This recipe that requires that several ingredients chill overnight is from Lemon Grass owner Max Chutinthranond. 

1 pound center cut pork loin

1 package Green Bean Starch Sheet (glass noodles)

2-3 tablespoons sesame oil

¼ cup chiking vinaigrette (available at Han’s Oriental Groceries)

½ cup light soy sauce

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and finely chopped

¼ cup long hot Italian peppers, seeded and minced

2-3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup scallions, finely sliced

1 cup chicken or pork stock

4 sprigs cilantro and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish

2-3 tablespoons sesame oil and soy sauce 

To prepare pork, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season meat with salt and pepper and cook until medium to medium well done. Let cool to room temperature then wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by heating a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add cooking oil and saute garlic and ginger until they turn opaque. Saute the peppers until soft, add vinaigrette, soy sauce, sesame oil, stock and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add cilantro and scallions. Let sauce cool and refrigerate overnight to develop the flavor. Check the sauce–it should taste sour before it tastes salty and salty before it tastes sweet. You can store the sauce for 6-10 days inside the refrigerator. Before assembling the dish, set aside half a cup of sauce.

To prepare the noodles, soak the sheets in cold water overnight. The next day, drain the noodles and cut into bite-size piece. Bring water to a boil in a stainless steel pot, add noodles and boil for 4-5 minutes or until transparent and soft. Drain well and season with sesame oil and soy sauce. Set aside and let cool.

To assemble the dish, slice the pork as thin as possible. In a large bowl toss noodles, pork and sauce. Plate the tossed ingredients and drizzle extra sauce over the plate. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve cold. Makes 4 servings.

From Noodle Shop Cookbook, by Jacki Passmore (Macmillan; 1994). Ingredients available at Han’s Oriental Grocery, 2731 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt; 446-7801. 

Pad Thai Noodles (Pad Thai Prik)

11 ounces dried rice-stick noodles (Vietnamese banh pho or Thai sen mie)

3 teaspoons sugar

¼ cup nam pla (Thai fish sauce)

1 tablespoon ketchup

3 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

10 ounces small shrimp, peeled and cooked

7 ounces fresh bean sprouts

Garnish:

2 teaspoons dried shrimp

3 tablespoons chopped scallions

2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

3 to 4 garlic chives, cut into 1½-inch pieces

Cilantro sprigs

Lime wedges

Soak the noodles in hot water for at least 12 minutes to soften, then drain well. Combine the sugar, fish sauce, ketchup and chili sauce in a small bowl. Prepare the garnish ingredients. Place the dried shrimp in a blender or spice grinder and grind until finely shredded. Arrange the garnishes on a plate to serve with the noodles.

Fry the garlic in the oil over medium heat until very aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and fry for 40 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook briefly, then add the noodles and toss until thoroughly coated with the sauce. Add half the bean sprouts and cook, continuously tossing and stirring until they have softened. Transfer to a platter, scattering the remaining bean sprouts over the top. Serve with the platter of garnishes, allowing guests to add what they want, to taste.

From Noodle Shop Cookbook, by Jacki Passmore (Macmillan; 1994). Ingredients available at Han’s Oriental Grocery, 2731 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt; 446-7801.

 

Japanese Cold Buckwheat Noodle Salad

½ pound dried soba (buckwheat noodles)

2 to 3 teaspoons sesame oil

2 whole scallions

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

1 small cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced into crescents

1½ teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds

Dressing:

1 tablespoon tamari or light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese brown (dark) rice vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons sesame oil

½ teaspoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

1 teaspoon sugar 

Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl, whisking to blend well. Bring 1½ quarts of water to a boil, add the noodles and bring the water back to a boil. Add ½ cup of cold water and bring back to a boil, then add another ½ cup of cold water, bring back to a boil again, and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons of sesame oil and set aside.

Trim the scallions and cut both white and green parts into 1½-inch pieces. Cut in half lengthwise and then shred fine. Combine the noodles, scallions, bell pepper and cucumber, toss with the dressing and serve in attractive little mounds on platters, with sesame seeds scattered on top.       

This recipe is from Culinary Collection, published in 1971 by the Members Council of the Everson Museum of Art. Omit the bacon and you have a tasty vegetarian supper.

