Traditional Thai curry dishes are made with a paste. I didn't have any and really wanted to use the yellow curry powder in my pantry. I stumbled upon this recipe off grouprecipes.com The end result was a tasty, creamy and delicious dish, but not exactly Thai. I didn't have light coconut milk, so I used regular. And unfortunately only used 1/4 c of basil leaf. I felt the recipe was missing something - definitely should have used more Thai basil, and perhaps some Thai chiles sauteed in oil before hand. I read somewhere that real yellow Thai curry paste has galangal -- an herb similar to ginger, and also lemongrass. So again, not exactly Thai, but good enough for me. I also didn't use spinach in the dish, but opted for peas and red peppers. It could have used some potatoes and carrots. Kids and hubby devoured it the way it was. So I will definitely make this again.
* 1 can (13.5 oz.) unsweetened light coconut milk
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 small onion, chopped
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
* 1 to 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
* 2 bags (6 oz. each) baby spinach
* 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
Puree 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, ginger, garlic, onion, lemon rind, pepper flakes, paprika & curry powder in the blender.
Heat coconut milk mixture in skillet over medium-high heat; cook for about 2 minutes
Add chicken, remaining coconut milk & fish sauce. heat to boiling. reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered 8 to 10 minutes, until chicken is done.
Stir in spinach, basil & salt; heat through til spinach is wilted.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Vegetarian Pad Thai
Tried this dish and the girls loved it. Pretty easy too. You can plan the sauce ahead. I didn't have any tamarind juice on hand so I took one reviewer (From about.com) tip and substituted with 1/4 cup of orange juice and 2 tbsp fresh lime juice. I also substituted half of the soy sauce with (patis) fish sauce to give it a more authentic Thai flavoring.
* 8 oz. (SERVES 2) Pad Thai rice noodles (thin, flat linguini-like noodles)
* 2 eggs (vegans can substitute 1/2 cup soft tofu - see instructions below*)
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 shallot (OR 1/4 cup purple onion), finely chopped
* 3-4 "heads" of baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage, roughly chopped
* 2 cups bean sprouts
* 2 green onions, sliced
* 1/3 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
* 1/4 cup ground (or well-chopped) peanuts (OR substitute cashews or slivered almonds)
* PAD THAI SAUCE:
* 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste (available at Asian/East Indian food stores)
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 3+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce)
* 1/2 to 2 tsp. chili sauce (to taste), OR 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
* 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
* OTHER:
* 3-4 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
* 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable or faux chicken stock
* lime wedges for serving
Preparation:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove from heat. Soak noodles in the hot water for 6-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Noodles are ready to drain when they are soft enough to eat, but still firm and a little bit "crunchy". The noodles will finish cooking when they are fried.
2. Dissolve the tamarind paste in the hot water. Add the other pad thai sauce ingredients and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add as much or as little chili sauce as you prefer, but don't skimp on the sugar (you need it to balance the sourness of the tarmaind). Reserve.
3. Place your wok (or large frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus the garlic and shallot. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.
4. Add the bok choy plus the stock. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
5. Push ingredients aside and add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the eggs (if using) and stir-fry briefly to scramble them.
6. Push eggs aside and add a little more oil to the middle of the wok/pan. Now add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute using 2 utensils and a tossing motion (like tossing a salad).
7. Add a little more sauce and continue stir-frying in the same way for 1-2 more minutes, or until the noodles begin to soften and become sticky. Reduce heat to medium if noodles begin to stick and burn.
8. Add the bean sprouts plus the remaining sauce. Stir-fry to incorporate everything together for 1-3 more minutes, or until noodles are done. Noodles are cooked to perfection when they are soft but still deliciously chewy and a little bit sticky.
9. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce if desired for more salt/flavor.
10. To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the green onion, coriander/cilantro, and ground nuts. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side. Serve immediately and ENJOY!. (Thai chili sauce can also be served on the side for those who likes their noodles extra spicy).
If using soft tofu: add it when you add the noodles. It will break up into small bits and be distributed throughout the dish, just as the egg would.
* 8 oz. (SERVES 2) Pad Thai rice noodles (thin, flat linguini-like noodles)
* 2 eggs (vegans can substitute 1/2 cup soft tofu - see instructions below*)
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 shallot (OR 1/4 cup purple onion), finely chopped
* 3-4 "heads" of baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage, roughly chopped
* 2 cups bean sprouts
* 2 green onions, sliced
* 1/3 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
* 1/4 cup ground (or well-chopped) peanuts (OR substitute cashews or slivered almonds)
* PAD THAI SAUCE:
* 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste (available at Asian/East Indian food stores)
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 3+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce)
* 1/2 to 2 tsp. chili sauce (to taste), OR 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
* 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
* OTHER:
* 3-4 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
* 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable or faux chicken stock
* lime wedges for serving
Preparation:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove from heat. Soak noodles in the hot water for 6-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Noodles are ready to drain when they are soft enough to eat, but still firm and a little bit "crunchy". The noodles will finish cooking when they are fried.
