Hawaiian Spicy Tuna Poke

I wanted to stick to a pretty typical Hawaiian poke for the sashimi-grade tuna that I picked up from Yama Seafood - San Gabriel. So it was the usual seasonings of soy sauce and sesame oil, with the addition of chili sambal and Sriracha to kick it up a notch.

I looove spicy tuna, and while cheaper cuts are often used in the rolls, I can't stress enough that you should really splurge on sashimi-grade tuna for poke. Freshness makes a big difference, especially when you're eating raw fish.

Hawaiian Salmon Poke

While catching up with my friend Ivan at Snow Monster - Westminster (Little Saigon), I asked him what foods he'll miss in SoCal after he leaves. He mentioned North Shore Poke Co. - Huntington Beach, specifically that he could get poke made with salmon instead of the usual tuna poke. Mmm. Poke. I haven't had poke in forever and the Hawaiian places around me usually just have the typical cooked dishes.

The next day, I couldn't get poke out of my mind. I bought half a pound of sashimi-grade salmon from Yama Seafood - San Gabriel. Since salmon is more delicate than tuna, taste-wise I mean, I opted to use Korean chili flakes for the spice portion instead of Sriracha. A little bit of grated ginger seemed appropriate. And a small tomato, diced, to make it more salad-like and add a little color.

Totally satisfied my craving. I even sent a photo to my friend to show him what he started. Was it really only two years ago that he moved here? And while saying our good-byes, we realized it's been 10 years since we met that long-ago summer in Wisconsin. Time flies when you're old!

One last word about poke, since you're eating the fish raw, it really is worth the splurge to buy sashimi-grade salmon. Pick up some ready-made seaweed salad to add to the mix and the dish comes together as quick as you can chop the ingredients.

Jicama Slaw with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Inspired by the jicama slaw I got as a side with the spicy smothered hot wings at Gus's Barbecue - South Pasadena, I finally got around to making my own. I figured the Sriracha Buffalo Roast Chicken was the perfect pairing to experiment with this recipe.

I kept it pretty simple, julienned jicama tossed with salt, sugar, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and mayonnaise. It's best to let the jicama slaw chill in the fridge for a bit before serving to allow a chance for the dressing to absorb. It's a nice cool contrast to a spicy dish.

Goi Bi Soi Tom Thit Heo (Vietnamese Spaghetti Squash Salad with Shrimp and Pork)

Before Goi Bi Soi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Salad), there was actually this savory version I made back in February with shrimp and pork. I initially encountered Vietnamese spaghetti squash salad more than a decade ago, when I was back in Chicago for a visit and staying with a college friend. I had just flown in that day, and was taking a brief nap before a potluck my friend was throwing that evening, when her mom woke me up to help in the kitchen. Still a little groggy, I vaguely remember her fishing the spaghetti squash out of a pot of boiling water and being instructed to separate the strands. I've long since forgotten what my friend's mom included in the spaghetti squash salad, just the sense of urgency as she hustled me to finish before guests arrived.

Now, of course, in the privacy of my own kitchen, the only urgency was trying to cook before darkness set in so I could photograph the dish in daylight. I didn't make it. Not that the recipe is difficult, just that it takes a bit to wait for the spaghetti squash to steam and for the pork and shrimp to boil. I didn't add the thinly sliced cabbage or pickled onions like I did to the vegetarian version so that the shrimp, pork, and spaghetti squash would get central play, although you could certainly add some if you'd like. Just added some chopped herbs and tossed with fish sauce dressing. It's best served warm, as cold, congealed pork fat doesn't taste very appetizing. Though if you omit the pork, a cold spaghetti squash shrimp salad is quite crunchy and refreshing the next day.

Incidentally, when I was looking up how to translate spaghetti squash into Vietnamese, a light bulb went off when I made the connection between soi as the classifier for fibers, such as thread, string, etc. Huh. Learn something new every day.

Goi Bi Soi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Salad)

I wanted vegetables to serve alongside my Memorial Day luncheon of Thit Heo Nuong Xien (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Skewers) and this Goi Bi Soi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Salad) was the perfect complement. Crunchy, light, and flavorful. The spaghetti squash strands stay crispy even heavily doused with a fish sauce dressing. The Vietnamese vinegared onions provide a nice tart contrast.

