Vietnamese Lemon Rice Food

VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLES WITH LEMONGRASS SHRIMP

Steps:

• Make the pickled vegetables: Put carrot and daikon in a small bowl and sprinkle with sugar and salt. Add rice vinegar, toss well and set aside.
• Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and chiles. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water and let mixture sit for 15 minutes. (Leftover sauce will keep up to 3 days, refrigerated.)
• Marinate the shrimp: Put shrimp in a shallow dish. Add fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic and lemongrass. Mix well to coat.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Turn off heat and add rice noodles. Soak noodles, stirring occasionally, until softened, usually about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Leave in colander at room temperature.
• Prepare a platter of lettuce leaves and herb sprigs for the table. Keep cool, covered with a damp towel.
• Put oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add shrimp without crowding (work in batches if necessary). Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned.
• To serve, divide noodles among 4 large soup bowls, then top each with hot shrimp, pickled vegetables and a tablespoon or so of dipping sauce. Sprinkle with scallions and peanuts (and beans sprouts if using). Pass herb platter and remaining dipping sauce at the table, and encourage guests to customize bowls as desired.

LEMON RICE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring water, broth, lemon juice and butter to a boil. Stir in rice, basil and lemon zest. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Before serving, sprinkle with lemon-pepper.

VIETNAMESE LEMONGRASS BEEF AND NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine sugar, rice vinegar and lime juice and stir to dissolve. Add fish sauce, garlic, ginger, chiles and 1/2 cup water and stir together. Let sit for 15 minutes for flavors to meld. (May be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.)
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add rice noodles, stir and turn off heat. Let noodles soften (5 to 8 minutes, depending on brand), then drain and rinse with cold water. Leave in colander at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine beef, fish sauce, sugar, garlic and lemon grass in a bowl. Massage seasoning into beef and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Line a serving bowl or four individual large wide soup bowls with a few lettuce leaves and top with noodles.
• Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. When wok is nearly smoking, add beef and quickly stir-fry until lightly browned and just cooked, about 2 minutes. Work in batches if necessary so meat browns and doesn't steam. (If you do not have a wok, you may use a cast iron skillet and work in batches.)
• Top noodles with cooked beef, scallions, carrot, cucumber and daikon. Sprinkle with herbs, crushed peanuts and fried shallots (add sprouts if using). Drizzle lightly with dipping sauce and pass remaining sauce at table.

LEMONGRASS-SCENTED COCONUT RICE

Steps:

• 1. Place the rice in a 1-1/2- or 2-quart saucepan. Fill the pot halfway with cold water. If any rice hulls or small twigs float to the surface, scoop them aside with your hand and discard them. Gently swirl your fingers through the rice until the water becomes cloudy with the rice's surface starch, about 20 seconds. Be careful not to massage the rice aggressively-you don't want to crack or break the grains. Allow the rice to settle for a few seconds. Tilt the pot over a sink and drain out all the water, cupping the rice with your hand to prevent it from spilling out of the pot. Repeat this process with three more changes of water. The water after the first 2 rinses will be quite cloudy; by the fourth rinse, it will be much less so. The water need not run completely clear by the final rinse-slightly cloudy is fine. Leave the rinsed rice in the pot.
• 2. To the rinsed rice, add the tied lemongrass, the cooking water, the coconut milk, the salt, and the daun salam leaves (if using). Stir well to combine, making sure that the lemongrass stalks and daun salam leaves are submerged in as much of the rice as possible.
• 3. Place the pot over high heat and, stirring constantly with a large spoon to prevent the rice at the bottom of the pot from scorching or burning, bring the liquid to a rolling, noisy boil. Allow the rice to boil vigorously for fifteen seconds, continuing to stir constantly. (It's essential that you stir constantly, otherwise the fats and proteins in the coconut milk will cause the rice at the bottom of the pot to become gummy and stick together, which will ultimately lead to the final dish having a scorched or burned bottom layer.) Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to lift or remove the lid during this time-you'll lose essential cooking steam if you do.
• 4. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue to steam, covered, away from the heat for an additional 10 minutes.
• 5. Open the pot and discard the lemongrass and daun salam leaves. Fold the rice over gently with a spoon, distributing the aromatic flavors which may be concentrated in pockets in the rice. Transfer the rice to a deep serving bowl, fluffing it gently with a fork and lifting it into a high, peaked mound. Serve hot or warm. (If serving the rice warm, keep it covered with aluminum foil until then.)

CHINESE STYLE LEMON RICE

Steps:

• Add oil in a wok over high heat, when hot, saute the onion cubes, and minced ginger, then stir fry grated lemon zest and ground cumin over medium heat for about 30 seconds.
• Add the rice into the wok, stirring and tossing to mix well, season with salt.
• Remove from the wok to a bowl, serve immediately.

LEMON LENTIL RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, and cook until they pop. Once the seeds have popped like popcorn, add the carrot and green beans. Sautee them for about 2 minutes, just to mingle the flavors.
• Pour in the water, and add the rice and lentils. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice and lentils are tender. Stir in the lemon juice, and season with salt and chili powder. Let stand covered for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

VIETNAMESE LEMON RICE

Steps:

• Wash rice until water runs clear, then drain.
• Mix rice, water, salt, and oil in a nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Turn heat down to very low, stir gently, cover tightly, and cook until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add lemon zest and juice and mix lightly with chopsticks or a fork.
• Serve steaming hot with any seafood, meat, or chicken dish.
• Nutrition Information per Serving: 244 calories, 2 g total fat (0.2 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 197 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g protein.

ZESTY LEMON RICE

Steps:

• Melt butter and oil together in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add white parts of green onions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and lemon zest. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice. Season with turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Stir vegetable broth, milk, and lemon juice into the pan with the rice mixture and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until liquid has evaporated, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat. Fluff rice using a fork and adjust seasonings accordingly. Garnish with green parts of green onions and chopped dill.