January’s BrightRx features savory, flavorful recipes to start your new year with a kick and warm up your winter days. LA-based chef and food stylist Sandy Ho has shared with us all the components for a seasonal, dynamic meal.
"This is my take on a Vietnamese dish called Chả Cá Thăng Long, also known as Chả Cá Lã Vọng, that I loved cooking with my family in our backyard. Turmeric marinated fish, dill and peanuts are key elements and with the addition of Brightland's citrus based vinegar and a seasonal salad for crunch and brightness, it was calling for an outdoor adventure to my favorite spot in Tuna Canyon!"
Turmeric + Scallion Swirl Pancake
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, divided into two bowls plus more for surface
- 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
- 1 tbs ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup boiling water, divided in 2
Instructions
- 1 Add scallions to one bowl of flour and in the other add the ground turmeric, season both bowls with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil.
- 2 Working with one bowl at a time, add a 1/2 cup of boiling water slowly while stirring until the dough comes together. Cover and allow to cool. Repeat with second bowl.
- 3 Turn out doughs onto floured surface and knead each ball until smooth.
- 4 Roll each ball into a log (about 24 inch long) and then join them side by side lengthways. Cut into 6 even pieces and rest for 5 minutes.
- 5 Roll each piece into a thinner log and then coil each log and roll out to 3 mm thin.
- 6 Heat a cast iron pan on medium high with 1 tbs oil and carefully place pancake into pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Serve hot!
Crispy Skin Turmeric Snapper
Ingredients
- 1 red snapper filet
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Salt + pepper
Instructions
- 1 Pat fish dry and season with salt, fresh black pepper + tsp of ground turmeric and olive oil.
- 2 Sear skin side down in a cast iron skillet preheated to medium. Cook skin side for 2-3 minutes and kiss the flesh side on the pan for 30 seconds. Remove and leave to rest.
Delicata Squash Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 Delicata squash, thinly sliced in half moons + sautéed for some color (about 1 minute)
- 1/2 Persian cucumber, sliced
- Salt + pepper
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 Fresno chili, julienned
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 cup of a mix of cilantro, dill, mint
- 2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup toasted peanuts
- 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbs fish sauce
- 2 tbs sesame oil
- 1 tbs maple syrup
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1/2 a lime
- 1 Tbs of Brightland ALIVE olive oil
- 4 Tbs of Brightland PARASOL champagne vinegar
Instructions
- 1 Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except for garlic and 1 tbs olive oil.
- 2 Add olive oil to cast iron and heat on medium until oil is glistening.
- 3 Turn off heat and add garlic slices. Leave to cook for 30 seconds and pour oil and garlic into bowl with dressing.
