Spicy Asian BBQ, On Budget

(CBS)  Jet Tila is one of the most sought-after Asian chefs in the country, and recently was tapped by mogul Steve Wynn to take over the kitchen at Wazuzu, the chic Asian bistro in the new Encore at Wynn resort hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

Growing up, Chef Tila honed his cooking skills alongside his Chinese-Thai grandmother, and he put those skills to the test as The Early Show Saturday Edition's "Chef on a Shoestring," trying to create an Asian-inspired barbeque on our meager, recession-busting $35 budget.

As a "shoestring" chef, he was automatically entered in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition. The shoestringer whose ingredients total cost is lowest will be invited back to prep our all-out year-end holiday meal!

FOOD FACTS

Lemongrass is widely used as an herb in Asian and Caribbean cooking. It has a nice citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. Lemongrass is commonly used in teas, soups, and in many curry dishes. It also goes very nicely with poultry, fish, and seafood.

Fish Sauce is a condiment that is derived from fish that have been allowed to ferment. It is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, and Filipino cuisine and is used in other Southeast Asian countries. In addition to being added to dishes during the cooking process, fish sauce can also be used in mixed form as a dipping condiment, and it is done in many different ways by each country mentioned for fish, shrimp, pork, and chicken.

Daikon, literally "large root," is the Japanese name for a mild-flavored, very large, white, East Asian radish. Daikon is very low in food energy. A 3 ounce serving contains only 18 Calories and provides 34 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. Daikon also contains the active enzyme myrosinase that aids digestion, particularly of starchy foods.

RECIPES

Thai Yum Salad

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemongrass, very thinly sliced
3 lime leaves, cut into long thin strips
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup Lime juice
1/2 cup Fish sauce
1/3 cup Brown sugar, packed
2 small cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
6 cups Seasonal mixed salad greens
1/3 cup Roasted peanuts, chopped
Black Pepper

METHOD:
To prepare dressing, heat a medium skillet and add oil. Sweat garlic, lemongrass, and lime leaves for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant and slightly translucent. Remove from heat and stir in onion, mint leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes.

Toss greens and cucumbers with the dressing and arrange on a large plate. Top with peanuts. Sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

FOR MORE RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 2.

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[phwtb]

Forgive me for asking, but since when is a $35 meal- prepared in your own home- considered a "shoestring budget"?

[whatdableep]

I think a recipe that is displayed like this should have ingredients that are easily obtainable.

[veils-2009]

Every now and then CBS's Early Show cooking segment gets a decent hit. The menu offered here is refreshing in many ways. Every entree seem appealing with bright and robust flavors.

For the uninitiated, fish sauce is a very powerful condiment. packed full of flavors. It is also very salty. In the appetizer one might not want to use a 1/2 cup of fish sauce as this amount might overwhelm the palate and hide the subtle flavors of the cucumber. The daikon radish on the other hand is a crunchy flavor sponge that takes up the flavors of food around it.

Even though this menu came in a about a dollar more than the other three listed, Jet Tila should be placed as number 1 in this competition for the foodie factor of the overall meal.