Tag: spicy

Roasted Salmon with Spicy Thai Coconut Red Curry Sauce

Roasted Salmon with Spicy Thai Coconut Red Curry Sauce

Yup, we’re here again. That time where we look at our calendars and think, “is it REALLY almost Rosh Hashanah? Where did this YEAR go?!” That’s what we’re all thinking, especially with the last year and a half in a total time warp.

Well, for this year’s Rosh Hashanah menu, I’ll be making Roasted Salmon with Spicy Thai Coconut Red Curry Sauce.

Not So Tradish

Wait, what? Thai Coconut Red Curry Sauce…for a the Jewish New Year?!

Okay, hear me out.

What are we all eating on Rosh Hashanah? Well, if my mom is reading this, then she’ll remember when I was 4 years old and I would reply, “Tzicken”! LOL Yup, that was back when I ate chicken!

But in reality, we’re devouring apples, honey, pomegranate, maybe some starfruit or dragonfruit – all the new fruits we can get our hands on. We’re consuming a lot of fruit and its sweet accompaniments. So, I made this Baked Salmon with Spicy Thai Coconut Red Curry Sauce dish to counter all of the honey and sweetness in our palates in our upcoming yom tov meals. And since honey and chilies pair so well together, it felt like a match made in heaven.

It’s okay to lick your bowl

I first created this recipe several months ago just out of a craving of something spicy, with my red curry powder from The Spice House and creamy coconut milk. Plus adding in some salmon for protein and tomatoes and green beans makes this a complete dish.

What developed that day was a sauce that was truly irresistible and fulfilled every craving. For real. Ask my husband. He’ll tell you that he’s seen me lick my bowl clean. The sauce is so versatile, you can make it to go on just about everything – it would be delish with some roasted or grilled veggies! And I served it with some fish patties for a Shabbat appetizer that were a bit hit! I’ve even dipped tortilla chips in it (it’s no joke how much I love it). My sister-in-law’s mother immediately asked me how I made this, after I shared a “preview” in our family WhatsApp group. And like usual I just made up the recipe, so I needed to finally write something down. This is for you, Levana!!

So I finally wrote down the recipe, albeit with a few tweaks because I KNOW I’m making this again and again and again. Because it’s THAT good. It’s so warm and satisfying. Perfectly spicy, creamy and tangy from the lemongrass and a perfect dish to make on a cool autumn night.

Though it may not be your traditional Rosh Hashanah appetizer, I say “why not”? Why not “spice” (with Thai chilies?) things up and add some flavorful traditions to your yom tov seder meals. Who says you can’t have delicious food at any holiday meal?

Wishing you all a Shana Tova! Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year!

Click here to get lots more Rosh Hashanah recipes!

 

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Roasted Salmon with Spicy Thai Coconut Red Curry Sauce
Course: Fish
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2-3 Garlic cloves, diced
  • 1-2 Thai Chiles, finely diced I like things HOT, so sometimes I use 3-4 chilies, because I'm crazy. Feel free to remove as many of the seeds as possible to reduce the heat
  • 1 tsp Red Curry Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1 15 oz. can Coconut Milk (full fat, NOT the light version)
  • 1/2 Stalk of lemongrass, finely diced (or zest and juice of half a lemon) Remove the outer tough layers, take a chef's knife and pound the lemongrass to release the oils and finely dice the mid-section of the stalk. Feel free to use fresh lemon juice & zest instead
  • 1/2 tsp Tomato Paste I don't measure, I just do 1 big squeeze (from the tube), much easier than using a can
  • 2 4 oz. Salmon fillets Season with salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425F for the salmon. Meanwhile, start making the sauce

  2. In a large, deep skillet, add 1 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil and add the garlic, red curry powder, diced chilies and diced lemongrass (if using)

  3. Cook for about 1 minute on medium heat - be careful not to burn the garlic

  4. Add the canned coconut milk and tomato paste and whisk until smooth

  5. Season with salt and pepper and adjust as needed

  6. If you're not using lemongrass, add in the lemon juice here

  7. Add your cherry tomatoes and green beans (if using)

  8. Meanwhile, add salt and pepper to the salmon filets and bake the salmon at 425F for 10 minutes

  9. Cook on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until the sauce has thickened

  10. Add your salmon to a big plate or bowl and top with the sauce, garnish with chopped cilantro or green onion and a squeeze of lemon!

