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Why an exotic recipe for Shabbat?  Our student (who created the look of this section of the site and entered all the recipes) was an enthusiastic addition to our summer and enjoyed the range of questions that come into our office. She marveled at the fact that enquiries, whether by telephone, personal visit or email, could be about almost anything Jewish - from the exotic to the more everyday.  Where can I attend services in Beijing? Or, I'm a recent widow.  Is there a support group for me? Or, where can I donate used clothing? During the previous year, our wonderful Yona had travelled to Thailand and wanted to remember that exotic land.  This menu reflects the diversity she saw in south-east Asia and is a salute to the diversity she found in our service.

JIST is part of the newly created Latner Centre for Jewish Knowledge and Heritage.

For the JIST of Jewish Life!

Menu:

• Papaya Salad 
• Thai Basil Chicken 
• Vegetarian Pad-Thai
• Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables
• Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango

Papaya Salad

Ingredients:

• 2-5 small chili
• 1/4 cup long beans or green beans, cut in 1-inch strips
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups unripe papaya, peeled and shredded (can be subsituted with guava, green apple, and mango)
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Pound chili, long beans or green beans, and garlic together until they start to break. Add shredded papaya, followed by light soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. Bruise until sugar is dissolved. Add tomato and peanuts. Combine well before serving.

Thai Basil Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast (or 1-1/2 boneless thigh)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp serrano or habenero chili peppers, minced 
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup Thai basil or other basil leaves*
• One sweet red pepper, cut in 10 long, thin strips

* This needs to be a packed cup of basil leaves.  You don't need to pack all the leaves off the stems; just get rid of the large parts of the stems. Save some leaves for garnish.

Directions:

1. Mince the chicken with a sharp knife or cut it into bite-sie pieces and set aside.

2. Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl it to coat the surface. Drop a piece of garlic into the pan. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready. Add the garlic and stir briefly. Add the minced chili and stir until the garlic turns golden, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes colour, about 1 1/2 minutes depending on the size.

3. Add soy sauce and water and stir-fry to combine well with the meat, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the sugar and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Add the basil and red pepper strips. Toss and stir-fry until the basil begins to wilt.

4. Transfer the chicken mixture to a serving platter; garnish with reserved basil leaves.

Tips: You can serve this dish with hot steamed rice.

Vegetarian Pad-Thai

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/4 cup tofu, cut into small sticks
• 1 tbsp shallot, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp sweet turnip, chopped (optional)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 7 ounces fresh narrow rice noodles (5 ounces if dried)
• 4-6 tbsp water or chicken stock
• 3 1/2 ounces bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup Chinese chive, cut into 1-inch slices
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp ground roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Fry tofu and shallot in 2 tbsp hot oil over medium heat until light brown. Add garlic and sweet turnip (optional). Cook about 1 minute.

2. Add noodles and immediately add water or stock. Cook until noodles are soft. Then add soy sauce and brown sugar and cook for about 1 minute.

3. Add bean sprouts and Chinese chive and cook until Chinese chive turns bright green. Add 1 tbsp cooking oil at side of the wok and cook eggs. When the eggs are nearly cooked, mix eggs with noodles. Remove from heat. Add ground roasted peanuts.

 Tips: You can serve this dish with chili powder, lime, cabbage, bean sprouts, fresh Chinese chive, or banana flower.

Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
• 5 pieces baby corn
• 2/3 cup of any or all of the following: cauliflower, broccoli, kale, asparagus, brussel sprouts
• 1/4 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup mushrooms (any combination of rice-straw, champignon, or Chinese mushrooms)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mushroom sauce
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2/3 cup sweet peas
• 1 tomato, sliced (optional)
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper

Directions:

1. Slice all vegetables diagonally. Heat the oil in a wok over low heat, then add garlic and cook until garlic turns light brown. Add baby corn, cauliflower and carrot and cook for about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and continue stirring, then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

2. Add soy sauce, mushroom sauce, and sugar. Continue stirring for 1 minute. Add sweet peas and tomato and cook for 1 minute, or until sweet peas change to bright green. Remove from heat and sprinkle ground pepper before serving.

Tips: This dish can be served with plain rice.

Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sticky rice, soaked for 6 hours
• 1 cup very thick coconut cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 pinchs salt
• Mango, peeled and cut in chunks

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 pinches salt
• 1/4 cup coconut cream

Directions:

1. Rice: Drain the rice and place in steamer; bring to steam over medium heat, about 15 minutes. Remove rice from the steamer and mix with coconut cream, sugar, and salt immediately. Stir gently. Cover and let stand for about 30 minutes.

2. Sauce: Mix all sauce ingredients together. Bring to a boil over low heat. Keep stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour on top of sticky rice before serving with mango.