What’s Cookin’

from POSTCARDS MAGAZINE - Piney Woods - August 2023

by Digital Publisher

Daniel Ascencio

Saigon Noodle Salad

Ingredients

Dressing:

¼ cup water, or more to taste

3 Tbs lime juice

3 Tbs fish sauce

3 Tbs brown sugar, or more to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp minced fresh ginger root

½ tsp Sriracha chile sauce

Salad:

1 (8 oz) pkg (linguine-width) rice noodles

2 cups thinly sliced Napa (Chinese) cabbage

1 ½ cups matchstick-cut carrots

8 oz grilled shrimp

1 cup bean sprouts

½ English cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 ⅔ Tbs chopped fresh mint

2 ⅔ Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

2 ⅔ Tbs chopped fresh basil

½ cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Directions

Step 1: Whisk water, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and Sriracha together in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a full boil; remove from heat and soak rice noodles in the hot water for 1 minute. Stir to separate the noodles and continue soaking until the noodles are tender, about 3 minutes more. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water until cooled. Shake noodles in colander to drain as much water as possible.

Step 3: Mix noodles, cabbage, carrots, shrimp, bean sprouts, cucumber slices, green onions, mint, cilantro, and basil together in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Top with chopped peanuts.

Tips:

Dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

You can use sambal oelek chile pepper sauce or red pepper flakes in place of Sriracha, if that better fits your tastes.

Any leftover grilled meat works well in this salad: shrimp, pork, or chicken are all great options.

The salad is very flexible; try adding julienned red or yellow pepper, pea pods, baby bok choy, or substitute sliced romaine lettuce for the cabbage.

Ranch Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

½ cup ranch dressing

¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning mix, divided

1 Tbs mild chunky salsa

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas shredded lettuce

1 tomato, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives

1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced (optional)

1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Step 1: Combine ranch dressing, sour cream, 1 teaspoon taco seasoning, and salsa in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Step 2: Toss chicken with remaining taco seasoning. Cover bowl loosely with wax paper or plastic wrap. Microwave chicken until chicken is heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 3: Warm tortillas in a skillet for about a minute on each side to make them pliable. Place a scoop of chicken on the tortilla and top with lettuce, tomato, green onion, olives, avocado, cheese, and a spoonful of the ranch dressing mixture.

Carolina Red Slaw

Ingredients

2 lbs finely chopped green cabbage

2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup finely diced red bell peppers

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tbs white sugar

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbs sambal chili sauce, or to taste

1 Tbs Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste

2 Tbs sliced green onions, or as needed (optional)

Directions

Step 1: Add finely chopped cabbage to a large bowl and sprinkle over the salt. Mix well and let sit for 30 minutes. If using fine salt, use half the amount.

Step 2: Transfer cabbage to a strainer and set aside to drain for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Add ketchup, red bell pepper, cider vinegar, sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sambal chili sauce, and sriracha to a bowl; stir until dressing is well combined.

Step 4: Use a spatula or your hand to press down on cabbage in the strainer; this will press out excess water. Discard the liquid (it is fine if cabbage is still slightly damp). Add cabbage to the bowl of dressing; mix well.

Step 5: Cover slaw and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (preferably at least overnight), tossing occasionally. Taste before serving, and adjust salt and pepper, or add more hot sauce if needed. Sprinkle with sliced green onions.

Zucchini Corn Fritters

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

1 Tbs baking powder

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp salt freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup milk

¼ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

2 large eggs, beaten

2 cups grated zucchini

1 ½ cups fresh corn, kernels cut from cob

1 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese

1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

Step 1: Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.

Step 2: Whisk milk, melted butter, and eggs, together in a small bowl; pour into flour mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in zucchini, corn, and Cheddar until well combined.

Step 3: Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees. Working in batches, drop tablespoonfuls of batter into hot oil. Fry until crisp and brown, about 4 minutes per batch, turning halfway through with tongs. Drain on a paper towellined plate.

Did You Know?

While zucchini is native to Central America, European explorers brought the plant back to Europe in the 1800s where they began to cultivate it. Italian immigrants introduced them to the United States in the 1920s. The word zucchini actually comes from the Italian word zucchino