Thai Curry

We've been making different versions of this recipe for just about 8 years with mixed results. I finally took a thai cooking class just this past week, and made some curry I can write home about! Thank you Jam and Thai Fresh of South Austin for showing me the way :) Check out her blog at : Thai Cooking with Jam. There's some recipes on there that I am hitting up any day now....

I learned a few really helpful tips- one, thai soy sauce is nothing like the japanese soy sauce, and they cannot be substituted for each other without effecting the recipe. Thai curry is a process- like risotto, and not a reference to the spices, and so you can follow the same recipe and swap out the paste to make yellow, green, and massaman curry, too. Finally, unless you want to have the experience, flavor-wise, it is not worth it to make the paste from scratch. And if you choose to, be prepared to pound the ingredients with a mortar and pestle for a solid 15-20 minutes.


I was amazed at how simple the recipes and methods are. It's all about the ingredients. I will post more- I also learned how to make coconut soup, pad thai, and sticky rice- and maybe I'll eventually learn how to even make pad khee mao and pad see ew!! You might have to do some specialty shopping, but at an Asian grocer, it shouldn't be too hard to find most of the ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 can red curry paste- Mae Sri brand (If you prefer less heat, use 1/2 a can for mild or 3/4 for medium)
1 and 1/3 cans coconut milk (Chao Kho, Aroy-D, Mae Ploy brand)
Water or stock (about 3/4 of the coconut milk can)
2 cups cubed tofu or pan sauteed chicken in oil and cilantro (this is how Ryan likes it!)
3-4 cups yellow squash or zucchini
green beans or snap peas
red or yellow bell pepper
THAI soy sauce, 2 tbsp (If still too spicy at the end, add more of this to curb the heat)
1-2 tsp sugar
1 cup/ a large branch of thai basil (can sub regular basil...but should be easy to find thai basil)
4 kaffir lime leaves (just leave them out if you can't find them)
2 handfuls fresh cilantro


1. Scoop in the 'cream' of one can of coconut milk. (Only the thick white part, let the clearer milk remain in the can for now.) Scoop in the red curry paste, stir in, and turn to medium/low. Allow the curry paste to fry in the coconut milk (don't stir), for about 3-5 minutes, until red cracks form in the coconut milk.

2. Add in the remaining coconut milk and water and bring it to a boil. Add in the meat/tofu and the vegetables and simmer until the veggies are tender.

3. Add fish sauce or thai soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, and the basil and kaffir leaves. Turn off the heat and serve over rice.

Rice Krispy Treats

Classics: Rice Krispy Treats

Some things in the kitchen never go out of style, and Rice Krispy Treats are at the top of that list for me. Brilliantly compatible with the cooking skill level of the average 8-year old, this gem of a recipe makes a quick and tasty treat. And all things considered, not that bad for you either. Snap, crackle pop!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1 bag marshmallows- 10 oz of the big ones
6 cups of rice krispies cereal

1. Melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted.
2. Remove from heat and add in the cereal. Stir.
3. Press mixture into a greased pan and cool.

Now, there are a couple of variations out there that I'm dying to make. Check these out:

Though they look crazy fancy, they use the same recipe- but you drop them on greased cookie sheets and shape them into balls with your hands, and then decorate as desired. Happy birthday to me.....

Fava Beans with Seared Mushrooms and CousCous

     Ryan and I returned to one of my all-time favorite restaurants right before we left NY: Daniel. They offer a vegetarian tasting menu, which was seven courses of sheer glory. One of the dishes that stood out to me was a fava bean and mushroom dish, which I have been craving ever since! So, tonight, I decided to take a stab at it. I have to say, it was not as refined as Monsieur Boulud's, but daaaaaaamn it was tasty and flavorful! And best of all, the combination of hearty mushrooms and the chewy fava bean meant that it felt like an entree and was very hearty and satisfying!!

I have to admit I haven't done much fava bean eating before this.  Perhaps it was the challenge of not knowing how to get the little pods out, or maybe it was a leftover childhood impression of them being grainy, chewy, and bland. But no more! Follow the easy steps below to get your beans, and then cook away!

Prepare Fava Beans as follows:

1. Along the back of the bean, there will be a string spine. Pull it down to "unzip" the pod.

2.  You will notice immediately that the pods have a thick outer shell that still needs to be removed.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Put the beans in to boil for approximately 30 seconds.

 4. Remove the beans and rinse or submerge in cold water. This will stop the cooking process. Set on a cutting board, and by pinching the end , the inner pod will squeeze out. This is quite fun.

                             


5. Et Voila, You have fava beans, ready to eat or cook!

                                        Fava beans & Seared Mushrooms with CousCous

Ingredients:

Fava beans, prepared as above

A mix of mushrooms, such as baby bella, portobello, shitake, etc.

butter

olive oil

stock

white wine (I like vino verde... never cook with wine you won't drink!)

fresh herbs such as sage, parsley, and rosemary, chopped

5 medium size cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper

Squeeze of lemon

1 package of couscous, prepared according to directions on box

1. Over medium heat, melt between 1/4 and 1/2 stick of butter. Let garlic and shallots sweat, turning translucent. Don't allow to brown or burn. Stir and lower heat. Add in herbs and a bit of olive oil, and crush the herbs into the oil/butter mixture.

