Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Folks,

So in my in-laws garden, we have lots of all of the following:

• Basil
• Thai Basil
• Shallots
• Onions
• Oregano
• Mint
• Lettuce

... and not much else. Can anyone give me recipes which use a lot of several of the above? For example, I was thinking I could use some Thai recipes for the Thai Basil & Shallots. But I didn't bring any of my Thai cookbooks with me.

And, because it's me, not so much on the meat ...

Here are couple of ideas mixed herb pesto and this one since I dislike cilantro I subbed Thai Basil for it. The recipe below I love, so I thought I'd post it and maybe you could sub something else for the beef. I don't like a lot of heat, so I used Anaheim, but you can use Thai chiles. The last recipe is simple but we loved it. I've adapted it, url gives the original.

EXPORTED FROM LIVING COOKBOOK

THAI SPICY MINT BEEF ADAPTED***** Servings: 4
Super quick and easy. Did not need the flank steak.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

3¾ TBS. vegetable
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 Anaheim chiles or 3¾ Thai chiles, or 3¾ serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced
1¼ lb. round steak, sliced thinly and tenderized with jaccard, or flank steak, very thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and cut into ⅛-inch thick slices
5 TBS. fish sauce
3 TBS. sweet soy sauce
2½ TBS. black soy sauce
1 TBS. chili paste in soy bean oil
2 cup chopped fresh Thai basil leaves
1¼ cup whole fresh mint leaves

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chiles and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the steak and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce and chili paste. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and mint until wilted. Transfer to a serving dish and serve over steamed white rice.

Recipe Type: ALINA'S ADAPTATION, Beef, Bell Peppers, Flank Steak, Giada de Laurentiis, Main Dish, Quick Dish, Shallots, Stri-Fry, Thai Basil, Thai Food

Author: Giada De Laurentiis
Source: Food Network. May 25 2010
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giad ... index.html

SAUTÉED ZUCCHINI AND CORN WITH BASIL*****Servings: 4
Made it with basil instead of chives and it was really good.

Zucchini need a good squeeze to rid them of excess moisture. Look for smaller zucchini at the supermarket. Did the shredding in the food processor, then used a salad spinner to squeeze the water out. Subbed basil for chives and used thawed frozen corn.


Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
3 TBS. unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
10 oz. frozen corn or 2 medium ears sweet corn
1 TBS. minced fresh basil or chives
1 pinch kosher salt
1 pinch grains of paradise
1 TBS. fresh lime juice

Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or shredding disk of a food processor.

Put in salad spinner with paper towels to take extra moisture or wrap shredded zucchini in triple layer of paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid.

Defrost the corn if using frozen, or cut kernels away with a knife.

Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 minutes. Add frozen corn if using and cook an additional 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in basil or chives and season to taste with salt and grains of paradise or pepper. Stir in a splash of lime juice. Serve.

Add corn with zucchini if using raw kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes

Recipe Type: ALINA'S ADAPTATION, Cooks Country, Corn, Fresh Chives, Side Dish, Squash, Vegetables, Zucchini

Source: COOK'S COUNTRY6/2005
Web Page: http://www.cookscountry.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=2519

This is on standard rotation in the summer:

August 15, 2007
Recipe: Eggplant Salad With Peppers, Mint and Caper-Feta Vinaigrette

Time: 45 minutes

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 pounds eggplant (any kind, or a mixture), trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 pound mixed bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

2. Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup vinaigrette, reserving the rest. Arrange on a baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden around edges, about 30 minutes. Let eggplant cool somewhat. (It can be warm but not hot enough to melt feta or wilt mint.)

3. Whisk feta, garlic and capers into reserved vinaigrette. In a large bowl, combine eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and mint leaves. Toss with vinaigrette, and serve immediately or within several hours. (It holds up all day.)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Thanks, guys!