If you cook the spaghetti squash ahead of time and have the vinegared onions already marinating, the whole salad comes together in minutes. In fact, I deseeded the spaghetti squash, separated the strands, sliced the cabbage and herbs, and dressed the salad while Jin of Seeking Food skewered the meat. She finished her task, turned around and wondered when I had made the whole thing.

Ha! Cooking with me is magic. :P

Jaengban Gooksu (Korean Cold Buckwheat Noodle Salad)

I liked the Korean cold noodle salad at Young Dong Tofu - San Gabriel so much that I recreated it later at home. After recently coming across the photos of Ding's Garden - Alhambra and the noodle dishes there, I decided to add shredded roast chicken to my version. Not that you need to add meat, this cold noodle salad works well if you keep it all vegetarian too.

A perfect light dinner for those long hot summer days.

I used green tea buckwheat noodles because that's what I had in the pantry, but regular soba noodles or Korean arrowroot noodles will work too.

Fennel, Blood Orange, and Vinegared Onion Salad

To pair with my Italian Roast Chicken with Basil, Rosemary, and Thyme, I made few simple salads. I've made an Orange and Fennel Salad before, but I remembered that Corey of Tongue in Cheek had an Orange Onion Salad in which she marinated the onions with a bit of vinegar. Oh! Like Hanh Dam (Vietnamese Vinegared Onions)! I can definitely do that.

Surprisingly, blood oranges were still at the farmers' market even into summer, so I had to use them, but regular oranges should be just fine. The fennel though were really quite small, so I couldn't get nice big slices to make this salad look as pretty as I wanted. It still tasted great though so I'll have to do this again next year when fennel and blood oranges come into season again.

Spanish Radicchio Salad with Manchego Olive Vinaigrette

I loved the Radicchio Salad with Green Olive Toast and a Manchego Vinaigrette at Toro Bravo - Portland - Oregon so much that I had to try re-creating it at home. But, at $14 for the ingredients, this was definitely one of the most expensive salads I've ever made so it's not something I'd make often. Although, the Manchego cheese and the jar of olives were used for several other recipes, and still have some left, so there is that in its favor.

I found a small wedge of Manchego cheese at Fresh and Easy for about $4. If you can't find any where you are, I'd suggest substituting with fresh Parmesan cheese. The Manchego tasted very mild, and I don't feel it was as crucial to the recipe as were the radicchio or olives. Instead of cocktail olives, I splurged on a $5 jar of Italian Castelvetrano whole green olives, which looked less salty and fresher, the type that seemed to be in Toro Bravo's version. You can find radicchio for $2 a head sometimes at Fresh and Easy, otherwise, it was a whopping $8 a pound at the regular grocery store. Radicchio leaves aren't as heavy or compact as cabbage so hopefully it won't cost you that much.

Once you've splurged on all those ingredients, and made a basic vinaigrette, the contrasts of the slightly bitter radicchio leaves with the saltiness of the olives makes this a simple, but flavorful salad.

Goi Bap Cai Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Cabbage Salad)

To balance out the carbs and meat in my Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) Pot Pie, I made a simple Goi Bap Cai Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Cabbage Salad). Cabbage, a carrot, and an onion, tossed with some Vietnamese fish sauce. Actually, it's not that much different from my recipe for Goi Ga Bap Cai (Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Cabbage).

I used soy-marinated wheat gluten puffs which gave it a nice savoriness, but you can easily leave that out if you wish. I realized in looking at these pictures that I didn't add a handful of chopped herbs like I usually do. Must not have had any on hand. The vegetables are pantry staples and can keep for quite a while so even without the herbs, the red onion and carrot added plenty of color. If you want this to be truly vegetarian, you can easily replace the fish sauce with vegetarian fish sauce.

Wilted Arugula Lettuce Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Lately, I've noticed a steady increase in hits for my recipe for Iceberg Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing. While it's one of my favorite salads, and I think the photos are pretty darn nice even taken with my old camera, I think its recent popularity is because of all the Mad Men love? I don't watch the show myself so someone will have to tell me how the salad features in the series. Does Don Draper eat a lot of it or something?

