Prawn and Ginger Noodle Salad

Fine rice noodles 250g pack
Large prawns 250g peeled and cooked
1 small mango peeled and sliced
Light soy sauce 4 tbsp
Root Ginger 2 inch piece, finely grated
1 lime, juiced
coriander leaves, a large bunch, roughly chopped

Soak the noodles in boiling water for 6-7 minutes, until tender. Rinse under cold running water then drain and put into a bowl with the prawns and mango.
Whisk the soy sauce with the ginger, lime juice, and some black pepper and pour over the noodles. Scatter the coriander over and toss together.


So over the weekend I found myself looking for something that could be made in no time at all, and mostly out of things that I already had in the house, as I was really short on both time and money.

I found this in 101 Quick Fix Dishes.

It was perfect. Shrimp (prawns) have been on sale recently, which led to the discovery that both of the boys totally love them. My little one refers to them as “those pink-y, white-y things” and asks for them every time we go shopping.

This was everything I was looking for. It was tasty, it was one of the fastest dishes I’ve ever put together, we had most of the stuff in the house already, and as a bonus, everybody loved it.

Good stuff.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Peanut dipping sauce:
2 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped
1tbsp finely chopped garlic
2tbsp lime or lemon juice
5tbsp water
1tbsp sugar
3tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed

Place all the ingredients into a food processor, and process thoroughly. Transfer to a bowl and let stand for at least 10 min (can be prepared hours in advance).
This sauce is from Ken Hom’s Simple Asian Cookery.


Spring rolls
Round rice paper wrappers
50g Bean thread (transparent) noodles
1 Carrot, peeled and grated
1 block of Tofu in long thin slices (shredded)
Handful of Basil leaves

The spring rolls that went with this dipping sauce had much more stuff in them. So much stuff in fact, that I was not able to make them. I think the wrappers that I got must have been smaller then the ones the recipe called for because I could not fit in all the fillings and still roll them up. They ripped, they popped open, they were an impossible mess. After making three of them, I had to just give up. The dipping sauce on the other hand took seconds to make, and was so good I could hardly believe it. The thought of having the sauce again gave me the push I needed to try the spring rolls again.

This time I just used the ingredients listed. The wrappers need to be soaked in warm water to soften them up (takes about 10 seconds or so), then you need to lay them on a clean kitchen towel, and blot them dry. Next take them off the towel, and put them on your cooking surface (countertop, plate, cutting board, whatever), and lay your fillings in the wrapper, fold the sides in and roll them up. Place them seem side down, and they will stick all by themselves. The wrapper package should have diagrams to help with this.

It takes a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but then once you do, it’s really easy.

These were fun, and with that dipping sauce, I will absolutely do this every time I come across those rice paper wrappers.

Pad Thai

225g wide dried rice noodles
450g raw prawns (I used tofu instead)
2tbsp ground nut oil
3tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
3tbsp finely sliced shallots
2 large fresh red or green Thai chilies, seeded and chopped
175g fresh beansprouts
2 eggs, beaten
1tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp lime juice
2tbsp fish sauce
1tsp sugar
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
1 lime, cut into wedges
3tbsp coarsely chopped fresh coriander
3 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
3tbsp coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
1tsp dried chili flakes

Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of warm water for 20 min. Drain them in a colander or sieve.
Peel the prawns and discard the shells. Using a small sharp knife, remove the fine digestive cord. Wash the prawns in cold water with 1tbsp of salt, then rinse well and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until it is hot. Add the oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the prawns and stir fry for about 2 min. Remove the prawns with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reheat the wok, add the garlic, shallots, and chillies, and stir fry for 1 min, then add the noodles, and stir fry for another minute. Finally, add the bean sprouts, eggs, soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and pepper, and continue to stir fry for 3 min. Return the prawns to the wok, mix well and stir fry for 2 min.
Turn the mixture onto a warm platter. Garnish and serve at once.

This was from Ken Hom Cooks Thai. Ken Hom is a Thai cooking god. You should buy this book. I have made a ton of recipes from it, and the worst of them have been good, the best of them have been all time favorites that will blow your mind they are so good.

This one was fabulous. It was as good or better then what you would get at a Thai restaurant. I love this recipe.

I made a couple of changes. For one thing, I used the precooked noodles that are meant to go right into the wok. The only reason was because it was all I could find on short notice that had the right shape to it. You really do want flat noodles for this dish. I used more then the recipe said, because dried ones would have expanded, whereas mine were already cooked. I think I used almost twice the weight, and it made just enough to serve four.

The other change I made, was using Tofu instead of prawns. Partly because prawns are so expensive, partly because I was looking for a tofu recipe, and figured this one would convert well. It did.

