Thai Papaya Salad

Papaya Salad is made with green papaya. Make sure that when you buy green papaya, for the purpose of making this dish, that the flesh inside is white. Most major grocery store chains do sell papayas but don't be fooled by their green colored skin papayas or the hardness of the fruits at those stores. Because the ones sold at major grocery store chains are already ripening. If you cut open a papaya and the flesh are already orange-yellow in colors, you don't want those! It can still be used but it will not taste as good. Green papayas do not have much flavors and it will take on flavors from the sauce it's soaked in. That is why when you use papayas that are already ripe or is ripening, the ripe flavors of the fruit will interfere with the sauce's flavors. So the best bet is go to an ethnic grocery store and get white fleshed green papayas.

There are many versions of this spicy Southeast Asian dish, depending on what country you go to. I mostly prefer either Thailand style-which is sweet or Laos style-which is extra spicy, sour, and pungent. Today I will show you how to make Thai style Papaya Salad.

First you'll need to prepare the young papaya by peeling it. Then washing it thoroughly, sometimes the young papayas have white sap that bleeds through the skin. Wipe dry with a paper towel. Then shred with a papaya shredder. You can find this at your local Asian Supermarket or online. They are cheap, about $3?

The ingredients:

1 Garlic clove
Thai Chili peppers--add to your spice level
2 TBS Palm sugar--1 TBS cane sugar as substitute
2 TBS Fish Sauce
2 TBS Lime juice
2 1/2 Cups shredded Papaya
3 TBS dried shrimps
2 TBS peanuts--roasted and crushed for garnishing

Also don't forget one ripe tomato (small). My tomatoes are starting to ripe, woohoo!

In a mortar crush the garlic and chili peppers. If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can use a food processor or hand chop them finely. The purpose for crushing them is to get the spicy oils and flavor out of the garlic and peppers.

Next add the fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice to the crushed peppers--mix them well.

Then into the mortar add the shredded papaya, tomato slices, and dried shrimps. Use the pestle to mix the ingredients into the papaya, this also bruises the papayas.

For those who don't have a mortar and pestle you can bruise the shredded young papaya by putting it into a bowl or cup and use a wooden spoon. The act of bruising the papaya will allow more sauce to grab hold onto each papaya strands. After you've bruised the papaya, mix in the sauce.

Before serving add the chopped roasted peanuts.

The papaya salad goes well with BBQ chicken and pork. Also fresh veggies.

Servings: 3 Adults, 2 Children
Cooking time: 15 min.
Costs: $0.80

Garden Vegetable Fried Rice.

With weeks of neglect my garden had overgrown and my poor broccoli plants (which only have side shoots) were starting to bolt. Thus I was forced to harvest all the side shoots, this act is good because it'll allow for new florets to form. Good for the plants and good for the grower.


Today we will make some Garden Vegetable fried rice. I had about 3 cups of leftover rice and vegetables I picked from thinning out my garden.

Carrots, Broccolis, Snow peas, rice, and garlic.

Seasoning is to your taste add more if you like:

2 TBS Oyster flavored Vegetarian sauce
2 TBS Mirin (1 TBS sugar if you don't have Mirin)
1/2 C. water (to help cook the vegetables and break up the rice)
Olive oils--or any oil you have on hand
Chop up all the vegetables.

First fry the garlic in the oil on Med-heat.

1. Add the carrots first, fry it for a few seconds.
2. Then add the rest of the vegetables.
3. Add water and let the vegetable steamed for about a minute or two.

Add rice and mix it so that the grain of rice are not in large clumps.
Then add the seasonings. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Servings: 3 Adults, 2 Chilren
Cooking time: 15 mins.
Cost: $0.80

Vegan Samosa.

It's been a while since I've blogged. Sometime life just throw things at us unexpectedly and most of the times it can hit really hard. But no matter what we all need to learn how to quickly get right back up and charge forwards, grrrrrr.

Today we will be making my special Vegan Samosa. Samosa originated from South Asia, mostly a popular snack food in India. You can put just about anything in it with any variety of spices. If you haven't noticed yet, I like to make meals with recipes that can be varied with any vegetables or meats that you have on hand. The most important thing is the dough and that it gets deep fried.

