Awesomeness

This meal is not for the faint of heart. You must like spice and you must like flavor. All those who do not like these things, please, do not make this meal. You will not like it. For those of you who do, this coconut rice with tomato sambal and carrot salad meal is just what you need to spice up your night. I thought about eating the leftovers for lunch from the moment I woke up to the time lunch finally came. If this description doesn't sell you, I don't know what else to say other than MAKE IT!


Carrot and Cilantro Treat for All (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

We added slices for extra-firm tofu for some added protein to this meal, but the carrots totally spoke for themselves and don't need anything else.

6 medium carrots, washed and peeled
a large handful of fresh cilantro, leaves picked
4 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted, or poppy seeds

For the dressing
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 lemons
extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

First of all, slice the carrots or cut them up into fine ribbons, matchsticks or batons. Put them into a salad bowl with the cilantro leaves and the sesame or poppy seeds. To make the dressing, finely grate the zest of the orange into a bowl. Add the orange juice, the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and about 4 times that amount of extra virgin olive oil. Pound your toasted sesame seeds to a pulp in a pestle and mortar, then add to the dressing. Mix well, then season to taste with salt, pepper and possibly more lemon juice to make it nice and zingy so that you can taste it once you've dressed the salad. Once the salad is dressed, the flavor of the lemon will lesson, so get eating straight away.


Coconut Rice with Spicy Tomato Sauce (Nasi Lemak with Sambal Tomat) (Cooking Light, March 2008)

Rice:
3 cups light coconut milk
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Sambal:
8 red Thai chiles [we used serranos]
1 Tbs. peanut oil
1 cup peeled and quartered shallots (about 4 large)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. grated lime rind
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 (14.5-oz.) can whole plum tomatoes, undrained, seeded, and chopped
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1. To prepare rice, combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes; discard bay leaves. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt.
2. To prepare sambal, seed 7 chiles; leave seeds in 1 chile. Mince chiles. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add chiles and sugar to pan; saute 1 minute or until fragrant. Add rind, juice, and tomatoes to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt. Serve sambal over rice.