I pressed the tofu first, which worked out really well. You just wrap it in a clean towel and put a baking sheet on top of it, and then weigh it down. I used four heavy cookbooks, and left it for a couple of hours (in the fridge). It gets rid of excess moisture, and gives the tofu a much nicer, more firm texture.

Because of the substitutions, I skipped the first couple of steps. I didn’t need to soak the noodles, or to precook the tofu, I just added it at the end, when you would have been adding the prawns back in.

I have to stress that this dish is all about the garnishes:



That is what makes it so super, crazy, unbelievable, over the top good. Also, it took about 10 min of chopping and measuring, and about 10 min of cooking. So if you make it this way, then in only 20 minutes time, you have a fabulous dinner, that is a little something different.

Beef and Broccoli noodles

225g wide dried rice noodles
450g Chinese or ordinary broccoli
450g lean beef steak
2tsp, plus 1tbsp light soy sauce
1tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1tsp sesame oil
1tsp cornflour
3tbsp groundnut oil
2 eggs, beaten
2tbsp fish sauce
1tsp sugar
1tsp chilli flakes or powder
3tbsp oyster sauce
Garnish:
1tbsp ground nut oil
3tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
3tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of warm water for 20 min. Drain them in a colander or sieve.
If you are using Chinese broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces. If you are using ordinary broccoli, separate the florets and peel and thinly slice the stems on the diagonal. Blanch the broccoli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3 min, then drain and plunge into cold water. Drain thoroughly.
Put the beef into the freezer compartment or the refrigerator for 20 min. This will allow the meat to harden a little for easy cutting. Then cut into thin slices 1.5 inches long. Put the beef slices into a bowl and add the 2 tsp soy sauce, the rice wine, sesame oil, and cornflour. Mix well and let marinate for 20 min.
Heat a wok or a large frying pan over high heat until it is hot. Add the groundnut oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the beef and stir fry for about 2 min. Remove the meat and drain it in a stainless steel colander set inside a bowl, leaving about 1tbsp of oil in the wok.
Reheat the wok, add the noodles and the broccoli and stir fry for 2 min. Then add the eggs, the remaining soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and chili flakes, and continue to stir fry for 3 min. Then add the beef and oyster sauce, mix well and stir fry for 2 min more. Turn the mixture onto a warm platter, wipe the wok clean and reheat until hot. Add 1tbsp of oil and stir fry the garlic until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle the garlic on top of the noodles together with the peanuts. Serve at once.

This is a Thai take on a classic Chinese dish from Ken Hom Cooks Thai.

I liked the trick about putting the meat in the freezer for 20 min. It worked like a charm, it was really easy to cut.

The marinade doesn’t have to work long, but it really does make a difference to the flavor of the meat. We don’t eat beef too terribly often, and all through dinner my youngest kept saying “I love the brown chicken, can I have more brown chicken please”. Needless to say, this was a big winner, clean plates all around.

All that and quick and easy to make. Thanks again Ken Hom!

Thai Grilled Salmon

4 salmon fillets
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp sesame oil
2tbsp runny honey
¼ cucumber, diced
½ red onion, diced
4tbsp Sweet chili sauce, mixed with a squeeze of lime juice

Put the salmon in a bowl with the chili, garlic, coriander, fish sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Season with pepper and refrigerate for at least 20 min, or overnight.
Grill the salmon until it is crisp at the edges. If you like it cooked all the way through rather then rare in the idle, then keep cooking till the fish feels firm to the touch. Serve with the cucumber and onion sprinkled over and the sweet chili dipping sauce.

This was part of the Thai kick that I was on last week, but it was from 101 Global Dishes.

These books are really fun, and though once in a while you get a stinker, many of the recipes are really, really good.

This was one of the really, really good ones. Simple to make, super quick. I set mine marinating at lunch time, and then cooked it for dinner, but you could do it the night before too, if you are out all day. The cooking it’s self took about 10 min.

I have to say that this recipe was so good, that even thought I totally forgot to serve it with the garnishes or the dipping sauce, it was still loved by all (even my more fussy older son).

This is sweet and flavorful, and an all around great thing to do with salmon.

Thai Spicy Chicken soup

2 stalks fresh lemongrass
1.5 liters homemade chicken stock, or store bought fresh stock
2tbsp coarsely chopped fresh galangal root, or ginger
6 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, shredded, or 2Tbsp lime zest
225g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 450g unboned thighs
3tbsp finely slice shallots
3tbsp fish sauce, or light soy sauce
2tbsp lime juice
1tbsp sugar
2 small red or green thai chilies, seeded and finely chopped
handful of fresh coriander leaves

Peel the lemongrass stalks to the tender whitish center and crush with the flat of a knife. Then cut into 3 inch pieces. In a large pot, combine the lemongrass, stock, galangal, and lime leaves, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and discard the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. Return the liquid to the pot.
If you are using unboned thighs, remove the skin and bones, and cut into 1 inch chunks. Add the chicken to the soup together with the shallots, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar and simmer for 25 min. Stir in the chillies and coriander, turn into a large tureen and serve at once.

