Eye for a Recipe

This tasty recipe from Canadian Living gets its heat from Thai bird’s-eye peppers, which are tiny but pack a powerful punch. To tone down the heat, reduce the amount of minced pepper you add to the dish and use for a garnish.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use Marukan rice vinegar and Cock fish sauce, which are both additive-free.

Brown the pork

Remove pork and saute green beans, garlic, ginger and Thai pepper

Return pork to pan and add vinegar, fish sauce and brown sugar

Pork and chili pepper bowl

Ingredients:

1 Thai bird’s-eye pepper, halved crosswise

1 lb (450 g) lean ground pork

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

2 cups (500 ml) green beans, cut in 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons (20 ml) grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon (5 ml) fish sauce

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) packed brown sugar

4 eggs (optional)

½ cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

2 green onions, sliced (optional)

Preparation:

Mince half of the Thai pepper; thinly slice remaining half. Set aside.

In large nonstick skillet, cook pork and salt over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Scrape into bowl. Set aside.

In same pan, heat half of the oil over medium heat; cook green beans, garlic, ginger and minced Thai pepper, stirring occasionally, until green beans are tender- crisp, about 5 minutes. Add pork, vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar and 2 tbsp (30 ml) water; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions and remaining Thai pepper. Serves 4.

To top with a fried egg (before garnishing with cilantro and green onions), wipe pan clean and heat remaining oil over medium heat; cook eggs until whites are set yet yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Arrange 1 egg over each pork bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions and remaining Thai pepper. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life is Ruth Reichl’s memoir about the year after her beloved Gourmet magazine abruptly ceased publication. Set mostly in her country house, Reichl mourns her loss, ponders her future — and cooks. In the book, Reichl makes these Americanized Thai noodles during the winter, but they are delicious at any time of year.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for a brand of fish sauce without MSG and shrimp without preservatives added. I used Tabasco sauce instead of sriracha.

Cook shrimp until they change colour

Stir fry scallions with ground pork

Add soaked rice noodles

Scramble egg

Add sauce and combine

Thai American Noodles

Ingredients:

½ pound (250 g) very thin rice noodles, preferably Thai rice sticks

¼ cup (60 ml) sugar

¼ cup (60 ml) fish sauce

¼ cup (60 ml) white vinegar (or unseasoned rice vinegar)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut oil

½ pound (250 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ pound (250 g) ground pork

4 scallions, white and tender green parts, sliced into ½ -inch (1.27 cm) lengths

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 limes (juice only)

½ cup (125 ml) salted peanuts, finely chopped

1 lime, cut into 6 wedges, for garnish

Sriracha Chili sauce

Preparation:

In a large bowl, soak the noodles in hot water to cover for about 20 minutes or until soft, then drain and set aside.

Combine the sugar, fish sauce and vinegar. Set aside.

In a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, just until they change color, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the garlic to the wok, and as soon as it starts to color and get fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the pork and half of the scallions. Cook just until the pork loses its redness, 2 to 3 minutes, then add drained noodles and mix quickly. Add the fish sauce mixture, reduce the heat to medium and cook 5 to 8 minutes or until the noodles have absorbed all the liquid.

Clear an area of the wok and crack 1 egg into it, breaking the yolk. Tilt the wok to get as thin a sheet of egg as possible and scramble just until set, about 1 minute. Then mix the egg into the noodles. Repeat with the remaining egg. Add the shrimp, remaining scallions and red pepper flakes and mix thoroughly. Add the lime juice and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Transfer the noodles to a platter and top with a sprinkling of peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, the remaining peanuts and lots of Sriracha. Serves 3.

From My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl

This delicious fish dish from Canadian Living’s The International Collection is delicious and colourful, thanks to the turmeric in the marinade. Bursting with flavour, the fish is served over vermicelli noodles, with a tangy sauce and pickled shallots.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure your fish sauce does not contain MSG; I use Cock brand. Use turmeric with no colour or anti-caking agents added and fresh lime juice.

Marinate the fish in the fridge for about an hour

The fish is served with a tangy sauce and pickled shallots

Hanoi-style vermicelli noodles with fish

Ingredients:

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh dill

1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) white vinegar

1 tbsp (15 ml) water

1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

1-1/2 tsp (7 ml) minced gingerroot

3/4 tsp (4 ml) ground turmeric

1/2 tsp (2 ml) pepper

1 lb (454 g) tilapia fillets

8 oz (227 g) rice vermicelli

2 cups (500 ml) bean sprouts

1 cup (250 ml) packed fresh coriander leaves

1/2 cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts

Noodle Sauce

2 tbsp (30 ml) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) finely shredded carrot

2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce

2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

2 tsp (10 ml) white vinegar

1 Thai (bird’s-eye) chili pepper, minced

Pickled Shallots

3 shallots, thinly sliced in rings

1 tbsp (15 ml) white vinegar

1/4 tsp (1 ml) granulated sugar

Preparation:

Using mortar and pestle, mash shallots with garlic to make paste. (Or very finely chop with knife.) Stir in dill, fish sauce, vinegar, water, oil, ginger, turmeric and pepper; spread all over fish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Noodle Sauce: Meanwhile, whisk sugar with 2/3 cup (150 ml) hot water until dissolved; let cool. Stir in carrot, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar and chili pepper; set aside.

Pickled shallots: Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine shallots, vinegar and sugar; set aside.

Broil fish on greased broiler pan until nicely charred and flakes easily when tested with fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut into 4 portions.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well; shake. Set aside to air-dry.

Divide noodles among 4 large bowls. Top with bean sprouts, coriander, fish and pickled shallots; sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with noodle sauce, adding as desired and tossing to coat. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living’s International Collection