Savour Summer with a Taste of Indonesia

    Grilled local seafood and salads of freshly-picked vegetables make entertaining easy on hot July days.

    This summer we’re jazzing up local ingredients with the taste-bud-tingling flavours of Indonesia, from lime juice to chili paste.

    Even if your plans don’t include hiking up a volcano or swimming in the ocean, you’ll love Indonesian Fried Rice, a.k.a. Nasi Goreng, stir-fried with diced Ontario vegetables such as carrots, bok choy and sweet red peppers. The secret’s in the sauce, tangy with tamarind, sweet with local honey and as fiery as you like.

    Grilled Gado Gado with Peanut Dressing is our version of another Indonesian classic. Grilling local vegetables, from cauliflower to corn, brings out their flavour, while peanut butter makes an easy base for the delectable sauce.

    For a make-ahead main course, Glazed Walleye with Chili-Lime Noodles starts with a salad of rice noodles, kale and snow peas tossed with a zesty soy, garlic and lime dressing. Grill the fish just before serving and top with Ontario-grown peanuts.

    We may not grow tropical fruit, but we do grow sweet red cherries. Beat the heat with a Cherry Coconut Slushie, blending ripe cherries with coconut milk and local honey.

    Now cue the gamelan orchestra and let the summer feast begin!

    The Town Crier will feature a recipe for the above mentioned dishes each week during July – we hope you enjoy them!  Please note that we also publish the recipes on our website mildmaycrier.com

(Nasi Goreng)

    This Indonesian dish is a great way to use leftover cooked rice combined with fresh vegetables. It is traditionally served with a fried egg on top, but here chopped egg is incorporated. Serve with grilled poultry, meat or fish.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

2 tbsp (25 mL) sodium-reduced soy sauce

1 tbsp (15 mL) tamarind sauce

1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce

2 tsp (10 mL) Ontario Honey

1 tsp (5 mL) Sambal Oelek (or other hot sauce)

1/2 tsp (2 mL) molasses (optional)

3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil

2 Ontario Eggs, beaten

1 Ontario Shallot, thinly sliced

1 Ontario Carrot, finely diced

Half Ontario Sweet Red Pepper, diced

2 Ontario Baby Bok Choy, trimmed and coarsely chopped

(or 2 cups/500 mL chopped regular Ontario Bok Choy)

3 cups (750 mL) cold cooked rice

3 Ontario Green Onions, chopped

In small bowl, combine soy sauce, tamarind sauce, oyster sauce, honey, Sambal Oelek, and molasses, if using; set aside.

In large skillet or wok, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil over medium heat. Add eggs and cook until set, about 2 minutes, tilting pan to spread. Remove and coarsely chop; set aside.

Heat remaining oil in same skillet and add shallot. Cook stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add carrot and red pepper, stir-fry until softened, about 2 minutes. Add bok choy and stir-fry 1 minute.

Stir in rice to blend and add sauce mixture. Stir-fry until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in green onions and chopped egg.

Nutritional Information:

1 Serving (When recipe serves 6):

PROTEIN: 5 grams

FAT: 9 grams

CARBOHYDRATE: 35 grams

CALORIES: 240

FIBRE: 1 gram

SODIUM: 220 mg

– Printed with permission from Foodland Ontario