This is another Ken Hom recipe.

This is not terribly quick because you need to infuse all the flavors into the stock, but that’s not a terribly big effort either. If you are going to be around for a couple of hours, this is the kind of recipe that you can manage while doing whatever else you need to be doing. Put some stuff in a pot, go about your business, put some more stuff in a pot, finish whatever you were doing. Easy.

It’s really good too. Very fresh and lite. It’s a nice change from traditional western chicken soup.

Spicy Thai Tuna Salad

450g tuna fillet
3tbsp fish sauce, or light soy sauce
3tbsp lime juice
1 ½ tbsp sugar
2tbsp groundnut oil
225g fresh tomatoes
6 spring onions
3 tbsp finely sliced shallots
2 small fresh red thai chillies, seeded if desired, Coarsely chopped
Handful fresh coriander leaves
Handful fresh thai or ordinary basil leaves

Cut the tuna into 1 inch pieces. Combine it with the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar and marinate for 1 hour. Drain the tuna from the marinade, and set the marinade aside.
Heat a wok or large frying pan, preferably non-stick, over high heat and when it is hot, add the oil. When the oil is slightly smoking, add the tuna and stir fry for about 1 min. The tuna should remain rare. Remove tuna to a warm platter.
Quickly pour off the excess oil from the wok, add the reserved marinade, and deglaze for 30 seconds over moderate heat. Pour this over the tuna and set aside.
Cut the tomatoes into slices. Cut the spring onions into thin diagonal slices. Add the tomatoes , spring onions, shallots, chilles, coriander and basil to the warm tuna, toss well and serve at once.

This is another from Ken Hom. He is a genius. I have made several of his recipes, and I have never been disappointed. This one is one of the best fish dishes I’ve ever made. I don’t buy tuna that often, because it is usually very expensive, but I found some that looked good, and was affordable so I couldn’t resist. It’s such a beautiful piece of fish.

Making this was a breeze. It has to marinate for an hour, but other then that it is so quick to make. The cooking literally takes a minute and a half.
This was so good my husband asked if we could just have it every day from now on. The combination of the fresh basil, and the fresh coriander with the lime juice and shallots is completely out of this world. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The flavor combination is very authentic, and so clean and refreshing. I loved this dish! If you ever come across some really nice fresh lovely tuna, try this, it’s the nicest thing that you could do for it.

Tom Yum Noodle Soup

1tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
140g button mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
2tsp Thai red curry paste
700ml vegetable stock
1tbsp soy sauce
zest of 1 lime, and juice of ½
125g egg noodles
220g can bamboo shoots, drained
handful of fresh coriander

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until golden. Stir in the garlic, mushrooms, and red pepper and fry for 3 minutes. Add the Thai curry paste and cook for 1 min. Stir in the stock, soy sauce, and grated lime zest. Simmer for 3 min.
Add the noodles to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 4 min, until they are cooked. Add the bamboo shoots and most of the coriander and cook for 2 min.
Divide the noodles between two soup bowls. Add the lime juice to the broth and season to taste. Pour over the noodles, scatter the remaining coriander over and serve.

I got this from Good Food 101 veggie Dishes.

There was someone out there that asked me about vegetarian recipes that used soba noodles. I hope you’re still reading, because this is a really good one. You don’t need to use Soba noodles if you can’t find them, but they worked really well with this.

It doesn’t say what to do with the garlic, so I sliced it. I think dicing would be fine too, but leaving it whole didn’t seem like a good idea since there isn’t actually that much cooking time. Also, I thought I had a tin of bamboo shoots, but I didn’t, so I used baby corn instead. It worked just fine. I’m not sure how easy it is to find Thai red curry paste in the States, but out here it’s in most grocery stores.

This recipe was really really good. I loved it! It wasn’t quite like the Tom Yum soup we used to get when we went out. It was less spicy, and had slightly fewer things in it. Still, you can easily make it more spicy if you want to, and add more things if you want too. This is fast and easy and cheap and delicious. The combination of lime and coriander is impossible for me to resist. I will definitely make this again, it was too good.

