Mango & Tomato salad

It's finally becoming a little cooler these days, I wasn't sure how much longer I could take the heat we've been experiencing. What I don't like about such extreme climes is it makes you lazy, or at least it makes me lazy. The heat zaps my energy and for as long as I'm within city limits, I'm imprisoned indoors in the comfort of airconditioning.

Sure we've got electric fans in every room including the kitchen but they're powerless at this point, successful only at recycling the hot air around. And so it was that I stayed away from the oven for the most part of the summer. I was asked a couple of times by friends to make cupcakes but seriously, I'd have to be a masochist to confine myself to the kitchen (which if it weren't for the appliances present I could have mistaken for the steam room at the gym) and work with the heat from the oven.

Salads, of course, are a favorite especially during summer. They're quick and easy to make, and very refreshing. The simpler ones don't require any heat in the preparation, and hence no sweat from our pores. This particular dish could be classified both as a salad or condiment because it's great on it's own or added to complement a major dish such as fish. It's also a great alternative to chutney in tempering hot curries. The original recipe calls for green or unripe mangoes but I like to save those to be eaten with bagoong (shrimp paste). And since we are never without ripe mangoes at home, I can make this everyday if I wish.

I got this recipe from my sister, Ginny. It's excellent! I am really a big fan of the distinctly Asian mix of fish sauce, vinegar and sugar. The way it works together in a sweet, salty and sour burst of flavor is simply ambrosial. Then you add the juicy sweetness of my favorite fruit, the mango and the crunch from the tomatoes, and you have one mind-blowing experience. Chalk another point for simple, no-fuss and absolutely delicious food.

Mango & Tomato Salad

2 ripe mangoes, cubed (you can also use green mangoes if you wish)

2 juicy red tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Start with 1 tbsp each of red cane vinegar, Thai fish sauce or patis and brown sugar

Coriander leaves, chopped

Adjust dressing to taste

The easiest way to cube a mango is to slice it in half on either side of the seed. Then with a knife, make a checkerboard pattern on the flesh of each cheek and then scoop the cubes out. You'll be tempted to scoop them straight into your mouth, be strong and try to resist! Combine the mango with the tomatoes and toss with vinegar, fish sauce and sugar.

If you use green mangoes, use less vinegar to compensate for the sourness of the fruit. For a variation on the dish, and one which would make it more Thai, add some chili powder to the mix!



Thank you to Alanna of A Veggie Venture for this cute image of Blush the Sweet Tomato, and for her efforts in promoting produce from hometown farmer's markets!

Pomelo Salad

To go with the Thai green curry, I made a pomelo salad using a recipe also from At the Table with Jim Thompson. The pomelo salad is one of those things I've made a mental note to try at home someday. It's a salad I enjoy immensely and will order it automatically at my favorite Thai restaurant, it's as delicious as it is refreshing.

The pomelo salad, like most yams (Thai salad) showcases Thai cuisine's four basic flavors: tangy, salty, sweet and hot. The blast of lime provides the tang, the fish sauce infuses in the saltiness, and if the pomelos are in season they would make the salad juicy and sweet. But the real secret is in the dressing, a blend of contrasting ingredients dominated by the naam plaa or Thai fish sauce. The naam plaa is the main source of salt for the Thais, used in cooking and as a condiment. It is fermented into varying grades and colors and is used in practically all Thai dishes.

I was really excited about this and was very happy with the outcome. The only thing I would do differently is separate the pomelo into smaller segments, add more chili paste (I held back for my mom's sake) and make it sooner so it has time to cool in the fridge longer.

Pomelo Salad (Yam Som Oo)

1 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
1 tbsp thinly sliced shallots
2 tbsp grated coconut, roasted
1 cup (150g) pomelo segments
1 to 3 cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp chopped red chilies
1 tbsp ground roasted peanuts
2 tbsp coriander leaves

For the dressing:

1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut milk
2 tsp grated palm sugar (I used muscovado sugar)
1 tbsp naam plaa or Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp roasted chili paste

To prepare the dressing, boil the coconut milk, palm sugar, fish sauce, chili paste and lime juice in a wok for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Stir-fry the garlic and shallots separately for 1 minute, the combine them in a bowl. Add the roasted coconut, pomelo, shrimp, chilies and ground roasted peanuts. Dress the salad and garnish with coriander leaves.

Catalina Taco Salad

During a recent dinner at La Nuova Pastelleria in Alabang, I was reminiscing with the owner about my old favorites from their original cafe in Makati. His younger brother was a friend and we went to the same school nearby, just a short walk from where his mother served some of the yummiest cakes from old family recipes - they have the best Concorde cake! Sometimes after the final bell, my best friend and I would mosey on over to Pastelleria, as it was fondly called back then, still sporting our Catholic school girl uniforms and share a big plate of taco salad and a slice of cake.

Somewhere down the line, the cafe evolved into an Italian trattoria and with this change came a shiny new menu featuring dreamy dishes that conjured up images of cozy rustic kitchens on Tuscan hillsides. Naturally there was no room for something so un-Italian and mundane as the poor taco salad. And while I do have my new favorites, I did miss it.

It was that same salad that inspired my habit of crushing my loaded taco shells into a crunchy salad. I liked it when the sauces were evenly spread. Even the Pancake House tacos would suffer the same fate. My mom prepared tacos at home sometimes for variety. She would so carefully layer each ingredient, making sure the shredded lettuce goes in first so it absorbs the juices from the meat and tomatoes that were piled on top of it. No sooner would she hand me mine and I'd come down on it with my fork crush...crush...stir. Oh, but don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the pleasure of eating tacos with my hands and letting the sauce spill down my forearm to my elbows, squirting more hot sauce before every bite.

I started to prepare my own taco salad after a friend introduced me to Kraft's Catalina salad dressing. It propelled the salad into a new dimension, resulting in one of the best taco salads I had ever tried, coming thisclose to that of Pastelleria. It was truly a eureka moment! The Catalina lends a nice sweet, tangy flavor that tempers the heat of the chili beans just right.

So after all that talk about taco salad the night before, I set about preparing a nice big bowl for Sunday lunch. Thankfully, I still had a bottle of Catalina that I brought home from a trip to the US last year and a couple of taco seasoning packets. I had also just been to the grocery so my fridge was freshly stacked with cheeses.

This is a meal in itself and can be very filling so I usually have it on it's own. But it's a salad ergo it's healthy and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Just look at all the tomatoes and lettuce and protein-rich beans in it! ;)

Catalina Taco Salad

1/2 kg ground beef
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2-3 tomatoes, sliced into wedges

2-3 onions, chopped
1 can chilli beans, drained
1/2 cap sliced olives, drained (optional)
1 bag corn chips, I like to use Cool Ranch Doritos
shredded cheddar cheese

Kraft's Catalina salad dressing
fresh chunky salsa
hot sauce, if the beans and salsa aren't hot enough

Now all you have to do is:

Brown beef in a skilet and then drain. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Sometimes it will require you to add some water. Make sure to cool the meat before including it with the rest of the ingredients. Put everything in a large bag (some even use those medium sized garbage bags earning it the unappetizing nickname of Trash Bag Taco Salad) or plastic container and shake it like a polaroid picture!

Transfer the salad into a big bowl, pile on the salsa, dress with the Catalina and sprinkle generously with shredded cheese and voila! Too easy.

I still haven't found Catalina dressing here in Manila so I have to get mine in the US. But you can also make your own with this recipe.