Flavor Bomb Cubes Recipes

Steps:

• In a large pitcher, whisk the lemon juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add the water to taste. Fill 2 ice-cube trays with the lemonade and place a mint leaf and a piece of cut up orange segment in each compartment. Reserve the rest in the refrigerator. When frozen, turn them into a frozen bowl or an ice sculpture and place on a buffet with the pitcher of lemonade beside them to serve over the ice cubes.
• Notes about the recipe: I love making ice cubes with surprises inside that add more flavor to a drink once they melt. And why have a melting ice cubes dilute a drink? Make it from something flavorful and it will add rather than take away from the taste. At Tru I make pineapple water ice cubes with candied lemon rind imbedded and serve them with plum or rhubarb lemonade.

Steps:

• In a blender, puree the watermelon with the Simple Syrup and lime juice. Pour into a silicone ice cube tray and freeze about 8 hours.

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil, parsley, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic and lemon zest in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds. Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.
• Defrost the cubes and add to sauteed or roasted vegetables or roasted or boiled potatoes. Drizzle the defrosted cubes over cooked steak, or use to marinate chicken or shrimp.

Steps:

• Combine coconut, peanuts, shallot, ginger, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, and water in a small saucepan, swirl to mix, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces by about half and starts to thicken up.
• Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before using. Sauce will get thicker once cooled. If sauce is too thick, thin out with a little bit of water. If it's too runny, simply put it back on the heat and reduce it a little more.
• To make the wraps, place a heaping teaspoon of chicken in a spinach leaf, top with a big pinch of toasted coconut, a few peanuts, a Thai basil leaf, one piece of lime, one piece of Thai chili, one or two pieces of shallots, and one or two cubes of ginger.
• Top with 1 teaspoon of the sauce and wrap everything into one neat bite. These must be eaten in a single bite to get all the flavors working properly together.