Thai Style Chicken

450g skinless boneless chicken thighs or 900g with bone in
1 stalk fresh lemongrass
1Tbsp ground nut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2Tbsp coarsley chopped garlic
2tsp salt
2tsp finely chopped lime zest
3 fresh red or green chillies, seeded and finely shredded
2tsp sugar
Large handful of fresh basil leaves

For the marinade
2tsp light soy sauce
2tsp Shaoxing rice wine, or dry Sherry
1tsp sesame oil
2tsp corn flour

If you are using unboned thighs, remove the skin and bones or have your butcher do it for you. Cut the chicken into 2.5cm chunksand combie in a bowl with the rice wine, soysauce, sesame oil, and corn flour. Leave to marinate for 20 min.
Peel the lemongrass stalk to reveal the tender whitish center and cut into 5cm (2inch) pieces. Smash them with the flat of a knife or cleaver.
Heat a wok or large frying pan until it is very hot. Add the oil, then the chicken and stir fry for 5 min until the chicken is brown. Remove the chicken and drain off the oil. Return the draied chicken to the wok and add the rest of the ingrediants, except the basil leaves. Continue to cook for another 8-10 min, stirring from time to time, until the chicken is cooked. Add the basil leaves, and give the mixture a good stir.

This is from a Ken Hom book that we found at a charity shop the other day. Big score! I love Ken Hom! He is the pan asian cooking guru as far as I'm concerned.

This recipe is no exception. It was so good. Make this recipe right away, who ever you are reading this, make this dish, you won't be sorry.

It's dead easy to make, takes no time at all really, the marinating for 20 min is the longest bit of it. Unless you are skinning and boning the chiken yourself. I do it myself because it's cheaper to buy with skin and bones, but it is a bit of a pain, and I would recommend getting it done for you, especially if you're in a hurry.

Lime and lemongrass chicken With Mango Salsa

Warning: This is so good it might actually make you cry!



8 organic chicken thighs, boned, skinned and cut in half
2tsp sesame oil
grated zest of 2 limes (preferably organic, if not, scrub and wash well before grating)
2 large fresh red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped
1tbsp palm or brown sugar
5cm/2inch piece of fresh galangal or ginger, grated
2tsp ground cumin
1tbsp lime juice
2tsp tamarind paste
250ml/8oz coconut milk (shake the tin well before opening)
250ml/8oz chicken stock

For the salsa
1 ripe mango or papaya
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
2tbsp lime juice
1tbsp fish sauce
1tsp sugar
thick creamy yogurt to serve

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium high heat and when it is hot throw in the chicken pieces. Stir fry until golden brown on both sides, 5-10 minutes. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
Add the lime zest, chili, lime leaves, lemongrass, sugar, galangal or ginger, cumin, lime juice, and tamarind to the wok or pan and stir fry for 2 minutes. It should smell overwhelmingly delicious. Put the chicken back into the pan, stirring to coat thoroughly with the flavorings, and pour in the coconut milk and stock. Simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is reduced a little, about 30 min. There should still be plenty of tangy sauce. Taste to check the seasoning and add more fish sauce if it needs salt.

Make the salsa by combining the mango or papaya, onion, mint, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar.

Serve the chicken with this fruity salsa, the yogurt and plenty of rice to soak up the delicious sauce.

Note: Can be made a day ahead; let it cool completely before covering and chilling. The salsa can also be made a day in advance

This one came from Favourite Recipes Books For Cooks. Neil, if you are reading this THANK YOU! And you have to try this one!

I have never really been a pro-fruit salsa kind of girl, but this recipe has changed my views entirely. The mango salsa was so good! The balance of the fruit and the red onion was perfect, and though fish sauce seems like an odd touch, it worked perfectly to give it a more exotic flavor.

The chicken was the most amazing thing. The sauce was out of control tangy with out being over the top, or painful. The combination of the two with the yogurt to hold it all together was really perfect, seriously, there is nothing that could have made this dish better. I could eat this every day.

Everyone who reads this should really eat this!

Braised Beancurd Vegetable curry

450g/1lb firm fresh beancurd
225g/8oz carrots
110g/4oz potatoes
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
400ml/14oz groundnut (peanut) oil
110g/4oz chopped onions
2tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
3tbsp thinly sliced shallots
400ml/14oz tinned coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce, or light soy sauce (Vegan if you use the soy sauce)
2tbsp thai red curry paste
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp sugar
1tsp cumin seeds
110g/4oz cauliflower florets
110g/4oz frozen peas
2tbsp lime juice
3tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
Garnish: fresh coriander sprigs

Drain the beancurd, then continue to drain set on kitchen paper for 15 min. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
Cut the carrots on the diagonal into 1 inch slices. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Peel the lemongrass to the tender whitish center, crush with the flat of a knife, then cut into 3 inch pieces.
Heat the oil in the wok till it is hot and deep fry the beancurd in two batches. When each batch is lightly browned, remove and drain well on kitchen paper.
Drain off all but 1.5tbsp of oil from the wok, reheat it, and when it is hot, add the lemongrass, onions, garlic, and shallots, and stir fry for 2 min. Add the carrots and potatoes and sir fry for 2 min. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, curry paste, pepper, sugar and cumin seeds. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 min. Return the beancurd to the wok, add the cauliflower, cover and cook for 3 min. Add the peas and cook for 1 min more. Finally, stir in the lime juice and peanuts. Garnish with the coriander and serve at once.

