“Rice and fish are as inseparable as mother and child” – Vietnamese Proverb

This is a more simplistic version of my favorite soup from the famed TAMARIND TREE restaurant in Little Saigon down the street from our house in Seattle with measurements for home from the soupsong blog. It’s really delicious & super healthy- nary a calorie in sight. Note that the fish is taken out and added back in the final minutes of cooking so that it doesn’t become tough while your veggies are still cooking in the broth. If you want to add some noodles to the soup for a more filling meal, I like Vietnamese rice soup noodles OR some simple Japanese somen– just be sure to parboil them separately and add the noodles at the end so they don’t cloud your broth.

The flavor is meant to be delicate, light and fresh. If you tend to like bold flavors, consider this a vacation for your taste buds. If you MUST have heat, add just a very small amount of Vietnamese chili garlic sauce; just please don’t overwhelm the soup with a giant shot of Sriracha- save that for your Top Ramen

• 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 pound white fish fillets, cut in triangle shapes (tilapia, cod, snapper, perch, halibut)
• 1/2 packet of Japanese instant “dashi” broth
• 3 tomatoes, peeled and cut into triangle shapes [if you don't know how to peel tomatoes, google it!]
• 1 onion, cut into eighths
• 2 Tablespoons nuoc mam fish sauce [I personally can't stand real fish sauce & buy the 'vegetarian' fish sauce instead-- it's essential for depth of flavor]
• 2 quarts water
• 2 celery stalks sliced on the diagonal (OR Vietnamese bac ha- a spongy  veggie that comes in porous stalks; pictured to the right from ‘Wandering Chopsticks’) 
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 stalks of green onion/scallion, sliced finely on the bias

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and add fish–saute til lightly browned. Gently remove fish and set aside in separate dish without breaking fish.
2. Add the tomatoes, onion, and nuoc mam into the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 packet of Japanese dashi broth and stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Five minutes before you’re ready to serve, stir in the celery, the dill, and the black pepper. Let cook and add back in the fish.
4. Ladle into bowls. Top each with a dill sprig. Serve with green onion &  some chili-garlic sauce on the side.
5. Enjoy!  Chúc mọi người ăn ngon miệng!

On the Menu:

Flynn Irish Soda Bread w/ Honey Butter

Salmon en Croute w/ Dill

Colcannon

Corned Beef with Cabbage, Carrots and Spicy Mustard

Irish Creme Bundt Cake

Mint Chip Ice Cream (gotta have the green)

Irish Stout & Lager Beers

Sláinte! = Cheers!
Saint Patrick was a gentleman
Who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland
Here’s a drinkee to his health!
But not too many drinkees
Lest we lose ourselves and then…
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see them snakes again!
I encourage you to try at least a few of these great recipes. They’re quick and easy- and delicious!

Colcannon: Best Mashed Potatoes

Served with a well of butter

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 stick butter (Irish butter preferably)
• 1 1/4 cups hot milk
• 2 dashes ground mace
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of Sea salt
• 1 head cabbage or curly kale, cored and finely chopped/shredded
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Step 1: Boil potatoes until fork tender and drain. Meanwhile, heat the milk and add mace, salt, pepper and garlic. Once hot, remove the garlic pieces.

Step 2: Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.

Step 3: Boil the kale in water with pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of baking soda (to retain green color) for 8-10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan.

Step 3: Add kale to potatoes, stirring them in gently. Season to taste with pepper and salt. Go easy on the salt- you’re adding butter at the end. Now it will turn a lovely green color!

Step 4: Transfer to serving dish. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put remaining slices of butter into indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.
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Corned Beef, Carrots and Cabbage with Spicy Mustard Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 pounds corned beef
• 4 large onions, outer skin removed, each cut into large wedges
• 10 carrots, peeled
• 2 ribs celery, cleaned
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch parsley, cleaned
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 medium green cabbage
• 12-14 small new potatoes, scrubbed
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, combine the beef, 2 onions, 2 carrots, the celery, bay leaves and parsley. Add enough cold water to cover the beef by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning 2 to 3 times. Cook until the beef is very tender, almost shredding when speared with a fork. Remove the meat from the pot and strain the broth into a large bowl. Discard the solids and return the meat and the strained broth to the pot.

Step 2: Add the mustard, remaining onions, carrots, cabbage and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 50-60 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Season the broth with salt and pepper if needed.

Step 3: Slice the beef into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Surround the meat with the vegetables, served whole. The broth should be served on the side with a ladle.
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Irish Cream Bundt Cake

pic from therecipegirl.blogspot

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur

DIRECTIONS:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over bottom of pan.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in eggs, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur. Beat for 5 minutes at high speed. Pour batter over nuts in pan.

Step 3: Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto the serving dish. Prick top and sides of cake. Spoon glaze over top and brush onto sides of cake. Allow to absorb glaze repeat until all glaze is used up.

Step 4:  To make the glaze: In a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup Irish cream.

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Baileys® Irish Martini

yum!

For this feisty Baileys Martini all you need is some Baileys, some good Irish Whiskey, some strong cold coffee for extra kick and a spirited shake with ice to serve.
Step 1: Drop some ice cubes into a shaker
Step 2: Pour over 3 ½ oz. of Baileys
Step 3: Add ¾ oz. of Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey
Step 4: Add a shot of strong cold coffee
Step 5: Shake vigorously
Step 6: Serve in a Martini glass

crispy golden skin

satisfies eggplant, curry, rice.

beef? pork? forgotten.

Since transitioning to a non-meat diet a few months ago, I have been integrating a tremendous amount of soy products into my diet. The challenge of finding a tasty protein source to bolster my zillion stir-fries was difficult. Regular tofu is fine, but it lacks the flavor and texture complexity that meat typically brings to a dish. So, I experimented with adding some visually appealing subs like sun-dried tomato tofu sausage, unbeef strips, non-chicken patties, etc. Uh, let’s just say that sometimes no meat is better than horrifically bad-tasting fake meat. Even the dog wouldn’t eat the left-over fake meat. Would my Sweet & Pungent sauce in all it’s tangy glory only grace the tops of cauliflower and pineapple from now on?

Then, last month, I ordered a spicy chili-eggplant and fried tofu dish at the Seven Star Peppers Sichuanese restaurant on the corner of 12th and Jackson and Wowwwwwwwwwwww!… is all I can say. It kicked fried chicken’s butt and opened my palate to a whole new world of food substitutions. And I began to feel really great about balancing my desire to only serve sustainable, humane foods to my family and satiating their craving for something crispy to sink their teeth into.

Since that radical lunch, I have ordered every dish available with baked or fried tofu. And all have been delicious and perfectly prepared. You see, it’s darn near impossible to overcook, undercook or buy poor quality fried tofu and it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. Plus, there’s no threat of salmonella, trichinosis, mad cow disease, avian bird flu nor the consequences of environmental pollution. So we eat our sweet & sour fried tofu with piece of mind.

You don’t believe you could fall in love with this masterful monk creation? Tofu is bland and you don’t like the texture you say? Let me take you to Seven Stars Pepper restaurant to taste what the fuss is about. You may hate it as you suspected, but then again, you may leave the table with a fortune cookie that reads: “Enlightenment comes in unexpected forms”.

And the form that comes to your mind is a rectangular crispy piece of heavenly soy bean cake.