I love mixed lettuce salads, but they can be pretty expensive. So recently when Fresh&Easy had a sale, two bags of arugula lettuce salad for $3, I bought two. I ate one bag with my usual balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing, but then figured maybe I should gussy up the other for the blog.

I last made this wilted lettuce salad three years ago, but that early photo just wasn't up to par. Of course, I also have a bad habit of hanging on to too many photos anyway so there it sat in my queue year after year after year. You can see how horrendous that photo looks at the end of this post. While updating the photos for my Angel Hair Pasta with Balsamic Chicken, Bacon, and Diced Tomatoes recipe, I figured it was time I finally blogged this recipe too.

You could use this same dressing for a baby spinach salad too. The key is to use a few tablespoons of bacon grease to make into a vinaigrette and then to quickly toss while it's still warm. The vinegar and brown sugar nicely mellow out the fattiness of the bacon grease. It's obviously not something you want to eat on a regular basis so once every three years sounds about right. :P

Xa Lach Thit Bo Rau Muong (Vietnamese Steak and Water Spinach Salad)

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Raw curled water spinach stems perfectly complement warm steak in a light fermented tofu dressing. Think of it as a steak salad version of Rau Muong/Ong Choy Xao Chao (Vietnamese/Chinese Water Spinach with Fermented Tofu). I used red fermented bean curd, which gave the dressing a nice pop of color. Tossed some pickled onions on top.

I first encountered another version of this salad, with lightly stir-fried water spinach at Xanh Bistro - Fountain Valley several years ago. When I tried recreating it at home, just sauteed water spinach didn't seem special enough for me. I then tried lightly sauteing the curled water spinach stems, but they rapidly wilted.

The lovely part about curled water spinach stems, and really why they're popular as a garnish in soups, is because they stay crisp when warm ingredients are added. So for a summer salad, even as leftovers, the water spinach stems stay nice and crunchy.

Sichuan/Szechwan Celery Salad

This Sichuan celery salad is my riff off of the complimentary appetizers I'd get while dining at Bamboodles Restaurant - San Gabriel and Luscious Dumplings, Inc. - San Gabriel. I've omitted pressed tofu and tofu noodles from my version, but feel free to add them if you wish. I think celery is great for offsetting the heavy feeling after eating carbs like dumplings and noodles, or fatty meats.

The key is to blanch the celery, just enough to soften its harsh edges while retaining its tender-crisp crunch. You can omit the Sichuan peppercorns, but I find its numbing spiciness a welcome contrast to the blandness of the celery. Toss with a dressing of vinegar and sesame oil. Sometimes, during hot weather, I crave this salad as a meal because it doesn't leave me feeling too weighed down.

Xa Lach Thit Bo (Vietnamese Steak Salad)

Most of the time when I make a steak these days, I usually just eat it with an iceberg lettuce salad and ranch dressing or rice. My quick and lazy meal. But earlier this week when I did that, the simple dinner just didn't satisfy me.

I started to remember the Vietnamese steak salad my mom used to make when I was young. I know she used some of the extra marinade for the dressing, but remembered it tasting, well, more. So I called up my mom and asked her.

Ah, soy sauce, vinegar, and oil. Salad dressing of course, but a brothy, beefy salad dressing to complement the steak salad. Mmm. That salad was good, mom said, and wondered aloud why she hadn't made it in a long time either.

But, but, making a proper salad takes so much work. Not the cooking of the steak, but slicing all the vegetables. I mean, that is why I default to the iceberg lettuce salad as an accompaniment. But my cravings would not be assuaged by anything less. So I got off my lazy butt, and started slicing and dicing.

Goi Cu Sen Non Tom Thit (Vietnamese Young Lotus Root Salad with Shrimp and Pork)

I finally finished adding in all the thumbnail images to my Vietnamese Recipes with Pictures index. That's nearly 150 Vietnamese recipes by yours truly! It's not quite confetti, but its vivid colors felt celebratory, so I thought I'd finally blog my recipe for Goi Cu Sen Non Tom Thit (Vietnamese Young Lotus Root Salad with Shrimp and Pork).

Bolivian Tomato and Onion Salad

One last tomato recipe from that box of 40 heirloom tomatoes I bought for $5 at the Alhambra Farmers' Market. Gotta eat all the tomatoes before they go bad!

