Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad Food

VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• Mince the garlic with the cilantro and the hot pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce or salt and sugar; stir well. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles; boil them for 2 minutes. Drain well. Rinse the noodles with cold water until they have cooled. Let them drain again.
• Combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint and Napa cabbage in a large serving bowl. Toss well and serve the salad garnished with the peanuts and mint sprigs.

VIETNAMESE-STYLE RICE-NOODLE AND STEAK SALAD

Steps:

• Place the rice sticks in large bowl. Cover completely with boiling water and let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
• In a mortar and pestle (or small-capacity blender), mash the garlic, jalapeño and sugar to a paste. Transfer to a small bowl; whisk in the fish sauce, 1/4 cup water and lime juice. Toss some of the dressing, a few tablespoons at a time, with the noodles, tasting as you go, until the flavor is to your liking; use up to half the dressing. Add 6 tablespoons nuts, 1 tablespoon mint and 1 tablespoon basil. Toss well.
• Whisk the peanut oil into the remaining dressing. In a large bowl, toss together the radicchio, remaining 1 cup mint, remaining 1 cup basil and cucumber. Pour enough dressing over the salad to lightly coat the greens; reserve some dressing for the meat.
• Arrange the salad on a large platter. Top with the noodles. Arrange the steak over the noodles and spoon additional dressing over the meat if desired. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons peanuts and cilantro, if using.

VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• To prepare the dressing, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of the water, the garlic and the chile. Whisk well. Taste: if it's too pungent, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If you'd like more sweetness, add more brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon at a time. Remember that you're going to be putting this dressing on unsalted vegetables and noodles: you want the dressing to have a lot of flavor, but it shouldn't knock you over. Pour into a serving bowl. (Covered and chilled, the dressing will keep for 3 days to a week.).
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Immediately drain the noodles into a colander, and rinse them well with cold water. Lay out a clean kitchen towel on the countertop, shake the colander to drain away excess water and then spread the cooked noodles on the towel to drain further.
• Divide the noodles between two or three good-sized bowls, depending on the number of diners, and top with the vegetables, herbs and meat. Scatter the peanuts on top. Allow each person to spoon on dressing to taste. Toss well, and eat. (Alternatively, you can present this salad family-style: Toss the vegetables, herbs and noodles in a mixing bowl and then mound them on a serving platter. Arrange the meat over the noodles, and top with peanuts. Each diner can scoop their own portion from the platter and dress it as they see fit.).

VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• Place the garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, honey, lime juice, fish sauce and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until almost smooth.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes.
• Drain, rinse well with cold water and drain again.
• In a large bowl, combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint, and napa cabbage.
• Toss well and garnish with chopped nuts.

VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SALAD WITH GRILLED TOFU

Steps:

• Put water onto boil for the noodles.
• Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together and stir vigorously, set aside.
• Slice the tofu into 8 equal pieces widthwise then slice those rectangles corner to corner to form long triangles. Place in a single layer on a large plate and pour 6 tbsp of the dressing over top along with the soy sauce. Let marinate while you prepare everything else.
• Your water should be boiling so add the noodles and cook accordingly to the package directions.
• While the noodles are cooking prep all the veggies if that still needs to be done.
• The noodles should be ready so drain them and run under cold water for about a minute to cool them down. Add all the veggies, greens, and mint to the noodles, combining well (use your hands if need be) and set aside.
• Combine the gremolata ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.
• Heat a cast iron grill or skillet over medium high heat, spray with nonstick cooking spray and grill the tofu on each side for about 4 minutes or until it starts to brown. Add the excess marinade to the noodles.
• Assembly: Scoop the noodles into 6 bowls, add 2-3 pieces of tofu on the side of each bowl and sprinkle with the gremolata. Serve with extra lime wedges and extra chili garlic sauce.

VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• Soak noodles in hot water 10 minutes, then drain in a large sieve.
• Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water, uncovered, until tender, about 1 minute. Drain in sieve and rinse under cold water until cold. Drain well and pat noodles dry.
• Whisk together vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, and salt in a large bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add noodles, carrot, scallions, herbs, and peanuts, tossing to combine.

RICE NOODLE SALAD WITH VIETNAMESE SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a bowl stir together fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, garlic and pepper flakes until sugar is dissolved. Chill covered for 1 hour.
• Shell and devein shrimp. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook shrimp with salt and lemon 2 minutes, or until just barely cooked through. In a colander, drain shrimp and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Halve shrimp lengthwise.
• Halve cucumber lengthwise and seed. Cut cucumber halves and scallions crosswise into 2 1/2 inch pieces and cut pieces lengthwise into julienne strips.
• In a bowl, soak noodles in hot water to cover 15 minutes to soften. While noodles are soaking, in a 6-quart kettle, bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil. Drain noodles in colander and cook in boiling water 45 seconds, or until just tender. Drain noodles in colander, rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and with scissors cut into 4-inch lengths.
• Divide noodles, shrimp, vegetables and dressing among 4 bowls and sprinkle with herbs and peanuts. To eat, pull herbs from sprigs and toss with noodles.