Mango Salad, Fish Sauce on Spaghetti Squash, Greens

• Recipes discussed:
• Mango / Papaya Salad
• Gefilte Fish Sauce on Spaghetti Squash
• Greens and Red Chard
  

Mango / Papaya Salad

This is a version of a variety of Southeast Asian salads made with green or unripened fruit. The tartness of the fruit contrasts with a slightly sweet dressing. Alternatives are offered to make either a vegetarian version or a smoked fish version. Recently I had some field cress which I chopped and added to the salad. It fit right in.

Ingredients:
1 or 2 unripe mangos or 1 2 lb papaya or 2 med. carrots (in a pinch)
1/2 lb smoked fish, if using. Smoked bluefish, trout, salmon will all work.
1 minced shallot / diced small sweet onion

Dressing:
2 tb. lime juice
1 tb. fish sauce or, for vegetarian version, soy sauce (light preferred)
1-2 tb. palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes or more or hot sauce, e.g., Tabasco
1 tsp. grated galangale or ginger

1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded cilantro

Directions:
Peel and coarsely grate the mango. They should be green enough that they are firm and not juicy. One mango will make enough salad for four.

Mince the shallot or dice the onion. Onion could alternatively be cut in half and sliced thinly.

Shred the smoked fish, if using. Discard any skin. Two dinner forks are good tools for shredding fish.
Mix shallot / onion and shredded fish with mango.

Now make the dressing.

Mix the lime juice and fish sauce in a glass bowl. If the fish sauce and or lime juice are cold, you may want to soften the sugar for 10-20 sec. in a microwave. Dissolve the palm sugar in the lime juice. Add the red pepper flakes or hot sauce and the grated galangale or ginger.

Serving:
Just before serving toss the salad and the dressing with the shredded cilantro. Serve as a side salad or, on individual salad plates. Can be nicely served atop lettuce leaves.

From several sources.

Gefilte Fish Sauce on Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 2-3 lb. spaghetti squash
2-3 tb. olive oil
1 lg onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, chopped coarsley
1 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3-6 mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1/2 28 oz. can marinara sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes, crushed
1/2 tsp
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
fresh ground black pepper
1/4 c. dry red wine
1-2 tb olive oil, optional
2-3 tb sweet butter, optional

2 (or more) leftover shad gefilte fish, cut up into 3/4 in. cubes, along with any sauce left over

Directions:

If cooking in a regular oven, place spaghetti squash in oven on foil or an oven roasting pan to catch any drippage. Probably cook for 30-40 min. at 350. OR, using a convection / microwave oven, I set it up as "Ultima" cooking for 3 pieces baked sweet potato. This took aboue 25 min. but the squash was just right. When it is done, it will hold its heat, so until ready to use it, just leave it in the convection oven or take it out of the oven and rest on counter.

Put the olive oil into a large skillet or deeper frying pan over medium high heat. Add red pepper flakes, ____, and garlic. Stir briefly until aroma of garlic is smelled - this should be only a few seconds, depending on the heat of the oil. Then immediately add the diced onion and stir occasionally until translucent and beginning to color. Add the green pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add along with the green peppers the mushrooms, if using. Now add crushed stewed tomatoes and marinara sauce and the red wine.

Let simmer for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. A few minutes before serving, cut the squash down its length into two oval halves. Remove the seeds with two dinner forks, then remove and shred the flesh into spaghetti like strands. Do this to both halves, begin sure to remove all skin flakes. For added richness you may pour some fresh extra virgin olive oil over the strands or several tablespoons of butter. Put as much of spaghetti squash as you think you'll need into a large, warmed bowl.

Add the sauce to the spaghetti squash. Toss and correct seasoing, if needed, with salt and pepper. Serve.

Greens and Red Chard

I used the leaves from a small batch of red chard along with a nice bag of fresh, young spinach for greens for our Seder dinner. I still had the stems, freshened in a glass of water. Then I found another batch of red chard as well as some other greens - mustard, probably, and something else. I decided I use all of these up and dress them with a vinaigrette.

Ingredients:
1 batch red chard stems
1 batch red chard + some other greens
(1 carrot, peeled and sliced in thin rounds.)

Vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, salt, olive oil

Directions:
Bring a soup pot half full of water to the boil. Add 1 tsp. of kosher salt.

Strip the chard leaves from the stems. Do the same with any other greens that have firm stems. Now chop the stems in two or three pieces. Put the stems in the boiling water until they are cooked to the point of only a little crunch. Remove the stems and place in cold water. When chilled, remove from cold water and drain.

If using the carrots, a nice touch, boil them also until tender and then chill. Remove to drain.

Put the leaves into the boiling water. Just cook until wilted, then remove and chill in the cold water bath. Remove and wring out as much water as possible. Then chop somewhat coarsely. You should have about 1 cup of chopped greens. Combine these in the serving bowl with the stems and carrot slices, if using. Toss with the vinaigrette. Serve.