Spicy Thai salmon salad [Lab Pla Salmon]

Foodstylist & Carving, originally uploaded by wtimm9.

INGREDIENTS :
For 4 servings

• Grilled salmon 1.5 lbs.
• Shallots, peeled and sliced thin 1 cup
• Onion, sliced thin 2 tbsp.
• Mint leaves 1/2 cup
• Toasted raw rice kernels, ground 3 - 4 tbsp.
• Red chili powder 1 - 2 tbsp.
• Fish sauce 1/4 cup
• Fresh lime juice 1/3 cup
• Red spur chili peppers, sliced 2 tbsp.
• Chopped fresh galangal (optional) 3 tbsp.
  

HOW TO:
1. Baste the pieces of salmon lightly with vegetable oil and grill until cooked. Take off heat and let cool.

2. With a fork break salmon pieces into a crumble. Add the rest of the salad garnishes except the fresh lime juice. Toss all the ingredients together, then add fresh lime juice to taste. It should be tart enough at first taste but not overpowering.

3. Spoon this salad over decorative lettuce cups and garnish with fresh mint leaves and julienne red spur chili peppers.

Thai Spicy Beef Salad

originally uploaded by Kwanjai Si@m.

INGREDIENTS:
Salad:

• 1 1/2 lbs (680g) flank steak
• 1/2 tsp (3g) salt
• 1/2 Tbs (2g) freshly ground pepper
• 6 cups (340g) red leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 tomato, cut into pieces
• 3 green onions, sliced diagonally
• 1/3 cup (10g) fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)
  

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup (80mL) fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup (9g) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbs (20g) brown sugar
• 1 Tbs (15mL) soy sauce, low sodium
• 1 Tbs (15mL) water
• 1 Tbs (15mL) fish sauce, bottled
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 serrano pepper, or red Thai pepper, seeded and minced
  

HOW TO:

1. Preheat grill or broiler.
2. Prepare dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl; mix well. Set aside.
3. Salt and pepper both sides of steak. Place steak on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with vegetable oil spray. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Cut each slice into 2-inch pieces.
4. Prepare salad mixture (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes green onion and mint leaves).
5. Combine salad mixture, steak and dressing in a large bowl, tossing to coat.

Papaya Salad [Som Tum]

originally uploaded by yuichi.sakuraba.

INGREDIENTS :

• About 2 cups shredded green papaya and carrots
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce1
• ½ tablespoon palm sugar, if not available can substitute it with regular sugar
• 3 tablespoon lime juice
• ½ cups tomato, wedged
• 1/3 cup dried shrimp
• ¼ cup peanuts
• 3 or more green/red chilli
• 3 or more cloves garlic
  

How To :
1. To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2. Grate the carrots or any of the vegetables mentioned above, rinse in cold water and drain well.
3. Toss the salad with the salad dressing adding the creshed bird's eye chili peppers should your salad spicy. Add a teaspoon of the peanuts and ground shrimps and toss thoroughly.
4. Plate the salad and garnish with ground peanuts and ground shrimps.

**Tips**
Som tam became famous during the Vietnam war when American G.l'.s came to Thailand for R and R and were introduced to this salad from the North East. Raw papaya is difficult to get in some countries so we suggest you use carrots or cabbage instead. It is recommended that once this salad is tossed it should be eaten immediately since Thai salad dressings do not have oils which help salads stay fresh longer.
Do you know that the flesh and oil from papaya is used to make meat tenderizers? NO wonder it helps your digestion.