Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Ready?  Set?  Eat.  I'm about all written out this week, but I haven't forgotten Dinner Place.  And when I thought about you, all I could think about was this Vietnamese Chicken Salad.  I made it twice this week--once with chicken and once with tofu and shrimp.  If I had my druthers, I'd say do the chicken.  We just wanted to eat and eat this.  Which is ok.  It's light and healthful.  Good to pig out on.  If you like, you can use rotisserie chicken; I know a lot of solo cooks buy a chicken a week.  Or  roast one yourself; here's how.

 vietnamese chicken salad  (courtesy Nigella Lawson/Food Network)
                        2-3 generous servings

Ingredients

• 1 Thai chile, seeded and minced (I used 1/2 a jalapeno, minced)
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled, minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce (nuoc nam or nam pla)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium onion, finely sliced
• Freshly grated black pepper
• 7 to 8 ounces white cabbage, shredded
• 1 medium carrot, shredded, julienned, or grated
• 7 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded, or cut into fine strips (I used 3 boneless chicken breasts)
• 1 bunch mint, plus extra for garnish, leaves roughly chopped  (I used about 1/2 cup chopped mint.)
• Salt

Directions

In a medium bowl, stirring with spoon, combine the chile, garlic, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, onion, and black pepper, set aside for 1/2 hour. In a large bowl combine cabbage, carrot, chicken breast, and mint, tossing with tongs. Pour cabbage mixture over the dressing, tossing with tongs, slowly and patiently so everything is coated. Add salt, to taste. Serve on a flat plate with mint for garnish. 

Solo Cook's Notes:

If you make this whole recipe (and why not), divide the undressed salad in half.  Dress and eat one half and store the other half separately from the dressing in the frig.  Otherwise, the salad is soggy the next day.  Unless you like soggy! 

Slice the cabbage thinly by hand.

Make the dressing and marinate the pepper and onions.

Avoid tough chicken:  Sear well-seasoned, oiled boneless breasts over high heat 1 minute on each side, turn down to low and cook partly covered  until done.

Toss with chicken and dressing.  Eat as long as it holds out.

If you liked this, you might like:

My Lenten Journey blog.  Lent 2012:  40 Thoughtful Days.

This week on More Time at the Table, I've blogged a bunch of desserts and Darina Allen's Irish Soda Bread.  Take a peek!

Have fun cooking and taking care of yourself,
Alyce

Tofu Stir Fry

Tofu Stir Fry for One

You might be like me.  You'll eat tofu in an Asian restaurant.  Or when a friend says, "You've got to try this!"  And you like it.  Really you do.   But when you look around the kitchen for dinner, you do not cast around for firm tofu or silken tofu or any tofu.  Time to rethink.  You, too, can make perfectly-cooked tofu so tasty and so fast, you'll want it over and over again.  This stir fry will show you how and the vegetables are almost infinitely changeable.  Note:   if you use brown rice, it takes 45 minutes to cook.  You can make a big batch the night before and use the rest for other things.  You'll have enough  stir fry for lunch or dinner the next day.

Where'd this come from?  I'm rethinking my cooking options lately and after reading Mark Bittman's article in the January, 2011 issue of BON APPETIT ("Mark Bittman Knows What's Best for You",) decided to give the vegan life a whirl for breakfast and lunch only.  Add to that I happened to read a 2008 tofu recipe by Melissa Clark, "Tofu Meets its Match" and  I was off to the store for a piece of tofu.  I had to look for it.  It's in the refrigerated section with things like soy crumbles and soy yogurt.  Read all about tofu here, especially about how to store it.  (It stores, covered in water changed daily, for up to a week in the frig.)

Tofu Stir Fry  serves 2 hungry people or you twice

• 2 c cooked brown rice

• 1 piece of firm tofu approx 2"x4"
• 3t canola, peanut or any vegetable oil, divided
• Kosher salt and pepper, a pinch each

• 1T minced garlic
• 1T minced fresh ginger (more if you love ginger)
• 1 small onion, cut into large pieces
• 1/2 c cabbage, chopped roughly
• 1/2 c sweet red pepper, chopped roughly
• 1/2 c green beans, cut into thirds
• 1/2 c eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
• Pinch dried red pepper flakes

Sauce:  (Whisk together first five ingredients and then whisk in cornstarch. Simpler sauce in Solo Cook's Note.)

• 1/4 c soy sauce, plus more as a condiment for the finished dish (check for gluten free)
• 1/2 t sesame oil
• 1t honey
• 2t sherry
• 1/4 c white wine or chicken stock (gluten free)
• 1/2-1 t cornstarch (depending on how thick you like your stir fry)

1. Place tofu between several layers of paper towel and lay on a microwavable plate.  Place another plate on top of the tofu.  Microwave on high 2 minutes.  Remove from the oven, unwrap and gently press with another folded towel  to remove excess liquid.  Cut tofu into 1" square pieces.
2. Heat 2t oil over medium-high heat in large skillet or wok.  Place tofu pieces in pan, leaving plenty of room so they brown well. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Let brown well (takes 2-4 minutes) on one side.  Do not move tofu until it's well-browned; let it sit undisturbed.  Turn, using tongs, and let brown on the other side.  Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Add other tsp of oil and heat pan to high.  Add ginger and garlic and immediately begin adding all the vegetables and red pepper, stirring as you go.  Continue to stir for about 2 minutes until vegetables are barely beginning to soften.
4. Return tofu to the pan and stir.  Add sauce.  Let cook about a minute until stir fry is about as thick as you like it.  Serve over or beside rice.  Shake soy sauce over rice or over all if you like it.

Here it is in pictures: