Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Thai-Inspired Larb Salad

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Now the calendar has finally made the turn to early fall, one of our favorite warm salads will soon be back in the rotation, a Thai-Inspired Larb Salad.

I wrote about this one over a year ago on the fly fishing blog Chi Wulff –

…We actually ended up reaching out to chef buddy Libby in Austin to see if she had a favorite version of larb; she tends to work very hard to reproduce classic dishes of great cuisines around the world, and for whatever reason, our palates are fairly closely aligned. Like her, we tend to lean toward making things a bit more spicy (meaning more peppers here), and love the interplay of the lemongrass, cilantro, and mint in this one.

This has become one of our favorites over the spring and early summer season; it’s great spooned into lettuce leaves and eaten “taco style” as we say down here in the South, or served over a bed of finely shredded Napa cabbage…

Fresh lime juice (it doesn’t take all that long to juice 5 or 6 limes) makes a huge different here, and even though it sounds like a lot, use at least 1/4 cup of a good fish sauce. Traditionally made using ground pork (consider grinding your own pork shoulder for this one), we’ve enjoyed this recipe with ground chicken and turkey as well, or a combination.

Though traditionally eaten while still warm from cooking, on the hot fall days remaining – at least here in “The South”, this dish is delicious cold from the fridge too.

2 pounds ground pork, chicken, or turkey (or combination)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup (generous) sliced green onions, white and trimmed green parts
1 cup shallots, thinly sliced
2-4 tbsp minced lemongrass
1-2 tbsp thinly sliced serranos, Thai chiles, or jalapeños
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Sauce
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 to 1/3 cup fish sauce
1-2 tbsp chili paste or chili garlic paste
Optional: 1 tbsp honey or your favorite sugar equivalent

Lettuce leaves, your favorite cauliflower rice, or shredded Napa cabbage for serving

Combine the four sauce ingredients in a small bowl, whisk to combine, and set aside.

Into a large skillet over medium heat goes the meat; break it up as it begins to brown, ladling off any fat and water that comes off. When the meat is roughly halfway cooked, add the chicken stock, and continue to sauté until the meat is just cooked through, another 5-6 minutes.

Now add the green onions, shallots, lemongrass, and chiles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has for the most part evaporated.

Remove from the heat, add the sauce, cilantro, and mint, stirring to combine well.

Serve over shredded Napa cabbage or in lettuce leaves “taco style” and go to it.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Thai-Inspired Coconut Steak on a Stick

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Though I have to admit we were somewhat late to the realization that Thai-inspired flavors and spices, along with coconut, often play wonderfully with beef, we’ve become big fans of the combination around our camp.

With cooler weather on the horizon we’ll be slipping these Thai-Inspired Slow Roasted Short Ribs and this Coconut Braised Chuck Roast with Gremolata back into the rotation; fall is indeed just around the corner.

Traditionally we’ve always hosted a get together sometime during this upcoming long weekend; ribs have almost always been on the docket for that crowd, though I couldn’t resist putting these on the menu this year.

I happened to run across an amazing deal on some grass-fed rib eyes, but this will work with a number of other cuts; one of the first times I made it recently we used tri-tip and it was damned delicious.

There’s nothing very complex about the recipe, though do note that this works much better with an overnight marinade in the fridge. And the basting sauce is optional, though you’ll need to do something with the remaining coconut milk from the can (other than stir it into your coffee tomorrow), and basting the steak skewers on the grill really does boost the flavor.

My other best suggestion is to make more than you think you and your guests will eat; this one makes a killer lunch the next day over salad or just on it’s own.

2 pounds rib eye, top sirloin, tri-tip, etc, cut into 1-inch cubes

Marinade
1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
6 garlic cloves
4-6 red Thai chiles (Fresnos or red jalapeños in a pinch), stemmed, chopped
1.5-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, rough chop
1/4 cup good fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp lemongrass puree
Optional: 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Optional Basting Sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp good fish sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tsp lemongrass puree (optional)

Add all the marinade ingredients to your trusty blender and puree until smooth and uniform; pour over the prepared steak cubes in a large bowl, stir to make sure every piece is coated, cover and throw in the fridge overnight.

When ready to grill, drain and discard the marinade and thread the meat onto skewers, just touching, not tightly packed.

Fire the grill, and use that remainder of the coconut milk from the can to make the optional basting sauce; stir the ingredients together over low heat until combined, set aside.

Now grill over a medium fire, turning and basting every 2-3 with the basting sauce if using, for 14 to 16 minutes until done to your tastes.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Spicy Thai-Inspired Shrimp Stir-fry

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Growing up years ago, both my wife and I had grandparents who lived, at least part of the time, a stone’s throw from the Texas Gulf coast. We have common memories of beach-combing, big bonfires, hot and steamy summer days, and eating lots of stunningly fresh seafood.

Later living in the northern Rockies (small town Montana) for years made accessing fresh seafood (from anywhere) a surmountable but expensive challenge, though being back down in Texas for a spell has made the seafood game much easier, something we’ve thoroughly enjoyed given the amazing benefits – flavor and health – that seafood brings to the table.

My wife loves good shrimp, and while it’s hard to turn down a big platter of iced and spiced boiled shrimp, I personally probably lean to cold-water fish as being my absolute favorite seafood.

That said, this Spicy Thai-Inspired Shrimp Stir-Fry recipe, recently shared by our friend Chef Libby in Austin, and I believe originally sourced from one similar published in the past several years in Bon Appetit, might just have rolled to the very top of our seafood favorites list.

It’s packed with great flavors, including the herbal heat from the jalapeños (or Fresnos), a hefty handful of garlic, and with lemongrass and fish sauce thrown in to ensure you’ve hit all the taste senses and flavor notes. The wilted basil takes this one over the top, and don’t forget the spritz of lime at the end.

Of note, there’s a little bit of sugar in the marinade to aid in caramelization, leave it out if you wish, but as you’re not cooking the marinade in the final dish, you’ll have minuscule amounts of actual sugar clinging to the shrimp as they’re cooked.

4 red jalapeños (or Fresnos in a pinch), stemmed, seeded, chopped
7-8 garlic cloves, smashed
3 and 1/2 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
2 tbsp good fish sauce
1 tbsp minced lemongrass or lemongrass puree
1 and 1/2 tsp good salt
1-2 tbsp sugar (see note above, optional)

1 and 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1-2 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
2-3 cups fresh basil leaves
1 or 2 limes, quartered

Prep the shrimp and set aside.

Into your trusty blender go the peppers, garlic cloves, 3.5 tbsp of your oil of choice, fish sauce, lemongrass, salt, and sugar if using. Blend until smooth, then pour over the shrimp, mixing well (use your hands) to ensure the shrimp are well coated.

Marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes; can cover and throw in the fridge for up to an hour if desired.

When ready to cook, heat a tbsp of oil in a fairly large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, then add 1/3 to 1/2 of the shrimp (use a slotted spoon to leave the marinade behind) to the skillet in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes, checking one or two make sure they’re developing some color or char around the edges; then turn and cook for another minute or so.

Remove the first batch to a plate, then repeat with the remaining shrimp. When the second batch is done, remove the pan from the heat, dump the first batch of shrimp back into the pan along with the basil, and stir/toss until the basil begins to wilt.

Plate and serve with lime wedges; if you have a crowd, this is a very attractive dish presented on a large platter.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: I’m Just Here for the Spicy Peanut Sauce

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Summer has arrived with a vengeance these past few days here in North Texas, prompting my lovely wife to ask me to put her favorite vegetable-packed gado gado bowl with a spicy peanut sauce on the short list this week.

We’ve had a favorite Spicy Peanut Sauce recipe we’ve used for years, and I even wrote about it years ago (2012) on ChiWulff.com, a fly fishing blog –

She was caught red-handed and she knew it.

I ran into the kitchen after the party had moved to the backyard and there she was in all her glory, emitting a moan of almost sensual ecstasy, leaning over the counter in what some might have considered to be very nearly a provocative pose.

My noisy entry startled our damned attractive friend (let’s just call her LB, and wife of residency training mate MB) enough to make her bump her 4-month pregnant belly on the counter and smear a streak of this Thai Peanut Sauce across her cheek.

We stared at one another wide-eyed for a moment and she simply offered up “I’m just here for the peanut sauce” as a matter of explanation. She then wordlessly reached into the drawer, handed me a spoon and moved the bowl midway between us.

We enjoyed a laugh (loudly enough to arouse her husband’s curiosity in fact) and stood at the counter and scraped just about every drop of this great peanut sauce from the bowl.

