Thai Rice Salad - A Real Winner!

I love living where I do and wouldn’t think of moving. I just wish someone would open up a Thai restaurant in our community. Being a chef I might have an advantage over knowing how to cook Thai food over a lost of people but then there’s the problem of getting the right ingredients. When I travel the first place I look up is a Thai restaurant.

This recipe has no ingredients that cannot be found in your neighborhood supermarket and it is one of the most delicious Thai recipes that I have ever tasted. The salad gets its heat, traditional in Thai dishes, from cayenne pepper but using dried red pepper flakes instead allows everyone to make it as spicy as they wish. However, it has to be a little bit spicy or it wouldn’t be Thai.

For 2 people:

1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 heaping tablespoon sugar

Pinch of cayenne pepper

4 scallions chopped, including the green parts

3 carrots grated

1 cucumber peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice.

1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (you can substitute parsley if you have to but I would rather use dried cilantro)

Combine the oil, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and cayenne and let stand for five minutes. Then, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss until thoroughly mixed. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve.

NOTE: Now that I have given you the basic recipe it’s time for you to use your imagination. The salad is wonderful just like you made it but it’s even better with the addition of poached shrimp or scallops, thinly sliced chicken breasts or, my favorite, very thin slices of rare beef.

I can guarantee that if you make this once you will make it again.

This recipe, along with 325 others, can be found in my cookbook, Help-I Gotta Cook! named Cookbook of the Year in 2007. Go to my webpage http://www.ineedtocook.com to find out what others think of the book or to Amazon.com to order it.

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