President's Day Salad

I brought in a basketful of leafy lettuce from the garden this morning. These were last year's crop and they must have reseed again--perfect for a colorful salad.
Ingredients:
½ cup baked Kabocha, cut into bite-sized

1 small fillet of salmon

1 medium-sized tomato, sliced

1 small bunch of leaf lettuce

½ tsp. light soya sauce

sesame seeds for garnishing

Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp. brown rice vinegar

1½Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

½ tsp. dill

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of sugar

Method:

1. Cut fish into 1-inch strips, season with pepper and soya sauce. Heat pan with oil and cook fish on both sides till brown.

2. Mix the ingredients for the dressing and refrigerate to keep cool.

3. Washed and tossed dry salad greens and arrange on a plate. Add the cooked fish, tomatoes and Kabocha on top. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with dressing.

Fish Fillet in Creamy Coconut Curry

I bought some LingCod on sale last weekend at the supermarket. I would normally use this to make a porridge with salted vegetables. Tonight, I've decided to make something spicy this time with Kabocha Squash and coconut milk. I missed the smell of fresh coconut that we usually buy at the wet market in Malaysia. The seller would split open the coconut and grind it fresh for you. It is so fresh and rich in flavor that I eat it right from the bag. Here in the States, our only choice is to use either the frozen or canned ones. Like my mother always says--"something is better than nothing."

Ingredients:
1 lb. lingcod fillet, cut into bite-size (you can use shrimp too)
¼ cup cooked kabocha squash, cut in chunks
½ onion, sliced
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can (14.5 oz. diced tomatoes)
1½ cups coconut milk
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste (1 Tbsp. lemon juice)
2 sprigs Indian curry leaves
1 Tbsp. parsley or cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. oil
Blend Ingredients:
5 green/red chilles, seeds removed
5 dried chillies, soaked and deseed (use this if you are not using fresh chillies)
2 lemon grass
2 inch-sized of ginger
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. curry powder (optional)
½ tsp. tumeric powder
½ tsp. coriander powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ onion
Method:
1. Heat oven and bake squash at 400 degees F. Remove when it is slightly golden brown, or test with skewer for doneness. Remove and let cool, then remove skin and cut in chunks. Set aside.
2.Blend the spices into a smooth paste. Cut the fillets in chunky pieces, season with a salt and pepper, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3.Heat oil in a deep pan, stir fry onion till soft  Add in the curry leaves, curry paste and 1/2 tsp. coriander, adding a little more oil if necessary. Fry on medium heat till fragrant and oil separates from the paste. Add the squash and tomatoes and stir for another 10 minutes. Remove curry leaves, add the tamarind juice a little at a time, according to your taste. Blend mixture till smooth, then pour mixture back into the pan.
4.Reheat on medium heat and add in coconut milk at little at a time and mixing it as you add the milk. Add slightly more coconut milk if you like more sauce. Bring coconut milk to a boil, add fish to the mixture. Cover and simmer over meduim heat for 5-6 minutes. Gently turn fish over to cook through. Season to taste.
5.Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro, and serve with cooked basmati rice.
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