296940 Wed Apr 28 21:06:48 -0700 2004 26 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1637240 Someone posted on the SF Board asking for restaurants there with minty dishes (I guess they were in the mood for mint...). Well, I'm not necessarily in the mood for it, but I have discovered that if you plant a little bit of mint and have the right combination of weather and soil, you can have a LOT of mint in a short time! So, chowhounds, care to share your best mint recipes? Mojitos? Something Vietnamese, maybe? I have a LOT of mint...and it smells nice just growing in the yard but it might be fun to surprise my husband with something minty (since he planted the stuff in the first place..) Anyone have a good mint chutney recipe? Wed Apr 28 21:06:48 -0700 2004 0 janet of Reno 1 1637243 Easy coconut-lime-mint sorbet 1 can Coco Lopez cream of coconut 1/2 cup lime juice 3/4 cup water 1 bunch mint Put in blender & blend until mint is in tiny pieces. Put in a shallow dish in the freezer. Stir every 20 minutes or so until frozen. Wed Apr 28 22:51:20 -0700 2004 1637240 0 snackish 1 1637249 Yeah , it smells real nice when I run the lawn mower over the giant mass of mint that is slowly taking over my lawn . It's also good in fresh rolls with fresh basil . I like to rub it on my cat's head too , because a minty cat smells better than most . Wed Apr 28 23:40:06 -0700 2004 1637240 0 GoalieJeff 2 1637298 Only a chowhound would think of rubbing fresh herbs on their pet's head. LOL! Thank you, I needed that. Now, if only I could get my boyfriend's lick-happy dog to eat fresh mint... Thu Apr 29 12:30:33 -0700 2004 1637249 0 Jennie Sheeks 1 1637250 Yeah , it smells real nice when I run the lawn mower over the giant mass of mint that is slowly taking over my lawn . It's also good in fresh rolls with fresh basil . I like to rub it on my cat's head too , because a minty cat smells better than most . Wed Apr 28 23:40:46 -0700 2004 1637240 0 GoalieJeff 1 1637254 Not to diverge into garden topics, but you might want to corral that if you still can, because I've had mint get kudzu-crazy in my garden, and once the roots are in the soil, it's almost impossible to subdue. After I rip it out of the ground I like to put it in the blender and make mint ice cubes for tea or drinks. The blending process lets you take revenge on the mint. Thu Apr 29 00:45:04 -0700 2004 1637240 0 hattie 2 1637262 Maybe you could plant some horseradish and let them have at each other. Thu Apr 29 08:14:12 -0700 2004 1637254 0 Sharuf 1 1637255 Minty Gimlets Muddle a bunch of mint leaves in a shaker. 1 part lime juice (fresh) 1 part gin (bombay, etc. something decent) sugar to taste. We usually add the sugar to the lime juice until it tastes good, then add the gin. Shake w/ice & serve up. Garnish with a big sprig of mint of course. (A bit of soda water on top lightens it up a bit if you are not in the mood for a strong drink.) Nigori! The sushi place down the street from my apartment serves their nigori (sweet, unfiltered sake; served cold) in a cocktail glass with a sprig of fresh mint. Very tasty. On a non-alcoholic note: Avocado salsa. Dice maybe 2 tomatoes and 1/2 to 1 avocado. Mix with a bunch of chopped basil, a little crushed garlic, and maybe 2 finely chopped mint leaves. Add a little lemon or lime juice, olive oil, a tad of balsamic, salt and pepper. Good over grilled polenta (a thing I miss terribly since discovering I can't eat corn anymore) or on crostini/bread/chips/farfalle etc. Or just plain, as I find myself eating it now (sniff!). Thu Apr 29 01:51:51 -0700 2004 1637240 0 cheyenne 2 1637277 Hey, I think I'll have one of those mint gimlets made for hubbie tonight when he gets home...sounds great, thanks!! I'm enjoying all the ideas, thanks. About the most creative I've gotten with mint in the past is putting it in Lemonade (try it, its nice)...so I like all your ideas. Once again, thanks! Keep them coming! Thu Apr 29 10:32:31 -0700 2004 1637255 0 Janet of Reno 1 1637259 i'm jealous. my mint seemed to be doing well but it caught a "rust" fungus, and i understand that that means it's doomed. i made this easy vietnamese dish the other night, and it was great: vietnamese spring rolls slice up some rare beef, or some chicken or shrimp (amounts depend on how many you're cooking for) soak some rice vermicelli noodles in boiling water until soft, then rinse with cool water. toss with a bit of sesame oil. chop up some chilies, mint, cilantro, and basil (i use big handfuls). combine all ingredients. add any or all of the following: sliced green