Cabbage Pancakes (for Passover!)

Cabbage Pancakes

Lately, I’ve been a little preoccupied, with the move just a few weeks ago and setting up our new condo. Things are definitely in good shape here, but since Passover is HERE, I had to bring you all at least 1 new recipe – and this one came out of sheer necessity to clean our our fridge. I had a bag of coleslaw mix that I didn’t know what to do with. Sure, I could make the standard mayo or vinegar-based coleslaw, but I was bored of that. I needed something new and exciting. And then, BOOM. My Pizza Latke recipe uses sauerkraut as the base (because cabbage gets crunchy when you fry it)! So off I went, transforming the humble bag of coleslaw mix into crunchy, savory cabbage pancakes. The perfect pre-seder (or anytime) snack for Passover!

These savory pancakes are my spin on Japanese street food called okonomiyaki – made with flour, eggs, cabbage and a protein. This recipe is great for using up leftovers in your fridge. Although I didn’t use protein in my version, go ahead and add some canned tuna or salmon, ground beef or maybe cubed salami! It’s a perfect base for a savory pancake.

If you’re not planning on making this for Passover, feel free to garnish with sesame seeds (unless you eat Kitniyot) or add in coconut aminos or soy sauce. And play around with the spice level too! Maybe you have some gochujang in your fridge (okay, well that’s Korean, but hey, I did say this was my spin), or pickled jalapenos. You can even add in shredded cheese (similar to my pizza latkes) with an Asian twist.

There ya have it.

Even though I’m still trying to figure out where I put most of my kitchen stuff, I managed to give ya’ll a new recipe.

Happy Passover – Chag Kasher V’Sameach!

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Cabbage Pancakes
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1 bag Coleslaw mix I mean, you CAN shred your own cabbage and carrot, but why not go for a shortcut and make your life easier?
  • 1 tbsp. Avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Kosher-for-Passover soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce
  • 1 cup Almond Flour
  • 2 tbsp. Olive or Avocado oil, for frying
  • 1 tbsp. Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) Optional
Toppings
  • 1/4 cup Mayo
  • 2 tbsp. Sriracha
  • 2 Green onions, sliced I didn't have any when I made this, so I topped mine with a drizzle of sriracha (I skipped the mayo), dried parsley and chives!
Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients (except the extra 2 tbsp. of oil) in a large bowl and mix well until all ingredients are combined

  2. Heat the oven in a large skillet or cast iron pan

  3. Once the oil is hot, add a spoonful of the pancake batter, making a 4-6" circle and about 1/2 in thick

  4. If you have a lid handy, this is the time to use it - it will help cook the cabbage instead of just crisping up the outside of the pancake. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown then flip and cook on the other side

  5. Add the cooked pancakes to a plate and cover (to keep warm) with foil until ready to eat.

  6. Garnish the pancakes with mayo, sriracha mayo, sliced green onions, sesame seeds (kitniyot), or any other dried or fresh herbs you might have lying around!

Vegetarian Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup)

Since Sukkot is just around the corner (yup, starts this Friday night), Daniel and I thought “why not a soup challenge”?

Well, you may not have asked, but we answered! I present to you, Vegetarian Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup). This soup is total comfort in a bowl – warming aromatics, earthy, umami flavors and a perfect blend of spice and brightness of acidity. To be honest, any kind of hot soup is perfect for a chilly night in the Sukkah, but this one will warm your whole body with the bold spices.

Currently craving…

Maybe it’s because Daniel made his Thai basil chicken tacos recipe a few weeks ago but lately I’ve just been craving Thai food.  The kind of spice that isn’t too overpowering but you feel that heat develop with each bite. That’s what I’ve been wanting lately!

