No Trick! , Treat Please!

The month of October is a festive month for some countries. Since we arrived in the US, we did not know much about Halloween. Year after year, Halloween became a tradition that we adopted since our children need to enjoy seasonal festivities.

 In our country, we celebrate the full moon day of October as our cultural lantern festival. We always light the candles in our prayer room and electric lights  (Christmas lights) around our house. We pay respect to our elders such as our parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, and grandparents by giving presents such as a nice sweet cake, medications, and gifts as they need.
Every time we visited our aunts and grandmother we always get some cash as the favor returns. Whatever small notes, we always enjoy our own money. Those are the sweet traditional memories as we enjoyed in our country in this October full moon day.

Unlike our country, we have to adopt the tradition of Halloween as a harvest festival. Carving pumpkins also became a tradition for my son and became a family activity. We prepare the treats for the children as our neighborhood was full of elementary school-aged kids.

My recipe is unlike those treats. A signature (Burmese treat) Myanmar traditional treat also known as La Phet (Pickle Tea Leaves Salad) is a one of a kind treat for every Burmese family. Every Myanmar (Burmese) family keeps this recipe handy if close friends are over. This food is the typical signature food of Myanmar. This treat is not difficult to prepare and ingredients are available in Myanmar with popular name brands. We always stock up on those and keep it in our freezer for a longer shelf life.

Pickled Tea Leaves Salad ( 3-5 Serving)

Ingredients

1/2 cup Pickled Tea Leaves
1/2 cup Crispy Fried Garlic
1/2 cup Toasted Sesame Seeds
1/2 cup Crispy fried butterbean
1/2 cup Crispy Fried split yellow pea
1 tbsp   Dried shrimp (special less salty)
1/2 cup Roasted Peanut
1 cup    Shredded cabbage
1/2 cup Thinly sliced Tomato
1 tbsp   Thinly sliced fresh garlic
1 tsp     Thinly sliced Thai green chili (Optional)
2 tbsp   Peanut Oil
1 tsp     fish sauce
1 tbsp   Dried shrimp powder
1 tbsp Fresh squeezed lime juice

Instructions

1. Wash the two or three cabbage leaves with cold water. Cut the cabbage very thin shredded cut and set it in a bowl.

2. Cut the tomato (Roma or big boy) into a very thin slice and set it in the cabbage bowl.

3. Cut the 3 cloves of garlic very thin slice.

4. Cut Thai green chili as instructed. ( We could use another green chili such as Jalapeno pepper or Serrano pepper if we can't find Thai green chili.)

5. In a small bowl, add peanut oil(any oil will do great too), fish sauce and lime juice together and mix it thoroughly.

6. Mix all the ingredient in a bowl and add the dressing. Then toss it to blend all the ingredients and dressing.

7. Sprinkle the sliced garlic and green chili on top to garnish the plate. It is delightful to enjoy paring with hot jasmine rice. It is also suitable to have this dish with Chinese Jasmine hot tea.

Fall for the Soup

As the autumn weather rolls in, we start to feel the chilly wind from the North. Wearing thick coats and sweaters for the cold, dry weather also makes us crave nice, hot soups.

For our family, we would rather eat our own traditional soups from a store instead of making it ourselves. But as there is limited availability for our preferred meals, we're left to eat what is convenient. Among us, we choose to have Vietnamese Beef Noodle soup (Phở) most of the time, but for Western options, our family likes to enjoy Chili, and Beef & Barley soup in the cold weather.

As a hearty meal, I would love to share that Beef & Barley soup comforts us from the brisk autumn weather. Also, it is rich in nutrition full of vegetables and grains like barley. This flavorful treat is also suitable for children who can bear the spice.

Beef and Barley Soup (5-10 serving)

Ingredients

8 oz.     Beef (sirloin)
5 cups  Beef Broth
1 cup    Pearl Barley (uncooked)
1 cup    Chopped tomato
1 cup    Chopped carrot (small chopped)
1 cup    Chopped onion (small chopped)
1 cup    chopped celery (small chopped)
1 tbsp   Thyme (finely chopped)
2          Bay leaves
1 can    Tomato soup (12 oz)
1 can Dice Stewed Tomato (12 oz.)
2 tbsp   Olive oil (or) Butter
1 tbsp   sugar
2 tsp     salt

Instruction

1. On the stove top, heat up the 8 qt dutch oven with medium-high heat add the olive oil.

2. Then add the beef (small cubed) together with salt and pepper. Stir the meat to make it brown and add the onion, carrot, and celery.

