Thai Green Papaya Salad

I have always thought a green papaya was an unripe papaya and it turns out I am correct. I have been looking for an unripe papaya for a very long time. Upon a visit to an Asian grocery store I found hard small papayas and I was finally in luck.

Two kinds of papaya, sometimes called pawpaw, are commonly grown. One has sweet red or orange flesh and the other is yellow. Either picked unripened is called green papaya. Green papaya is rich in papain, an enzyme that tenderizes meat. It is also an aid to digestion. It has been used by the indigenous peoples for centuries and is an ingredient in powdered meat tenderizers.

In addition to salads, green papaya is cooked in curries and stews.

Papaya does not properly ripen after picking which explains why I have not found it outside an Asian grocer. The typical use is as a fresh fruit. Timing is everything and if picked green the papaya will soften but not ripen. My long wait has been rewarded. I have a salad for lunch today. Personally, I would not call this a traditional recipe because of the inclusion of tomatoes. However, they do add a punch of colour.

Thai Green Papaya Salad

3 tablespoons palm sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons dried shrimp, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Chinese long beans
green papaya, peeled, halved, seeded
10 large cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, very thinly sliced

1 fresh red Thai chile with seeds, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Set dressing aside.

Cook beans in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Using julienne peeler, peel enough papaya to measure 6 cups. Place in large bowl. Add tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, chile, and green beans. Pour dressing over; toss. Sprinkle peanuts over and serve.

Thai Influenced Cold Noodle Salad

This salad is stunning. It is refreshing and satisfying and filling all at the same time. Soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour along with white flour so they are lower in gluten and have a richer flavour. They cook quickly. Ramen noodles could be substituted.

Soba Noodle Salad

Yield 8 servings

    15 ounces (1 package) dried soba noodles

    1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

    1/3 cup rice vinegar

    1/3 cup soy sauce

    juice from one lime

    zest of one lime

    2 tablespoons brown sugar

    2 cloves garlic, minced

    2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)

    1 cup finely grated carrot

    1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

    1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

    In a large pot, cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse noodles with cold water, and set aside.

    Pour into a large bowl the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Mix in lime zest, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes; stir until sugar dissolves. Toss in carrots, peanuts, and cilantro.

    Stir noodles into dressing mixture. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

    Toss salad again before serving. If dry, splash with soy sauce and vinegar. Serve cold.

Spicy Chicken and Beef Satays

The January 2010 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day.

I made beef and chicken satay grilled on hardwood charcoal.  I bought Trader Joe's peanut sauce, but these satays are so flavourful that you don't even need the sauce!  I took a couple of 'authentic' recipes and just eliminated the hard to find ingredients.  It makes no difference to the enjoyment of these satays.

I actually made these last month, before the challenge, but with Christmas and all I decided to submit it as my entry for this challenge.  I had made exactly what was required with this challenge!


Beef Satay

3 t whole coriander seeds
2 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 t ground turmeric
1 T fresh ginger,coarsely chopped
1 T brown sugar
1 T peanut oil
1/2 t salt

 Place the coriander seeds in a small food processor. Pulse until the coriander is well ground and dusty, about 2 minutes. (Don't remove the coriander from the food processor at this point — you're going to grind it again along with the other flavoring-paste ingredients.)
 
Add shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, brown sugar, oil, and salt to the food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth paste.  Add up to 2 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, periodically turning the processor off and, with a spoon, scraping the unground portions down toward the blade as you go, if necessary.  Transfer the blended marinade into a nonreactive bowl large enough to hold the beef.
 
Slice the beef into long, 1/4-inch-thick strips against (not with) the grain of the meat, as you would if carving a cooked piece of London broil. The pieces should be no wider than 1 inch.

