Hello from my couch, which has officially formed to my bum and has become the Eat Cho Food HQ over the last few weeks. I finally washed my hair have 3 days in a bun and I’m wearing real pants and an unstained top because I’m teaching a workshop this afternoon. Grey’s Anatomy has been constantly playing in the background as I test buns in the kitchen, attempt to write witty essays about said buns, and edit photos of… well, buns. Somehow watching a fictional medical drama during this time is calming my nerves??? Honestly, I just appreciate how many hours of content are available to me from a single show. I can just leaving it running without using up extra brain energy to find another show to fill the silence of my kitchen. I did the math and I have about 276 hours of ridiculous medical cases and unnecessary breakups to keep me entertained as I try to get this dang book written.

If this all sounds a little sad to you, I promise you it’s not (I laugh nervously)! I’ve accepted that this is just going to be my way of life for a while and hope and pray that my jeans will still fit by October. But, whatever. That’s why we have wide leg pants!

I realize that my life is very much bun centric lately, but we’ve actually been eating so many vegetables because I have a fear of scurvy and tend to panic order vegetables from Good Eggs. So it somewhat balances out.

Larb is the most perfect Food.

I said it. Are you surprised that I picked a salad over a dumpling? Larb has been one of my absolute favorite ways to use up the crunchy leafy greens in our fridge. I also always have some kind of ground meat in the fridge leftover from all the dumpling classes I’m teaching. If you haven’t had Larb before, it is a Laotian/Thai meat salad. It’s absolutely amazing. I also love the phrase “meat salad”.

Larb is spicy, sweet, savory, funky, bright, sour, herbaceous, crunchy, refreshing, and so satisfying. This is why I think it is the most perfect food. It’s healthy while still being insanely flavorful and filling. You can use any kind of ground meat you have on hand. I tend to always have ground chicken in the freezer so I’m using chicken here. Chicken is delicate enough to absorb and balance out all the strong flavors of the fish sauce, limes, and chili flakes. I like to add some chopped nuts in here for crunch, although not super traditional. Sliced citrus is also not super traditional but I love the juicy burst and brightness that it adds to a bite of spicy meat and crisp lettuce.

You could serve the larb over rice for a meal that’s a little more hearty, but I’m a big fan of the lettuce cups. I’m also a firm believer that food tastes better when you can eat it with your hands! If you spill a little on your shirt, it’s not like you’re seeing anyone soon anyways!

Citrus Chicken Larb

Serves 2-4

2 tbsp olive oil
½ lb ground chicken
1 tsp red chili flakes
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime - more for garnish
3 shallots - minced
⅓ cup chopped peanuts or cashews 
3 green onion stalks - slices
Large lettuce leaves
Handful of mint - chopped
1 oranges - peeled and sliced into wedges

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken to the pan and season with red chili flakes, salt, sugar, and fish sauce. Using a spatula, break up the ground chicken into small crumbles and toss to evenly coat in the seasonings. Continue to cook for 5 minute, until the chicken is mostly cooked through.

2. Add the lime juice, minced shallots, and sliced green onions to the chicken. Toss to combine and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped nuts and toss to combine. Remove the larb from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

3. Arrange a bunch of lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Fill each lettuce leaf with a heaping spoonful of larb and a small orange wedge. Garnish with chopped mint and enjoy with extra limes!