I had all of these ingredients at home already, so if you’re like me, you may only need to get a few extras. I stock up on coconut milk and coconut cream (mostly from Trader Joe’s) to use as a parve “cream” for soups, or desserts! And the fresh lime just takes it over the top with the perfect acidity punch. If you’re wondering where to find Thai red curry paste, I snagged some at The Spice House in Evanston. Note – be sure to check their Milwaukee catalog if you’d like to confirm what’s kosher.

And since it was tricky for me to find kosher Thai red curry paste, I made my own! It’s super easy to make with ingredients you probably already have. And for the fish sauce? I got the Red Boat certified kosher (OK) on Amazon, but if you don’t have it, you can substitute soy sauce, coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce. if you use Worcestershire sauce, you’ll still get a good “funk” that’s needed, but not as much from soy sauce or coconut aminos, but it’ll still give a nice umami flavor. Feel free to top your soup with a drizzle of fish sauce along with sliced green onions, cilantro and squeeze of lime.

My twist on tradition (as usual)

This soup is traditionally made with chicken but I decided to omit it and make it parve. The mushrooms really give a nice meaty flavor and you don’t miss the meat at all, especially with SO much flavor! But if you prefer to make this a fleishig soup, use chicken broth and add in some chicken breasts when you add in the stock and coconut milk. You can also top this soup with more sliced chilies, if you want more of a PUNCH. Of course, if you DO use chicken for this recipe, make sure to substitute the fish sauce for soy sauce or coconut aminos, or if you can find fish-free Worcestershire sauce, by all means, do it!

Another part of the traditional recipe includes galangal (Thai ginger, but I used regular ginger) and Kefir lime leaves. You can get some dried online or you can find it in specialty stores, but using regular limes for this recipe is totally acceptable – that’s that’s what I did. 🙂

When I made the soup to take photos, I basically inhaled 2 bowls of it. And no, I’m not ashamed of that!  It was incredibly satisfying and the perfect amount of heat. Shockingly, my husband Elliott actually tried it! Knowing that he hates mushrooms (or maybe he wasn’t sure what was in it), he didn’t hate it! That’s a win in my book – always.

Oh, and don’t judge my very obvious old and faded cutting board. I guess it’s time for a new one? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Chag Sameach everyone! May your Sukkot holiday be filled with good food and good company (for those who ARE having company over).

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Vegetarian Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Thai Red Curry Paste
  • 1 tbsp. Red Curry Powder
  • 1 tbsp. Fish Sauce Or substitute soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. Neutral Oil, like avocado oil
  • Squeeze of half a lime
Soup
  • 1 tbsp. Coconut oil
  • 1/2 large onion, diced Or 1 small-medium onion, diced
  • 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 Jalapeno, seeded (if you want less heat) and minced Or use a 3-4 Thai chilies, minced
  • 1 Inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
  • 1 Lemongrass stalk Remove the tough outer stalks and cut off the root. Then pound it with a meat mallet or with the side of a knife and cut into 2-inch long pieces, this helps release the natural oils! If you can't find lemongrass, you can substitute lemon zest!
  • Red Thai Curry Paste See recipe above
  • 4 cups Vegetable stock Or use chicken stock if you're making this soup Fleishigs and not parve.
  • 4 cups Canned full-fat coconut milk About 2 cans' worth
  • 8 oz. mushroom caps Use any type you want, I happened to have a "fancy mix" on hand - baby bella and shiitake
  • 2-3 tbsp. Fresh lime juice
  • 2-3 Green onions, sliced thin on a diagonal Ya know, because they look pretty
  • 1 handful Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 Lime, for garnish and squeezing on top of your soup If you're like me and LOVE acidity, add more!
Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. I ended up using my Instant Pot since I can sauté right in the container and then switch to soup mode

  2. Add the onion, garlic, Thai chilies (or jalapeno, if using), ginger, lemongrass, mushrooms and red curry paste

  3. Stir for about 5 minutes or until onions and mushrooms are softened

  4. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil

  5. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Or, if you're cooking in your Instant Pot, press "soup" mode and cook for 30 minutes

  6. Once soup is ready, ladle into bowls and top with sliced green onion, fresh chopped cilantro and a big squeeze of fresh lime! Feel free to add a drizzle of fish sauce too, for an extra "funk"!

Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce

Who can believe that Rosh Hashanah is just 1 week away??!! This year could not have gone any faster, which I guess is a good thing, right? Oy vey.

My husband and I have a yearly tradition to go to the Peikes’ for first night of yom tov. And if you caught his Braised Short Ribs post, you’ll notice that this year is an Asian-themed menu! Sort of a “Chinese New Year”-style. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Ah, see what we did there? 🙂  Okay, well technically, the Chinese New Year is in Feb 2021, the year of the Ox, but who knows, maybe Daniel will use that as inspo and make a braised oxtail recipe? #challenge

And so, it’s my turn now to present you with my easy-peasy Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce!

Symbolic Foods

Scallion Pancakes are the more traditional version of this dish, but in honor of the Jewish New Year, leeks carry major symbolism. Why are they symbolic on our Rosh Hashanah seder table you ask? Well, the ancient Aramaic word for leeks is “karsi” sounds like the word “yikarsu” which means to “destroy” or “cut”. It’s pretty simple – in the prayer we say right after eating leeks, we ask G-D for protection against our enemies, that they should be “cut off” in the upcoming year. Pretty deep stuff for a humble allium.

But by all means, you can make this dish on Rosh Hashanah, or all year round, either with leeks or scallions. I mean, they’re basically cousins, so why not?

Scallion Pancakes, also known as “Cong You Bing“, is a staple in Chinese cuisine, more so in the appetizer category. Specifically, a savory, unleavened flatbread or pancake with sliced scallions/green onions (or in our case, sliced leeks) and sesame oil folded in. Traditionally, it’s made using a dough instead of a batter and pan-fried to give the pancake crispy edges and a soft chewy bite.

A twist on a classic

Well, I’m going outside of tradition just a tad with my own spin on this Leek Pancake to make it as easy-as-possible. How did I do that? Well, we’re making pancakes after all, so I went with a batter instead of a dough. And hey, it’s okay to experiment with these recipes! I’m a big believer in playing with your food and coming up with interesting alternatives. So I say go for it!

I also went gluten-free and low carb with this too, but feel free to use all-purpose flour instead, you might just end up with a crispier pancake than mine, but it’s still tasty. I was really going for a super-simple recipe for these pancakes – no intimidating dough to make here.

And finally, don’t forget the spicy dipping sauce – with HONEY, perfect for Rosh Hashanah, for instilling a sweet new year. The sauce brings the sweet, tangy and spicy component to compliment the pancake.

From us here at Meat Your Vegetables, wishing you a Kesiva V’chasima Tova – here’s to a sweet, happy, healthy and SAFE New Year, 5781!!

 

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Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6 medium-sized pancakes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Scallion Pancakes
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Sugar, or sugar substitute
  • 1 Leek, thoroughly cleaned and sliced into half-moon shape, or you use scallions/green onions Leeks are very sandy and dirty, so my trick is to cut off the dark green leafy end and cut off the root, then slice down the middle and into half-moon shapes. Fill a large bowl with water and soak the leeks for a few minutes. Using your hands to try and remove the grit. Then scoop the cleaned leeks into a colander to drain.
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
  • 1 tbsp. Sesame oil
Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. Coconut Aminos Or use soy sauce or Tamari
  • 1 tsp. Sambal Oelek Asian chili sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes Optional, in case you want more of a punch of heat
  • 1 tbsp. Honey You can use raw honey if you like, just make sure you dissolve it thoroughly into the sauce
Instructions

  1. To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk the egg, salt, sugar, leeks (or scallions) and almond flour

  2. Slowly add in water in 3 batches and keep whisking the batter, the add sesame oil

  3. Let the batter rest for 5-10 min until thick

  4. While the batter is resting, make the spicy honey dipping sauce

  5. Whisk vinegar, coconut aminos, sambal, honey and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste and adjust flavors if needed

