♥ Spring Inspired Vietnamese Salad (GOI)

 Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. of pork shoulder
• 1/4 lb. of shrimp deveined and slit into half
• 1 Granny Smith Apple cut thinly into julience strips
• 1 stalk of celery thin sliced
• 1 big carrot cut into very fine julienne strips
• 1 red pepper thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper thinly sliced
• 1 stalk of rhubarb thinly slided (optional)
• 1/2 bunch of radish sliced in half

Ingredients for fish sauce:

• 2 tablespoon of premium fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sugar of palm/brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1/4 table spoon of garlic
• Add hot sauce or chilies depend on your taste

Directions:
1. Put all the vegetable ingredients into a mixing bowl
2. Grill or boil the pork shoulder and cut it into thin strip
3. Grill or boil the shrimp
4. Add the pork and shrimp into the mixing bowl
5. Add the mixed fish sauce into the bowl so it can soak up the flavors
 

Presentation:

• Plating to your visual liking because this salad itself is already punctuated with contrasts and textures.
• Pair it with a glass of Saigon lager on a summer day.

  Thanks to my dear friend

 Chef and Images: Tram J. VuDinh

♥ Meat: Griddled Steak with Hot Chilli Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

• sunflower oil, for brushing (9)
  
• 4 sirloin steaks, about 225g/8 oz each (6)
  
• salt and pepper (7 +8)
  

Hot Chilli Salsa

• 4 fresh red habanero chillies
• 4 fresh green poblano chillies
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced (4)
  
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (1)
  
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (3)
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil (2)
  
• salt (8)
  
• lamb's lettuce, to garnish (5)
  

1. For the salsa, preheat the grill to high. Arrange the chillies on a foil-lined grill rack and cook under the preheated grill, turning frequently, until blackened and charred
2. Leave cool. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin.


3. Halve and deseed the chillies, then finely chop the flesh.
4. Mix together the chillies, tomatoes, and coriander in a bowl.


5. Mix together the vinegar and olive oil in a jug. Season to taste with salt, and pour over the salsa. Toss well, cover and chill until required


6. Heat a ridged griddle pan over a medium heat and brush lightly with sunflower oil. Season the steaks to taste with salt and pepper, and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.


7. Serve immediately with salsa garnished with lamb's lettuce.

Source: Photo CookBook ($ 4.99) on the iPad, iPodTouch, and iPhone

♥ Meat: marinated Raw Beef

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 200g/7 oz beef fillet in one piece (2)
  
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (4)
  
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (6)
  
• 55 g/2 oz Parmesan cheese shavings (9)
  
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (5)
  
• salt and pepper (3+7)
  
• lemon slices, to garnish (8)
  
• crusty bread, to serve (1)
  

1. Put the beef fillet into the freezer for 30 minutes. Using a very sharp knife, cut the beef into wafer-thin slices and arrange on 4 serving plates.
2. Pour the lemon juice into a small bowl and whisk in the oil. Seasons to taste with salt and pepper.


3. Pour the dressing over the beef. Cover the plates with plastic wrap and let marinate for 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove the discard the plastic wrap. Arrange the Parmesan shavings in the center of each serving and sprinkle with the parsley.


5. Garnish with lemon slices and serve with bread

Source: Photo CookBook ($ 4.99) on the iPad, iPodTouch, and iPhone