papaya, bean sprouts, julienned carrots, sliced cucumber, scallions... season with lime juice and fish sauce to taste, and toss. serve with lettuce leaves for wrapping and some dipping sauce (i actually forgot about the lettuce leaves and so mine turned out to be a salad. that was fine. the dipping sauce made a nice dressing). easy dipping sauce: 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 small red chili, sliced. dissolve the sugar in a bit of fish sauce, then add rest of ingredients and serve in a small bowl. Thu Apr 29 07:10:44 -0700 2004 1637240 0 kristen 1 1637268 Fresh pea and mint soup. Yum. Mint ice cream. Also yum. There's a dish on epicurious that's vey good - lamb turnovers with mint and raisins. Again with the yum. And they freeze nicely. Thu Apr 29 10:08:28 -0700 2004 1637240 0 curiousbaker 1 1637269 A couple of ideas that you should be able to find recipes for on-line: minted new potatoes; mint pesto (so many different variations; mint yogurt sauce; cucumber mint soup (actually, many different preparations including cucumber and mint ... like raita); lentil soup with mint; bulgur mint salads (like a tabbouleh only with mint); minted carrots; and crab salad. Mint also combines well with cumin, dill, and parsley. An herb salad of mint, parsley, dill, and chives with a light vinagrette is a great accompaniment to rich foods. I found the following recipe for Mint Chutney on Epicurious: MINT CHUTNEY Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 30 min 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 1/4 cup water 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped Cook onion in oil in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Stir in raisins, vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, coriander, and salt and simmer 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Stir in mint just before serving. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Thu Apr 29 10:13:20 -0700 2004 1637240 0 rien 1 1637270 I mixed mint, zaatar, pinenuts & hot pepper flakes w/ground lamb & beef for patties & meatballs last night. Nice & savory. Thu Apr 29 10:14:48 -0700 2004 1637240 0 Taralli 1 1637271 I like to crush up the mint leaves and throw it into my water or soda water. Also, mint mixed with salad greens also taste good. Especially with argula. Thu Apr 29 10:18:54 -0700 2004 1637240 0 beetlebug 1 1637273 Fresh pea and mint soup. Yum. Mint ice cream. Also yum. There's a dish on epicurious that's vey good - lamb turnovers with mint and raisins. Again with the yum. And they freeze nicely. Thu Apr 29 10:24:03 -0700 2004 1637240 0 curiousbaker 1 1637279 Beautiful to use half mint and half parsley (instead of all parsley) when you make tabouli salad. Thu Apr 29 10:47:00 -0700 2004 1637240 0 Nyleve 2 1637310 Agreed, and even a little basil goes nice in there too. Also I believe mint is traditional in couscous salad, at least the kind commonly found in France. I don't like couscous warm all that much but I love couscous salad made with fresh mint. Thanks for starting this thread. We rent so I had no problem planting mint knowing it would take over the garden. However, my oregano (same family) turned out to be the real star. Anyone have suggestions there? Oh I have a Thai stirfry recipe involving mint, a little sugar and lime juice added at the last minute... will try to post it later. Thu Apr 29 14:27:53 -0700 2004 1637279 0 julesrules 3 1637339 Gai King (Chicken with mint & ginger) heat 3tbsp oil in wok and fry 1 sliced onion until limp, add 5 cloves chopped garlic for 2 more minutes. Remove onions and garlic. Now stirfry 2 1/2 lbs sliced chicken. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp ginger, and 1tbsp fresh mint. Add 8 (soaked, drained) dried chinese mushrooms, 5 green onions cut to 1" incl some green, and 2 fresh/1tsp dried red chilis. Return onions and garlic and stir until chicken is cooked. Quickly add 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp granulated sugar (I use brown sugar) This is paraphrased from Jennifer Brennan's The Original Thai Cookbook Thu Apr 29 22:51:22 -0700 2004 1637310 0 julesrules 4 1637340 sorry forgot: add one more tbsp chopped fresh mint as garnish. We like this dish - I vary the vegetables and use a little more mint. Thu Apr 29 23:11:25 -0700 2004 1637339 0 julesrules 1 1637281 Here's a great recipe that uses fresh mint: Baked Beet Salad 1 pound Beets (6) 1 small Spanish onion (4 oz) -----VINAIGRETTE----- 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons Cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Fresh mint, chopped 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Pepper Trim beets; wrap beets and onion separately in two heavy-duty foil packets. Roast in 350F oven for about 1 hour or until vegetables are fork-tender. Remove vegetables from foil; let stand for 15-20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Squeeze (or peel) skins off vegetables; slice onion into strips and cube beets. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Toss vegetables with vinaigrette: let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Toss lightly before serving. Paraphrased from Canadian Living magazine, Aug 95 Thu Apr 29 10:50:03 -0700 2004 1637240 0 Nancy Berry 1 1637282 Here's a good recipe for mint chutney: Fresh Cilantro and Mint Chutney 3 cups Cilantro leaves (firmly packed) 1/2 cup Fresh mint leaves 1/3 cup Fresh lemon or lime juice 3 Serrano chilies, chopped 6 medium Garlic cloves, chopped 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 1 teaspoon Ground cumin 1 teaspoon Sugar 1/2 teaspoon Salt In a food processor or blender, mix all ingredients to a smooth paste, scraping down sides of bowl frequently. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 10 days. Adapted from: Suneeta Vaswani's recipe in Bon Appetit (February 1987) Thu Apr 29 10:55:06 -0700 2004 1637240 0 Nancy Berry 1 1637295 I like a recipe from Jane Brody called "minted sugar snap pea salad." The salad is blanched sugar snap peas, chopped red onion and mint. The dressing is a simple vinegarette, although I think she calls for raspberry vinegar. Thu Apr 29 12:23:09 -0700 2004 1637240 0 shortorder 1 1637306 Here's an Istrian baked fish dish adapted from "The Mediterranean Kitchen" by Joyce Goldstein. Loaded with herbs and other bright flavors. Cooking the mint changes its flavor completely: Baked cod with onion and mint 6 TB unsalted butter 3 medium onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup fresh mint, chopped fine 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine salt, pepper 4 cod fillets, 6 or 7 ounces each 2 TB olive oil 2 TB lemon juice 2 green onions, chopped 2 TB capers, rinsed 4 anchovies, rinsed and cut into long strips Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in a pan at medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 or 2 minutes more. Add the mint and parsley and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a shallow baking pan. Lay the fish fillets on top, brush them with olive oil and lemon juice, and season well with salt and pepper. Bake until they're cooked through but still juicy. Garnish with green onion, capers and anchovy, and serve. Goes well with roasted potatoes. Thu Apr 29 13:48:55 -0700 2004 1637240 0 squid-kun 1 1637307 Mint Tisane, otherwise known as the delicious and cheap-if-it’s-in-your-garden Fresh Mint Tea: Clean several sprigs of mint. Put into a teapot or a large glass measuring cup. Pour just-boiled water over mint, let steep 3 or so minutes, drain through small tea strainer. Drink hot or chill first. Options: you can add honey or sugar if you want a sweeter taste. You can also mix this 1/2 and 1/2 with lemonade. Fresh mint tea tastes different than tea made with dry mint leaves. Image: http://www.mariquita.com/images/photogallery/mint-tea.jpg Thu Apr 29 13:48:57 -0700 2004 1637240 0 chardgirl 1 1637317 Fresh Direct here in NY offers a "salad" of ruby grapefruit sections with mint leaves and a little powdered sugar - depending on how sour the grapefruit is. very tasty and easy to make. Thu Apr 29 15:43:25 -0700 2004 1637240 0 wurstle 1 1637318 It's Derby time and time to make mint juleps. The day before you need them make a batch of simple syrup and pour over a pitcher of bruised mint leaves. Steep over night. Then fill a tall glass with crushed ice, pour in as much good bourbon as you like, and fill the glass with the mint syrup and garnish with a sprig of mint. That's what you do with too much mint! Thu Apr 29 16:14:34 -0700 2004 1637240 0 Ellen 1 1637319 my favorite minty recipe (from Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef): Minty Mushy Peas 2 md. potatoes, peeled, finely diced 2lb. 3 oz. frozen peas 1 handful fresh mint, leaves picked 3 Tbs. butter sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Boil potatoes in salted water until nearly tender. Add peas, boil for 2 minutes, then add mint. After one more minute, drain in colander, leaving in colander for one minute to steam. Put mess back into pan and mash with potato masher. Add butter, season, eat!!! Thu Apr 29 16:22:17 -0700 2004 1637240 0 kl5