RECIPES

FISH W/ SPICY SWEET SAUCE

2011-05-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

1 bulb Shallot, minced 4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 3-inch piece Ginger, minced
2 large Tomatoes, chopped
3 stalks Green Onions, chopped
½ bunch Cilantro, chopped
Sugar, MSG, Salt, Fish Sauce and Siricha to taste

Fry whole fish or steam until done. Saute shallots, garlic and ginger in oil, add tomatoes and seasoning. Bring to a boil, add the add and let simmer or pour over fish. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

SAI GOG (LAO SAUSAGE)

2011-05-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

10 bulbs Shallots
7 Dried Red Pepper
10 stalks Lemongrass
3 Onions
1 bunch Green Onions
1 bunch Lime Leaves
10 lbs Grounds Pork
5 lbs Pork Fat, small chopped
1 pkg. Ground chili/Paprika
2 tbs. MSG
5 tbs. Sugar
1 tbs. Salt
2 tbs. Fish Sauce
2 tbs. Black Pepper
Oyster Sauce to taste
Pork Casings

Ground the shallots, peppers and lemongrass in a mortar. Finely diced the onions, green onions and lime leaves. Combine all the ingredients well, stuff into casings and tie off 6-8 inch pieaces. Bake or grill until done.

ASIAN MEATBALLS

2009-06-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

1 lb. ground chicken, turkey or pork
3 gloves garlic, minced
2 stalk lemongrass, minced
2 shallots, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbs. fish sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. sugar

Combine all the ingredients and shape into small to medium size balls. Chill the meatballs in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and broil for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Can also grill them until cooked through. Serve on top of lettuce with cucumber, mint, cilantro and Asian sweet garlic sauce.

KOW THOM (SWEET RICE W/BANANA)

2008-02-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

2 cups glutinous rice
1-2 cans coconut milk
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. Salt
5 ripe bananas
Banana leaves or foil

Wash and drain rice several times, soak overnight. Drain the rice and add to a large pot with the coconut milk. Add sugar and salt and cook over medium heat until liquid is almost dry. Let stand to cool.

Cut the banana in half and slice lengthwise. Place about 2 tablespoon of the rice mixture on a piece of banana leaf or foil. Add a slice of banana on top, wrap and steam for about 1 hour.

MOK PA

2008-02-01T14:27:00.001-08:00

2-3 firm white fish filets
3-6 Thai chili peppers, fresh or dried
1 stalk lemongrass, sliced
4 tbs. soaked glutinous rice
6-8 lime leaves
1 bunch dill
salt and pepper
fish sauce
msg and sugar
banana leaves or foil

TIP: Cat fish and Tilapia works wonderfully

Ground rice, peppers and lemongrass in a mortar or blend in a blender with a little water. Thinly slice the lime leaves and rough chop the dill. Cut up fish filets into chunks, toss with ground mixture and lime leaves.

Season with salt and pepper, msg, fish sauce and sugar. Wrap mixture in banana leaves or foil substitute. Steam until cooked. Substitute chicken breast for the fish for a different variation.

THOM KIM

2008-02-01T14:22:00.001-08:00

2-3 pieces garlic, minced
2 heads shallots, minced
2 lbs. pork feet or spareribs
10-12 hard boiled eggs, shelled
¼ cup sugar
lime leaves
oyster sauce and fish sauce
salt and pepper, msg

Sauté garlic and shallots in a wok or pot. Add pork and lime leaves and sauté for a couple minutes. Season with a dash of oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt, msg and black peppers.

Caramelize sugar in a small pot, add water when the sugar is golden brown. The sugar will crystallize. Once the crystallize sugar is fully dissolved into the water, add to the large pot.

Add the shelled hard boiled eggs and let simmer until the eggs pick up the golden color of the caramelized sugar water. Season with more fish sauce or sugar if need. Serve with Jasmine rice.
Time Saving Variation: Skip the sautéing. Caramelize the sugar, add water. Bring to a boil, add meat, boiled eggs and seasoning. Simmer until eggs pick up the golden brown color.