  6. Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium heat and drizzle a teaspoon of oil (I like to use avocado oil because it has a high heat point and is neutral-tasting, but you can use sesame oil too)

  7. Add 1/4 cup of the batter to the pan so you get a evenly round pancake shape

  8. Cook until you see bubbles forming on the edge, about 3 minutes per side

  9. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown, but not burnt

  10. Repeat with the rest of the batter

  11. Once the pancakes are cooled, cut half and then into wedges, or cut into whatever shape you like to dip into that spicy dipping sauce!

  12. Serve the pancakes with the sauce and garnish with more sliced leeks or scallions and sesame seeds

 

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos

Thai Chicken TacosWhy Thai

Rachel and I both started small container gardening this year. Both of us had limited success.  One thing that did grow well for both of us was basil.  We figures why not do a basil ingredient challenge as we both already had it on hand. I grew three types of basil, but my Thai sweet basil grew the largest by far. Although traditionally Spicy Thai Basil chicken is made with Thai holy basil, the Thai sweet basil works just fine, or you could even even use regular basil if that is all you can get your hands on.

Tasty Tacos

Traditionally this dish is served with rice, but I wanted to go in another direction.  Originally I thought about making this in to a noodle dish, but eventually settled on the what I believe to be the most universal of all dishes, the taco. In my opinion tacos are really the words greatest food. There really isn’t anything you can’t throw in a tortilla for a quick meal making is a great vehicle for my spicy Thai basil chicken.

Spicy Chicken

While the recipe calls Thai chilies, you can definitely substitute other chilies like serranos or jalapenos if that is what you have or leave the chilies out all together if you are not a fan of spicy food. Pro tip: if you want to cut the spice level of a chili pepper remove the ribs and seeds. Also, don’t forget to wear disposable gloves so your hands and eyes don’t burn.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s Bail recipe: Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil

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Spicy Thai Chicken Tacos
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Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
 

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos - A delicious fusion of a Thai classic and a Mexican favorite. Your taco Tuesday will never be the same.

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion, Mexican, Thai
Keyword: Basil, Chicken, Tacos, Thai
Servings: 6 Tacos
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Boneless and skinless chicken breast
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 4 Dried Thai Chilies Stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil For frying
  • 1 Large White Onion Sliced thin
  • 1 Large Green Bell Pepper Sliced thin
  • 1 Large Red Bell Pepper Sliced thin
  • 1 Cup Basic Brown Sauce See recipe below
  • 12 Thai Basil Leaves
  • 6 Fresh Thai Chilies Stems removed
  • 6 Small Corn Tortillas
Instructions

  1. Grind the garlic and dried chilies in to paste and set it aside. Ideally use a mortar and pestle for this, but you a food processor, blender, or even a knife will do in a pinch.

  2. Roughly chop the the chicken in to the size of small pebbles. Don't chop it so fine that is like ground chicken as the texture makes a difference.

  3. Add the oil to the wok (or a large skillet) and place over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and chili garlic paste. Cook, stirring continuously, until the chicken starts to brown.

  4. Remove chicken to a bowl, and add the onions and peppers. Cook, stirring continuously until the onions starts to brown.

  5. Lower the heat and add the chicken back to the wok along with the brown sauce. Continue to cook until the sauce is slightly thickened.

  6. Add the basil and the fresh chilies and continue to cook until the chilies begin to soften and the basil is wilted.

  7. Toast the tortillas in a dry frying pan or under a broiler until they begin to brown. Top the tortillas with the chicken and vegetable mixture and enjoy.

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Spicy Thai Chicken Tacos
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Basic Chinese Brown Sauce
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
 

A classic Chinese sauce (at least in America)

Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Brown Sauce
Servings: 4 Cups
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp Corn Starch
  • 1/4 Cup Cold Water
  • 4 Cups Beef Broth Homemade would be ideal but store bought will work
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger Grated
  • 1/4 Cup "Oyster" sauce See recipe below
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 1/4 tsp White Pepper
Instructions

  1. In a small bowl combine the corn starch and the water. Stir until fully combined to create a slurry.

  2. Add all the rest of ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Add the corn starch and water slurry and stir to combine thoroughly.

