We are back home and back on the dinner grind! I always love going to Hawaii to get creative with the local vegetables and easily accessible Asian ingredients, but I also get excited to come home to my kitchen full of gadgets and fully stocked cabinet of spices and grains! 

Now I will admit that this recipe looks insane with so many ingredients, but it’s really three components all made with variations of the same ingredients. You may notice that rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, agave, are all ingredients used in multiple components so fear not! *Though I will admit three components is not all that easy for working families. 

This is one of those meals to bring out on a slow Sunday when you feel inspired to be in the kitchen. It will take a bit of time BUT the upside is that all three components can be eaten separately and re-used throughout the week in various forms. So yes there is a bit of lifting on this one, but then you have three things in the fridge to go back to throughout the week. That’s a win!

I will send you off with few thoughts on each component –

CRISPY RICE: I make this as a side to many dishes now. Why? Because if you have cooked rice on hand, it is super simple to mix in curry paste, bake, then toss with some veggies. My tip is to leave it undressed until right before you want to eat it otherwise it will get soggy! *I admittedly forgot to do this recently with some friends and was so sad. Just keep the rice and dressing separate and mix in as you ready to eat.

BAHN MI MEAT: This is the stunner of the dish. You can just make this and pair with plain steamed rice and broccoli. You can omit the pork and just do chicken but it dries out quickly so be careful not to overcook. If you eat pork, add the pork, you won’t regret it!

CUCUMBER SALAD: This could also be omitted for simplicity but it is so quick and adds so much depth to the recipe. I make a big batch of this for the week and continue to whip out for salads, rice bowls, etc. You can never have too many quick pickled cucumbers or onions on hand!

INGREDIENTS

For the crispy rice –

3 cups cooked white jasmine rice

2 tbsp. red or green curry paste

3-4 green onions

½ red onion

Salt and pepper

Sauce: ¼ cup tamari soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp. agave

1 tbsp. sesame oil

For the meat – 

1 lb. ground chicken

1 lb. ground pork

2 shallots

4 cloves garlic

½ cup tamari soy sauce

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. chili sauce of choice (Srirachi works great)

1 tbsp. agave

For the cucumber salad – 

4 persian cucumbers

1 jalapeno

½ bunch cilantro

Sauce: 2 limes

2 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. agave

Additional Toppings: crushed peanuts, cilantro

Serving Size: 4

INSTRUCTIONS

• Make the cucumber salad and refrigerate to marinate.
  • Slice cucumbers into thin rounds. Roughly chop jalapeno and cilantro. 
  • Toss all ingredients with juice of limes, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and agave.
• Make the crispy rice.
  • Preheat oven to 350F. 
  • Cook rice or buy pre-cooked. Gently mix rice and curry paste together, season with salt and pepper. Spread into a thin layer on a baking sheet. 
  • Bake for 40 mins, tossing halfway through. 
  • Meanwhile slice green onions and red onion. 
  • Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and agave. 
  • Remove the baked rice from the oven and let cool. Toss with sliced green onions, thinly shaved red onion, and sauce.
• Make the bahn mi meat.
  • In a large skillet, heat a dash of oil over medium heat.
  • Add ground chicken and pork into the skillet, using a meat masher or fork to break up. Cook for 5-6 minutes until thoroughly cooked through but not well done.  
  • In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients: sliced shallots, minced garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce, and agave. 
  • Pour sauce over cooked meat and stir to combine. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. 
• Fill a large plate with crispy rice as the base, then top with meat and cucumbers and crushed peanuts. Enjoy!