GREEN CHICKEN CURRY

2008-02-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

½ lb. Sliced chicken breast
1-2 can coconut milk
2 tbs. green curry paste
1 large Asian eggplant
4-6 Jalapeno peppers
Thai basil leaves

Prepare vegetables by washing, cutting eggplant into small wedges and Jalapeno peppers into large slices.

Sauté chicken in a wok or deep pan. Add curry paste and sauté for a minute. Add coconut milk and vegetables.

Season with fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and let simmer. Garnish with Thai basil leaves and serve over Jasmine rice.

KOW PBOUNG

2008-02-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

1 lb. Ground pork
2-4 tbs. Red curry paste
3 tbs. garlic
3 medium size shallots
1 stalk lemongrass
1 can coconut milk
1-2 lbs. pork bones
1 pkg. pork intestines
1 container congealed pork blood
2-3 slices dried galangal
1 can sliced bamboo
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
2 lbs. bean sprouts
lime leaves and limes
fish sauce, sugar, msg and salt

Prepare garnishes by washing and shredding cabbage, chopping cilantro and green onions, removing tails off bean sprouts, and slicing limes into wedges. Arrange on a tray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pork bones, galangal and limes leaves. Season with salt and msg. In a separate pot boil intestines, drain, cut up into small pieces and add to stock pot. Cut up congealed pork blood into small chunks, boil in a separate pot, drain and add to stock pot. Add sliced bamboo shoots and season with fish sauce and sugar.

Cut garlic, shallots and lemongrass into small pieces and mash in a mortar (add a couple fresh or dried red chili peppers to the mortar and mash if you want the stock extra spicy). Saute the garlic, shallot and lemongrass mixture with the ground pork in a wok. Add curry paste and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the coconut milk, stir to combine, and add to stock pot.

In another pot boil rice vermicelli noodles until done, drain and soak in cold water while shaping handfuls of noodles into spirals into a container that will allow it to drain.

Place desired amount of noodles in bowl, ladle soup over and garnish with shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro and green onions, and bean sprouts. Adjust taste by adding more seasoning to bowl. Can substitute pork with chicken or fish, according to taste.

OPTIONAL GARNISH: Mak Bee (purple oblong shape vegetable)

LAO STEAMED EGGS

2008-02-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

2 dozen eggs
salt, sugar, pepper
msg, fish sauce

Punch a small hole in the narrow end of the eggs with a sharp thin implement. Pour out egg into a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, msg, fish sauce and a bit of sugar. Beat until smooth.

Spoon egg mixture back into shells, or dip egg into bowl. Top off until full. Place into rack of steamer. Bring pot of water to a gentle boil. Steam on low for 1-2 hours. Leave the lid of the steamer cracked to let off steam. The shells will crack if the temperature gets to high. Keep it at a gentle boil and open lid wider if needed.

WATER SNAIL STEW

2008-02-01T13:56:00.001-08:00

5 lbs. Fresh Water snails
1-2 stalk of lemongrass
2-3 fresh or dried chili peppers
3 tbs. soaked glutinous rice
2 tbs. Tamarind paste or 1 tbs. powder
1 bunch pak itho
1 bunch pak sanang
padek, fish sauce, msg, salt and sugar to taste

Repeatedly soak and wash snails for a couple days. Prepare snails by chipping off ends slightly. Put in a large pot. Add water half-way up to the snails and bring to a boil with the lemongrass cut up into hand length pieces. Packaged shelled snail meat can be substituted for fresh water snails.

In a mortar, pound the peppers and soaked rice into a paste. Add it to the pot once it reaches a boil. Add salt, sugar, msg, padek, and tamarind paste or powder. Add herbs and boil gently until caps of snails pop. Add more seasonings according to taste.

Can also add your choice of squash. Add it at the same time as the herbs and cook until tender.

LAO SWEET JERKY

2008-02-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Round Bottom beef, sliced thin
Ground garlic and ginger
Salt and pepper
Sugar and msg
Oyster sauce
Sesame seeds

Have butcher slice beef into thin slices (as thin as sandwich meat). Ground garlic and ginger in a mortar. Marinate beef with the seasonings, adding plenty of sugar.

