Lemongrass Salad

1/4 cup of minced lemon-grass (bottom 5 to 6 inches only)

1/2 cup of fresh lime juice

1/3 cup of Thai roasted chile paste

1/4 cup of fish sauce

1/4 cup of sugar

2 tsp of crushed dried red chilies

1 1/2 cups of water

1 cup of minced raw boneless chicken

2 tsp of vegetable oil

3/4 lbs of large raw shrimp shelled and deveined

1 cup of shredded sweetened coconut

2 cups of shredded cabbage

5 Chinese long beans, or 20 green beans cut into 1-inch lengths and blanched

1 cup of roasted peanuts or macadamia nuts coarsely chopped

1 cup of chopped cilantro leaves

1 cup of thinly sliced red onion

1 cup of mint leaves

1/4 cup of kaffir lime leaves minced

1. To make dressing, in a bowl combine lemongrass, lime juice, chile paste, fish sauce, sugar, and chilies. Mix and set aside.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add chicken and cook, stirring once or twice, until chicken is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
3. Heat a grill pan over medium-heat until hot. Bush shrimp with 1 tsp oil. Grill shrimp until the flesh turns pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
4. Spread coconut in a small skillet; toast over medium-heat, shaking pan frequently, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. In a large salad bowl, combine cabbage and beans with coconut, peanuts, cilantro, onion, mint and lime leaves. Add chicken and dressing; toss well.
6. Transfer to serving platter; top with grilled shrimp and serve.