It took me ages to find tofu here. They had the “silky” style in most of the supermarkets, but the firm (and thus cook-able) kind was nowhere to be found. Then recently I stumbled on some by accident when I was wandering around the supermarket in a daze. I found myself in the prepared food isle which I usually avoid, and there it was, tofu, with all the microwave dinners. I have no idea why it would be there, but I’m thrilled to have found it. As a first dish to celebrate being reunited with bean curd, I thought I would try this dish from Ken Hom.

I haven’t ever deep fried anything, so I was pretty nervous about preparing the tofu this way, but it turned out to be no problem at all. I don’t have a wok, and just used a deep frying pan instead. The oil didn’t cover the pieces completely, but by turning them once, they got browned all over. The groundnut oil is a very light oil, which I think made it a little less scary for me, and also made the end result lighter. The texture came out perfect too. It’s just how I remember it tasting in restaurants. Now that I know this is so easy to do, and I can get the right kind of tofu, I am going to have to look up some of my old favorite Chinese recipes for bean curd. I’ll get back to you on those.

As for this one, it was really good. I thought the cumin seeds were a really interesting edition. It sort of tied together the idea of Thai curries, with the idea of Indian curries. I thought it would taste out of place, but it didn’t at all. The peanuts were a really nice touch too.

I’ve always loved red Thai curries, and this turned out to be a really nice one.

Steamed Fish with Coconut

2 stalks fresh lemongrass
400ml/14oz tinned coconut milk
2tbsp coarsely chopped fresh galangal or ginger
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves, or 2 tbsp lime zest
450g/1lb firm white fish fillets, such as cod, sole, or turbot
3tbsp finely sliced shallots
3tbsp fish sauce or light soy sauce
2tbsp lime juice
1tbsp sugar
Garnish:
2tsp chilli oil
handful coriander leaves

Peel the lemongrass to the tender whitish center and crush with the flat of a knife. Cut into 3 inch pieces. In a large pot combine the lemongrass, coconut milk, galangal and lime leaves. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and discard the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves.
Pat the fish or fish fillets dry with kitchen paper.
Next set up a steamer or put a rack into a wok or deep pan, and fill it with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Put the fish on a deep heatproof plate, and pour the coconut mixture on top. Add the shallots, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Put the plate of fish into the steamer, or onto the rack. Cover the pan tightly, and gently steam the fish until it is just cooked. Flat fish will take about 5 min to cook. Thicker fish, or fillets will take 8-12 min.
Remove from steamer, garnish and serve at once.


This was another recipe from Ken Hom. One of the reasons I wanted to try it (other then it looked tasty), was because the cooking method seemed interesting to me. It’s not steamed on a steamer, but in a dish with the sauce. This presented a bit of a challenge, as I really didn’t have the appropriate cookware, but in the end I figured out a way. I took my biggest pot, and put in the steamer and the water, then I took a spring form cake pan and lined it with baking paper (so the sauce wouldn’t leek). I put the fish and sauce in the cake tin, then put the cake tin in the steamer. This actually worked just fine, and with no leakage, though it looked very strange.

It says in the recipe that you could substitute light soy sauce for the Thai fish sauce, and I’m sure that would be fine too, but if you can, you should really try to use the fish sauce, because it makes a really authentic Thai flavor sauce.

Just as a warning, the coconut sauce on it’s own, before you add the fish sauce and shallot and such, is really bland. This is not, however, representative of the finished dish. This was so flavorful and lovely. I served it with rice with green peas, and that was a nice accompaniment. You are going to want to serve it with something that soaks up the sauce, it’s so good.

For the fish I used Sea Bream, which has a really nice flavor and texture (and was the cheapest firm white fish that the fish guy had today). I’m sure any white fish would do. Just make sure you de-bone the fish thoroughly. I forgot to, and it made it a bit of a pain.

This was another big winner from Ken Hom. I will make this again.

Lemongrass – coconut chicken soup

3 cups chicken stock
2 cans (about 13.5oz each) coconut milk
1/2 cup minced lemongrass
1 piece (3 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 serrano, or jalapeno pepper, sliced
1.5 tsp Asian chilli garlic sauce, or 1/2 tsp dried pepper flakes
4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
2 tbsp thai, or Vietnamese fish sauce (optional)
2 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, sliced (optional)
1 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 12 oz), cut into 1/2 inch cubes (or 12 oz peeled and deveined shrimp, or 12 oz extra firm tofu)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Salt (optional)
1/4 cup strips of fresh basil, for garnish
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Place the stock , coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, Serrano pepper, chile sauce, garlic, fish sauce, and lime leaves, if using, in a large sauce pan, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce to low and let simmer, uncovered, until the flavors release, about 15 min. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the soup base steep for 30 min.
Strain the soup base through a sieve into a clean saucepan or bowl and discard the solids. It can be refrigerated covered for up to three days.
Reheat the soup base, uncovered over medium heat, until it begins to simmer. Add the chicken, shrimp or tofu and simmer gently until it is cooked through, about 5 min for chicken, 1.5 to 2 min for shrimp or tofu.
Add the lime juice, and season with salt as needed. Pour the soup into warm bowls, garnish each and serve at once.