3. When the onion is translucent, add finely chopped thyme, chopped tomato, and stir.

4. Then add the barley (pre-washed) then add beef broth, diced stewed tomato, sugar and a cup of water and boil with high heat then turn down the heat let it simmer for  30 more minutes. Add the Bay leaf, may add 2 cloves (optional).

5. When the barley grains and meat are tender soft enough to chew, add the tomato soup and stir. Let the soup to simmer for 5 more minutes. Add salt to your own taste.

6. We can turn off the heat and sprinkle the finely chopped parsley on top.

It is also suitable to enjoy this soup with either toasted garlic bread or rosemary flavored Ciabatta bread.

(Note: We may store the soups in the fridge for 2-3 days for later days meal. And soups taste better next day)

Bean Curd Salad (or) Burmese Tofu Salad

This is yet another dish that brings memories of my childhood. When we were little, we went to visit my grandmother's home in downtown Yangon (Rangoon). In the evening there is one food vendor (peddler) who made a very unique sound in order for people to recognize him. Every time he yelled out "To....Fu ...Thoke" , our late grandma offered to treat us to it. A lot of lovely memories that arise every time I think of the food.

In Burma, especially in downtown Yangon, peddlers were very common across the neighborhood, although I am unsure how business has been after leaving the country in 1995. Some food peddlers sold breakfast items in the early morning for example (steam sticky rice, vatana bean for fried rice, etc.). Then in the afternoons, the food items change to other Burmese delicacies such as sweet desserts and rice related authentic snacks.

This bean curd salad is a very healthy vegetarian snack food. The main ingredient for this salad is Tofu (Bean Curd), crispy fried shallot and chiffonade lime leaves.
The flavor of lime leaf helps to escalate the appetite and bring a highly refreshing taste.

Bean Curd Salad ( Besan Tofu Salad) ( 2 serving)

Ingredients

1 cup     Beasan Powder (making tofu)
1 cup     Water (making tofu)
1 tsp      Salt (making tofu)
1 cup     Thinly sliced Shallot
1 tbsp    Thinly sliced garlic
1 1/2 cup Canola Oil
1/2 tsp   Turmeric powder
1 tbsp    Fish sauce
2 tbsp    Roasted bean powder
2 tbsp    Tamarind Juice extract
1 tbsp    Chiffonade Lime leaves
2 tbsp    Powdered Dried shrimp
1 tsp      Roasted Chili powder (optional)
1 tbsp    Fine chopped ginger
1 tbsp    Fine chopped garlic

Prep for the flavored oil (Onion infused oil)

1. In the pan with medium high heat, add oil to heat through then add sliced shallot and garlic together with turmeric powder. Then stir fry it until the shallot turn into golden brown color.

2. Transfer it into the bowl and cool it down.

Prep for the Garlic Ginger liquid

1. In a small bowl, add both fine chopped ginger and fine chopped garlic.

2. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix it well to get the ginger flavor.

Prep for the Tofu (Bean Curd)

1. In the mixing bowl (3 qt), add beasan powder, salt, turmeric powder and water  then  mix it with the whip .

2. Heat the pan on the stove top with the medium high heat, pour all the mixture of beasan mix into the pan. Then stir continuously till the liquid turn into thick gravy (about 5 to 10 minutes). Transfer the thick bean curd mixture into the clean dry bowl to cool it down.

3. After cooling it down, we need to cut the tofu into thin slices to make the salad and get ready.

Dressing for the salad

It is better to make the dressing before mixing with tofu. ( one serving dressing)

1. Mix all the following ingredients together .

 1 tbsp dried shrimp powder, 1 tbsp tamarind juice extract, 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp shallot flavored oil, 1 tbsp garlic ginger liquid, 2 tsp roasted bean powder and may add a little chili powder in the separate bowl . Mix it together.

Plating

1. In the serving plate, add the sliced tofu in each serving plate (about a cup of sliced tofu).
2. Pour the salad dressing on top of the sliced tofu.
3. Garnish with crispy fried shallot and Chiffonade lemon of lime leaves on top.

We could  gently toss this salad since the delicate tofu can be smashed easily.

(Optional: We may substitute with cilantro leaves if the lime leaves are not available )
As an vegetable addition, we may also include the shredded cabbage about 2 tbsp into each salad serving.)

( Note: We may skip using the dried shrimp powder and fish sauce if we want to enjoy as strict vegetarian salad. Instead of using fish sauce we may substitute with light soy sauce.)