So I asked on Twitter if anyone had tomato recipes, Jin suggested a Bolivian Tomato and Onion Salad. Slice the tomatoes and onions into thin strips and sprinkle salt and pepper on top, she said. That's it! Simple enough. So I did.

Pear, Radicchio, and Walnut Salad with Blue Cheese

In trying to clear out old pictures from my queue, I stumbled upon this recipe which dates back to August 2007. After using several of the leaves for my Longan Chicken Radicchio Wraps, I chopped up the rest, added a sliced pear, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese dressing to make this salad. The sweetness of the pear offset the bitterness of the radicchio. Walnuts and blue cheese were a favorite pairing ever since I discovered Celery, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Salads.

I'm loathe to toss out old photos, but then hesitant to blog them since my plating and photography skills are slightly better these days. But then, waiting around for me to remake and rephotograph everything will take forever too. Yet, despite my reluctance, within hours of uploading these photos on Flickr, they've already received more than a hundred views. Go figure.

Caesar Salad with Chicken and Croutons

Caesar salad was something that I never thought much about until one day long ago, back when I used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I met up with a friend at a pub in the Piedmont area of Oakland. A bit of Googling turned up Cato's Ale House, which claims to be the only pub in Piedmont, so that must've been it. I haven't been back since, and the salad may well have been spectacular only in memory, but I can still recall that it was served with whole leaves with a knife for me to cut into. The dressing was made in-house, garlicky and salty and just right.

Years later, I adapted a recipe from Allrecipes that reminded me of that salad. At 588+ reviews, Karen Weir's Caesar Salad Supreme had to be good. Now, I know some people insist on anchovies (I'm one of them.), but did you know that according to Wikipedia, the original Caesar salad didn't have anchovies? The slight anchovy flavor came from the use of Worcestershire sauce. The other flavor that comes through Worcestershire sauce is tamarind so when MomGateway, host of the apple roundup of Weekend Wokking, chose TAMARIND as the secret ingredient, it was time for me to dust off my old recipe. The other must, raw or coddled egg yolks, I prefer to replace with mayonnaise for the creaminess without the salmonella scares.

I had thought Caesar salad was an American invention. Later, I found out its creator, Caesar Cardini was an Italian-Mexican, who made up the salad in Tijuana, Mexico. I bookmarked the location for a future visit, but the poor economy forced the restaurant's closure last year. :(

I guess my version will just have to do.

Goi Mit Non Tom Thit Heo (Vietnamese Green Jackfruit Salad with Shrimp and Pork)

The nice thing about having blog friends who live nearby is always having someone to eat my food. But the nicest part about having Tony of SinoSoul and his better half, in particular, as neighbors is that he makes my food look good and she washes my dishes. And get this, they actually enjoy it! Or well, they insist upon doing it, which works for me. :P

You'll have to forgive me if I become a little vain these days. There are some recipes that have sat in the queue forever just because I've been dissatisfied with the photos. I mean, sure the recipe itself would work, and the photos were adequate for blogging purposes before, but now, my photos are looking gooood! Thanks mainly to my new (used) camera and Tony's much better photography skills.

So I invited them over for dinner recently for some Goi Mit Non Tom Thit Heo (Vietnamese Green Jackfruit Salad with Shrimp and Pork) and Hu Tieu Saigon (Vietnamese Clear Noodle Soup with Chinese Barbecued Pork and Shrimp). I had been craving hu tieu lately and really wanted to post my recipe, but didn't like my previous photos. Plus, they had never eaten green jackfruit before so it was a good a time as any to get this recipe up too.

Goi Ga Bap Cai (Vietnamese Chicken Cabbage Salad)

Since I was updating my Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup) and Goi Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad) recipes, it was super-simple to turn the salad into Goi Ga Bap Cai (Vietnamese Chicken Cabbage Salad).

Hanh Dam (Vietnamese Vinegared Onions)

Hanh Dam (Vietnamese Vinegared Onions) is rather similar to Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Stuff ie. Carrots and Daikon). You can stuff it into sandwiches, mix it with salads, serve it on the side as edible garnish, or add it into a bowl of Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup).