Vietnamese Pork Salad

A colleague at work asked me on Monday if I was still posting recipes on my blog. I stumbled over my words a bit before I finally blurted out the honest truth:

"Not really."

"Why?"

I had to think about it for awhile to determine the reason behind my lack of food-related posts, my silence on the blog in general, really.

"Well," I started. "I've been writing about other topics lately and it seems I have a greater readership when I'm NOT writing about food. And to be quite honest," I continued, "I haven't really cooked anything good and worthy of sharing all summer."

Yikes. It's true but I didn't really like the sound of it as it rolled off my tongue. What have I been feeling my family? A lot of mediocre, apparently.

In my defense, we traveled a whole heck of a lot over the summer so many of my meals were at the mercy of the camp stove. But as I thought further about my lack of cooking creativity lately, I realized just how claustrophobic I have felt all summer long. When we weren't traveling (or packing for the next trip!), I was either working or clawing desperately for a minute to myself. I felt very much at the mercy of everyone else but me. In case you are in need of a visual, a friend shared a with me a little video clip that very much depicts with striking similarity what my summer hours at home looked like, me and my desperate pursuit for alone time:

Needless to say, it is VERY hard to do anything, creative or not, with littles underfoot. I'm still looking for my groove, searching for how to be a mom of school-aged kids (and maybe more importantly, how to survive the summers when they aren't in school!!!) But now that school is back in session, I'm very hopeful my kitchen will be pumping out delicacies again in the weeks and months to come. Thankfully, my youngest is pretty keen with the whisk so I'm sure he and I will spend a lot of our waking hours cooking while the big girls are in school. Hopefully we will have some successes that we can share in this space!

I did make one hit dish this summer that I'm excited to post. My garden, much like my kitchen, wasn't quite as happy this year as last, but I did manage to have great success in the herb and summer squash department, which is how I landed on this recipe. It is super fresh, herbaceous, and the kids were happy because it featured "pasta" (i.e. rice noodles). My husband took his first couple bites and exclaimed "You should definitely add this one to your rotation!"

Good man.

Nevermind that I made the very same dish the following week and his reaction was "Is this a new recipe?" Some memories, even good ones, can sometimes be short-lived. ;)

I tweaked the original recipe to feature a full pound of meat to make it a bit more filling (and so that you'll use up an entire package of ground pork rather than being left bewildered with a couple ounces in hand). If you are cooking for kiddos, I'd recommend holding the sriracha sauce in the dressing and serving it on the side instead for the spice-lovers. Feel free to play around with your ratios of lettuce and veggies and even get creative and substitute snap peas or blanched green beans when they are in season. Also, get generous with the fresh mint and cilantro and load up on the peanuts too. Serve the salad with a slice of fresh lime for squeezing and juicy watermelon wedges. Of note, the recipe can be gluten-free if prepared with gluten-free fish sauce for those of you who can't have gluten. Happy cooking and eating and I hope to be back with another yummy kitchen success sooner rather than later!

Vietnamese Pork Salad
(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

8 ounces uncooked rice vermicelli noodles
1 pound ground pork
12 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 teaspoons Sriracha
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup diagonally cut seeded cucumber
1 cup diagonally cut or julienned carrot
1/2 cup diagonally cut yellow squash
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Cook rice vermicelli according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring to crumble. Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and oil in a bowl; add to pan. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.

Combine remaining 10 tablespoons juice, remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, peanuts, green onions, and Sriracha in a bowl. Arrange lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and squash on a large platter. Top with noodles, pork mixture, cilantro, and mint. Drizzle juice mixture over top.

Serves 6

Zucchini Keftedes with Feta and Dill

I must confess that it wasn't until I came here to share this recipe that I finally looked up what a keftede was. I have prepared this recipe in ignorance for three summers and running now. As it turns out, keftedes are Greek and refer to fried meatballs that contain breadcrumbs, onion and mint.  Apparently these are their vegetarian counterparts, though I would called these more "pancakes" than "balls."

If you find yourself surrounded by zucchini plants that don't seem to understand the definition of "all things in moderation, " then this recipe is for you. It's not like those zucchini bread recipes (or even the cupcake recipe I posted recently) that barely make a dent in your pile of summer squash. This one actually uses a substantial amount and the result has been deemed delicious by all members of my family.

It was my husband who first dog-eared this recipe in what has become one of our favorite cooking magazines. Imagine my surprise when my meat-loving man made a move in the direction of a vegetable. Granted, they are practically fried (though I greatly reduced the amount of oil the original recipe called for and they turned out fine), but a vegetable dish all the same. I made them immediately so as not to lose his peaked interest.

