Part 23 (1/2)

3. Stir in the oyster sauce, curry powder, and soy sauce. Add the rice noodles and toss. Serve immediately.

Serves 23 Do you have 5 minutes and some leftover chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or a combination thereof? If so, this is the meal for you. It's satisfying, it's easy, and it's foolproof!

Oyster Mushroom Soup 4 cups vegetable broth 1 tablespoon Tabasco 23 serrano chilies stalk lemongra.s.s, outer leaves removed, inner core finely chopped 3 (2-inch-long, -inch wide) pieces lime zest 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice pound oyster mushrooms, cleaned and separated if large 1. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable broth and the Tabasco to a boil. Meanwhile, crush the chilies with a mallet to break them slightly open: A good whack will do it.

2. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the boiling broth, reduce the heat, and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked to your liking. Remove the chilies before serving.

Serves 4 Oyster mushrooms are fan-shaped mushrooms with a mild flavor and a tender bite. In this Cambodian-style soup they add texture to a complex, yet simple-to-make broth.

Sweet Cambodian Broth with Pork and Eggs 4 cups water 5 tablespoons soy sauce teaspoon freshly ground black pepper teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1 cup fish sauce 68 hard-boiled eggs 1 large pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized cubes 1 cup thinly sliced bamboo shoots Rice, cooked according to package directions 1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the soy sauce, black pepper, salt, sugar, fish sauce, and hard-boiled eggs; simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Add the cubed pork and the bamboo shoots and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Adjust seasonings to taste.

4. To serve, mound some rice in the bottom of soup bowls. Ladle soup over the rice.

Serves 46 When I say sweet, I mean sweet. As the sugar cooks, it gives a syrupy consistency to this very traditional dish. Luckily the sweetness is counteracted somewhat by a good amount of salty ingredients.

Cambodian-Style Pan-Fried Chicken and Mushrooms 6 ounces dried Chinese mushrooms 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed teaspoon grated ginger 1 pounds chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s and legs 1 cup water 2 teaspoons sugar 1. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and rinse under cold water; drain again and squeeze dry. Remove any tough stems. Cut the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces; set aside.

2. Place the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the ginger and stir-fry briefly.

3. Add the chicken and fry until the skin turns golden.

4. Stir in the water and the sugar. Add the mushrooms.

5. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Serves 46 Spoon the seasoned mushrooms and a bit of the pan drippings over the chicken. Serve noodles on the side.

Cambodian Beef with Lime Sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided 2 tablespoons soy sauce 57 cloves garlic, crushed 1 pounds sirloin, trimmed and cut into bite-sized cubes 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1. In a bowl large enough to hold the beef, combine the sugar, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, soy sauce, and garlic. Add the beef and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes.

2. In a small serving dish, combine the remaining black pepper, the lime juice, and the water; set aside.

3. In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes and saute for 4 minutes for medium-rare.

4. This dish may be served either as an appetizer or a main dish. For the appetizer, mound the beef on a plate lined with lettuce leaves with the lime sauce on the side. Use toothpicks or small forks to dip the beef into the lime sauce. For a main dish, toss the beef with the lime sauce to taste. Serve with Jasmine rice.

Serves 4 This simple marinade is so good that even though the lime sauce is a breeze, the meat is equally good without it. If you don't have any beef on hand, use pork tenderloin instead.

Red Curry Cambogee 4 dried Thai bird chilies, stemmed and seeded 1 cup boiling water 4 tablespoons sweet paprika 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cups Lemongra.s.s Curry Sauce (recipe follows) 1. Break the dried chilies into pieces and place them in a small bowl. Cover with the boiling water and let sit until soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Place the chilies, their steeping water, and the paprika in a blender. Process to form a thin paste.

3. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a wok. Add the chili paste and stir-fry until it begins to darken. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Place the Lemongra.s.s Curry Sauce in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir in half of the chili paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Check the flavor of the sauce, adding more chili paste if needed.

Yields approx. 4 cups This Cambodian sauce is a hotter version of the Lemongra.s.s Curry Sauce. It makes a great base for beef dishes.

Lemongra.s.s Curry Sauce [image]cup chopped lemongra.s.s, inner core only 45 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 jalapeno chili, stemmed and seeded 3 small shallots, coa.r.s.ely chopped 3 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk 3 (2-inch-long, -inch wide) pieces lime peel teaspoon salt 1. Place the lemongra.s.s, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, and shallots in a food processor; process to form a paste.

2. Bring the coconut milk to a boil and add the lemongra.s.s paste, lime peel, and salt. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the lime peel.

Yields approx. 4 cups Thailand's influence on Cambodian cuisine is evident in this sauce. Try it over fish or chicken with a side of Jasmine rice.

Sweet-and-Sour Vegetables 1 cup sliced carrots 1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 cup water, divided 4 cups broccoli 6 green onions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce [image]cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks 1. Place the carrots, onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger in a large saucepan with cup of the water. Bring the water to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the broccoli, green onions, and the remaining cup of water. Bring the water to a boil; reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, thoroughly combine the pineapple juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch.

4. Add the pineapple juice mixture and the pineapple chunks to the wok. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.

Serves 6 A medley of vegetables, this dish is heavily influenced by Cambodia's northern neighbor, China. You can serve these as an accompaniment or as a main dish over rice.

Minted Vegetables 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces 3 cups broccoli pieces 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage cup vegetable broth Salt and pepper to taste 34 tablespoons chopped mint 1. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrot slices, onion, and bell pepper; saute for 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil, the broccoli, the cabbage, and the vegetable broth. Continue to saute until the vegetables are done to your liking, about 10 minutes for tender-crisp.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped mint.

Serves 6 Nothing fancy, just a burst of minty freshness with each bite.

Shrimp ”Pate”

1 cups minced shrimp teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar teaspoon white pepper 1 red chili, seeded and finely minced (optional) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 8 (4-inch) pieces sugarcane Sweet-and-sour or other favorite dipping sauce 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the shrimp, salt, sugar, white pepper, and chili in a food processor; process until smooth.

3. Drizzle in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Process the shrimp mixture until it reaches the consistency necessary to make a meatball, using more or less oil.

4. Divide the shrimp mixture into 4 equal parts.