I didn’t know that I like Nam Prik until recently. Nam Prik is a Thai Chili, Lime, Fish Sauce that is usually based with tamarind. I looked up on how to make the sauce. Mine is pretty basic but based with mango that goes really well with fish. Then I read another recipe where they marinated the fish and then used Nam Prik, I didn’t have the ingredients to do their marinate so I came up with something else that is also delicious. This recipe is only two servings.

Ingredients for two servings

2 meal sized white fish filets

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 cup shallots – sliced extra thin on a mandolin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon anise seeds

1/2 teaspoon garlic confit

1/2 cup mango – puree

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic confit

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 hot red pepper – minced

1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 lime – juice and zest (optional save some zest to sprinkle on top)

1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce (preferably Red Boat Brand)

2 Tablespoons fresh mint – torn or chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro – torn or chopped

fresh crushed sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil to spray on pan and fish (guessing around 2 Tablespoons)

2 Tablespoons butter

Directions

Heat up the canola oil on medium high heat in a sauce pan. When the oil is hot add the shallots. Keep cooking till the shallots are caramelized. Take out heat and add the ginger, turmeric, anise and garlic confit. Mix well. Leave out on counter till cool. Get out the fish and lay them on big pieces of plastic wrap. When the marinade is cool you can pat the mixture evenly over the fish. Wrap the fish in the plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerater 4-5 hours.

While your fish is marinating make the Mango Nam Prik.

You need around 1/2 cup of pureed mango. That might be one-three mangos depending on their size. The pureed mango gets mixed in a small bowl with the garlic confit, ginger, hot pepper, vinegar, lime juice, some or all zest, and fish sauce.

Now it’s time to cook the fish. (you can do this in either fry pan or oven) I think a fresh fish is better in a fry pan but a fish from frozen comes out better in the oven.

Spray the fish and either fry pan or baking sheet with olive oil.

If you are doing it in the oven pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Put your fish on oiled baking sheet and top each fish with dabs of unsalted butter.

Your fish stays in the oven till cooked threw. Timing will differ. In my oven this took 15 minutes.

Serve the fish splashed with mango nam prik fresh mint and cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

It’s FORKING Delicious!

I never would have thought up parsley pesto before. But I got gifted with a bunch of parsley so I did parsley pesto and man it’s a FORKING PLATE LICKER. Can’t judge how many servings too well because you will use a lot on pasta or only small amount as a spread. I’ll guesstimate around 8-4 servings.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

4 cups parley leaves (packed)

1 cup parmigiano reggiano – shredded

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic confit (when I buy bags of garlic I cut the heads across in half drizzle well with olive oil, cover, and roast at 350 around one hour, blend cloves and it is a delicious sweet mild garlic paste.)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon course sea salt

Instructions

Blend

Enjoy!

I’m always looking for new ways to do beets. I came across Gordon Ramsey’s recipe for Beets Wellington. I didn’t have most of the ingredients that he used so I made up my own way to do it including the pastry…(and my pastry came out extra delicious too!). This recipe make about 6 portions.

Ingredients for around 6 portions

1 cup flour + more for dusting – pastry

1/4 teaspoon sea salt – pastry

1/4 teaspoon baking powder – pastry

8 Tablespoons sweet butter cut into pats – a colder than room temperature – pastry

1/4 cup cream cheese – pastry

1 lb beets – trimmed and peeled (I had three beets)

2 cups red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 oz. scant star anise

1 Tablespoon mustard seeds

1 Tablespoon sweet better – duxcelle

10 oz mushrooms – chopped small – duxcelle

1 small leeks – trimmed – sliced extra thin on a mandolin – small chopped – duxcelle (If desired reserve around a Tablespoon of leeks for finishing pastry)

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste – duxcelle

1 teaspoon dried thyme – duxcelle

optional – 2 Tablespoons smoked mushroom powder – www.SunValleyHarvest.com – duxcelle

sea salt – to taste – duxcelle

ground black pepper – to taste – duxcelle

3 rice paper wrappers (you need one wrapper for each beet)

I Tablespoon everything bagel seasoning – for sprinkling on the pastry.

1 beaten egg yolk

non stick spray

Make the pastry.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Use an extra large fork or pastry masher to hand cut up the butter pats in the flour mixture till the butter is around the size of peas. Stir in the cream cheese and give it a few kneads. Dust the dough with flour and roll it out and fold it into thirds. Leave this chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. Cover with plastic wrap.

Braise the beets.

