entertaining with kids

PINEAPPLE MANGO

LEMON SMASH PUNCH

Italian soda adds sparkle and a hit of flavour, but you can substitute plain soda water if you want to keep the added sugar content low. Combine 2 cups (500 mL) fresh pressed pineapple juice (the kind found in the grocery store’s refrigerated case), 1 cup (250 mL) mango juice and 1 small, thinly sliced organic lemon in a pitcher. Use a wooden spoon to slightly smash lemon. Add 2 cans (600 mL) naturally flavoured Italian lemon soda and ice and stir to combine.

Makes 8 servings GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED GARLIC

Caramelized sugar is at the base of many Vietnamese dishes. This dish is a simplification of the traditional process but gives the beans a very special flavour.

1½ lbs (680 g) green beans, stem end trimmed 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil

2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar

2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce

¼ cup (60 mL) Thai basil leaves

1 Blanch green beans in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop them from cooking further. Set aside.

2 Heat oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Add sugar and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes longer or until sugar has dissolved and is beginning to caramelize. Add drained green beans and fish sauce and toss for 1 minute or until beans are hot and coated with garlic mixture. Add basil leaves and serve.

Makes 10 servings as part of whole menu VIETNAMESE BBQ

CHICKEN & SHRIMP

Serve chicken and shrimp on a platter with crusty mini-baguettes or rolls, Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon, Sriracha Mayo and cilantro sprigs so that guests can assemble a banh mi sandwich if they desire. Grilled chicken and shrimp are also great over the Noodle Salad.

⅓ cup (80 mL) fish sauce

¼ cup (60 mL) low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil

¼ cup (60 mL) dark brown sugar

¼ cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro

3 tbsp (45 mL) fresh lime juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lime zest

1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh garlic

2 tsp (10 mL) chili paste (sambal oelek)

2 lbs (905 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 lb (455 g) large zipper-back shrimp (peel on) Bamboo skewers (optional)

1 Combine fish sauce, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, cilantro, lime juice and zest, ginger, garlic and sambal oelek. Set aside ⅓ cup (80 mL) of marinade for shrimp and pour the rest over the chicken. Let chicken stand for 4 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Toss shrimp in reserved marinade and soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before grilling.

2 Preheat a grill to high (if you have the opportunity to grill over charcoal do so—it will add a lot of extra flavour). Thread shrimp onto skewers (if desired). Turn heat down to medium and grill chicken for 8 to 10 minutes a side or until cooked through and slightly caramelized at the edges. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes a side or until pink and just cooked through.

Makes 10 servings as part of whole menu

SRIRACHA MAYO

Whisk 1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise and 4 tsp (20 mL) sriracha (or to taste) together until fully combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. QUICK PICKLED

CARROT & DAIKON

Pickled carrots and daikon are staples of the Vietnamese kitchen and classic additions to a banh mi sandwich. You can make them in minutes and keep them in the fridge for several weeks, but keep in mind that the flavour will get stronger over time.

6 oz (170 g) carrots, sliced ¼ inch (5 mm) thick lengthwise, then into batons

6 oz (170 g) daikon radish, sliced ¼ inch (5 mm) thick lengthwise, then into batons

3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar

2 tbsp (30 mL) kosher salt

½ cup (125 mL) white vinegar

½ cup (125 mL) cold water (or enough to cover veg with brine)

1 Combine carrot, radish, sugar and salt in a bowl, and massage until sugar and salt have completely dissolved and vegetables have begun to soften. Pack into a 2-cup (500-mL) jar. Add vinegar and water and let stand 1 hour or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

DRESS YOUR OWN

NOODLE SALAD

Lightly dressed rice noodles make a great side for grilled chicken and shrimp and give guests an alternative to bread. Serve the garnishes in small bowls so that guests can build their perfect portion. Fried shallots can be bought in bags near the spices in many Asian stores, or you can thinly slice shallots and fry them in a little oil until browned and crisp.

1 lb (455 g) thin rice stick noodles

½ cup (125 mL) unseasoned rice vinegar

¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil

2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce

1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar

1½ tsp (7 mL) grated ginger

1 tsp (5 mL) grated garlic

1 to 2 bird’s-eye chilies, very finely chopped

(to taste)

GARNISHES

Thai basil, cilantro, chopped green onions, chopped peanuts, fried shallots, sambal oelek

1 Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2 Combine rice vinegar, canola oil, fish sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add chilies. Toss noodles with dressing just before serving.

3 Put garnishes in bowls around noodles so guests can top them the way they like.

Makes 10 servings as part of whole menu

VIETNAMESE COFFEE CRÈME BRÛLÉE

Laced with sweetened condensed milk, Vietnamese coffee is almost a dessert itself. It’s not too much of a stretch to see it as the base of an excellent crème brûlée. Served in small portions, it’s very easy to make ahead. And while welding a blowtorch in the kitchen makes for excellent theatre, if you don’t feel like making the sugar crust just leave them as is and call them pots de crème.

1 cup (250 mL) dark roast coffee beans 2¾ cups (675 mL) 10% cream (half & half) 1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk 5 large egg yolks

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

5 tbsp (75 mL) sugar

1 Coarsely chop coffee beans using either a mini food processor or by placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Transfer to a medium pot, add cream and sweetened condensed milk, then heat over medium-low, stirring to incorporate sweetened condensed milk. Bring mixture just to a simmer. Remove from heat. Cover pot and let stand 1 hour to infuse.

2 Heat oven to 300°F (150°C).

3 Return pot to medium-low heat and warm just until bubbles appear at the edges. Strain out coffee beans.

4 Whisk egg yolks and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, add cream mixture a little at a time to keep eggs from curdling. Pour mixture through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup.

5 Arrange 10 small canning jars (½ cup/125 mL) or ramekins in a roasting pan and divide custard between them.

6 Bring a kettle to a boil and add enough boiling water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the jars. Cover roasting pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until set with a slight wiggle in the middle. Remove from water bath and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days before serving.

7 When ready to serve, remove custards from refrigerator. Working with 1 at a time, sprinkle each with about 1½ tsp (7 mL) sugar. Using a kitchen blowtorch, move it over the sugar, tilting the dish as you go until sugar is melted and caramelized and covers the top of the custard.

Makes 10 servings