the silence. Needless to say, the next time we play RPI, in which I'll likely win again, I'm going to have a game plan to avoid this less-than-desirable outcome.

I digressed. So as I was saying, mangoes in fridge equals a lot. I was craving the spicy zing of a curry. I had Thai red curry paste already made. Hold up! Why not combined them? Yup, and that's why I'm a genius.

The Playlist:

The Usual Suspects

1 Pineapple, quartered and sliced.

1 Mango, cubed.

1 Chicken breast (Optional).

1 Album Aerosmith, greatest hits.

3 +/- Chili Peppers, diced.

1/2 Stalk Lemongrass, fresh.

3 +/- Kaffir Lime Leaves.

1 1/2 +/- Cups Chicken Stock.

3 +/- Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste

Deep Terracotta Colour

1/2 +/- Coconut Milk (Optional).

The Skinny:

1.  Turn on Aerosmith and rock out by yourself in the Kitchen to "Love in an Elevator."
2. On medium heat, put oil into a wok or large skillet and bring it to that special temperature.
3. Put, toss, throw, or drip using a titration set (I don't really care, just be careful) the curry paste into the warm oil and broth.
4. Allow the curry paste to release its fragrance, then add the chicken broth.
5. Add the lemongrass stock, chili peppers, and kaffir lime leaves.
6. Cover the wok and turn down the heat to medium-low.
7. Allow the curry paste to gently simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until it turns to a deep terracotta colour (I just made that up, but it does change colour).
   
   If cooking rice, now would be the time to start that whole fiasco.
    
8. Remove lid, turn heat up to medium, and add mango.
9. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for five minutes (retain mango's shape, colour and texture).
10. Cook protein in a seperate pan if desired.
11. In a separate pan heat oil on medium-high and sear the pineapple on either side (one to two minutes per side).
12. Remove pineapple and curry from the heat.
13. Serve. Eat. Enjoy.
14. Thank me later.

If the curry is too thick for your liking add more chicken broth. If it is too spicy add more mango or coconut milk. If it is too thin add the coagulated portion of the coconut milk or remove lid and boil it off. If it isn't spicy enough add some white pepper and cayenne pepper. If you want to turn it into a noodle soup double the amount of curry paste and chicken broth. If you want other vegetables, add the other vegetables. If you want a stronger citrus flavour then add more lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, and/or lemon juice.

Removing the lid during the final stages is an important part of this meal. Yes, it helps thicken the sauce. That of course, is secondary to the aroma that it releases. If everyone isn't already in the kitchen (we know how dinner parties go) then they sure will be after you unleash this scent explosion. I got carried away, but scent is an extremely important factor in Thai cooking. If you don't believe me, leave your house for 2-3 minutes and work off that bottle of beer you had while cooking. After you pretend to do that, return to your kitchen and see how much of an impact the aroma truly has.

I excluded coconut milk from the instructions because I didn't feel like putting it in this time. If you are going to use it, bring it to a gentle boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, then add it to your curry paste. Also, a curry paste recipe will be up shortly. I just happen to have some in my fridge that I had made previously.

The Final Product -- A Mango Chicken Thai Red Curry w/ Grilled Pineapple

Stay Rad - H

Featured on Mandy's Recipe Box, Blessed with Grace,  Shine Your Light

RPI: Mission Mango...

I know what you're thinking. I thought it too. Unfortunately, I lost this first challenge of Rock, Paper, Ingredient. Haydn's selection? Mango. Are you kidding me?? What on Earth is sustainable or healthy or happy about fuel-laden mangoes??! Those of you that follow Gastronomical Sovereignty (no, I won't mention my other blog in every single post...) will know that I eat - which is to live - by the season. Locally. Organically. Happily. So accepting this first challenge was actually a bit of a challenge for me.

I fought with my ethical stance on food and whether or not I was prepared to ditch my morals in the event that Haydn selected something that I ordinarily wouldn't have. After all, it's his blog too! Shouldn't we do some of the things he wants to do? Ultimately, I acquiesced to mangoes this week. But I'm vetoing any further unhappy produce. At least for myself and for future RPI assignments.

From now on, there are rules:

1. You do not talk about Rock, Paper, Ingredient.
2. You DO NOT talk, about Rock Paper Ingredient.

Hang on, wrong rules...

1. The ingredient selected by the winner of Rock, Paper, Ingredient must be locally (Pacific Northwest) in season and somehow accessible.
2. Refer to rule #1.

That being said... I rocked that shit. Mangoes are rad. I'm not sure I've actually even eaten a mango before but as of this week, I ate 3. And they were juicy, brilliant yellow in color, and a massive pain in the ass. Do you have any idea what a process it is to get the fruit off the little buggers? I googled it and figured it out but it took me a while. Aye.

The flesh of mango is delicately sweet, floral in scent, pliable, and moist. The juices trickled over my fingers, across my wrists, down my arms and onto the counter - I made quite a mess! Oh the succulence of it all!

Note to self: Enjoy it while the left-overs last, sister. No more mangoes for you!