This soup was gorgeous, it was wonderful, it was exactly what I hoped it would taste like.

It was also the first time I used fresh lemongrass, I usually use dried, but the supermarket started carrying the fresh lately, so I figured I’d give it a go. It’s really tough to cut. It’s like mincing small trees, but the smell when you cut it up is great, and they do add a great flavor. I’ll keep using it when I can get a hold of it (and I’ll always have dried in emergencies).

I thought this was a fun cooking method too. It’s much more like making tea then making soup. You boil very briefly, then steep, then strain. It sounded like it might be kind of weak, but it wasn’t at all.

I made some Chinese rice noodles to go with it (mostly because I’ve had them lying around for ages). They were a nice touch if you are a person that doesn’t really consider a broth heavy soup to be enough of a meal, but I wound up feeling like they were a bit of an overkill for us.

This soup is another big winner from Food to Live By. I love this book!
The spiciness was just right, and the flavors were really well balanced. In the future I would love to try it with shrimp or tofu, I think it would be great.

Thai Marinated Grilled Chicken

900g (2lb) un-boned chicken thighs
Marinade
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sugar
1tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, or dry sherry
2 tbsp fish sauce, or light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
2 tbsp white rice vinegar, or cider vinegar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 small fresh red thai chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Blot the chicken dry with kitchen paper.
In a blender, combine the marinade ingredients and puree
In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the marinade, and mix well. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to grill or barbeque the chicken, remove it from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 40 min. Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients, and set aside.
Preheat the oven grill to high, or make a charcoal fire in the barbeque. When the oven grill is very hot, or the charcoal is ash white, grill the chicken for 10 min on each side, or until cooked, basting occasionally with excess marinade.
Place on a warm platter and serve immediately with the sauce on the side.

The other day my husband brought home a Ken Hom cookbook. From what I understand, he is an important chef. He is one of the big names in East Asian cooking in the UK. I was really excited to try one of his recipes. This one is Thai, but with a heavy Chinese influence, and it is SO GOOD!

I was skeptical that the cooking time would be right, but it was just perfect. This was very teriyaki-ish, and just gorgeous. I liked it so much that when I tried it I felt compelled to yell to my husband to take a bite right away (even though he was sitting right next to me and about to). This got big thumbs up all around (though the boys liked it better without the sauce).

I served it with Broccoli, and I made double the amount of sauce because I thought it would be nice on broccoli too. It turned out to be just the right amount for that (and it did go well with broccoli too).

The tops looked burned when they were done, but they were actually tasty, maybe when I do it again, I will turn it down ever so slightly, but not much at all because the blackened skin made it taste very barbequed.

By the way, this was the first time I ever used the oven grill without cursing it. This was way easy to make. It involves some forward planning because of the overnight marinade, but there is almost no effort involved at all.

I have all good things to say about this, and I am going to have to try another recipe from the book right away.

Thai Green Vegetable Curry

6oz/175g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
5oz/150g small broccoli florets
5oz/150g fine green beans, halved
4oz/110g asparagus tips
2x14oz/400ml tins coconut milk
1tsp palm or soft brown sugar
3 dessertspoons fresh green peppercorns, or green peppercorns in brine, drained
4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
1/2oz/10g each basil and coriander leaves
1/2 mild red chili, deseeded and cut into hair like threads

For the Green curry paste:
6-8 whole birds eye chillies, de-stalked
1 lemon grass stalk, trimmed, sliced thinly and soaked for 30 min in
2 tbsp lime juice
1 rounded tsp thinly shredded lime peel (kaffir lime if possible)
1 inch/2.5cm piece of fresh galangal, or other fresh ginger, sliced
1 heaped tsp fresh coriander stalks, chopped
1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander seeds, dry roasted in a small frying pan till toasted, then ground in a pestle and mortar
3 garlic cloves, peeled
5 thai shallots (or other shallots), peeled
You will also need a wok or a flame proof casserole