Haven’t seen LB in years, though we enjoyed yet another batch of this Thai-inspired (the coconut milk) peanut sauce with chicken satay hot off the grill this past week. There are a million peanut sauce recipes out there, for sure, but we keep coming back to this for its deep array of flavors and (for the most part) quick and easy prep…

It really is good enough to eat right out of the bowl, and it was amazing drizzled over a spiralized gado gado vegetable bowl (just zucchini, carrots, and daikon) with a piece of blackened mahi throw on top last night (image below).

2/3 cup + full fat coconut milk
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 and 1/2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 Thai or serrano peppers, seeded, minced OR
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
4 scallions, green and white parts, minced
2 tbsp. tamari or coconut aminos
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. + fresh lime juice

Optional
1-2 tbsp honey, maple syrup, sweetener of choice
1/4 cup (+) fresh chopped cilantro

Combine all the ingredients (noting the sweetener and cilantro are optional) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine, bring just to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer very slowly for 20-30 minutes, adding more coconut milk if needed.

Remove from the heat, let cool for ten minutes, and adjust the tamari/coconut aminos, fish sauce, and lime juice to taste.

Serve with your favorite pile of vegetables in a gado gado bowl as we did yesterday, or with your favorite chicken or beef satay. Or just a big spoon.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 5 April: Thai-Inspired Pork Burgers

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I’ve been working with a couple of clients this past week on incorporating more flavor into their weekly menu rotation; there’s a host of good reasons to do so, including keeping things interesting enough to stay engaged with a healthier eating plan, but my principle argument is the food we eat should always taste great.

I’m particularly interested in home-cooked food that’s reasonably simple to prepare; most people don’t have half a day (or more) to work on preparing elaborate, Instagram worthy meals every day.

Here’s a recipe – Thai-Inspired Pork Burgers – that we’ve welcomed back into our rotation now that Spring has sprung (at least in our neighborhood); I shared this one with the clients mentioned above as an example of a meal prep that’s brings a load of flavor to the table, is a simple and quick, and frankly very economical to boot.

Three quick notes: one, for the lemongrass, if using fresh lemongrass stalks, you’ll need 2 or 3 prepped via the usual technique. A very viable and much quicker option is to use 2-3 tbsp of lemongrass puree (usually available refrigerated in the produce section). I know it’s a cheat, but a great option for the busy home cook. Two, I’ve been cooking these using a two-hour sous vide bath (130-134) followed by a quick sear finish producing incredibly moist burgers with a great crust, though they’re of course equally tasty grilled or sautéed on the stove.

And third, my chef friend in Austin (hey Chef Libby!) recently reminded me that classic Thai cooking often calls for sugar or another sweetener in recipes; given the natural sweetness of pork, she and I think this recipe is wonderful without any additional sweetener, but it’s listed below as an option.

And finally, stir together your favorite dipping sauce for these, though my personal favorite is avocado oil mayo with a big dollop of sriracha.

2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, greens only (roughly 8 onions)
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
Lemongrass, see note above
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 and 1/2 tsp good salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Optional
1-2 tsp sugar of choice
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

15-18 large lettuce leaves
1/2 cup or more of chopped cilantro, Thai basil, or mint in a pinch
Dipping sauce of choice

Prep the green onions, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, then mix into the ground pork either using a stand mixer or your hands, adding the fish sauce, salt, and pepper as it comes together (along with the optional sugar and pepper flakes). Don’t over-mix.

Gently form into patties (we do 6 patties of 5-6 ounces) and chill for 30-60 minutes until they firm up.

These can be grilled over fire, sautéed in your favorite cast iron, or (our favorite for their texture and finish) cooked using sous vide (2 hours at 130-134 degrees) with a quick sear finish.

Wrap in two or three lettuce leaves and serve with the dipping sauce of your choice, though they’re great with avocado oil mayo and sriracha too.

Enjoy.

Recipe Update: Thai Inspired Celery Salad

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Like most of you, we love to fiddle around with recipes in the kitchen, and we’re constantly tweaking most of our recipes around the edges, just trying to make them a little bit better.

Here’s a great example, our Thai Inspired Celery Salad that I posted back in November. Our buddy Chef Libby in Austin suggested trying it with another dressing (rice wine vinegar, organic toasted sesame oil, crushed red chile flakes, with good salt and pepper). We whipped that up yesterday to accompany a couple of grass-fed ribeyes, and it was delightful.

Never be afraid of fiddling around with a recipe to suit your (or your family’s) palate, or what happens to be in the fridge or pantry today – you might just craft something magical.

Updated recipe options at the link above.