Sesame Cucumber Radish Salad

Toss Just Before Serving

A crisp salad which goes well with Asian flavors.  We served it with grilled teriyaki tuna.  Tom would have liked the dressing a little sweeter, so I added an optional pinch of sugar to my recipe.
---Barbara

Sesame Cucumber Radish Salad

Serves 4

5 oz. tub (about 4 cups) of greens (spinach, kale, or other firm greens)
2.5 T. roasted peanut oil
1.5 T. seasoned rice vinegar
pinch of sugar, optional
salt and pepper
1 small bunch radishes, sliced thinly
1/2 hot house cucumber, quartered, seeds removed, and sliced
toasted* sesame seeds, 2 T. or to taste

In the bottom of the salad bowl, add the oil, vinegar and the pinch of sugar (optional), and whisk together until emulsified. 

Add salt and pepper generously.

Add the greens.

Sprinkle the radishes with salt (radishes benefit from the salt, so don't skip).

Add the radishes and cucumbers on top of the greens.

Sprinkle with lots of toasted sesame seeds, so every bite will have some. 

Toss just before serving.

---Barbara

* toasted sesame seeds come in a jar usually found in the Asian aisle.  If you can't find them, then you can toast raw sesame seeds in a skillet, or in the oven, until well-browned.  They burn easily so watch them like a hawk. 

Yellow Curry Soup with Fish and Shrimp

Mild and Sweet

UPDATED
Had a wonderful monkfish and prawn curry at Flora Indica in South Kensington, London.  It was a Bengali Malai Curry which has a coconut milk base.  This one does, too, but has Thai influences.  Not exactly the same as the restaurant version we had, but delicious nonetheless.

We've been using the halibut we caught in Alaska instead of monkfish....extra delicious!... but any firm white fish will work well with this recipe.  

The yellow curry paste we like is made by deSIAM.  

--Barbara

Yellow Curry with Fish and Shrimp 
(adapted from New Curries)

Serves 2 generously or 4 small servings

32 nibble-size new potatoes (or 8 small quartered)
15 ounces coconut milk
1/4 cup yellow curry paste*

1/4 cup seafood stock (I have added up to 1 cup)
3 T. fish sauce
1.5 T. lime juice
1.5 T. brown sugar
1 large monkfish or halibut fillet, cut into 11/4-inch pieces
10 large shrimp, deveined and tails removed
3 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 fresh long red chili, sliced thinly
1.5 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Prep all of your ingredients so you can work quickly.  Takes only 20 minutes to make this dish if you have everything ready.

Pierce the potatoes with a fork or knife, then cook in the microwave by placing them in one layer on a plate, and rotate frequently, for 6 minutes until cooked through.   (You can also boil or steam them.)

Meanwhile, in a large saucepot, place half of the coconut milk.  Bring to a boil, stirring, until the milk reduces by half.

Add curry paste, cook, stirring, about 1 minute until fragrant.

Add remaining coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar.  Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves.

Turn the heat down to low, just a simmer.  Add fish and shrimp and potatoes to the pan.  Cook about 3 minutes or until seafood is just cooked, i.e., opaque.

Stir in the onions and chopped cilantro.

Divide the curry between 2 bowls.

Add the sliced red pepper and minced cilantro as garnish.

Serve with basmati rice, if desired. 

* Yellow curry paste can be found where Thai ingredients are sold.  We like deSIAM.  Or you can make your own from 2 dried long red chilies, 1 t. ground coriander, 1 t. ground cumin, 1/2 t. ground cinnamon, 2 fresh chopped yellow banana chilies, 1 t. finely chopped fresh turmeric, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small chopped onion, 4 inch stem chopped fresh lemongrass, 2 t. ginger, 1.5 T. fresh cilantro, 1 t. shrimp paste, 1.5 T. peanut oil.  Rehydrate the chilies, pan fry the dried spices until fragrant, the put it all in a processor and whiz until very smooth.  Makes 1 cup.

Chicken in Cashew Sauce

Fragrant and delicious!

We were in London over Easter and enjoyed Indian meals three times during one week.  You can get some of the best Indian food in the world in London.  So, now we are craving curries and decided we would make some for ourselves.  This is the first one.  And it is very good!  Will be making it again.
Super easy to make, too. (But you need a food processor.)

---Barbara

Chicken in Cashew Sauce
(adapted from Best-ever Curry Cookbook by Mridula Baljekar)

Serves 4

2 onions
2 T. tomato paste
1.5 t. garam masala
1 t. crushed garlic
1 t. chili powder
juice of one lemon
1/4 t. ground turmeric
1 t. salt
1 T. plain yogurt
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
plus extra cilantro for garnish
2 T. sultanas (golden raisins)
1 lb. chicken breasts, skinned and cubed
6 ounces white button mushrooms
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup basmati rice, cooked separately
french green beans, cooked separately, with garlic and red pepper flakes

Prep your ingredients and get them ready ahead of time.

You can cook the rice and this dish in about the same amount of time.

Start the rice, per the instructions on the package.  Usually you rinse the rice, let it soak, and then cook for 15 minutes and sit for another 10 before fluffing it and serving.

In a large food processor, blend the onions for 1 minute until liquefied.  Add the tomato paste, cashew nuts, garam masala, garlic, chili powder, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and yogurt to the onions and process for another 1 - 1.5 minutes.

In a large non-stick saute pan with a well fitting lid, heat the oil until shimmering, then lower the heat to medium and carefully pour in the onion and spice mixture from the food processor.  Fry gently, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary.

Season the chicken cubes lightly with salt.

Add the fresh cilantro, raisins and chicken to the pan and continue to stir-fry for another minute.

Add the mushrooms, pour in the measured water and bring to a simmer.

Cover and cook over low heat for about 8 - 10 minutes.

Start the french green beans

Check to see if the chicken is fully cooked and the mushrooms are cooked but still firm.

Uncover and cook for another few minutes to let the sauce thicken.

Add more cilantro to the pan.

Add a generous portion of rice, ladle in a generous portion of sauce with chicken, add green beans on the side.

Add a few cashews and raisins to garnish, if desired.

---Barbara