2. Dissolve the tamarind paste in the hot water. Add the other pad thai sauce ingredients and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add as much or as little chili sauce as you prefer, but don't skimp on the sugar (you need it to balance the sourness of the tarmaind). Reserve.
3. Place your wok (or large frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus the garlic and shallot. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.
4. Add the bok choy plus the stock. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
5. Push ingredients aside and add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the eggs (if using) and stir-fry briefly to scramble them.
6. Push eggs aside and add a little more oil to the middle of the wok/pan. Now add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute using 2 utensils and a tossing motion (like tossing a salad).
7. Add a little more sauce and continue stir-frying in the same way for 1-2 more minutes, or until the noodles begin to soften and become sticky. Reduce heat to medium if noodles begin to stick and burn.
8. Add the bean sprouts plus the remaining sauce. Stir-fry to incorporate everything together for 1-3 more minutes, or until noodles are done. Noodles are cooked to perfection when they are soft but still deliciously chewy and a little bit sticky.
9. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce if desired for more salt/flavor.
10. To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the green onion, coriander/cilantro, and ground nuts. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side. Serve immediately and ENJOY!. (Thai chili sauce can also be served on the side for those who likes their noodles extra spicy).
If using soft tofu: add it when you add the noodles. It will break up into small bits and be distributed throughout the dish, just as the egg would.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Zucchini Brownies
This is a great way to sucker my kids into eating vegetables. It's still loaded with sugar, so remains a "treat," but still a crafty way of getting a little green in their diet. These brownies are SO delicious you will never go back to making traditional veggie-less brownies again. I actually cut 1/2 of the white sugar and replace it with 1/2 a cup more of shredded zucchini. Carrots would probably work here too. I also substitute the veggie oil with coconut oil (extra virgin). Great flavor and scent. For a non-fat version you can sub oil with applesauce.
Ingredients
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups shredded zucchini
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.
NOTE: When making these brownies, I usually reduce the sugar by 25-33%. You can do the math yourself. This recipe can also be adapted into a healthy (but dense) cake recipe. I replaced the oil with more zuccini (or applesauce). Then I added cup of almonds. It's a pretty dense cake, but still rich in flavor and most importantly, healthy nutrients.
Ingredients
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups shredded zucchini
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.
NOTE: When making these brownies, I usually reduce the sugar by 25-33%. You can do the math yourself. This recipe can also be adapted into a healthy (but dense) cake recipe. I replaced the oil with more zuccini (or applesauce). Then I added cup of almonds. It's a pretty dense cake, but still rich in flavor and most importantly, healthy nutrients.
Friday Night Pizza
Here's a pizza dough recipe good for 2 thin crust 12" diameter pizzas. Every Friday dinner is pizza (and a movie) night at our household. Now that the girls are a bit older and more coordinated, they often help and dinner prep becomes a family affair. Mommy cuts the veggies, prepares the ingredients. Daddy holds Dominic. Clare helps knead the dough and watch it rise. After a half hour of rising, the girls each roll out and decorate their "own" pizza. After 15-20 min at 400 degrees, dinner is served and the girls feel a sense of accomplishment.
In a large bowl mix:
3 c flour &
1 t salt
Form a well.
In a pyrex measuring glass, heat up:
1/4 cup water* (110 degrees) &
2 T sugar/honey
After heating, add
1 T rapid rise yeast.
Let it rest and rise. After 5 minutes, mixture should be high and foamy. Then Add:
3/4 WARM water and
2 T oil
Add the wet mixture to the dry. With hands or a big spoon, mix until just combined. Then knead with your hands about 5-7 times. Don't over-knead or your dough will get tough and rubbery. Cover bowl with a warm towel for about 30 minutes. In a half hour, it's ready to roll, top and bake with your favorite toppings.
Notes:
*I usually heat that up on high for 30 seconds in the microwave and it comes out fine.
In a large bowl mix:
3 c flour &
1 t salt
Form a well.
In a pyrex measuring glass, heat up:
1/4 cup water* (110 degrees) &
2 T sugar/honey
After heating, add
1 T rapid rise yeast.
Let it rest and rise. After 5 minutes, mixture should be high and foamy. Then Add:
3/4 WARM water and
2 T oil
Add the wet mixture to the dry. With hands or a big spoon, mix until just combined. Then knead with your hands about 5-7 times. Don't over-knead or your dough will get tough and rubbery. Cover bowl with a warm towel for about 30 minutes. In a half hour, it's ready to roll, top and bake with your favorite toppings.
Notes:
*I usually heat that up on high for 30 seconds in the microwave and it comes out fine.
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