conscious eating

minced shallot

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

12-15 stalks of lemongrass

Salt to taste over coals or on a gas grill for about 6 to 10 minutes until cooked through. Make sure to rub the grill with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil to ensure the skewers don’t stick to the grate.

Chicken Curry

YIELD: 1 SERVING

1 cup vegetables (mushrooms, leeks, onion or cauliflower), chopped

1 chicken breast, diced

NEM

LUI HUE (LEMONGRASS SKEWERS WITH PORK

OR CHICKEN)

YIELD: 2 SERVINGS

1 lb ground pork or chicken

1 Tbsp finely minced garlic

Combine all ingredients, except the lemongrass stalks, in a bowl and mix with hands or a fork. Cover and place the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight), allowing the flavors to develop.

Peel the outer layer of the lemongrass stalks. Rinse in water and dry. Take one handful of the ground mixture and wrap it around the end of a lemongrass stalk, gently pressing and molding the meat around the stalk. Repeat with the remaining meat and place on a baking sheet. Grill skewers

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp mild or medium curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground ginger

1 garlic clove

Vegetable stock

If using cauliflower, parboil the florets and keep the water they were boiled in. Heat the spices in a dry pan until fragrant. Add garlic and vegetables and coat with spices. Add some oil and pour in some vegetable stock (or the cauliflower water) to deglaze the pan. Cook covered for a few minutes until spices and liquid are well combined and the vegetables are coated evenly. Add the diced chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked, stirring regularly. Add more vegetable stock or water for a thinner sauce.

Serve with some toasted rye bread to soak up the juices.

Recipes and photos courtesy of Metabolic Balance.

Arugula Salad With Mango Dressing

YIELD: 1 SERVING

1½ cup arugula

¼ cup olives, pitted

1 Tbsp chopped shallots

1 mango

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel the mango, remove the flesh from the core and cut into small cubes. Purée the olives with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Purée some of the mango cubes with the dressing and set aside the remainder. Add the shallots to the dressing. Wash, clean and dry the arugula. Mix in the dressing and sprinkle the remaining mango cubes on top. Pair this salad with any protein, such as a fish filet.