2. Turn the heat all the way up to high and add in the mushrooms. Sear, allowing to brown and reduce. Lower heat back down to medium, and add in white wine, enough to cover the mushrooms, and allow to cook off.

3. Add in fava beans and stock and allow to cook for a few more minutes. Squeeze lemon on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and taste to adjust flavors. If you used less butter in the beginning, you may want to "monter au beurre"- or allow a small amount of butter to melt over the dish at the end. Serve over the couscous and enjoy.

Hatch Chile Fajita Tacos and Avocado Salad

One exciting culinary event in Texas each year is the arrival of hatch chiles from the neighboring state of New Mexico. Only available for a few weeks every August, these regional specialties have an awesome flavor and range from mild to spicy, about the same heat as a jalapeno, but with a less acidic and biting flavor. TO celebrate, they are baked in corn bread, diced into marinades, and in this recipe, sauteed with onion and bell pepper to make a fajita filling for a soft taco! (For the rest of the year, or those living outside the southwest region, poblanos can substitute).

1 medium hatch chile
1 hot hatch chile
bell pepper
onion
garlic
salt and pepper
chili powder
cumin
paprika
beer or tequila
flour or corn tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese
cilantro
black beans and corn
sour cream (optional)

Slice the vegetables into thin strips. In a wide pan, saute, and season with the spices. Add in some beer (any kind will do, we used negro modelo). Continue to stir, being careful to not let the onions burn.

Heat the tortillas and top the tacos with the fajita vegetables, black beans, corn, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream.

On the side, I like to make spanish rice and an avocado salad:

Ripe avocado
1-2 small tomatoes
lime
cumin
salt and pepper
olive oil

Cut up the avocado and tomatoes. Squeeze on lime, and season with cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Top with a small amount of the olive oil, stir, and serve!

For the salad:

Roasted Figs with Honey and a French Salad

Oh yum! Fresh figs are amazing. Better yet: roasted, and topped with honey... and stuffed with cheese.... and served with a delicious salad....oh my!

Ingredients:
5-10 Figs, split into halves
olive oil
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar
honey
goat, gorgonzola, or ricotta, for filling
pancetta (optional, for those that eat meat)
herbs: thyme or rosemary



Directions:

1. Split figs in half. Drizzle with olive oil and use hands to rub around the whole fig. Salt and pepper, and splash with balsamic vinegar.
2. Set oven to 325 degrees and bake for 10 minutes, until figs are runny with juice.
3. Turn off oven and top each fig with desired cheese, more pepper, herbs, and drizzle of honey.

For the Salad:

Ingredients:
Mixed delicate and bitter Greens (such as endive, radicchio, dandelion, baby spinach, etc)
Strawberries or cherry tomatoes
walnuts (optional)

French Mustard Vinaigrette
Shallot, finely chopped
Red Wine Vinegar, 1-2 capfuls
About 1 tsp of Dijon or Champagne Mustard, Grainy or smooth
salt & pepper
Olive Oil

Whisk the mustard, shallot, and vinegar together in a bowl. Slowly stir in the olive oil. Salt and pepper, taste, and adjust flavors.

Serve the figs with the salad and enjoy!!

Bean Curd with Bok Choy and Shitake Mushroom

Did you know 'Bean Curd' and tofu are synonymous? It took me a while to realize that this was the same ingredient on many Chinese menus. This is a simple and delicious dish, and the earthy shitake compliments the delicate bok choy. I love using pre-made bases from the weekend in my weeknight meals- hence the red pepper coulis (leftover from making pizzas- and then used again in some eggs... and now finished off here) and the garlic stock (the water was left over from boiled garlic I used in garlic and chive butter).

Ingredients:
Bok Choy
Shitake Mushroom, stems removed and lightly washed
carrots, peeled and cut into round
chicken or vegetable stock
water (If you happen to have some garlic stock or mushroom stock, even better)
salt & pepper
Red Pepper Coulis (finely chopped red bell pepper, garlic, and onion, strained)
soy sauce or tamari
honey
olive oil
fresh grated ginger (a thumb-size piece, peeled)
firm tofu, patted dried and cut into pieces

Directions:

Lay the bok choy on the bottom of a baking pan, making a bed of greens. Top with the tofu, shitake mushroom, and carrot pieces. Pour on the red pepper mixture, then the garlic and chicken stock- enough to fill the baking dish about 1/3 to 1/2 way. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, and soy sauce. Grate ginger on top. Salt and pepper. Stir together, and bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Great with noodles or jasmine rice!!

Pasta Primavera

This is an awesome spring and summer dish!! I had some pesto already made (see my recipe here- and threw that into the mix!)

Ingredients:
Yellow squash
Broccoli
bell pepper
tomato
black pepper and salt
white wine
garlic butter or olive oil
Chicken Stock
spoonful of cooking water from pasta
Pesto (or if not handy, chopped fresh basil, garlic, and shaved pecorino and parm cheese)
Twisty pasta (The shape IS important- you want something with nooks and crannies to catch the sauce) Boiled in salted water, left a little extra al dente

Directions
Melt the butter or olive oil in a large saute pan. Put all the veggies in the pan, and stir until soft. Splash with chicken stock and white wine, and allow to cook off. Season. Stir in pasta, splash of cooking water, and the pesto (or the herbs, cheese, and garlic). Stir. If not using prepared pesto, add additional olive oil if need be.