Vietnamese Chicken, Pea and Mint Salad

Like asparagus, peas are another vegetable that is quintessentially spring and they find a nature partner in fresh mint. To use up the peas I bought for the Salmon with Asparagus, Lima Beans and Peas, I thought it would be interesting to do something with Asian flavors.

I found this recipe for Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Mint by Nigella Lawson, star of Nigella Kitchen on the Food Network and thought that peas would also work well in the dish.

Don’t be put off by the fish sauce. A lot of Southeast Asian dishes have it. Despite how pungent it is on its own, it disappears into the dish once it’s all mixed together. Consider this: if you’ve eaten Pad Thai, you’ve probably had fish sauce.

The other big change I made was to omit the Thai chile and instead spiced my bowl with a few squirts of sriracha, a Thai hot sauce, allowing Chris to keep his salad mild.

Vietnamese Chicken, Pea and Mint Salad
Adapted from Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Mint by Nigella Lawson

½ medium sweet onion, finely sliced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. rice vinegar
1 ½ tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 ½ tbsp. Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
2 ½ tbsp. canola oil
¾ lb. chicken breast cutlets
Seasoned salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup fresh peas
8 oz. white or green cabbage, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 bunch mint, plus extra for garnish, leaves roughly chopped
Sriracha hot sauce

1. Add onion to a medium bowl. Whisk together garlic, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce and remaining 1 ½ tbsp. oil and pour over onion. Set aside for ½ an hour.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper and sauté until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside to cool and then cut into narrow strips.

3. Fill a 4 qt. saucepan halfway with water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to boil, add peas and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer cooked peas to an ice water bath to chill.

4. In a large bowl combine cabbage, carrot, chicken breast, peas and mint. Pour onion-dressing mixture over salad and toss with tongs to combine. Serve topped with extra mint for garnish and, if desired, a few squirts of sriracha.

The Feed: April 10, 2013

The Feed is my weekly round up of interesting food-related stories from newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.

The Oregonian: “Welcome 'Mad Men' season 6 with 1960s-themed party snacks, cocktails: Foodday Favorites,” by Grant Butler.
AMC’s stylish drama series Mad Men returned for its 6th season Sunday, sending lovers of nostalgic party food back to the ‘60s for Mad Men-era snacks and drinks. The Oregonian’s Foodday took a nice approach: resurrecting its own recipes from the 1960s but putting a modern spin on them, like updating cheese ball with smoked paprika and marcona almonds.

Table Matters: “Don’t Drink Like Mad Men,” by Derek Brown
Also in the Mad Men vein, although with a caution, as Brown discusses how cocktails were definitely trending downward during the ‘60s. He offers suggestions for how to improve Mad Men-era drinks, such as omitting the “fruit salad” from an Old Fashioned (I prefer just an orange peel myself).

SlowMoneyFarm: “Food Labels – What Do You Believe & REALLY Want to Know?”
If I told you my blog was a “nuclear free zone” would it make you want to read it more? The SlowMoneyFarm blog uses the recent example of the Florida DJs who got in trouble for telling people their taps were dispensing “dihydrogen monoxide” (a.k.a. “water”), to point out that food producers can use the truth in misleading ways to sell their products. For example, labeling popcorn as free of genetically modified corn in hopes of selling to the anti-G.M.O. crowd when no popcorn is G.M.O. in the first place. I’ve seen this with chicken: producers claiming it’s hormone free when no chickens are raised with added growth hormone since they aren’t approved for that use.

New York Times: “Why Do G.M.O.s Need Protection?” by Mark Bittman.
Speaking of G.M.O. Bittman is known as a recipe genius and champion of simple cooking, but here he takes an editorial stance, calling a recent move by Congress to protect producers of genetically modified foods “unnecessary as well as disgraceful.” According to Bittman, the law in question prohibits the Department of Agriculture from stopping production of a genetically engineered crop, even if it’s found to be harmful.

Washington Post: “Homemade crackers, in no time flat,” by Jane Touzalin. 
Think making homemade crackers is difficult? Touzalin discovers its really quite simple and a much more economic way of getting your hands on “artisan” crackers. This recipe, for example, uses only flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, butter and water and sounds like it takes about 30-40 minutes.

New York Times Magazine: “True Tales of Hell in the Kitchen,” by Jessica Gross. 
They may be professional, but top New York chefs have suffered mishaps too. Here’s a collection of 10 amusing anecdotes from restaurants like B. Smith, Perilla and Anissa.

Salmon with Asparagus, Lima Beans and Peas

I love asparagus with salmon. I love peas with salmon. I love bacon with salmon (and just about everything else). This dish, adapted from a recent Bon Appétit recipe unites that trio, along with lima beans and shallots, for an easy midweek broiled salmon. Salmon doesn't appear in the magazine's recipe, but I think it's an obvious accompaniment for this spring mix. Unfortunately, I could not find the fava beans it called for, but lima beans are a fine stand in (edamame would also be good).