Lets get cook'n again!

My garden needed major weeding, 2 weeks of neglect. The Cilantro (coriander) plants needed thinning badly as well. So, I picked some, washed it, and stored them in the refrigerator. They also freeze well too, if you have freezer space. I will use some to make our Samosas.

Here are the ingredients for my Vegan Samosa:

3 Large potatoes--(I used Russell potatoes because it's starchy.)
Cilantro--(Coarsely chopped)
2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Water
4 TBS Oil--(2 TBS for dough & 2 TBS for fillings)
1 tsp. Curry
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1 TBS Fennel seeds
2 tsp. Salt to taste
Oil for frying.

First start by putting the potatoes into boiling water to cook. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the Samosa's dough.

1. Add 2 TBS oil to the flour and mix them well. Make sure that there's no large clumps of oil.
2. After you mixed the oil into the flour add water and mix until it becomes a smooth dough.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least 15 min. or until ready to use.

Lets start on the fillings.

1. Heat up 2 TBS oil on med-high.
2. Add the Fennel seeds stir and wait until it starts to gently pop.
3. Add the rest of the spice stir quickly then add the cilantro.
4. Cook the cilantro until it wilts then turn off heat.
5. Drain the water from the cooked potatoes and add it to the hot spice mixture.
6. Mix them together well. I like to mash my potatoes but some people likes them chunky.
7. At this point you can add anything else you like...peas...cooked ground beef...other cooked vegetables?

Let the potato mixture cool a little before filling the dough with it.

After the potatoes had cooled down a bit.

1. Break the dough and roll them into small balls, you should get about 6-7 equal sized balls from the dough.
2. Roll out the ball into an oval shape, about 7 inches long and 4 inches wide.
4. Cut the dough in half and wipe water around the edges of the one half.
5. Pick it up and wrap the cut end together to make a cone shape and press to seal the seam.
6. Hold the coned dough like an ice-cream cone with the seamed part in front.
7. Begin to fill the cone with the potatoes. Gently press down as you're filling it, don't worry if the cone stretches a bit. As long as the dough does not break you're fine. :-)
8. Once you're done filling the cone. Take the flap from the back, pull it over and close the cone. Press the dough together and seal.

Lay the finished Samosa on it's bottom, it should sit up right. This recipe makes about 12 Samosas.

Heat the frying oil on Med-high. Then add the Samosas bottom side first and fry until the Samosas are golden brown.

Ta-Da!

Serve the Samosas with sweet Tamarind sauce. Or any chutney sauce you like.

To make my sweet Tamarind sauce you'd need:

1/2 C. Sugar
2 TBS Seedless Tamarind
1 1/2 C. water
1/2 TBS Corn starch

1. Boil 1 cup water with the tamarind and sugar. Let it boil for 3 minutes.
2. Mix Cornstarch with 1/2 cup water.
3. Pour the cornstarch mixture in with the boiling tamarind & sugar mixture. Boil for another 2 minutes.
4. Strain out any pulp from the tamarind and ... here you go.

Sweet Tamarind Sauce.

Servings: 3 Adults, 2 Children (12 Samosa)
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes.
Costs: $2.60
(The cost mostly came from the frying oil)

Tempting Tempura (Vegetarian and Seafood)

My son had been asking me all day today for Tempura. He tells me that he's dying to eat it. I thought about it and agreed that I too would like some. I went through the refrigerator to see what vegetables needed to get eaten. Tempura can be made from any vegetables or herbs you have available around the house. My family like Shrimps and I was lucky to still have half of a 2 pound bag in the freezer from last week's meal.

I was told that Shiso make excellent tempuras. So I went out to the garden and picked a few red and green Shiso. Then I saw some nasturtium flowers growing close by and thought, "Ah! This will also make excellent tempuras."

Batter ingredients: There is no measuring here.
All purpose flours
Eggs
Water
Bread crumbs--optional.
Salt & Pepper
Shrimps
(You can use any vegetables or herb you like. These are left over vegetables that we had in the fridge.)