Lay flat on a netted hanger to dry in the sun (best time to prepare is in the middle of the summer). Dry for 1-2 days flipping over once to dry both sides. Make sure meat in completely dried to prevent mold. Can be stored for several weeks in the pantry, or months in freezer.
TIP: Can buy netted hanger at you local Lao store

PAPAYA SALAD

2008-02-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

1 green Papaya
2-3 gloves of garlic
6-8 Thai chili peppers
1-2 limes
2 tomatoes
salt, msg and sugar
ka pee, crab paste, fish sauce and padek

Shred papaya into thin strips. Ground garlic and peppers in a mortar with ka pee, crab paste, salt, sugar and msg. Add papaya and tomatoes and pound until softened. Add juice of limes, fish sauce and padek, and continue to mash to thoroughly combine. Add more seasoning as needed.

Can add shredded carrot for color and 2 tbs. of tamarind paste for tanginess. Serve with sticky rice, lettuce or cabbage and pork rinds.

Optional ingredients: soft shell crab and dried shrimp.
Rice Noodle variation: add noodle at the end and stir gently.
Long green bean variation: reduce garlic and omit crab paste

STEAMED BUNS WITH PORK FILLING (SALAPAW)

2008-01-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

1 pkg. steam bun dough flour
1 onion
1 lb. Ground Pork
1 cup chopped fungus mushrooms
salt and pepper
sugar and msg
soy sauce and oyster sauce
6-8 hard boiled eggs cut into quarters
3-4 Chinese Sausages sliced

Stir fry onions, add pork and mushrooms and continue to sauté. Add the seasonings and continue to cook until pork is done.

Make steam bun dough according to package. Roll or shape dough into small circles. Place pork filing, a piece of egg and sausage into the middle and fold edges together towards the top and pinch to seal.
Place buns onto pieces of wax paper and into a steamer. Steam for 10 –20 minutes or until done.

LAO STYLE DUCK HEADS

2008-01-31T16:47:00.000-08:00

6-8 Duck heads
3 gloves garlic
½ stalk lemongrass
salt and pepper
msg, fish sauce and oyster sauce

Cut duck heads in half, leaving one edge slightly attached. Wash thoroughly. Ground garlic and lemongrass in a mortar. Season the heads with the ground garlic and lemongrass, salt and pepper, msg, fish sauce and oyster sauce. Bake on high until golden brown.

TAPIOCA BALLS WITH PORK FILLING

2008-01-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

2 cups white Tapioca Pearls
½ cup minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 lb. Ground Pork
½ cup minced Salted Radishes
½ cup ground peanuts
½ cup sugar
salt and pepper

accompaniment:
lettuce, mint, cilantro, basil and fried dried red peppers

Repeated wash and drain tapioca. Let stand for 30 minutes. Pour ½ cup hot water into bowl with tapioca. Stir constantly and knead into soft dough. Cover and set aside.

Heat oil and stir fry onions and garlic until light brown. Add pork and salted radishes. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until done, add peanuts and toss. Set aside to cool.

Line steamer with wax or aluminum foil pricked with a fork. Prepare to work with tapioca dough by repeated dipping hand in a bowl of cold water. Take about 2 tbs. of dough and flatten into palm. Place filling into the center and gather edges to close, pinch to seal. Roll into a ball and place in steamer. Steam until tapioca is translucent or about 5 minutes.

Serve with lettuce leaves, mint, cilantro, basil, etc. and fried dried red peppers like a wrap.

CHAILLE PA

2008-01-31T16:28:00.000-08:00

1 Catfish
2-3 Thai chili peppers
2-3 stems green onions
1 stalk lemongrass
salt, msg, padek, fish sauce and sugar

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add fish, msg and padek. Cook until done then drain, reserving the broth. Meanwhile, roast chili peppers and green onions. Thinly slice lemongrass.