 

5 hard boiled eggs, sliced

2 cups sliced sweet onions (like Vidalia)

¼ cup butter

8 ounces Swiss cheese, cut in julienne strips

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash Worcestershire sauce 

4 tablespoons diced green pepper

3 tablespoons diced pimiento

1 can cream of celery soup

¼ cup milk

8 thin slices French bread, buttered

2 to 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Place sliced eggs in bottom of rectangular 2½-quart casserole dish. Cook onions in butter, but do not brown, then place on top of the eggs. Cover with cheese strips. Make sauce of soup, milk, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, pimiento and green pepper and pour over top of casserole. Lay buttered bread slices over sauce, overlapping slices. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes and place under broiler for a minute or two to brown. If you like, garnish with bacon. May be prepared in advance and baked just before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Here is a low-fat recipe that eliminates the familiar mayonnaise with tasty results. Eliminating the three yolk halves also lowers cholesterol levels. 

 

6 hard-boiled eggs

¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese.  

3 tablespoons prepared fat-free ranch dressing

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or dill

1 tablespoon diced well-drained pimiento or roasted red pepper

Slice eggs lengthwise in half. Remove yolks, reserving 3 halves. Discard remaining yolks or reserve for another use. Place eggs whites, cut sides up, on a serving plate; cover with plastic wrap. Chill while preparing filling. Combine cottage cheese, dressing, mustard and reserved yolk halves in food processor; process until smooth. Or place in small bowl and mash with fork until blended. Transfer cottage cheese mixture to small bowl; stir in chives and pimiento. Spoon into eggs whites. Cover and chill at least 60 minutes. Makes 12 servings.

6 hard-cooked eggs 6 tablespoons mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon curry powder 2 dozen cooked asparagus tips Leaf lettuce 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup French dressing 2 tablespoons chopped chives Cherry tomatoes Ripe olives Split the eggs lengthwise. Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise and seasonings and use as stuffing for the whites. Use a well-spiced mayonnaise or add a little mustard or lemon juice to sharpen the flavor. You may wish to increase the amount of curry, but the aim of this recipe is to produce a bland, elusive flavor. For each serving arrange three of the curried egg halves and half a dozen asparagus tips on a bed of leaf lettuce. Sprinkle the asparagus with grated cheese and French dressing, or any other light dressing of your choosing, and sprinkle with chives. Use cherry tomatoes and ripe olives as garnishes. Makes 4 servings.

 

Egg salad usually consists of hard-boiled eggs, quartered, and mixed with mayonnaise, chopped celery, and salt and pepper. Here is an interesting take on a favorite classic that makes a great presentation for a summer luncheon.   6 hard-boiled eggs ½ pound unsalted butter 6 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons tomato paste Salt, cayenne pepper 1 cup canned tuna fish 1 cup diced cooked green beans 1 cup diced cooked carrots 1 cup diced skinned and pitted tomato 4 cups boiled rice ½ cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar 2 tablespoons salt ½ teaspoon lemon juice 1 whole beaten egg 1 bunch watercress 3 small gherkins A little pimiento Shell the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks and place the white in a bowl of cold, clear water. Rub the egg yolks through a strainer. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and continue beating for a few moments. Divide the mixture in half and add to half the beaten cream cheese and the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Rub the tuna through a strainer and mix with the other half of the egg mixture. Season and set aside. Mix all the diced vegetables lightly and carefully with the rice. Place in a screw-top jar the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, lemon juice and beaten egg. Shake well and mix with the rice. Arrange in a large salad bowl and make a hole in the center. Fill the hole with the watercress. Place around the edge the drained, hard-piled egg whites and fill them alternately with the tuna fish mixture and the cream cheese mixture. Piping these ingredients through a pastry bag makes a nice presentation, although it’s not necessary. Decorate the tops with sliced gherkins and pimientos and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

This recipe is from www.recipezaar.com.

1 medium avocado

¼ cup condensed milk

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup of ice

Put everything in a blender, puree until smooth and pour into a glass.

This recipe is from www.recipezarr.com.

 

4 avocados, halved and pitted

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon spiced granular mustard

6 ounces cooked lean ham, diced

12 sage leaves, chopped

Take the halved and pitted avocados and brush with vinegar. Beat the oil and mustard into the vinegar, and diced ham and chopped sage. Pile ham on avocados and garnish with sage leaves.

This recipe is from www.avocado.org.

 

1 large, ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, cut in slices 

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over, well-drained 

2 two medium apples, peeled, cored, seeded and diced

2 cups fresh mango chunks, diced 

5-ounce bag mixed baby greens or 8 cups mixed lettuces torn in bite-size pieces 

2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion 

2 tablespoons walnuts, toasted and chopped coarsely (see note)

Avocado and blueberry fruit salad dressing (recipe to follow)