Beets go in a sauce pot with vinegar, wine, water, sugar, star anise, and mustard seeds. Give it a stir and bring to boil and then reduce to simmer and continue simmering until beets are fork tender. (You will need to add more water to the pot as the water goes down) Depending on the size and freshness of your beets timing will differ……could be less than 30 minutes and could be more. When beets are done remove them from the braising liquid. Set beets to the side and cover with plastic wrap.

Make Duxcelle

Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and leeks and cook till slightly brown. Lower heat to medium low and add salt and pepper. Cook till all the liquid is evaporated. Add thyme and smoked mushroom powder (if using). Blend and set to the side.

Wrap beets with duxcelle and rice paper.

Rice paper gets pliable when you set it in a bath of warm water for a second. Take the rice paper out and spread it with 1/3 of the duxcelle (or 1/4 if you have four beets). Place beet in the middle and wrap. Repeat for each beet.

Get baking sheet(s) ready for the beets. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray paper with non stick spray and set to the side.

Set oven to 400 degrees F and have a middle rack ready for your pans.

You pastry gets cut in thirds. One third for each beet. Wrap each beet with pastry the best you can and place on sprayed parchment lined baking sheet.

Paint each pastry with egg yolk

Sprinkle each pastry with everything bagel seasoning

If desired sprinkle each pastry with some leeks

Place sheet pan in pre-heated 400 degree F oven till pastry is golden brown and looks done. Timing will differ. Mine were done in around 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

I had a delicious salad at The Angel’s Trumpet Ale House in Phoenix that inspired this plate. It’s easy as can be to smoke food with a smoker. Most vegetables only take about 15 minutes in a smoker. You might prefer to use a mild wood for vegetables and also fish. I like to use mild woods all the time. That’s just how I roll. I got an inexpensive smoker called The Big Chief. In fact it’s the cheapest one that the Home Depot sells. It’s easy to use, holds more than I need and there is nothing to set. My idea of serving size might differ from your idea of serving size. I used 3 beets. I thought it should be 4 servings.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 lb beets – peeled – roasted in 400 degree oven wrapped in foil with water till fork tender (timing will differ. Mine took 75 minutes)

8 oz heavy whipping cream

4 oz goat cheese – room temperature

1 oranges – one peeled or supreme + zest

2 oz toasted almonds – sliced or whole but slightly crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried mint ( fresh mint would be better about 2 teaspoons)

2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar

1 orange – just the fresh squeezed juice

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon canola oil

optional – some sprouts or greens

sea salt – to taste

black pepper – to taste

Directions

Smoke Beets – Cooked beets go in the smoker for 15 minutes.

Make Goat Cheese Mousse – Heavy cream and goat cheese get whipped together.

Make Orange Champagne Vinaigrette – Orange juice, oil, champagne vinegar, dijon all get mixed together. This only takes a minute. If you have more greens than I had you might want to double.

Toast almonds – if not already toasted.

Put it all together.

Beets and greens on the bottom. Next add oranges, almonds and the goat cheese mousse. Top it with some orange zest, mint and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Chili Crisp is this amazing condiment that adds textures, flavors and crunch to different foods. It’s great on grilled meats. It makes plain old vegetables special. Some people add chili crisp to pizzas, snacks or even ice cream. I tried a few different jars of chili crisp and thought WOW! Why haven’t I tried it before? I recently came across this Chili Crisp recipe by Justine Chapple from a Food and Wine Magazine. The original recipe has you glazing 1 1/2 pounds of bacon with this chili crisp. The recipe is so good that you should use it on anything that you like. The only hard part is wearing gloves so you don’t burn your eyes from handing peppers. You will need a spice grinder. This recipe makes around a cup of chili crisp that I am guessing might be around 8 servings.

1 oz dried whole peppers (recipe calls for japones chilles )

1/4 cup honey roasted peanuts chopped

2 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I used course sea salt…tastier)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds – crushed

1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 whole star anise

1 cup peanut oil

1/2 cup shallots – slice extra thin on mandolin

1 cup garlic cloves – sliced very thin (I used a truffle shaver)

1 inch fresh ginger cut in thin matchsticks

Directions

USE GLOVES and break open each chilli pod and discard the seeds and throw stems if you have any. Process the pods until they are chopped and not ground (about 15 seconds). Stir together the chilies, peanuts, salt cumin, Szechuan peppercorns, black pepper and star anise in a large heat proof bowl. Place a strainer over the bowl. Set to the side.

Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan on medium high heat till shimmering. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir often till everything is golden crisp (about 5-6 minutes). Immediately pour mixture threw the strainer. Spread the solids on paper towels to drain. let cool 30 minutes and add it to the bowl contents. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or over night.

It’s DELICIOUS!!!!!!

A Special THANKS!!!! to Justin Chapple and Food & Wine Magazine for this amazing recipe.