The crispy shallots are a nice touch but watch them carefully. Although the original recipe called for frying them for 10 to 12 minutes, mine were definitely ready after just 5 minutes and you don't want to overcook them.

Salmon with Asparagus, Lime Beans and Peas
Adapted from Pea, Asparagus and Fave Bean Salad, Bon Appétit

3/4 lb. salmon fillet
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the salmon
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch lardons
2 tsp. grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1 cups lima beans, fresh or frozen thawed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced

1. Preheat broiler with oven rack about 5 inches from broiler (the top position in my oven). Place salmon fillet skin-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Spray or brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Broil until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through.

2. Cook bacon in a medium frying pan over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel lined plate.

3. Whisk together 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

4. Bring a large (4 qt.) saucepan of water to boil. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Add asparagus and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove asparagus from hot water and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and transfer peas to the bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain vegetables.

5. Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 4-6 minutes (original recipe said 10 to 12 minutes, but mine were definitely ready much sooner). Transfer shallots to a paper towel-lined plate.

6. Add vegetables to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Divide among two plates and top each with half the salmon, bacon and fried shallots.

7. Add dressing to bowl with vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer salad to a serving platter and top with shallot and bacon.

Vegetable Napoleons with Red Wine Sauce

I'm anxious for the bounty of spring vegetables to arrive. Apart from the asparagus though, we're just not quite there, a situation The New York Times bemoaned last week. Their solution was to treat winter vegetables with spring-like preparation or to "cheat," that is take advantage of spring vegetables that are already available because they are grown in other places, like California.

I don't know if I consider it cheating, but I did have a craving for a mix of vegetables recently that I decided to satisfy by making roasted vegetable napoleons. Traditionally, a Napoleon is a layered pastry, but a recent Washington Post article about a meal at Mintwood Place described a vegetable version. Mine isn't nearly as complex as Chef Cedric Maupillar's, but it's still a fun way to serve roasted vegetables in a different way.

Because the asparagus and mushrooms require less time in the oven, I arranged them in one pan so I could remove it from the oven while the heartier vegetables--the peppers, onion and zucchini--continue in the oven until they develop a little color. Since the whole thing goes back in the oven for a final blast to warm through and melt the cheese, be careful not to overdo it, especially with the mushrooms, which could burn if left in the oven too long.

I served the napoleons with fried polenta and went the easy route: I bought the pre-cooked polenta that comes in the tube, sliced it into 1/2-inch slices and fried them in olive oil with a little salt and pepper.

Roasted Vegetable Napoleons with Red Wine Sauce
(Red Wine Sauce adapted from Red Wine Reduction Sauce by Jen Hoy for About.com)

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends trimmed
2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1 sweet onion, sliced into 1/3-inch thick rounds
1 zucchini, cut on an angle into 1/3-inch thick ovals
1 red bell pepper, sides cut off in four flat pieces
1 tsp. kosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
10 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds (aim to cut two large pieces of cheese into 8 slices each)
1 cup fruity red wine (I used pinot noir)
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1/2 shallot, peeled with ends sliced of
1 rosemary sprig
4 tbsp. Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Brush two baking sheets with olive oil. Arrange asparagus and portobello mushroom cups one sheet and the onion, zucchini and red pepper on the other. Spray vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes for the asparagus and mushrooms and 15-20 minutes for the other vegetables. Remove from oven and allow vegetables to cool so you can handle them. Chop asparagus spears and mushrooms in half.

3. While roasting vegetables, make the red wine sauce: combine wine, shallot and rosemary in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cook until reduced to about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup. Remove from heat to cool. Discard rosemary and shallot.

3. Assemble the Napoleons (you'll be making four): Line a baking with with parchment. Lay down the bell pepper slices, skin side down. Top each with a slice of mozzarella, then 4 or 5 asparagus spears (the fatter ones), an onion slice, more cheese, a zucchini slice, more cheese, more asparagus spears (the tips), more cheese and finally the portobello mushrooms (you'll have some leftover vegetables, wi. Return to oven to heat through and melt cheese, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve with red wine sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.

Dallas Drinks: The Harris

Dallas Drinks is a co-creation with Dallas Decoder, honoring the characters of the TNT drama Dallas, which continues the Ewing family saga. See all of the Dallas Drinks here.

In their history, the Ewings have had no shortage of formidable adversaries: Cliff Barnes and his father Digger instantly come to mind, as well as Katherine Wentworth and Jeremy Wendell. Of course, this is Dallas, so these foes often have tangled, intimate histories with the Ewings: Cliff is Pamela Ewing's brother, Digger was once attached to Ellie Ewing, Katherine is Cliff and Pam's half sister, etc.