Here are the steps:
Make sure you have 3 bowls, eggs, flours, and bread crumbs in each bowl.
1. Cut up the shrimps half way and fold it up so that it is long like "Step 1" picture. This is to get more coating on the shrimps and to help it cook faster.

2. Beat the eggs and add about 1TBS water to loosen the egg. For easier coating.
3. Add a little salt and pepper to the flours. Dip the shrimp into the flower one at a time and gently coat.
4. Lastly transfer to the bread crumb bowl and coat. Then fry in a sauce pan.

On med-heat cook the shrimps. Done!

For the Vegetables I skip the bread crumb steps. Just dip them into the egg mixture, coat with flours, and fry.

With the flowers and this should be the process for any flowers you use. Dip gently into the egg, then coat with flours, hold by the stem and dip the crown into the hot oil. Fry the flowers for only a few seconds. Done!
I held the stem with my fingers but you can use a tong or chop sticks. I just like to live dangerously. *wink*

Next we have the Shiso leaves. Hold the stem of the leaves and swipe the leaves on the egg mixture a few times. Then swipe on the flours, this gives it a thin coating and fry.

Doesn't this look mouth watering? Serve with Frugal Lee's Tempura sauce.

Frugal Lee's Tempura sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup Mirin--or 1/8 cup sugar

Servings: 4 Adults, 2 Children
Time: 50 mins. --That's because I made a lot. For a single serving I'd say less than 30 min?
Cost: ~$7.00 (This meal cost more because of the shrimp. I bought a 2lb bag for $13 and used half.)

Tuna Fish pasta.

Today was a nice and sunny day, so I took the opportunity to pick some Oregano to dry for storage. That's when I thought about a tuna fish dish that my mother-in-law made (many times) for me in Sweden. I'd make this dish once every few weeks, even though my husband despise it.

My Oregano plants that I grew in a large pot along with two other herbs. Don't be discourage about gardening if you don't have a yard. You can still do container gardening and you'd be surprised at how much food you can grow in them.

Ingredients for Tuna fish pasta:

1 can Tuna fish
1 can diced tomatoes--(or 2 cups fresh tomatoes)
Two sprig of fresh Oregano--(1 tsp. dried)
1 Leeks
Thin Spaghetti Pastas

Boil the pastas.
Chop the leeks and oregano.
In a non-stick skillet cook the leeks and oregano on Med-high. I don't use oil, only 1 TBS water to cook the leeks, a healthier option. But you can fry it in a little olive oil if you like. The oil will bring out more of the leeks strong onion-garlic flavors.

After the leeks are cooked add tuna fish, tomatoes, and salt to taste. Mix them well, cover, and let it simmer for a few minutes. While the tuna sauce is simmering check on your pasta, drain, and plate them.

Sprinkle with some radish flowers and some Tabasco sauce, for a little kick!
I've let some of the radish plants bolts. I like to use them as garnishing, plus they are tasty too. They produce beautiful purple/white flowers which are a little spicy just like the radish bulbs.

Serving: 3 Adults, 2 children
Cooking time: 15 min.
Costs: $1.73

Breakdown.
Spaghetti pasta: $0.40
Canned Tun Fish on sale-when these goes on sale I stock pile them in my food storage: $0.50
Canned Diced tomato sale-stock pile these in food storage: $0.50

Leeks bundle of 3 for $1 sale, I used one: $0.33
Oregano : $0
Total: $1.73

Soy sauce Pork Stir-fry (Tofu stir-fry for Vegans).

I've been studying Masanobu Fukuoka style of agriculture. I love this quote:

"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."--Masanobu Fukuoka.

Lets go out and see what's ready to get picked from our backyard garden, shall we?

Broccoli: I have four broccoli plants and I've already harvested one large broccoli heads from each of the three plants. This is the last plant with one large head and we shall take it. The cool thing about broccoli plants are the many harvest you can get from the side shoots. Tomorrow I'll go back and start picking side shoots from previously harvested plants.

