12 days of BBQ……#08_2014 - 8 cows a-milking

Now this is probably a little cheeky to add this to a BBQ theme, however it is a great addition to a BBQ menu if you have guests who don’t want to eat red meat.

You can also omit the chicken and have it as one of the best salads I have ever tasted. This is my adaptation of a salad made by my dear BFF, Andrew.

Again, a little bit of preparation time needed, but oh so worth it…..

Vietnamese Salad

Salad ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped savoy (Chinese) cabbage
  
• ½ cup grated carrot
  
• ½ cup finely chopped capsicums
  
• ⅓ cup finely chopped European cucumber
  
• ⅓ cup chopped snow peas
  
• 1 ½ - 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
  

 The fresh herbs should be adjusted to your own taste

• 1 cup fresh mint torn or left whole
  
• 1 cup Vietnamese mint leaves
  
• 1 cup perennial basil (or Thai basil)
  
• 1 cup coriander
  

 Additional for salad at last minute when ready to serve

• ⅔ cup of toasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 packet Chang’s original fried noodles

Dressing ingredients

• ¼ cup lime juice
  
• 2 tbls of castor sugar or ¼ palm sugar syrup
  
• 2 tbls fish sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce (optional)
• 2 tbls white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
• 2 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 glove garlic crushed
• 1 tbls sesame oil (optional – it is strong flavoured)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• I fresh red chilli deseeded and finely chopped

Method

Toss all ingredients and then toss with dressing. Add toasted peanuts and noodles when ready to serve.

Personal cooking note; If in a hurry and you don’t have time to mix the dressing, you can substitute with 1 cup of Poonsin Vietnamese dipping sauce. The dipping sauce can be zinged up by adding more lime juice, ground fresh ginger, soy sauce or palm sugar syrup.
This is the perfect recipe to experiment with…..as there is no total correct way!!

Optional ingredients

Poached chicken breast

• 1 chicken breast
  
• 1 cup coconut milk
  
• 1 cup chicken or veggies stock
  
• 3 star anise
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• ½ teaspoon salt flakes
  
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar syrup
  

 
Method

Place all ingredients in a pan, gently bring to the boil and reduce back to a gentle simmer, until the fluid is reduced by at least a half. The objective is to simmer the chicken breast until it gently starts to fall apart. Shred the cooled breast over the top of the salad, when ready to serve.

This recipe is fresh, clean, crunchy and so tasty. Best eaten when it has been assembled.

Unfortunately it does not keep for long, as the noodles and herbs will go limp after a couple of hours.

 
As always, happy tastings

DC 

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