De-bone the fish and ground in a mortar along with the peppers, onions and lemongrass. Season with msg, a little sugar and fish sauce if needed.

LAAB TAO

2008-01-31T16:16:00.000-08:00

1 small Catfish
3-4 lbs. uncooked Snails (or)
1-2 lbs. Cooked Snail meat
2 bunches spinach
4 stalks lemongrass
4 –6 mak quer
1 bunch Asian long green beans
½ head young galangal
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch thorny lao herb
Ground toasted rice
Ground roasted dried red pepper

Wash all vegetables and herbs in preparation. Boil small cat fish in a large pot of salted water. Crush one lemongrass stalk with a heavy knife, break it into large pieces and add to the pot. Season with padek, salt and msg. If using uncooked snails, add now and cook until tops pop up. If using already cooked snails, just blanche slightly.

Meanwhile, thinly slice mak quer, Asian long green beans, galangal, lemongrass and thorny lao herb. Chop green onions and cilantro. Blanche or steam the spinach. Drain the soup, reserving the broth. Rough chop the snails. De-bone the cat fish and crush the meat in a mortar. In a blender, add the spinach and puree. Add fish broth to the mixture a little bit at a time. Do not make it too watery.

In a very large bowl, add the spinach puree, fish, snails and all the chopped herbs. Add ground dried red peppers and toasted rice. Season with fish sauce, salt and msg if needed.

PHO NOODLES

2008-01-31T16:03:00.000-08:00

1 pkg. beef bones or oxtails
1 pkg. pho seasoning
1 pkg. meatballs
2 onions
3 celery stalks
3 carrots

Accompaniment:
Cooked squid, shrimp, tripe and sliced raw beef
Chopped green onions and cilantro
Thinly sliced red onions
Basil and bean sprouts
Lettuce and celery sticks
Soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, siricha
Salt, black pepper, sugar, msg, sauté garlic

Boil bones in a large pot. Add pho seasoning. Add quartered onions, celery and carrots. Season with oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt and msg. For a bit of spice my mom likes to mash peppers and garlic in a mortar and add that to the broth as well.

Blanche squid, shrimp and tripe. Slice squid and tripe into strips. Soak pho noodles. In a large bowl, add noodles topped with squid, shrimp, tripe and sliced beef. Ladle boiling broth over so that beef is quickly cooked. Add desired herbs and toppings. Add more seasoning if needed. Serve with lettuce and celery sticks.

CHICKEN FEET SALAD

2008-01-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

2 pkg. Chicken feet
½ pkg. Yaw (Asian pork ham)
2 bell peppers
1 small red onion
2-3 stems green onions
1-2 limes
1 bunch each mint
1 bunch pak pell
1 bunch cilantro
salt, sugar, msg, fish sauce, siracha, ground red pepper

TIP: Using colorful bell peppers (red, yellow, orange) makes for a better presentation. Choose a different color for each bell pepper needed.

Boil chicken feet in salted water, drain. Slice off the nail tips. Break feet into pieces at the joint, and remove the large bone. Thinly slice the ham, bell pepper, red onions and green onions into julienne strips. Tear up the rest of the herbs. Combine all the ingredients together and toss with the seasonings according to taste.

Can substitute the Yaw with tripe (cooked in boiling salted water and sliced), and can also add cellophane noodles (soaked in hot water and cut into 4-5 inch strips).

KOW PIEK SEN

2008-01-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

1 whole chicken
1 pkg. rice flour
½ pkg. tapioca flour
1 bunch cilantro
3-4 stalks green onions
Salt, sugar, fish sauce, black pepper

Bring a large pot to a boil. Mix the rice flour and tapioca starch in a large bowl. Add about 1/2 - 1 cup of the boiling water slowly to the flour and mix with wooden spoons. When it reaches the right consistency, roll the mixture with your hands until it becomes soft and doughy. If it's too sticky add more flour and continue to knead. Cover with a damp paper towel and set aside.

Wash the chicken and then add to the pot. Season with fish sauce and a dash of salt and sugar. Let cook until tender. Meanwhile wash the cilantro and green onions. Chop them up and set aside for later use as garnish. When the chicken is cooked, bring it out to cool, and shred the meat. Put the shredded meat and bones back into the pot to simmer.

Bring another large pot to a boil. Fold the dough a few more times to soften. Sprinkle some tapioca starch or rice flour onto a clean flat surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle. Cut the dough into strings.

Bring the broth pot back to a boil. Par-boil the noodles in the 2nd pot in batches. Transfer the noodles into the soup pot. Add more seasonings if needed. Ladle the noodle soup into bowls with a dash of black pepper and garnish with cilantro/green onions.

LAAB GAI

2008-01-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

4 chicken breasts
2 tbs. ground toasted rice
1 tbs. ground dry roasted red pepper
1-2 limes
1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
1 pkg. bean sprouts
Salt, sugar, black pepper, msg
Oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce

Marinate the chicken with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Grill, bake or broil until cooked. Chop chicken breast on a heavy cutting board until slightly grounded. Wash the sprouts and herbs. Thinly chop the cilantro and green onions. Separate the mint leaves from the stem.

Toss the chicken, herbs and sprouts in a large bowl. Add the toasted rice and dry grounded red peppers. Cut up the limes into slices and squeeze into the mixture. Season with salt, sugar, msg and fish sauce. Serve with lettuce, cucumbers and sticky rice.

Optional ingredients: Asian long green bean and Thai chili peppers (thinly sliced)The beans add a nice crunch and peppers more hotness.

KANG NAW MAI (BAMBOO SHOOT STEW)

2008-01-30T07:32:00.001-08:00

1 lb chicken or pork (on the bones)
1 can slender bamboo shoots
1 squash
2 cups mushrooms
1 bunch pak sagnang
1 bunch fresh tamarind leaves
½ can yanang liquid
3 tbs. soaked glutinous rice
2-3 fresh Thai chili peppers
salt, black pepper, msg, fish sauce, padek

Bring a large pot to a boil. Add ginger and meat. Season with salt, pepper and msg. Wash and cut up the squash. Once meat is cooked, add the bamboo and yanang liquid. Season with fish sauce and padek. Cook about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pound the soaked rice with fresh peppers in a mortar. Add water to the mortar and stir to get all of the rice out. Pour into boiling pot. Add the squash, mushrooms, pak sagnang and tamarind leaves. Cook until vegetables are tender. Adjust seasoning if need.

Substitute meat with water snails and take away the bamboo and squash and this dish becomes kang hoy.

KANG HED (LAO MUSHROOM SOUP)

2008-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

1 pkg. Soup bones, pork necks or riblets
1-2 lbs Chinese mushrooms
1 stalk lemongrass
1 small head of shallots
1-2 fresh or dried chili peppers
3 tbs. soaked glutinous rice
1 bunch pak itho
1 bunch pak sanang
fish sauce, msg, salt and sugar to taste

Bring a pot to boil. Add bones, lemongrass slightly smashed and salt to flavor. Meanwhile, pound peppers and shallots in a mortar, add soaked glutinous rice and mash them into a paste. Pour some of the soup broth into the paste and mix well.

Cook until meat is tender, add the mushrooms and paste mixture. Bring back to a boil, season with fish sauce, msg, sugar and salt. Can season with a little bit of padek if desired.

Add pak itho and sanang or other lao herbs or vegetables that would compliment the dish. Cook until the mushrooms are tender.

KOW SOY

2008-01-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

4-6 large tomatoes
1 pkg. thick rice noodles
1 lb. Ground pork
3 cloves garlic
2 tbs. Tour Now (fermented beans)
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro

Soak rice noodles in warm water for several hours. Drain when ready to use. Boil a large pot of water. Optional: add ginger, pork bones and season slightly.

Chop the tomatoes, green onions/cilantro and mince the garlic. Sauté garlic in a wok until fragrant, add ground pork. When the pork is cooked, add the chopped tomatoes. Sauté for a few minutes then add the fermented beans and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and let simmer until mixture becomes a thick sauce. Combine noodles, meat sauce and cilantro/green onion garnish in a bowl. Ladle hot broth over them. Add more seasonings as needed. Serve with celery sticks and lettuce.