Add the sliced beef to the bowl and combine it well with the marinade, making sure that every piece is coated. Allow the beef to marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
 
Thread the beef strips onto the presoaked bamboo skewers, weaving the point of each skewer through the center of the beef every 1/4 inch to make sure it holds tight and remains secure while it cooks. Use 1 to 4 pieces of beef per skewer, depending on how long the pieces are, making sure that the beef extends from the tip to the middle of the skewer. Leave plenty of room so you can grab the skewer at the bottom — the meat should not extend from one end to the other.
 
To cook the beef on a grill, first prepare a medium-hot wood charcoal fire. When the fire is hot (this may take up to 20 minutes), place each skewer on the grill, making sure that the beef, not the skewer, is directly over the heat. Grill the beef until it is cooked through and has begun to pick up a few crispy brown-black spots, about 2 to 5 minutes (depending on how hot the fire is). Turn the skewers over carefully and continue grilling until the other side is browned, another 2 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook the meat — it will dry out if you do. Test a piece by touching it with your finger. The beef should be firm, not squishy. Another way to test it is by cutting into the thickest point: It should be very faintly pink, neither blood-red nor gray.
 
To broil the beef in the oven, preheat the broiler for at least 5 minutes and position the rack so that the satay skewers will be 3 inches from the heat source. Line a half-sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place each skewer on the pan, arranging them so that the meat is in the center of the pan and the skewers slightly hang over the outside, and slide the pan into the broiler. Broil until the meat begins to turn golden brown and develops a few char spots, about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn each piece over to brown the other side, an additional 5 to 6 minutes of broiling. Test a piece by touching it with your finger. The beef should be firm, not squishy. Another way to test it is by cutting into the thickest point: It should be very faintly pink, neither blood-red nor gray. If the surface doesn't char (your broiler or the distance from the flame may not allow it to), don't worry — as long as the meat is cooked through, the satay will taste wonderful. Do not overcook the meat; it will be unpleasantly dry.
 
Transfer to a serving dish and let the skewers rest for about 1 minute, until they are cool enough to handle. Serve immediately.

 

 





Chicken Satay
For 2 pounds of chicken breast 
1 stalks lemongrass
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 red chili
1 onions
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
juice of 1 lime

Slice the chicken breast thinly in long narrow strips and set aside in the fridge while you prepare the marinade.
Slice the white part of the lemongrass finely and place in mortal and pestle or blender.  I bought the dried lemongrass in a jar and it worked just fine.  I used about 1 tablespoon.

Add coriander seeds, chopped chili, peeled and diced onion and ginger.  Pulse in a food processor until well combined and smooth.
Add salt, brown sugar, water, vegetable oil, and lime juice and mix well.
Add the marinade to the chicken pieces and stir until well coated.  Set aside for a few hours, or overnight.

To serve, thread one or two pieces of marinated chicken onto each skewer and barbecue or grill until golden brown on each side. 

Homemade peanut sauce      from Crisis Brownies

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic.
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 2 T honey or agave nectar
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 2 T. chili oil
• 1 chopped hot chili

Directions:

1. Put the garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
3. Add water to thin the consistency if you find it necessary.
4. Refrigerate any unused sauce in a tightly-lidded container.
5. You may use more or less chili pepper to suit your taste for spiciness.

Spicy Chicken and Beef Satays

Tonight my house sit host comes to pack up the rest of her furniture.  I offered to cook for a little 'tea party' with a few of her friends.  This is the south but I just don't feel like making southern food.  I hope they will like my cooking!

I made beef and chicken satay grilled on hardwood charcoal this afternoon.  I will keep them in the refrigerator until we all get together after church tomorrow.  I bought Trader Joe's peanut sauce, but these satays are so flavourful that you don't even need the sauce!  I took a couple of 'authentic' recipes and just eliminated the hard to find ingredients.  It makes no difference to the enjoyment of these satays.

For a sweet, I am making date squares.  They don't make date squares down here.  Odd, I thought.  But when I went looking for dates I couldn't find the right ones.  I hope it tastes good with the light dates from California.  I am also serving some of my handmade chocolates from my class in Orlando.  And my Burnt Orange and Pecan Caramels.