Mangoes 2 Ways: Firely Lime Sauce & Tempura Sliced Mango

(printable recipe)

Ingredients for the Sauce:

2 Mangoes.

1 Lime for juice.

1 Bird's Eye Chili, thinly sliced (you may remove the seeds for less heat if desired).

1 Tbsp Ginger, peeled & finely grated.

1 Tbsp Local Organic Honey.

Ingredients for the Tempura:

1 Mango.

1 C All Purpose Flour.

1 Tsp Baking Powder.

1 C Iced Soda Water.

1 Free-Range Organic Egg.

2 to 3 C Vegetable Oil for frying.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do for the Sauce:

 To begin, remove the flesh of 2 of the mangoes. Mangoes come with very large seeds in the center which you can't cut through. Therefore you must cut away the "cheeks" (fleshy sides) of the mango, carefully dice/cube the flesh and peel it away from the skin.

Chuck the flesh into a food processor along with the ginger, lime juice, honey, and just a touch of salt and pepper. Puree until the mixture becomes soft and silky. Gently mix in the chili and set aside. Ta da!

As you can see from the photo, I served my mango with some pan-seared halibut. If you wish to do this, just pat your fish dry with some paper towel, and season well on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a bit of oil and/or butter over medium heat in a frying pan, and once the butter starts to sizzle, gently place fish in the pan. Cook 3 - 4 minutes, flip, and continue cooking a further 3-4 minutes. Fish will be done if flaky and white. Remove from the heat and set fish on a surface, covered in foil, and let rest about 5 to 10 minutes. Top with some pea-shoots and a little green onion.

Otherwise, it would also work very well with chicken also or maybe some chick-pea patties.

Eat! (almost...)....

What to Do for the Tempura'd Mango:

As above, cube or slice the mango flesh from the cheeks. Set aside.

Pour your oil into a deep wok and heat over a medium-high setting. The oil is ready when a 1" cube of white bread dropped into the oil browns in 60 seconds; that oil temperature will be about 365 degrees F. Be careful to not heat too high and keep water away from the oil because water + oil = explosive disaster. Literally.

As the oil heats, mix together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, gently whisk the egg. Add the cold water and mix well. Throw in the flour mixture and stir to just barely combine. Do not over mix or  the starches in the flour will active and you'll end up with a very "doughy" tempura.

Lightly dredge the pieces of mango in the mixture and very carefully drop them into the hot oil. Always drop away from you (think of it like pushing the food away rather than pulling toward) to avoid splashing yourself with oil. Watch your fingers!

Allow to brown and crisp up, turning often to ensure even cooking. Once golden and crisp, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and let drain on a side of paper towels. Serve immediately.

Eat!

This post is linked up with This Chick Cooks; Full Plate Thursday; Tasteastic Thursday; Tasty Tuesdays; Tuesday Talent Show.

RPI: Mango Infused Crepes w/ Stawberries & Bananas

The Lowdown:

This is the first installment of Rock, Paper, Ingredient (RPI), which is a clever little scheme devised to expand mine and Kristy's culinary adventures. You can, of course, get the formal description from the Rock, Paper, Ingredient sub-heading on the menu bar. Version 1.0 of RPI required that we use mango in one of our creations. I dont' really care for mangoes. That's right, I said it. They are pure evil to peel (unless you know the handy dandy trick), they have a weird odor, and they take over the flavour of pretty much everything. However, through many failures, I have learned how to disguise the flavour of many ingredients and force people to eat things that they don't even know they are eating. I'm so devious. But seriously, if you'd just eat your damn mushrooms I wouldn't have to hide them in everything! Ya, so, anyway.

After a few attempts at some other recipes that utilized mango, I was drawing a blank. The other recipes would suffice, but they just didn't have the right feel to them. Don't get me wrong, there were no leftovers, so they must have been good. However, they lacked the creative edge that I wanted to display for the RPI Version 1.0. Then, like everything else that I devise, inspiration came in the oddest place - Bob Marley's, "Sun is Shining." Don't ask me how mango infused crepes relate to Bob Marley, or the Sun is Shining, but for whatever reason, they do in my odd little world.

The Playlist:

(printable recipe)

1 cup Wholewheat flour.

1/2 tsp Salt.

2 Eggs.

1/2 cup milk (I substituted soy milk because I'm a lacto).

1/2 cup water.

2 tbsp vegetable oil.

1 Mango, cubed.

1 tbsp Oil (for frying).

12 Strawberries (my lucky number).

2 Bananas

The Skinny:

1. Place flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Blend mango and milk until smooth.
3. Add mango/milk mixture, oil, and eggs into the flour.
4. Mix until no flour clumps remain.
5. Slowly add water and mix until desired consistency.
6. Heat oil in a shallow frying pan on medium heat (crepe pan if you have one).
7. Pour 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the crepe mixture into the pan and tilt in circular motions.
8. Cook the crepe on either side for 1 - 2 minutes.
9. Place fruit inside and roll.
10. Garnish as desired.

 H

This post is linked up with This Chick Cooks