  3. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the sauce to cook until reduced by 25%.

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Spicy Thai Chicken Tacos
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"Oyster" Sauce
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Total Time
4 mins
 

Oyster sauce is a thick sweet brown sauce that will add some caramel notes to any dish. It is usually made by reducing the liquid from oysters, I use oyster mushrooms to preserve the moniker and give the dish an umami boost.

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Oyster Sauce
Servings: 1 Cup
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients except the corn starch and water to a small sauce pot over low heat,stirring constantly. 

  2. Mix the corn starch and water in a separate bowl to form a slurry.  Once the sauce begins to bubble stir in the corn starch slurry and cook until the sauce is thickened and remove from heat.

Recipe Notes

This recipe contains affiliate links. We at MYV earn a small commission if you purchase an item through one of those links, which allows us to continue bringing you great tasting food.

Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil

It’s a BASIL challenge!

It’s been a hot (potato) minute since Daniel and I decided to do an ingredient challenge, since we’ve both been dabbling in the herb and veggie growing scene since the start of the pandemic. Truthfully, the basil challenge was my husband’s idea, since we’re both growing several types of basil, it just made sense for us to highlight this sweet, licorice-scented herb! So thanks Ellie!

In my outdoor patio garden, I’m growing sweet basil, purple basil and lemon basil so clearly I had enough to work with, though my plants are not as abundant as Mr. Peikes’, but he was kind enough to let me snag some of his sweet basil that was growing like crazy!

A Dish is Born

Any of you out there like me, that scour through cookbooks just to get inspired for my next dish? I could spend HOURS just reading 1 cookbook, thinking how I can re-invent this dish, or make it kosher, or spruce it up with different herbs or spices. And that’s exactly what I found with these Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil.

Reading through one of BuzzFeed’s Tasty cookbooks, I found a recipe for tornado potatoes and thought “what a fun spin on curly fries!” But their recipe called for melted butter and different spices. And then it hit me. Instead of drizzling melted butter, why not slather on some garlicky-basil oil?! It’s such a great way to get inspiration for a recipe but switch it up and make it your own! humble potato – an oh-so-perfect vessel to highlight basil.  Oh and I ended up using a mix of all of my different basil types, but featured the sweet basil more prominently.

Also, I learned something new today! Tornado potatoes, or “twist potatoes” or “tornado fries” are a common street food in South Korea. And I mean, talk about the perfect street food eaten on a stick. Crispy potatoes – check. Basil oil (or butter) – check. Fresh grated Parmesan cheese – check!

Recipe Notes

As always, here are my notes for this recipe.

  1. You can use either Yukon gold or russet potatoes (see the notes in the recipe block below for details)
  2. I had to practice the “tornado” spiral a few times to get it (even remotely) looking right. I suggest looking up some YouTube videos of how to get the right technique. The trick is to go slow so you get hopefully even layers. Mine aren’t perfect, but that’s okay – they came out great anyway!
  3. And if you don’t really want to both with this fancy-looking technique, use a spiralizer instead and you’ll end up with curly fries! Definitely nothing wrong with that.

Want to kick up this basil challenge even more? Try these Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil served alongside my Basil Garlic Dressing to dip! Just a word of caution, your significant other might ban you since you’ll stink of garlic, but it might just be worth it. 😛

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s basil post: Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos

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Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
31 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 2 potatoes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Tornado Potatoes
  • 2 Medium-sized Yukon Gold Potatoes You can use russet potatoes either peeled or unpeeled, just be aware they will take longer to cook
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese I prefer to buy a block of Parm and keep it in the freezer, instead of buying expensive pre-shredded. Then I just shred it over a microplane when a recipe calls for it!
  • 1 handful Chopped Basil leaves, for garnishing I take my basil leaves and roll them up into a little cigar and slice into ribbons, or "chiffonade", which makes a beautiful presentation. You can also use chopped parsley if you prefer, or don't have enough basil for garnishing
Spicy Basil Oil
  • 1/4 cup Packed, fresh basil leaves, stemmed and washed
  • 1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Water
  • 1 Clove of Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes Feel free to omit but it really does bring a nice heat to the basil oil and works great with the potatoes. You can always add more if you're feeling like you need a spice kick!
  • 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika I happened to have smoked paprika on hand, but use what you got! Any type would work - Hungarian sweet, Spanish hot, or just your regular 'ole paprika!
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325F

  2. Add the potatoes to a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes to cool. If using russet potatoes, cook for 2 min in the microwave

  3. While the potatoes are cooking in the microwave, make the basil oil

  4. Add the basil, garlic, water, salt, red pepper flakes and paprika to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times

  5. Add the olive oil and blend until a smooth saucy basil oil comes together

  6. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, insert a wooden skewer into the bottom of each potato and gently push all the way through to the top

  7. Using a spiral motion, hold a sharp knife at an angle, turn the potato the opposite direction of cutting and cut all the way to the skewer. Make sure to go slow and cut thin, even layers all the way down

  8. Carefully fan out the potato slices until you have even spacing throughout the "tornado" and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

  9. Drizzle the basil oil all over the potatoes

  10. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the oiled potatoes - make sure the potatoes are covered evenly with the basil oil and cheese

  11. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. If using russet potatoes, bake in 425F oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown

  12. Garnish with additional basil oil and cheese and chopped fresh basil or parsley and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Thai One On: Drunken Noodles

Thai NoodlesDrunken Noodles

I know there is a propensity to add a boozy element to a dish and call it “drunken”, but drunken noodles, which to my knowledge is the original “drunken” dish, contains no alcohol. Rumor has it the dish received the drunken moniker due to the need to wash it down with a cold beer to tame the heat in it. A second theory is because it is a great for soaking up booze after a night of heavy drinking.

Many recipes for drunken noodles call for cherry tomatoes, which I loathe. Instead I added red bell peppers for some color and texture. Snow peas and bok choy were also added for some earthiness. Chicken is used in my version, but you could easily substitute tofu, seitan, or tempeh for a vegetarian version. If you leave out the eggs also, it can be vegan.

Oyster Sauce

Drunken noodles include oyster sauce for some sweet caramel notes and fish sauce for some funky flavor. Oyster sauce is made by reducing oyster juice with sugar and soy sauce to produce a thick sweet syrup. All real oyster sauces are inherently not kosher, as kosher prohibits eating any seafaring creatures that do not not have fins and scales. Of course if you don’t keep kosher then then don’t worry about it, and use off the shelf oyster sauce.

There are are some kosher mock oyster sauces out there, but they can be hard to find. I ended up making my own. I did use dried oyster mushrooms in my version to give the sauce a boost of umami, and to allow be to preserve the “oyster” alias.  The recipe for my mock oyster sauce is below, but you could always substitute hoisin sauce if need be.

Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is made simply by packing small fish such as anchovies in salt, letting them ferment, and then squeezing the liquid from the fish.  While kosher fish sauce is available, there is a prohibition in the world of kosher from mixing fish with terrestrial meats (such as beef, lamb, or goat) or poultry (such as chicken, duck, or turkey).  As I used chicken in my recipe, real fish sauce was out. So I made a mock fish sauce without any actual fish. You can make a kosher pescaterian version of this dish using tofu instead of chicken and definitely use fish sauce .  Again, if kosher is not something you worry about, then mix all the chicken and fish you want.

I used several fermented and salty products to mimic fish sauce’s funky flavor.  The recipe for my faux fish sauce is below. You can substitute (fish free if you want to keep it kosher) Worcestershire sauce for the fish sauce in a pinch.

