Baaaaack: Mango Salad, Crab Rangoon, Brussels Sprouts

I'm back. The hiatus may be explained at a later date, but the important thing is: we're back. We've tried a few more recipes in the past few weeks. The following are all very simple recipes, ideal for someone who has been out of the kitchen for a while or who only has a few minutes to prepare a meal. The crab rangoon assembly may have been a little tedious, but it's not complicated.

Green Mango Salad
Mostly adapted from: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/green-mango-salad
This is a great recipe if you accidentally start to peel a mango and discover it's totally green. Just an example.

Ingredients:
Red chili flakes (or other hot pepper)
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup of lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 TBS sugar

2-3 green onions/scallions, chopped
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
bunch o cilantro (approx 1/2 cup)
toasted sesame seeds
salt

2 green mangos, thinly cut. Some would say julienned.

Directions:
Puree chili, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, vegetable oil, and sugar. A hand blender was perfect. Then: toss the puree/dressing with everything else. Voila. TASTY. It made great leftovers too, as it seems the flavors had even more times to soak in.


Crab Rangoon
Recipe from a hodge podge of internet sources, A's instinct, and the wonton wrapper package.

Ingredients:
16 ounces cream cheese
Approx 7 ounces lump crab meat
3 scallions, chopped fine
Dash of garlic powder

Wonton wrappers (we got the package of 48 squares)

Oil for frying

Directions:
Mix the ingredients. Place a teaspoon or so in each wonton wrapper and fold in half to make a cute triangle. Seal the edges well with water. (We used water instead of egg white).
Then, fry in about half and inch of 350F oil, turning as needed. When done, place on a paper towel.

That's it. I love ordering these at restaurants (Um, cheese in a fried wrapper? Yes, please), and these were definitely more crab-tasting than any restaurant. I liked it, but A thought maybe it was a little toooo crabby. So next time, decreasing the amount of crab would be fine. We served with Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. Perfection.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

The sprouts/onions/garlic immediately after they were added to the pan, before real cooking commenced. 

Do you ever go to the grocery store and see something that looks so fresh that you just buy it, knowing you'll figure out a time to cook it later? This week, Brussels sprouts looked so pretty! And, every since my dear friend made Brussels sprouts by cutting them up first a few years ago, the vegetable has been transformed in my mind. This recipe is also very simple, from the various comments/reviews with this: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/216805/pan-fried-brussels-sprouts/

Ingredients:
Brussels Sprouts, chopped (into rough eighths. Each chunk was about the size of a peanut)
Approx 1/4 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil

Directions:
Place oil and onions in a cast iron pan. Heat on the stove top for a few seconds.
Then add the brussels sprouts, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Saute, stirring regularly over medium heat. After a few minutes, as the oil starts to disappear, add about 1/4 cup of water and cover for about 3-5 minutes. This seems to allow the sprouts to char slightly, get softer, and soften the onions as well.
Then, uncover and saute a few minutes longer, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Near the end, add a a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Serve hot :)