I first ate this dish about 20 years ago, when I lived in Los Angeles. Whenever there was a potluck lunch, one of the moms would make her famous glass noodle salad. It was so good that I asked her for her recipe. She wrote it down there and then on a piece of paper but said she did did not have exact proportions as it was an old family recipe and she went by taste and look. It took me many tries but I think I finally managed to replicate her recipe. Always a crowd pleaser. (Photo to follow)_
1 stalk lemongrass , white part only, bruised them sliced into pieces easy to pick out later (Can use 1 tbsp lemongrass paste)
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce (Nuoc-mam)
1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, NOT dark soy)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Sauce)
1/4 cup fish sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
1 red birds eye chilli , finely chopped (optional or to taste)
3 tbsp lime juice
Noodle Bowl
1/2 tbsp oil
200 g / 7 oz glass noodles , dried (I use mungo bean or sweet potato noodles NOT rice noodles)
3 carrots , julienned
2 cucumbers , julienned (optional: remove seeds) – the small Lebanese cucumbers or 1 English cucumber
3 cups chinese cabbage, finely sliced
3 cups bean sprouts
Handful of mint leaves
Handful of cilantro/coriander
Sliced red chilli (for garnish – optional)
Lime wedges (to serve)
Directions
Lemongrass Chicken
Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through – about 6 to 8 minutes in total.
Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.
Nuoc Cham Sauce
Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
Assemble
Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.
Individual servings: Place noodles in a bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.
DIY: Place chicken, vegetables, herbs, noodles and sauce in separate bowls / piled on platters. Then let everyone make their own bowls!
I must admit that I never thought I would be posting a vegan recipe and even less that I would actually enjoy it , but, miracles do happen. My husband, Stuart, has recently had to have heart surgery and we need to watch his diet very carefully. Very limited red meat, no deli meats, no dairy, no processed sugar. This has made me experiment with tofu and other food stuffs that I have not used before. As you might notice there are a few red bits in the photo; I added a small piece of red chilli as we like spice. We have always loved a good quiche and so I set out to try a vegan version. To be honest, I was not expecting to like the results but was very pleasantly surprised – this is excellent! And very healthy to boot. A real win. Do try it. You will not be disappointed.
Ingredients
14 ounces (400g) silken tofu
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
¼ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak) see notes
2 Tbsp Soy or almond Milk
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 tsp Crushed Garlic
2 ½ cups Cremini Mushrooms (240g) Sliced
3 cups Baby Spinach (90g) Chopped
Directions
You can use premade store bought pie crust (pâte brisée)
Carefully lift or place over your pie dish. Cut off any excess dough hanging over the sides with scissors.
Place the pie crust in the fridge while you work on your filling
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)
Prepare your filling: Add the tofu, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, black salt (aka kala namak) into your food processor. Process until well mixed. Add the soy milk and process again until it reaches a smooth consistency. Set aside.
Add the olive oil to a pan, add the chopped onion and crushed garlic and sauté until the onions are softened.
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté with the onions until the mushrooms are cooked +/- 8 minutes.
Add the chopped baby spinach and sauté until just wilted.
Now add in your tofu mix from the food processor and fold it in with the mushrooms and spinach.
Add the filling to your pie crust and smooth it down evenly.
Place it into the oven and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until firm and golden on top.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Quiche can be served either warm or cold.
Bon appétit!
Notes
Black salt. Kala namak aka black salt creates an eggy flavor, it’s quite amazing. If you don’t have any, you can substitute this for regular salt, but I recommend you give it a try.
Cremini mushrooms are also called baby bellas, portobellini or brown button mushrooms. You could also use white button mushrooms in this recipe.
Storing. Keep your leftover quiche covered in the fridge and enjoy it within 3-4 days. It is delicious served warm or cold so you can serve it straight from the fridge and it’s totally delicious. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through.
Maison Travers 