Put the paste ingredients into a food processor and whiz to a paste, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides down.
To make the curry, place the tins of coconut milk upside down on the counter, open them and you will see that it will have separated into a thick cream below, and a watery milk on top. Divide these by pouring the milk into one bowl and the cream into another.
Place the wok or casserole over a high heat without any oil in it. When it is very hot, add three quarters of the coconut cream. You are going to fry this until it separates, stirring the whole time so it doesn’t catch. As it starts to separate, the oil will begin to seep out and it will reduce. Ignore the curdled look, this is normal.
Next add the curry paste and three quarters of the coconut milk, which should be added a little at a time, keeping the heat high and letting it reduce down slightly. Stay with it and keep stirring to prevent it from sticking. Add the sugar and the peppercorns. Stir again and gently simmer everything, uncovered, for 5 min. Now add the remaining coconut milk and some salt along with the vegetables. Gently stir them in, then bring the liquid back to the boil before simmering for 5 min, or till the vegetables are just tender.
Just before serving place the lime leaves on top of each other (if using), roll them up tightly and slice them into very fine shreds. Stir the basil and coriander into the curry, and scatter the lime leaves and red chili over the top.

This one is from Delia Smith and it’s really good. My husband loves Green Thai Curry, so I figured I’d give it a go. It was so much easier then I thought it would be, it hardly took any time at all. I used slightly less chili peppers in the sauce, but still enough to give it a good kick. The green peppercorns in brine were an entirely new experience for me. They’re really good, and strange, and I like them a lot.

One thing to note… My coconut milk cream never did separate in that first stage of coking. I think that it hadn’t separated from the milk properly because the cans were on their sides in the cupboard, so there wasn’t really a way to turn them upside down. Anyway, it was fine, I reduced it down, and eventually it did start to look a bit curdled, so I figured I was probably still on the right track.

Too spicy for the boys, but my husband and I loved it!

Soy Satay with Red Curry Almond Dipping Sauce

not a great shot, but a great meatless version of a classic street food

recipe #204

Only a real sicko doesn't like food on a stick. I haven't made many stick based foods in the course of this project so I'm getting on that.

Last night I invented a vegetarian satay or satés. We were having folks over for dinner and I was (falsely) under the impression most of them were vegetarian.

Anyway, it was good.
Tofu Satay with spicy red curry dipping sauce
14-19 oz. of drained, pressed and crumbled firm tofu
3/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 3)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce or (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon mirin (or sake, sherry, rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/4-1/3 cup besan or white flour

bamboo skewers

Combine tofu with shallots, garlic, sugar, pepper, oil, fish sauce, mirin, and salt, turmeric and lime juice. Let is sit for an hour or 2 to let the flavors settle.

Mix in flour to get the tofu to a consistency that it will stick together.

This is the part that took some experimenting. Take about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the tofu mixture and mold it around the skewer. Meat satays are more flat than round. This wont work for the tofu. You need to make a skinny sausage shape around the skewer or the tofu will fall off the skewer.

Prepare grill for cooking over medium charcoal (moderate heat for gas). If you haven't got a grill a griddle will work just fine.

Grill skewers, roll them to get them evenly browned. They should cook for about 10 minutes to get them dried out enough that they stay on the skewer.

From Epicurious:
Red Curry Peanut Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
1 tablespoon packed palm or dark brown sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
8 to 10 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 large)
2 fresh Thai or serrano chiles (2 to 3 inches; preferably red) including seeds, thinly sliced crosswise

Finely grind 3 tablespoons peanuts in a food processor along with sugar. Finely chop remaining tablespoon peanuts by hand.

Stir together curry paste (to taste) and 6 tablespoons water until paste is dissolved.

Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic, shallot, and chiles, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add ground peanut mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in curry mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in chopped peanuts.

Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then thin with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to desired consistency.

Makes about 2/3 cup.

a fine example of drunked food photography

I followed this recipe and it was very very very spicy. I took half of it and mixed it with 3 tablespoons of almond butter and a bit of water. It was perfect after that.

I served this to a room full of carnivores and the loved them. If I can work out the consistency issues and get it to stick to the skewers better I'll make this a standard. I loved these.

AteThat: Thai Fried Minced Pork with Egg Noodles

Thai Fried Minced Pork with Egg Noodles
2 Garlic cloves finely chopped
3 shallots finely chopped
1 inch ginger finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
500g/1lb2oz ground pork
2tbsp Thai fish sauce
1tbsp dark soy sauce
1tbsp red thai curry paste
4 dried Kaffir lime leaves, crumbled
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
3tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
Salt and pepper
Boiled Chinese style egg noodles

Heat the oil, add the garlic, shallots and ginger, stir frying for about 2 minutes. Stir in the pork and continue stirring until golden brown. Stir in the fish sauce, Soy sauce, curry paste, and lime leaves. Stir fry for another1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chopped coriander, season with salt and pepper and serve spooned onto the egg noodles.

There is a series of cook books called “What’s Cooking” out here. You see them in every book store, they are really highly illustrated and they are all named for the type of food (What’s Cooking Thai, What’s Cooking Italian, What’s cooking Chicken). This is from the Thai book. They are good starter books if you are intimidated by a certain genre of food (or by cooking in general which is why I have several of them).



This recipe gets top marks because it’s dead easy and fast to make, and it’s really tasty. It’s far more subtle then you would think. As a matter of fact I think next time I might double up on the curry paste and see how that is. My sons ate it, although that might be more for the noodles then the sauce. I think it’s satisfying in the same way as a good spaghetti bolognaise is, because it is a tomato sauce, but at the same time, it’s kind of exotic and fun, cuz it’s Thai. The ingredient list looks if-y, but I can get all those things in my local grocery store, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find.


One more thing… if you’ve never used Thai fish sauce before, it smells disturbingly like stinky feet and crotch. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to smell like that, it adds a beautiful flavor to cooking, just never never never taste it on it’s own.

Crunchy Shrimp Cakes with Cucumber and Peanuts

my new number one thing to do with shrimp

recipe # 180

This little number is from Food and Wine magazine. It is pretty simple, but involves the dreaded food processor which is the single most pain in the ass thing to clean in the kitchen. Whoever invents a self cleaning food processor should win a noble prize or a monument or something.

Crunchy Shrimp Cakes
DRESSING
* 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
* 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 garlic clove, minced
SHRIMP CAKES
* 1/4 pound long beans or green beans, thinly sliced crosswise on the diagonal
* 1 pound medium shrimp—shelled, deveined and coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
* 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
* 1 lemongrass stalk, tender white inner bulb only, minced
* 1 red Thai chile, chopped
* 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
FOR SERVING
* 1/2 green mango, peeled and sliced lengthwise into very thin half-moons on a mandoline
* 1 large Kirby cucumber—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint
1. MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce with the rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar and garlic, making sure to dissolve the sugar.
2. MAKE THE SHRIMP CAKES: In a small saucepan of boiling water, cook the beans until bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
3. In a food processor, combine the shrimp with the coconut milk, cilantro, lemongrass, chile, fish sauce and salt and pulse to a chunky consistency. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the green beans. Form into sixteen 1/4-cup patties.
4. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the shrimp cakes and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook over moderate heat until the cakes are browned on the other side and just cooked through, about 3 minutes.
5. TO SERVE: Arrange the mango slices on plates. Set the shrimp cakes on top and sprinkle with the cucumber, peanuts, cilantro and mint. Drizzle the dressing over the shrimp cakes and serve.


Simply delicious. Amazingly tasty. I will make this 100 more times and serve it to anyone who will try it. The mango, the green beans, the mint and fish sauce. This is one of the best things that I have ever made. Ever.

It is not really surprising. The Recipe is by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. He's hot stuff. He has a few more recipes in Food and Wine that also look wonderful.

Chicken Green Curry

Since the Squid Salad turned out so well I figured I would try this out. Agian, a mix of a bunch of similar recipes that I found around the web. I've never made a Thai curry before and am interested what is involved.

1 14-ounce can light unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced green onions
1 1/4 cups chopped fresh basil

1. Stir coconut milk, curry paste and ginger in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until paste dissolves, about 1 minute. Mix broth and cornstarch in small bowl until cornstarch dissolves; mix into skillet. Stir until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken, fish sauce and lime juice. Simmer over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, green onions and basil and cook 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

Blah, ugly, spicy but missing a layer of flavor someplace. I was hoping to get something delicious like I used to get when I would order from East Village Thai. No such luck. I'm going back to take out if I want this. Mow, I just have to figure out what to do with the remaining green curry.

Thai Squid Salad

I am making this one up from a bunch of different sources. I'm trying to end up with something similar to my husbands favorite thing to order that thai restaurants. I've never cooked with squid of fish sauce before. I've also never attempted anything thai-esque before.

2-1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp Asian fish sauce (nuoc nam)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sugar (I used brown sugar, but you could use regular or splena)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1shallot
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 pound cleaned squid
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 c. chopped roasted peanuts

1. In 4-quart saucepan, combine 3 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt; heat to boiling over high heat.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, crushed red pepper, vinegar, garlic, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir until sugar has dissolved. Stir in shallot.
3. Rinse squid under cold running water. Slice squid bodies crosswise into very thin rings. Cut tentacles into several pieces if large. Add to boiling water and cook until tender and opaque, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain and add to dressing in bowl. Add lettuce, mint, and cilantro; toss until mixed and coated with dressing.
can be served with rice noodles or greens
Yield: 4 servings
If you serve this over noodles you should double up the dressing.

This ended up being spot on. If I wasn't trying to make another 300 something different dishes I would make this one again right away. Cooking the squid was simple. It really does only take 2 minutes.