Lucky You! Celebrate with Pho and Goi Ga

This past Monday millions of people across Asia ushered in the Lunar New Year with fireworks, parades, and family feasts. According to Chinese astrology 2012 is the Year of the Dragon a symbol signifying power and good fortune. More importantly the dragon is considered to be an extremely auspicious sign; therefore, this year is sure to be a lucky one.

Today's recipes are simple in preparation, but bursting with flavor. The combination of the soup and salad make for a light yet filling meal.

You can easily make them separately, but I specifically chose these two recipes so that I could prepare them in tandem. The directions therefore, assume that you too will take this approach.

Goi Ga: Torn Chicken & Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

1/4 - 1/2 serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
Juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons fish or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 cups chopped bok choy
1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 cup mint, cut into skinny strips
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup basil leaves, cut into skinny strips
1/4 chopped roasted peanuts

Chicken Pho with Tofu and Bok Choy

Ingredients

6 cups chicken stock
2 lemongrass stalks
1/4 cup sliced ginger
2 whole garlic cloves
1 container of soft tofu, drained, dried & cubed
2 cups bok choy, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms
fish or soy sauce
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Preparation

Pour stock into a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a gentle boil and add chicken breast for salad. Simmer until the meat is opaque through out, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Once cool, tear the meat along the grain into long, thin shreds.

While the chicken is simmering prepare the dressing for the salad by combining the chili, garlic, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Toss the cabbage, carrot, mint, cilantro, basil, and dressing in a large salad bowl. Toss cooled chicken shreds into the salad. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat. Reserve chopped peanuts to be sprinkled on top of individual servings.

Preparation of the lemongrass is a little tricky for those not familiar with this herbal grass. Trim and discard all but the bottom 5 inches of the grass stalk. Remove the tough outer layer(s) to reveal the tender inner portion. You may either dice or pound the stalk with your knife handle to release the lemony flavor. I prefer the pounding method which makes it easier to remove from the stock later.

After removing the chicken from the stock, add the prepared lemongrass, garlic, and ginger. Gently simmer for 20-30 minutes. Broth will become quite fragrant.

Remove lemongrass, ginger, and garlic cloves from stock either by capturing the material in a slotted spoon or filtering the stock through cheesecloth.

Add the bok choy and mushrooms. Gently simmer 1-2 more minutes. Bok choy should remain on the crisp side. Finally, add the soft cubed tofu and gently stir.

Adjust the flavor to your taste. If not salty enough, add more fish or soy sauce. Add 1 tsp. sugar if too sour. If too salty or sweet, add another squeeze of lime juice.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil and coriander leaves.

Serve with a side of torn chicken and cabbage salad topped with chopped peanuts.

Enjoy!