Historically I have shyed away from any recipes that contain dill. It may be yours but dill isn't traditionally my jam, or at least so I thought. It could just be that the depth of my relationship with the herb goes only as far as a piece of bland and dry salmon sprinkled with the stuff and then stamped with a proud "Northwest Favorite" on the restaurant menu. But, for the undying affection of my husband, whom I adore, I decided to follow the recipe and buy and small bunch and see where it landed me. HEY! As it turns out, dill ain't so bad, particularly in this recipe where I might go as far as to say it's presence is essential.

These keftedes (or how about we call them pancakes?), unlike a lot of zucchini recipes, are packed with flavor. The feta cheese and cool tangy yogurt add a lovely finish. Of note, to create pancakes that hold together, it is important that you remove as much of the moisture as possible from the zucchini first. I find sometimes it is easier to make this recipe phases. It sounds like it takes a long time but it really doesn't. I grate the zucchini first thing, sprinkle it with salt and then let a kitchen towel absorb the moisture for a while. After an hour or so, I return to make and form the pancakes and then throw them back in the fridge until dinnertime when they can be cooked up pretty quickly to serve.

Zucchini Keftedes with Feta and Dill

(adapted slightly from Bon Appetit Magazine)

1 1/3 pounds (about 4 medium-sized) zucchini, trimmed  

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt 
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions  
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill 
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint  
2 garlic cloves, minced  
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel  
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)  
1 large egg, beaten to blend  
1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese 
4-6 Tablespoons canola oil (for pan frying)  
Plain non-fat Greek-style yogurt (for garnish)  
Additional chopped fresh dill (for garnish) 

Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater onto clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt; let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Wrap zucchini in towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place zucchini in medium bowl. Mix in green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped dill, mint, garlic, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg, then feta. Using 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter patty; place on baking sheet. Chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

Pour 1 to 2 Tablespoons of canola oil at a time into heavy large skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding more canola oil as needed, place patties in skillet. Cook until golden and cooked through, adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using thin slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels.

Arrange keftedes on platter. Top each with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle each with dill. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes

I'm going to do my very best to keep my posts seasonal. I make no guarantees because sometimes I get a hankering for something that is most unseasonal and the urge is just too irresistible. But I think we can all agree there is nothing worse than seeing a recipe for fresh peach crisp in the dead of winter when there are no peaches worth being called peaches around. All this to say, I will try not to set you up with cravings for pumpkin pie in the spring and watermelon salad when it's snowing outside. But I digress.

This week's seasonal bounty is zucchini so I have a few recipes to share that I hope you will enjoy. My eldest daughter just celebrated her 5th birthday and there is a slight chance I might have forced her to have these cupcakes. Maybe "forced" is too strong of a word choice but let's just say I didn't really present any other options. There is also a slim possibility she might have wailed (ever so briefly!) when she heard me utter the word "zucchini" in the same sentence as her beloved birthday dessert. Her sorrow was short-lived and then entirely forgotten when she realized the cupcakes came out not even resembling a vegetable in the least.

The addition of shredded zucchini (which keeps it's presence unknown) produces a cupcake that is moist and delicious, not to mention rich and chocolately. The original recipe said that the chocolate chips were optional but they MOST CERTAINLY ARE NOT!! If you're a chocolate chip omitter, alas, my blog might not be the place for you (coming from the girl who occasionally can be found hiding from her kids in the pantry, snacking on chocolate chips...)

But back to the recipe! The final result is a delicious chocolate cake that can be jazzed up with the frosting of your choice. Historically I have used a peanut butter frosting - a perfect pairing in my eyes! However, my 5-year-old-and-just-a-hair-opinionated daughter does not care for peanut butter and I knew this frosting would be a no-go. It was her birthday after all and so I opted for my mom's frosting recipe which is really better known as The Best Frosting Ever. It is buttery and sweet, but not the overly-sugary-store-bought-cake-frosting type of sweet. It contains both vanilla and almond extract which is heavenly and an absolute must, in my humble opinion. The frosting is dual-purpose  and works great on sugar cookies come Christmas time too. For this occasion, I dyed it pink and it complemented the cupcakes wonderfully while acting as the perfect vehicle for the star sprinkles that had been hand-selected for the occasion!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes

2 cups shredded zucchini
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 recipe The Best Frosting Ever

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with double or single layer of paper bake cups or lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl stir together zucchini, eggs, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips, stirring until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling cups about half full. Bake about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from cups. Cool completely on racks and frost.

Makes 24 cupcakes


The Best Frosting Ever

4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
2 Tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract

Combine powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and almond extracts in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium-high speed, adding more milk as needed, until the frosting is a smooth consistency, about 3-5 minutes.

Makes enough for a 2-layer round cake or 24 cupcakes