Baby Carrots: My carrot bed needed thinning and my kids love to eat baby carrots. Especially right after they've been picked and washed from the garden.

Snow peas: I love peas and my family likes to just go out to the garden and break off some pods and munch! Awesome snacks for the kids. I planted 12 pea plants and three long bean plants. Today I've only got harvests from the snow pea plants.

Here we are with vegetables that survived munching little mouths.
1/2 lb. Pork
Carrots
Broccoli
Snow Peas
1-2 Cloves garlic (I forgot to put it in this picture)
1 TBS Soy Sauce
1 TBS Mirin
2 TBS Water
Olive oil
(Vegan replace pork with Tofu.)

While the rice is in the rice cooker or in a pot on the stove top, prep your ingredients.

In a skillet on med-high grill the pork with some olive oil.
Vegan: Do the same with tofu, turning them carefully to not break the tofu form.

When the pork turns a little brown, add garlic. Then add the mirin, and soy sauce, mix well. Add the vegetables and water. Cover and let the vegetable steam for 2 minutes or until soft. Your done.

Ta-Da! Easy?
Garnish with freshly opened nasturtium flowers. Nasturtium flowers have a radishy flavor.

Soy Sauce Tofu stir-fry. My vegetarian son really likes this dish.

Servings: 3 Adults, 2 Children
Cooking time: 30 min.
Costs: $2.30

Lets Break it down:
Rice : $0.38
Pork I bought these on sale $0.99 per lb I used 1/2 lb.: $0.50
Tofu $2 a box. I used 1/3 box: $0.67
Garlics: $0.05
Sauces & Oil: $0.70
Vegetables: $0
Total: $2.30

Vegetarian Bibimbap.

Bibimbap is a Korean dish translated as: Mixed rice. Does this mean you can add just about anything to your rice bowl, mix it, and say "Bibimbap"? If only it was that easy (ehem! It is). There are two main ingredients that distinguishes Bibimbap from other rice mixture. That is the use of raw/or gently cooked eggs and Gochujang (hot pepper paste).

Ok, ok...you can omit the Gochujang, but you CANNOT omit the eggs. Alright...yes you can even do that too *sigh*. I've included a non-spicy sauce in this recipe as well. Since my kids don't like spicy and my husband don't like Gochujang.

Here's what I like to put in my Bibimbap. My bowl will always have these vegetables: carrots, green onions, and spinach...everything else will be what ever I have on hand that day.

I like to make it buffet style, by cooking up all the vegetables. Then let everyone pick their own vegetables and sauce to mix into their rice bowl. There is no measuring here...just dabble a little here and there. Don't make it salty though, because you have the sauce to go over them.

While the rice is cooking do the prep work for your dish. Chop up all the vegetables, cook and drain the spinach, cook the bean sprouts with a little sesame oil and a dribble of soy sauce.

Add maybe about 1 TBS soy sauce and half the sliced green onion to the spinach. Mix them well and put them along side the bean sprout. This will be our buffet plate, it's a BIG plate.

On high heat cook the carrots with a little sesame oil, before the carrots burn- it's done. Put them along side the spinach and bean sprouts.

Cook the rest of the vegetables individually on high heat and transfer them to the buffet plate. There is no right or wrong way to cook the chives and mushrooms. Rule of thumb...remove them before they're burnt, simple?

For the non-spicy sauce:

Green onion sliced--the rest of the onions.
3 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS Sesame oil
1 TBS sesame seeds
1 TBS sugar

Next fry some eggs sunny side up or if you are adventurous. You can try the traditional way and use raw eggs. For the kids I cook their eggs well.

Here's how you put everything together. First add rice to bowl

Then add the cooked vegetables on top of the steaming hot rice. Leave the center open to exposed the hot rice.

Crack an egg on top of the hot and steaming exposed rice. Then add Gochujang, mix well before consuming. I'm the only one who eats it with raw eggs in my family.
Best eaten with a side dish of homemade Kim Chi's.

Servings: 4 Adults, 2 Children
Cooking time: 30 Min.
Costs: $4.57