Vermicelli Salad with Prawns

Vermicelli are rice noodles. The cook really fast and are the perfect base for any summer salad. This one is Ng Thai or the cheating way that I make Thai (a mix of soy and fish sauce, sweet chill sauce and lime juice).

Vermicelli Salad with Prawns
for 4
1 package of Vermicelli
1 carrot shredded
1/2 English cucumber shredded
2 green onions chopped
1/2 cup of fresh herbs chopped (Thai basil, lemon basil, coriander, chives and parsley)
1/2 cup of cooked and peeled prawns
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp of fish sauce
1 tsp of sweet chill sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp of sesame seeds (to top)

Cook the Vermicelli for 3 min or follow the package. Mix with the carrots, cucumber, herbs, pawns, sauces, lime and oil. Taste and add more lime to brighten or sweet chill to sweeten or fish sauce for salt. Top with more herbs and sesame seeds. Eat right away or let it hang out in the frig for a few hours and enjoy cold.

I like it cold.

Dakgalbi: Spicy Korean Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Rice Noodles

I loved going to Dakgalbi resterants when I lived in Korea. My friends and I always ordered extra rice noodles and sweet potatoes but there was always too much cabbage left over. Sometimes we would even order cheese. Its a lot like Tteokbokki (spicy Korean rice cakes), but its more of a main meal rather than just a snack.
Dakgalbi
for 2
1 free range chicken breast
1 small sweet potato
1 cup cabbage
1 cup of rice cakes/noodles
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger
1-2 Tbs of Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste)
1 Tbs brown suger
1 tsp oil

Cut the chicken into chunks. Peal and chop the sweet potato into thin half moons. Chop the cabbage. Mince the garlic and ginger.

Over medium heat melt the gochujang in the oil, garlic and ginger. Add the chicken and brown suger. Cover with 1 cup of water and cover with the sweet potatoes and cabbage. Let come to a low boil and cook for 15 min or until the sweet potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked. Taste and add salt or more gochujang if its not too hot for you.

Sabzi Polow (Herb Rice)

I have a secret. For the last few weeks we have been making our rice in a microwave. Sounds gross right? A few years ago I heard that you could steam rice in the microwave but didn't try it until my 20kg bag of basmati rice started to give microwave directions. Guess what? It really does work!

As it is summer and we have tons of fresh herbs growing I'm making Sabzi Polow (Herb Rice) using the microwave to steam the rice.
Sabzi Polow (Herb Rice)
Severs 4
2 cups of basmati rice
2 cups of washed and finely chopped fresh herbs (dill, coriander(cilantro), parsley, Iranian leeks (or spring onion)
salt
olive oil or butter

Bring 1 liter of water to boil in a pot (like you would for pasta). Salt and add the rice. Boil for 8min. The rice will be a bit soft. Drain and mix with chopped herbs in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Poke some wholes in the plastic and microwave for 5-8 min. Our microwave is very week so it takes 8min.

One of the best things about making Sabzi Polow or any Iranian rice in the microwave is that you don't have add oil or butter. But if you will like to add a drop of olive oil or a pat of butter feel free to add it at the table. If you have extra herb why not make herb chicken?

Ng's Hummus

My mom makes the worlds best hummus and she never ever has a recipe. She is coming to visit me next week and claims she will be able to share her method with me. That said my hummus is very good and if you haven't tasted my moms than you might say it was the worlds best. I'll post my mom's recipe soon see if you can spot the difference.

Ng's Hummus
Makes 1 Yummy Bowl

1 cup of dried chickpeas
1/2 tsp tahini
1 clove of garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup of the chickpea cooking water
Salt, pepper and hot pepper
Soak the chickpeas over night. Drain cover with fresh salted water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover. Cook for about 45min to an hour or until the chickpeas are soft. Save some of the cooking water to blend but drain the rest.

Blend the chickpeas, tahini and garlic with half of the lemon juice and olive oil. Taste and add more lemon juice. If the hummus is too thick to blend add some of the cooking water. I end up using 1 lemon and 1/4 cup of cooking water to get a thick hummus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add any herbs or roasted red peppers.

Cucumber Raita Gazpacho

Given my love for yogurt and the huge cucumber plant conquering my conservatory it is no surprise that I'm posting a Cucumber Raita Gazpacho. Raita is an Indian yogurt dip made with garlic, mint and cucumber. We eat it all the time and turns out it makes a great gazpacho.
Cucumber Raita Gazpacho
serves 2
1 1/2 English cucumbers pealed
1/2 clove of garlic
5 walnuts
1 Tbs fresh mint
1 tsp lemon basil (optional)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
salt and white pepper

Chop the cucumbers and garlic. Blend with the walnuts and herbs adding olive oil and yogurt until everything is smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper. For a thinner gazpacho add water or bread for a thicker one. My cucumbers were really juicy so I didn't need to do anything.

Creamy Beet Salad

The beets in my garden are still filling out but luckily be found a lady selling them for 1e a bunch. One of the first recipe I made was this creamy beat salad. For years I have been grating cooked beets into bowls of plain yogurt. I even wanted it this salad at my wedding (it was vetoed by my mom). Last Dec we tried beet salad some Russian friends made. It had garlic, dried dill and creame fresh or yogurt. I've been adding garlic and dill ever since.

The greens I used raw in salad and cooked on pizza.

We ate a few beets raw, but mostly I roasted them. Just wash and bake them until the skin comes off. I cover the beet in tin foil and throw them in the oven when I'm baking something else. It takes about an hour before they soften.
Creamy Beet Salad
makes one bowl
3 roasted and pealed beets
1/2 clove a garlic
1 Tbs chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup plain yogurt
salt and pepper

Grate the beets. Make a paste with the garlic by mashing it with 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix the beets, garlic, dill and yogurt. Add salt and pepper to taste.
We enjoyed this hot pink salad with homegrown cucumbers and homemade burgers. Yummy!

Baba Ganoush

My mom makes the best Baba Ganoush (and hummus) in the world and I don't think she ever uses a recipe. She just blends adding more lemon, oil, or tehina until it taste right. I tried to write down a reicpe close to hers, but feel free to play around and find your own.

Baba Ganoush
Make about 1 cup
1 eggplant
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon
1 tsp tehina
1-2 tbs olive oil
salt, pepper, hot pepper

Roast the eggplant in a hot oven for about 45min. Just stick in while your baking something else. Or wrap the eggplant in foil and pop on the bbq, its done when its looks like a ballon ready to pop. Let the eggplant cool and peel.

Blend the eggplant, with the garlic, tehina and the jucie of half a lemon. Taste and add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. I also like to add hot pepper, lemon zest and fresh herbs.

Enjoy as a dip or sandwich spread.

Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad

I know posted a recipe for German Cucumber and Radish Salad exactly one month ago today but its summer and I love both cucumbers and salad. Before moving to Ireland I hated cucumbers turns out I just disliked the seeds and thick skins of American cucumbers because English cucumber are great.
This is our cucumber plant. I grew it from seed and it is now trying to conquer our conservatory.
We have picked 5 large cucumbers in the last week. All week we have been living off cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches. I made this Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad to go with hamburgers and no one even bothered to open the jar of dills on the table.
Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad
Serves 3-4
1 English Cucumber (or 2-3 pealed and seeded American ones)
1 Spring Onion
1 Tbs of Fresh Dill
1 tsp Dry Roasted Caraway Seeds
1/2 tsp elderflower vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp walnut oil
Salt and Pepper

Slice into thin rounds. Chop the spring onion and dill. Mix all together with the caraway seeds, dress with oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.