Harris Ryland was introduced on TNT's new Dallas last season and has comfortably slipped into this mold: attempting to con Sue Ellen into laundering money for him, joining forces with Cliff Barnes to take down Ewing Energies, scheming against his daughter's efforts to reconnect with her mother Ann Ewing, whom Harris was once married to.

The Harris cocktail is appropriately potent: it's almost all alcohol, but despite this, it's a rather smooth and delicious drink. The trick is in the ice: using crushed helps quickly chill and dilute the drink until it is just right. I like all the Dallas Drinks, but this just might be my favorite.

Grapefruit, which appeared as shrub in The Judith and soda in The Emma completes the Ryland drink trio as bitters in The Harris (he is a rather bitter man after all). The three also share London dry gin, and Harris and Emma both contain Galliano, nodding to their special father-daughter bond. The walnut liqueur represents Harris' particular brand of enmity for the Ewings, recalling the scene in the episode "Let Me In"where Harris munches on nuts while describing for Governor Sam McConaughey--another Ewing foe--how his plot to take down the Ewings is like a komodo dragon patiently waiting for just the right moment to strike its victim.

Cocktail: The Cloister

This refreshing cocktail strikes me as a good accompaniment to any of the vegetarian dishes I've written about this week with its bright citrus flavors and the herbal notes of Chartreuse. It's another recipe from The PDT Cocktail Book, one of the best sources for cocktail ideas.

The Cloister
From The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan, adapted from a recipe by Thomas Mario that appeared in Playboy's Host & Bar Book, 1971

1 1/2 oz. gin (recipe calls for Tanqueray, I used Bombay Sapphire)
1/2 oz. yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
1/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. simple syrup
Grapefruit twist garnish (I used a lemon twist, since the grapefruit twist I cut didn't look very good)

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with twist.

Multi-Grain Risotto with Broccolini and Brussels Sprouts

The Washington Post recently ran this beautiful recipe for Five-Grain Risotto with Broccolini and Brussels Sprouts. Although I've had fun experimenting with different vegetables in risotto, until now I'd never tried making it with grains other than rice. The results were fantastic. I loved the combination of flavors. For those who think making risotto is too labor-intensive, this one is much easier: only occasional stirring is needed.

The original recipe called for using five grains: farro, wheat berries, pearled barley, buckwheat groats and bulgur. Not having them on hand, I omitted the buckwheat and bulgur, substituting greater amounts of farro and barley. I bet other grains would also work in this. Be interesting to try it with quinoa or steel-cut oats (if you experiment, I'd love to hear about the results).

The dish originated as part of the Food section's recent all-vegetarian coverage on March 6. Food section editor Joe Yonan and restaurant critic Tom Sietsema visited several well-known D.C. restaurants and ate only vegetarian dishes, in some cases challenging the chefs to come up with something more inventive than the usual fare. At Mintwood Place, chef Cedric Maupillar constructed a vegetable napolean that's an architectural feat: made with planks of onion tart, structured with beans, eggplant and Brussels sprouts and topped with a mix of greens. While there, The Food writers also sampled the multi-grain risotto, which is a usual vegetarian item on the menu.

Multi-Grain Risotto with Roasted Vegetables

Adapted from Five-Grain Risotto with Brussels Sprouts and Broccolini by Joe Yonan for the Washington Post as adapted from a recipe by Cedric Maupillar, chef of Mintwood Place in Washington, D.C.

5 cups low-sodium (or if you make it yourself, no sodium) vegetable broth
1/4 cup white miso
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup farro
1/4 cup wheat berries
1/2 cup pearled barley
1/4 cup amontillado sherry (I substituted this for the 1/4 cup mirin in the original recipe)
1 lb. broccolini (2 small bunches), stem ends cut
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed, cut in half
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Salt (optional)

1. Heat broth in 4-quart saucepan over medium heat (or in a large glass measuring cup in the microwave) until simmering.

2. Whisk together 1/4 cup of the hot broth with the miso and pour half this mixture back into the hot broth (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup of broth-miso mixture for later). Cover the hot broth and keep warm.

3. Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, but not browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add the farro, wheat berries and barley, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the sherry (or mirin) and cook until it has evaporated. Add all of the warm broth (but not the reserved 1/4 cup of broth and miso) and stir to combine. Once the mixture is bubbling, cook, stirring occasionally, until the grains are tender and the mixture is creamy, about 40 to 45 minutes.

4. While the risotto cooks, preheat the oven to 450 F. Toss the broccolini and Brussels sprouts with the remaining tbsp. of oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast vegetables until tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit then chop the broccolini into large pieces.

5. Stir the reserved broth-miso mixture into the risotto then add the roasted vegetables and parmesan.