Vietnamese Salad

I love this Salad and have tried to replicate it on a post I published a few weeks ago and came up with the recipe for one of my salad dressings. Amazing taste.

{click here to see the recipe for Asian Salad Dressing}. 

This time, you and I are very lucky because Nee, from the Blue Diamond, has allowed me into her kitchen to film her making it so click here to watch the very easy steps 

to making a Salad that will change your life!

Have fun and enjoy it!!!

{oh! I added a picture of my fave dessert she makes: 

Vegan Apple Crumble, you just HAVE to try it!!! }

Below are some pictures I took there on my delicious visit.

But first the recipe:

You will need:

Shredded cucumber

Shredded carrots

Shredded cabbage

1 ripe tomato cut in 6/8

Pounded Garlic, chillies and demerara sugar to your taste

Pounded roast peanuts
Pak chi farang- Thai coriander {or coriander}

Lime juice 

Soy sauce or fish sauce

Ripped romaine lettuce 

Cashew nuts to garnish and crunch with style

In a bowl, mix the lime juice and the soy sauce and add the rest of the  ingredients except the lettuce and the cashew nuts. Mix well together until you see the peanuts has released some creaminess and the salad is coated in juice {the cucumber and tomatoes will help do that}. Add the lettuce mix quickly and serve with the cashews on top. 

HAVE FUN!!!!!!

35/1 Soi 9, T Moon Muang

7am-9pm Mon-Sat

 Nee and I 

 Pak Chi {Thai Coriander}

 Vegan Apple Crumble from Heaven 

 Vegetables and fruits from her shop

Asian Salad Dressing...

I was at the market the other day and remembered I had not had a proper salad for weeks. So, I bought some iceberg lettuce and tofu and went home to make something with it.

I remembered the salad I had recently at a restaurant here in Chiang Mai, Thailand and it inspired me, though I only used half of the ingredients they use, I wanna say thanks to Nee from Blue Diamond for creating it.

When I got home, I looked at my cupboard and found the few ingredients I have there. I took poetic license to make this salad dressing and it came out DELICIOUS!

So, here is my recipe as I made it, but if you do not have the same ingredients you can adapt, I am sure it will be just as good and you will make it again and again, like I have been making for the last week.
The other good thing about it, is that it takes very little oil and so it is great for any diet.

You will need:

1 cup any lettuce leaves or thinly sliced white cabbage
4 cha plu leaves {optional - found in asian grocery shop}
1/2 cup cubed firm tofu
2 tablespoons mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped spring onions
1 teaspoon chopped coriander {optional}
1/2 cup of crushed cashew nuts {optional but this makes your salad perfect}

Dressing:

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons nam pla {fish sauce - veggies can use soy or tamari sauce}
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 small lime

Other options to add to the dressing:
pinch of dried chillies, garlic, palm sugar, burnt coconut, shallots, peanuts...play with it after the first time and discover other variations as you go along!!!!

Make the dressing by mixing all ingredients in a jam jar and shaking it vigorously. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Lay the cha plu leaves leaves on a platter.
Put the other ingredients on a bowl and season with the dressing and place it on the platter.

You can make more dressing as it will keep for a couple of days in your fridge, if sealed properly.

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!
Let me know how it goes!!!

Thai Prawn & Lemongrass Salad

I had a prawn salad on my first trip to Thailand, many many years ago and I have been on a hunt for a good recipe ever since.
This is one of my favorites.
It tastes as delicious as it looks and it is very easy to make.

Leave all ingredients prepared before you begin cooking and assembling it, like in ALL asian cooking and there is very little that can go wrong.
You can also make it with thins strips of chicken, pork or beef.
You can BBQ the prawns before you add it to the sauce if you want!!!

You will need:

6 uncooked, unshelled and deveined prawns
1/2 cup boiling water or fresh lemongrass tea {no sugar}
1 tablespoon chilli sauce
lightly pounded bird's eyes chillies {as many as you can take}
1/2 of a lime {juice only}
2 tablespoons of nam pla {fish sauce}
a  drop of soya sauce
a pinch of sugar
2 bulbs of lemongrass hit with the back of your cleaver and sliced VERY thinly and diagonally as shown in the picture}
1/2 cup of a mixture of white onion, red onion or thai/indian red shallots, spring onions
4 cherry tomatoes cut in half {optional}

Blanch the prawns in the water or tea until pink/cooked and drain. Do not overcook them.
In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients and adjust the seasoning to your liking. The idea is that is a little spicy, tangy and salty with a touch of lemongrass. The sugar serves to bring out the flavours of the chilli and smoothing the mixture.
Mix the prawns in the sauce, arrange it on a nice plate and serve immediately.