WIAW #54: Brussels Sprout Som Tum Thai Salad

Now that my Spring Break is over, I suppose I have to do something productive. Ironically I feel less stressed now it’s over than before! Aaron spent his break in Russia volunteering. I spent mine working.

Who do you think had the better break huh? Well there were some good things. Lisa took me to a great Mexican Tapas restaurant in Wayne, PA called Matador. And we will definitely have to go back!

I also ate some good food and worked on my upcoming Foodie Pen Pal box. Since I had this break I thought it would be the perfect time for me to get back into pen pal mode for March.

If you haven’t heard about Foodie Pen Pals hosted by Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean,
check it out now!

Some of my healthy eats:

Quinoa breakfast bowl with vanilla almond milk, bananas, blueberries,

almonds, agave, and chia seeds

Spicy vegetarian (and veggie packed) curry over quinoa

 

Ginger Maple glazed Salmon with quinoa and homemade brussels sprout Som Tum. 
SO GOOD!

 

Chicken BBQ with Som Tum slaw on a tortilla

 

BBQ Chicken pizza with zucchini, carrots, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, mozzarella and parm

 

Raw brussels sprout, tomatoes, carrots, tomatoes, grapeseed oil and balsamic, chia seeds, goat cheese

Teriyaki veggies (sprouts, carrots, peas, mushrooms, sesame seeds) over rice

Some of my more fun eats:

Portabella ravioli in a saffron crème fraiche cream sauce with sautéed mushrooms, walnuts, and balsamic (at least there is a side of spinach for the necessary greenness)

 

Chicken Parmesan Sliders from my work

 

Aaron’s welcome home Sushi dinner for $25. (steal for sushi)

Sensing a theme of ingredients?

I wasn’t sure which of my eats I should post the recipe for today, but I finally decided on my Brussels sprout som tum Thai salad.

I love raw Brussels sprouts, and as of now, it seems the rest of the blogging community does too!

Growing up in a small town, we didn’t have many options for authentic ethnic foods. That is until Pakha came to town.

Pakha’s Thai House looked like a hole in the wall. Instead you got some of the best Thai food anywhere. Pakha moved to my small town from Thailand after marrying a local businessman. Luckily, she decided to open a restaurant and all of the fresh, delicious flavors of Thailand came along for the ride. Green Papaya Salad or Som Tum was one of my favorite things on the menu. It was sweet-tangy, a tad spicy, and overall delicious. I loved the shredded green papaya, carrots, and the spicy lime dressing, even as a kid.

This is not that salad. Instead my brussels sprout Som Tum is much different but since it has the familiar flavors, I thought it only fitting to name it after my favorite Thai salad. Instead of green papaya I used raw, shredded brussel sprouts along with the carrots, tomatoes, garlic, lime, and ginger, of the traditional som tum. The sauce consists of both sriracha, hot chili, lime, and crème fraiche to cool it down. When I made the slaw it was too spicy so I added a little crème fraiche to make the heat a little more subtle.

This is definitely Asian fusion it all sense of the word-best of both sides of the world.

This is  also a make-it-your-own recipe. I like a lot of fresh ginger, but you can add less if desired. It won’t be remotely the same with dried ginger, so don’t even do it!

Try my som tum as a delicious salad, a slaw on BBQ, or with your favorite grain.

I hope you like it as much as I do.

Brussels Sprouts Som Tum Salad

Makes 2-3 servings (1 serving bowl size)

Ingredients:

6 brussel sprouts, chopped into ribbons or strips, slightly shredded
3 large carrots, julienned 
4-5 plum tomatoes, quarted and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 tsp. apple cider vinegar to taste
½ small red chili, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. dried red chili flakes
Two generous squirts sriracha red chili sauce (or to taste)
3 tbsp. crème fraiche or low-fat sour cream, optional.
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tbsp. agave nectar (or honey)
Black pepper
Salt if needed
Chopped peanuts or cashew to top

For a vegan recipe, omit creme fraiche


Directions:

Mix sprouts, carrots, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes together in a medium bowl. Add lime juice, garlic powder, chili, and black pepper.

Add sriracha, agave, and vinegar to taste. (Should have a slightly spicy, sweet and tangy flavor that is highlighted but the ginger and garlic.)

Add salt only if needed. Add crème fraiche if desired. Top with chopped nuts.

Serve chilled on top of your favorite sandwich, BBQ, or as a salad.

Enjoy!

Love,

The College Cuisiner