Thai Beef Larb

We recently went to our favorite Thai food restaurant here in town and tried Beef Larb for the first time. Yeah, I know...the name sounds funny but believe me, it was good and we are HOOKED! I couldn't believe we had never tried it before. So good, I had to make my own the next day to post the recipe for you to try! It’s a spicy, salty and tangy minced (ground) meat salad with lime, fish sauce, chili flakes, cilantro, mint, red and green onion and topped with toasted rice. LUSCIOUS! Its typically served over Jasmine rice or served with raw veggies or put into lettuce or cabbage leaves. You can also make it with any kind of minced meat like beef, chicken, turkey, pork, and even fish. This version is with beef and it was so quick and simple to make. Hope you enjoy it! We certainly did!

For the toasted rice, heat a pan to medium-high heat, then add in a 1/2 cup of jasmine rice and start toasting it. You'll have to keep an eye on it because it can burn. I like mine to be a nice dark golden brown. Once its done, pulse it in a food processor for about 20 seconds until it turns into small beads of rice and set it aside.

Now lets start the Larb...

Serves 4-8

3lbs of lean minced (ground) beef

1 cup water

6 Tbsp fish sauce

Juice of 3-4 limes

6 green onions, chopped including green parts

3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 of a red onion, chopped

2 Tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your spice level, we use 3)

Have your red onion, green onion, mint and cilantro chopped and ready and set aside. Heat a large saute pan or wok on medium-high heat and add water. Once water starts to boil, add your ground beef. Once the beef is completely cooked, turn the heat off and add you lime juice, fish sauce, red onion, green onion, mint, cilantro, red pepper flakes and toasted rice and mix ingredients together.

You can have it over rice, lettuce or cabbage leaves, any type of raw veggie, or have it as a salad on top of chopped cabbage or lettuce. Garnish with lime and you're ready to eat! Enjoy!

Camarones (Shrimp) a la Diabla

Camarones a la Diabla, so spicy and so delicious. I love making it and my hubby Seth, loves eating it. He's a sauce man and this Diabla sauce is definitely one of his favorites. I usually serve Camarones a la Diabla with my Cilantro Rice but it can be served as Tapas.

The sauce is made with roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic, blended with chipotle chiles, guajillo chiles and salt, then simmered with butter. It is very versatile. It can be used on any other meats but my favorite is with seafood. I usually make a lot of Diabla sauce to freeze so I can make something else with it.

Camarones a la Diabla is a definite crowd favorite. I think you'll like this recipe.... Enjoy!

Serves 4-8

2 lbs (2 bags) of uncooked large-jumbo shrimp, deveined, washed, tail on or off (I like on)
5 tomatoes, med sized
1 yellow onion, ends cut off, peeled and cut in half
6 garlic cloves
2 7 oz cans of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 dried guajillo chiles, reconstituted in 4 cups of boiling hot water
1 stick unsalted butter 1/2 cup
Olive oil
2 lemons, cut in wedges
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.


Start with Diabla Sauce.

Place tomatoes and onion in roasting pan drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper and cook for 35.

In a pot, bring to boil 4 cups of water or microwave 4 cups water to boiling point and put the guajillo chiles in to reconstitute. During this time, if you didn't buy prepared shrimp, start peeling and deveining shrimp. Place and shrimp in bowl and marinate with a little olive oil, salt and pepper then set aside. Have a large saute pan ready.

Once the tomato and onion is done, place in a blender with reconstituted guajillo chile, 2 cans of chipotle chiles with adobo, all garlic, salt and pepper, blend until smooth then put through food mill or strainer over a bowl to remove any seeds and skins and sauce comes out smooth. If you use a strainer, use a spoon to help the sauce through and discard the skin and seeds. Make sure to taste for salt.

Heat saute pan to med high and melt butter, throw shrimp in and cook for 2 minutes. Add Diabla sauce and simmer for an additional 8 minutes or until shrimp is fully cooked. Place on a plate on its own or with rice and don't forget to squeeze lemon juice on Shrimp. Ready to eat!