LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2018

entertaining with kids from page 123

QUICK PICKLED CARROT & DAIKON

Pickled carrots and daikon are staples of the Vietnamese kitchen and classic additions to a banh mi sandwich. You can make them in minutes and keep them in the fridge for sev- eral weeks, but keep in mind that the flavour will get stronger over time. 6 oz (170 g) carrots, sliced ¼ inch (5 mm) thick lengthwise, then into batons 6 oz (170 g) daikon radish, sliced ¼ inch (5 mm) thick lengthwise, then into batons 3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar 2 tbsp (30 mL) kosher salt ½ cup (125 mL) white vinegar ½ cup (125 mL) cold water (or enough to cover veg with brine) 1 Combine carrot, radish, sugar and salt in a bowl, and massage until sugar and salt have completely dissolved and vegetables have be- gun to soften. Pack into a 2-cup (500-mL) jar. Add vinegar and water and let stand 1 hour or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. DRESS YOUR OWN NOODLE SALAD Lightly dressed rice noodles make a great side for grilled chicken and shrimp and give guests an alternative to bread. Serve the garnishes in small bowls so that guests can build their perfect portion. Fried shallots can be bought in bags near the spices in many Asian stores, or you can thinly slice shallots and fry them in a little oil until browned and crisp. 1 lb (455 g) thin rice stick noodles ½ cup (125 mL) unseasoned rice vinegar ¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar 1½ tsp (7 mL) grated ginger 1 tsp (5 mL) grated garlic 1 to 2 bird’s-eye chilies, very finely chopped (to taste) GARNISHES Thai basil, cilantro, chopped green onions, chopped peanuts, fried shallots, sambal oelek 1 Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 15 min- utes or until noodles are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. 2 Combine rice vinegar, canola oil, fish sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add chilies. Toss noodles with dress- ing just before serving. 3 Put garnishes in bowls around noodles so guests can top them the way they like. Makes 10 servings as part of whole menu

PINEAPPLE MANGO LEMON SMASH PUNCH Italian soda adds sparkle and a hit of flavour, but you can substitute plain soda water if you want to keep the added sugar content low. Combine 2 cups (500 mL) fresh pressed pine- apple juice (the kind found in the grocery store’s refrigerated case), 1 cup (250 mL) mango juice and 1 small, thinly sliced organic lemon in a pitcher. Use a wooden spoon to slightly smash lemon. Add 2 cans (600mL) naturally flavoured Italian lemon soda and ice and stir to combine. Makes 8 servings

VIETNAMESE BBQ CHICKEN & SHRIMP

Serve chicken and shrimp on a platter with crusty mini-baguettes or rolls, Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon, SrirachaMayo and cilantro sprigs so that guests can assemble a banh mi sandwich if they desire. Grilled chicken and shrimp are also great over the Noodle Salad. ⅓ cup (80 mL) fish sauce ¼ cup (60 mL) low-sodium soy sauce ¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil ¼ cup (60 mL) dark brown sugar ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro 3 tbsp (45 mL) fresh lime juice 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lime zest 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh ginger 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh garlic 2 tsp (10 mL) chili paste (sambal oelek) 2 lbs (905 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 lb (455 g) large zipper-back shrimp (peel on) Bamboo skewers (optional) 1 Combine fish sauce, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, cilantro, lime juice and zest, gin- ger, garlic and sambal oelek. Set aside ⅓ cup (80 mL) of marinade for shrimp and pour the rest over the chicken. Let chicken stand for 4 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Toss shrimp in reserved marinade and soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before grilling. 2 Preheat a grill to high (if you have the op- portunity to grill over charcoal do so—it will add a lot of extra flavour). Thread shrimp onto skewers (if desired). Turn heat down to med­ ium and grill chicken for 8 to 10 minutes a side or until cooked through and slightly caramel- ized at the edges. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes a side or until pink and just cooked through. Makes 10 servings as part of whole menu SRIRACHA MAYO Whisk 1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise and 4 tsp (20 mL) sriracha (or to taste) together until fully combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMEL IZED GARL IC Caramelized sugar is at the base of many Viet- namese dishes. This dish is a simplification of the traditional process but gives the beans a very special flavour. 1½ lbs (680 g) green beans, stem end trimmed 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar 2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce ¼ cup (60 mL) Thai basil leaves 1 Blanch green beans in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop them from cooking further. Set aside. 2 Heat oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Add sugar and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes lon- ger or until sugar has dissolved and is begin- ning to caramelize. Add drained green beans and fish sauce and toss for 1 minute or until beans are hot and coated with garlic mixture. Add basil leaves and serve. Makes 10 servings as part of whole menu

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136  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2018