Buddha Dragon Make-Over

The Ontario LCBO's free publication, "Food and Drink" magazine is a wealth of mouth-watering photos, reliable recipes and expert wine recommendations. It rivals "Food & Wine" magazine in breadth and it's free of the snobbery and inconsistencies of "Gourmet" magazine (I've had some bad experiences trying to execute their recipes, and I sincerely don't think the problem was with my level of culinary skill).

Its recent issue featured a recipe called "Miso Buddha Dragon Bowl with Lemon Grass & Rice Noodles". It's a mouthful to say and to eat! The photo appealed to me, but upon cooking, I discovered that the end result looks nothing like the photo -- the dish was delicious but it was essentially a brown, sludgy stew.

Ever the obstinate glutton, I insisted on making it again but my way.

Raw vegetables trump cooked ones any day. There's nothing like the fresh crunch of crudités. At parties, I'm the buzzard picking away at the veggie platter, eating the cauliflower and celery sticks that nobody will touch.

So I julienned a red bell pepper, some daikon radish, red onion, and celery. I also tore up some oyster mushrooms and cilantro. I couldn't find any rice noodles to my liking at the local grocery, so I settled for a bowl of rice as my base. The vegetables were arranged on top. A sauce was made separately and simply drizzled on top to preserve the brightness of the raw vegetables. Good quality sesame oil and sesame seeds finished the dish.

Here is my version of the sauce, inspired by the LCBO recipe:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coconut milk (or water and coconut powder)
2 stalks of lemongrass
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
4 Tbsp miso paste
hot sauce, to taste

1. In a small sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sweat the minced garlic until they become fragrant.
2. Pour in the coconut milk and give it a brief stir.
   
3. Bruise the lemongrass and cut them just small enough to fit your sauce pan.
   
4. Add the lemongrass and ginger to the sauce and bring to a gentle simmer for several minutes.
5. Remove the stalks of lemongrass.
6. Add the miso paste and gently whisk it into the sauce. Bring to a simmer again and continue to heat until the sauce thickens a bit.
7. If you like a little more kick, add your favorite hot sauce.