Naked Momos

I'm amazed that the smell and taste of a simple dumpling can so quickly transport me to my favorite part of the world. Lounging and people watching from a rooftop cafe in Thamel, having a late lunch after the long walk up to Swayambhunath, the monkey temple. Crowded into a tiny restaurant in Shigatse, unable to avoid the generous servings of yak butter tea. Warming up with a tall glass on chhaang on a cool evening along the Annapurna circuit.

Momos are little meat and veg dumplings found in abundance at restaurants in Nepal and Tibet. They are made with a variety of minced meat spiced up onion, garlic, ginger, and cilantro. They can be steamed or fried and usually contain a little cabbage and yak cheese. And they are always served with the most tasty of dipping sauces ranging from tomato based to soy based to super spicy chile based!

The first time I made momos, nearly fifteen years ago, I had just returned home from my first adventure to the Himalayas and I was excited to show off my new cuisine ideas to friends. Total disaster! Don't get me wrong. I made a great filling, but the homemade dumpling skins sucked (I never did cook well with flour... perhaps it was a sign). Over the years and especially after subsequent trips there, my cravings returned and I tried again and again. But always stumbling over those #$%& wrappers... until now!

Serves 4

Momo Ingredients:

• 1-2 green chilies, finely diced
• 2-3-inch piece ginger, grated
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 4 green onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 T coconut aminos
• 2 T oil (I prefer sesame or coconut)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2-2 pounds ground pork or turkey

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tsp green chilies, finely diced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 T cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 T lemon juice

Directions:

1. Mix all dipping sauce ingredients in a glass bowl and let sit while you prepare the momos.
2. Mix all momo ingredients.
3. Form meat mixture into small discs or larger patties.
4. Heat some cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
5. Fry momos in batches, cooking 3-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
6. Serve over shredded cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers with dipping sauce.

Note: Frying an entire batch of small disc shaped momos seems to take forever. This is my favorite way to prepare momos, but since I'm usually short of time, I often opt for larger "momo patties" (fewer = quicker). A couple nights ago, I was in a particularly lazy mood when my momo craving occurred. The resulting "lazy mom momo" was received by my family just as well as any other form of momo and took about half the time! Instead of forming any shapes at all, I dumped the entire mixture into the pan and fried it up like I would taco meat. I normally prefer ground pork, but this was just as delicious with turkey!

Laksa Lemak

Curry laksa is a spicy, coconut-curry-noodle soup from Malaysia and one our favorite weekend lunches. Lemak refers specifically to the addition of coconut milk, one of my favorite ingredients to create a rich, creamy, dish. Many traditional preparations of this dish call for tofu and mixed seafood, but I prefer a simpler style made with ground turkey, leftover roasted chicken, or even meatless. I paleo-ize the dish by using kelp noodles instead of vermicelli or rice noodles and also add cut, fresh vegetables; it's a great way to get rid of veggies in the fridge.

Serves 4

Note that many recipes exist for homemade rempah (laksa paste). I have also seen pre-packaged laksa paste, but have yet to find a paleo-friendly brand available locally. Since I always have Thai curry paste on-hand, I use that as the spice mixture for my laksa. Not authentic, but good enough.

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 "scoop" red or panang curry paste (start with 2-3 tsp)
• 1-2 cans coconut milk
• 4 cups chicken broth (rich, homemade broth is the best)
• 1 package kelp noodles, rinsed and drained 
• 1-2 T fish sauce
• 1-2 tsp lime juice
• chilies or sambal oelek for more kick (optional)
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut, if necessary
• 2-3 T fresh basil or cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground turkey and fry until cooked through. If using leftover chicken, add it to the pan and continue to the next step.
3. Add curry paste and mix well to distribute throughout the meat.
4. Add the coconut milk. I usually begin by adding one can of coconut milk. After everything else has been added, I test taste to see if I want to add more. I usually end up using half of the second can.
5. Add the chicken broth, kelp noodles, fish sauce, lime juice, and chilies, if using. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Test taste and if necessary, adjust the flavor with more curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, and/or chilies. I like to get the coconut gravy tasting "perfect" before moving the next step.
7. Add the vegetables and simmer until they reach a desired doneness.
8. Stir in cilantro, if using.
9. Serve immediately.

The Accidental Sloppy Joe

Known by many names including barbecues, yum yums, and juicy burgers (or perhaps savoury mince roll if you're a friend of Kelle's from Australia)... what is not to love about a good homemade sloppy joe? Except that I didn't start out making sloppy joe tonight. Cool temperatures have put a chill in the air and I was going to celebrate fall's arrival in Alaska with a big pot of chili. Fortunately, somewhere between pulling out all the ingredients and serving up bowls of steaming hot chili, the mixture in the pan tasted so good, I just stopped and served it as-is. Voila! The best sloppy joe I've ever cobbled together!

Serves 4, with plenty of leftovers

Ingredients:

• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 T fresh herbs, chopped
• 1 T basil
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• 1 T cumin
• 1 T chile powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can tomatoes with chiles, blended in a food processor

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Fry onion, bell pepper, and garlic, until onion begins to caramelize.
3. Mix in herbs, basil, Italian seasoning, cumin, chile powder, and bay leaves.
4. Add pork, beef, and turkey. Fry until meat is cooked through.
5. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes then serve.

Note: The chili that never happened was going to have beef broth and additional seasoning added.