Beef Satay

3 t whole coriander seeds
2 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 t ground turmeric
1 T fresh ginger,coarsely chopped
1 T brown sugar
1 T peanut oil
1/2 t salt

 Place the coriander seeds in a small food processor. Pulse until the coriander is well ground and dusty, about 2 minutes. (Don't remove the coriander from the food processor at this point — you're going to grind it again along with the other flavoring-paste ingredients.)
 
Add shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, brown sugar, oil, and salt to the food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth paste.  Add up to 2 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, periodically turning the processor off and, with a spoon, scraping the unground portions down toward the blade as you go, if necessary.  Transfer the blended marinade into a nonreactive bowl large enough to hold the beef.
 
Slice the beef into long, 1/4-inch-thick strips against (not with) the grain of the meat, as you would if carving a cooked piece of London broil. The pieces should be no wider than 1 inch.

Add the sliced beef to the bowl and combine it well with the marinade, making sure that every piece is coated. Allow the beef to marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
 
Thread the beef strips onto the presoaked bamboo skewers, weaving the point of each skewer through the center of the beef every 1/4 inch to make sure it holds tight and remains secure while it cooks. Use 1 to 4 pieces of beef per skewer, depending on how long the pieces are, making sure that the beef extends from the tip to the middle of the skewer. Leave plenty of room so you can grab the skewer at the bottom — the meat should not extend from one end to the other.
 
To cook the beef on a grill, first prepare a medium-hot wood charcoal fire. When the fire is hot (this may take up to 20 minutes), place each skewer on the grill, making sure that the beef, not the skewer, is directly over the heat. Grill the beef until it is cooked through and has begun to pick up a few crispy brown-black spots, about 2 to 5 minutes (depending on how hot the fire is). Turn the skewers over carefully and continue grilling until the other side is browned, another 2 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook the meat — it will dry out if you do. Test a piece by touching it with your finger. The beef should be firm, not squishy. Another way to test it is by cutting into the thickest point: It should be very faintly pink, neither blood-red nor gray.
 
To broil the beef in the oven, preheat the broiler for at least 5 minutes and position the rack so that the satay skewers will be 3 inches from the heat source. Line a half-sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place each skewer on the pan, arranging them so that the meat is in the center of the pan and the skewers slightly hang over the outside, and slide the pan into the broiler. Broil until the meat begins to turn golden brown and develops a few char spots, about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn each piece over to brown the other side, an additional 5 to 6 minutes of broiling. Test a piece by touching it with your finger. The beef should be firm, not squishy. Another way to test it is by cutting into the thickest point: It should be very faintly pink, neither blood-red nor gray. If the surface doesn't char (your broiler or the distance from the flame may not allow it to), don't worry — as long as the meat is cooked through, the satay will taste wonderful. Do not overcook the meat; it will be unpleasantly dry.
 
Transfer to a serving dish and let the skewers rest for about 1 minute, until they are cool enough to handle. Serve immediately.

 

 





Chicken Satay
For 2 pounds of chicken breast 
1 stalks lemongrass
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 red chili
1 onions
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
juice of 1 lime

Slice the chicken breast thinly in long narrow strips and set aside in the fridge while you prepare the marinade.
Slice the white part of the lemongrass finely and place in mortal and pestle or blender.  I bought the dried lemongrass in a jar and it worked just fine.  I used about 1 tablespoon.

Add coriander seeds, chopped chili, peeled and diced onion and ginger.  Pulse in a food processor until well combined and smooth.
Add salt, brown sugar, water, vegetable oil, and lime juice and mix well.
Add the marinade to the chicken pieces and stir until well coated.  Set aside for a few hours, or overnight.

To serve, thread one or two pieces of marinated chicken onto each skewer and barbecue or grill until golden brown on each side.