 BoseArts photo |
The tropical climate of South Florida makes it ideal for lighter fare. Lower fat and higher vegetable content make for a truly healthful, satisfying meal.
INGREDIENTS Serves 4 1 pound free-range or Bell and Evans chicken breast OR 1 pound shrimp 1 medium savoy cabbage or green cabbage 1/2 red cabbage 1 bunch scallions 2 large carrots 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter or roasted salted peanuts 3 tablespoons fish sauce (thai or vietnamese) or four anchovies 1 jalapeno pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 small piece fresh ginger (optional) 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey 4 or more flour tortillas, soft taco or burrito size |
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Shell and devein shrimp, if using, and set aside in refrigerator. (For chicken, remove skin from breasts and chop into strips diagonally with a good sharp knife. The strips should be Chinese stir-fry style, about 1/4 inch wide and 1-2 inches long. Set aside in fridge). Prepare the sauce; put in the lime juice, fish sauce, chopped jalapeno pepper (the hot seeds can be partially or totally omitted,to your taste), peanut butter or peanuts, 1 crushed clove of garlic, and sugar or honey into a blender. Pulse till smoothly combined. If using anchovies instead of fish sauce, add 1 1/2 tbs rice wine or white wine vinegar to the mix. Prepare the vegetables-shred the cabbages and julienne or coarsely grate the carrots. Chop the scallions and the mint and place everything in a good-size bowl. Pour the sauce over the veggies and mix well. Let stand at room temperature least 10-15 minutes. Place the tortillas in a warm(275 degree) oven for about 5 minutes Don't let them get stiff, otherwise they won't roll properly. If you wish, warm them at the last minute over medium heat in a dry skillet. In a large non-stick skillet, saute the minced fresh ginger in 2 teaspoons oil and allow to brown slightly over medium heat. Raise the heat to high and add the remaining clove of garlic, saute 15 seconds and toss in chicken or shrimp and cook till done, about 1 minute. Add some sea salt and pepper .Allow to saute undisturbed so that caramelization can occur-then deglaze the skillet with a little lime or lemon juice. TO SERVE: Assembly is simple. Place a warmed tortilla in center of a plate. Place a mound of the vegetable mixture on the tortilla, then top with some shrimp or chicken. Don't overload the tortillas or they'll be too hard to handle-better to serve two roll-ups instead. If you're not worried about fat, these can be served with a few vegetable chips, or any chips you like. If you want to go all out, then serve with lotus root or boniato chips; thinly sliced and deep fried until crispy, about one minute in vegetable oil-naughty but nice. |