NAM WAN

2008-01-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

1 Cantaloupe
1 can Water Chestnuts
1 can Jack fruit
1 can Rambutan
1 can Grass Jelly
1 can Jelly Coconut
1 can young coconut meat
2 can Palm Seed
half-and-half. milk, sugar, tapioca flour

Dice water chestnuts into small chunks. Add red food coloring and mix. Add tapioca flour and stir. Adding the flour several times to get a thick coating. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil tapioca chestnuts until translucent. Rinse with cold water and drain. Can substitute tapioca chestnuts with 1-2 cups tapioca strings or pearls. Just boil them until cooked and drain.

Drain and slice up jackfruit, rambutan and chop up grass jelly into chunks. Drain jelly coconut and young coconut meat. Cut up canteloup into small pices. Add all the ingredients in a large dessert bowl. Add cans of palm seed un-drained (the heavy syrup will flavor the dessert). Add 1-pint half-and-half and fill up the rest with milk. Add sugar if want more sweetness

GALANG FUUN

2008-01-29T22:23:00.000-08:00

Tomato water:
2-3 ripe tomatoes
1 tbs. Tamarind powder
salt and msg

Cut up the tomatoes. Bring a large pot to a boil. Add the tomatoes and tamarind powder. Boil until tomatoes dissolves. Season according to taste with salt and msg.

Chili Paste:
1-2 cups dried red peppers
3-4 fresh chili peppers
2-inch fresh ginger
½ cup tomato water
2-3 tbs. fermented beans
½ bunch cilantro
salt and msg

Boil dried peppers until soft. Drain. Cut the ginger into ½ inch pieces. Char the ginger and fresh peppers on a grill. Blend or ground all the ingredients together with a little bit of tomato water. Add fermented beans, salt, msg and fresh cilantro. Blend well.

Gelatin squares:
1 pkg. rice flour
1 tsp. lime paste
11 cups water

Fill large pot with 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Put rice flour into a large mixing bowl. Add 3 cups water and mix well. Dissolve lime paste in a small bowl of cold water. Strain into the rice flour mixture. Pour mixture into the pot of boiling water. Cook for 15-30 minutes, stirring vigorously. Once mixture reaches proper consistency(silky threads dripping of your spoon), pour it out onto a large flat pan. Set it aside until it sets, then fill it to the top with cold water.

NAM (CRUMBLED FRIED RICE BALLS)

2008-01-29T22:07:00.000-08:00

3-4 cups uncooked rice
1 lb. ground pork
1 cup fresh coconut flakes
2-3 eggs
2-3 tbs. paprika
1-2 pkg. sóm or sliced pork skins
1-2 limes or lemons
½ bunch cilantro
2-3 stems green onions
10 lime leaves, thinly sliced
1 cup roasted peanuts
dried whole red peppers
salt and pepper
msg and fish sauce

ACCOMPANIMENT:
mint
cilantro
small leaf basil

Cook the rice in a rice cooker. Let cool in a large bowl.
Optional: sauté the ground pork until cooked.

In a large bowl, combine the pork, cooked rice, coconut flakes and eggs with MSG, paprika, salt and pepper according to taste. Form the combined ingredients into a ball and deep fry. Set fried rice balls aside to cool. D & R suggested baking it for a healthier version.

Meanwhile, chop up the cilantro and green onions. Break up the sóm in a very large bowl and squeeze a good amount of lime juice on top. Cooked sliced pork skins can be substituted for the sóm. Break up the fried rice balls into the same bowl. Add the cilantro, green onions, thinly sliced lime leaves and fish sauce. Toss all of the ingredients in the bowl together. Add more fish sauce or salt and lime juice if needed. Add the roasted peanuts and toss.

Panfry the dry red peppers until just crisp. Serve rice wrapped in lettuce with bits of the fried peppers, mint, cilantro, small leaf basil, and any other Asian herbs wanted.