Sriracha

I did attempt to make my own sriracha sauce, but just could not get a good balance between flavor and heat.  I will probably get back to it sometime in the future, but for now I used sriracha straight out of the bottle.

Recipes

Drunken Noodles

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Thai Noodles
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Thai Drunken Noodles
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Despite the name this recipe does not have any alcohol in it.  As best I can tell, it is called drunken noodles either because all of  the spice in the recipe encourages you to drink to tame the heat, or possibly because it is a great dish to soak up the booze after a long night of drinking.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Keyword: Drunken Noodles
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Sauce
  • 1/2 cup "Fish" Sauce (Recipe Below) On subsitute (fish free) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup "Oyster" Sauce (Recipe Below) Or substitute hoisin
  • 1/4 cup Sriracha
Noodles
  • Vegetable Oil Enough to cover the bottom of the pan
  • 4 Thai Chilies Sliced thin and stems discarded
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Finely minced
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger Finely minced
  • 2 Cups Chicken Breast or Tofu Cut in to 1/4" thick slices
  • 2 Large Eggs Do not beat the eggs
  • 1 Medium Red Onion Peeled, ends removed, and sliced in 1/8 inch slices from root to top
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Sliced into thin strips
  • 1 Cup Snow Peas or Snap Pea Pods
  • 1 Cup Baby Bok Choy Sliced thin
  • 5 oz Medium Width Rice Noodles Cooked according to the packages directions
  • 4 Leaves Thai Basil Cut in to thin strips (AKA chiffonade)
  • 2 Scallions Sliced thin
Special Equipement
  • 1 Wok or High-Sided Saute Pan
Instructions

  1. Prepare sauce by combining the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sriracha in a sauce pan over low heat.  Stir until thoroughly combined.

  2. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of your wok or high sided saute pan and place over high heat.  Add the garlic, ginger, and Thai chilies and cook stirring constantly until the garlic starts to brown.

  3. Add the eggs to the pan whole and as as lightly stir to break the yolks.  As they eggs begin to set add the chicken or tofu.  Continue to stir vigorously until the chicken or tofu begins to brown.

  4. Add in the onion, red bell pepper, pea pods, and baby bok choy, and continue to stir vigorously until the onions start to become translucent.

  5. Add cooked noodles making sure they contact the pan and begin to brown.

  6. Add the sauce and stir until it is all all absorbed.

  7. Remove from the pan and garnish with the scallions and Thai basil

“Fish” Sauce

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Pho
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Vegan "Fish" Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Fish sauce is a sauce used to add a little funk to a dish.  Fish sauce is usually made by fermenting small fish such as anchovies in salt and then pressing out the liquid from it. While kosher fish sauce is available, I chose to make my own vegan fish sauce as many people who eat strictly kosher do not mix fish with meat or fowl. To create the requisite funk I used a quartet of fermented products, some of which can be hard to find. For that reason, even though I usually shy away from recommending specific brands, I make an exception here. I ended up buying much of what I needed at Whole Foods, but most they can of course be found on Amazon.com.

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Fish Sauce
Servings: 1 Cup
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir until all the solids are dissolved. 

Recipe Notes

This recipe contains affiliate links. We at MYV earn a small commission if you purchase an item through one of those links, which allows us to continue bringing you great tasting food.

“Oyster” Sauce

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Spicy Thai Chicken Tacos
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"Oyster" Sauce
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Total Time
4 mins
 

Oyster sauce is a thick sweet brown sauce that will add some caramel notes to any dish. It is usually made by reducing the liquid from oysters, I use oyster mushrooms to preserve the moniker and give the dish an umami boost.

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Oyster Sauce
Servings: 1 Cup
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients except the corn starch and water to a small sauce pot over low heat,stirring constantly. 

  2. Mix the corn starch and water in a separate bowl to form a slurry.  Once the sauce begins to bubble stir in the corn starch slurry and cook until the sauce is thickened and remove from heat.

Recipe Notes

This recipe contains affiliate links. We at MYV earn a small commission if you purchase an item through one of those links, which allows us to continue bringing you great tasting food.