Eggplant Carpaccio

Sometimes cooking is about what you have on hand.   I had Eggplant. .. so here's what I concocted:

1 medium eggplant thinly sliced then set to marinate in some olive oil+ salt&pepper for about half an hour.   We grilled the eggplant for about 20 minutes., till it was soft.

Mozzarella, thinly sliced
Almonds
green onions
Spearmint
Arugula
Thai Chili sauce

Grilled Salad

We do a lot of barbecuing, and I'm always looking to add some variety to the meat heavy meals that in veritably come off the bbq.  So here's what we came up with last night:  A grilled salad:

Ingredients for 2 servings
2 chicken breasts + marinade
halloumi cheese
4 tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
olive oil
salt and pepper
spearmint
scallions

The chicken breast were marinated in a citrus marinade with onion and garlic powder.  But you could substitute for your favorite marinade.  Or even just smoked would be great.

The tomatoes and bell pepper were doused with olive oil and salt and pepper before being thrown on the grill.

To finish I added some sliced spearmint leaves and scallion from our garden.  The flavors from these herbs complimented the salad nicely but also added some color.

Pho Recipe

So today I got around to making Pho Bo.  I do follow a genuine recipe to start with, but of course I make it to taste.  So here's my recipe:

The broth is very important for pho.  This is what makes the difference between a good pho and a great pho.  It's what will make you keep coming back to the same restaurant to get your fix.  I use beef bouillon cubes as my base and then add lots of spices and let that simmer for a few hours.  Purists may scream at my using cubes instead of meat knuckles, but I just don't care for the taste of the marrow.

4 liters/ +- 1 gallon water

bouillon cubes (I use 8)
1x cinnamon stick
5x anise stars
8x pepper grains
2x bay leaf
1x onion, cutin slices
garlic
ginger
1 tbsp white sugar

I also like to add some sliced scallions, carrots or broccoli to the broth just before serving.

 For 4 servings I use a whole package of these Banh Pho noodles.  I can only get dried noodles where I am, so I have to soak them.  Be sure to follow the directions carefully or the noodles will get too mushy. 

I will often add the thinly slice beef to the boiling broth just before serving.  I like my beef done.  If you prefer a rarer beef than put the thinly sliced beef in the servings bowls and pour the boiling broth over it.

So then you get these great big bowl of steaming noodles in a fragrant broth served up with a plate full of greens.  

As you can see, I've got bean sprouts, basil, spearmint, cilantro and lime.  You can also add peppers.

Sriracha and hoisin sauce are great through the pho, but also on the side to dip the meat in or the veggies.

This is my basic recipe.  I've varied on this with what I have on hand.   I've also made the pho with fried up tofu, which is also delicious.

If you've never tried pho, I'd highly recommend that you do!