Spicy Thai Noodles

Spicy Thai Noodle recipe

I found this blog as I cruised through cyber space....one blog linking to the next.  This seemed like another good Thai noodle recipe, so I noted it and saved it for a week when it would be good to have a container of something in the refrigerator.  I was on a bit of a cooking jag.....getting the refrigerator stocked after a few weeks of throwing things together, and this seemed like a good addition.

Normally when I'm warned about the spiciness of the dish I sorta ignore that warning.  After all, we like things a bit spicy around here.  Umm....now I'm passing on the warning.  These have a bit of spice even though the chili flakes are drained out of the oil.  Don't get me wrong, I liked it....just the right flavor with the sweet and the salty.  Just consider yourself warned;)

Minced Pork/Turkey and Shrimp in Coconut Milk

We do like the Thai inspired flavors in a dinner. This is a quick one and gets three endorsements from our house. The original recipe calls for ground pork, but I used ground turkey and it was good.

1 can coconut milk

2 chiles, minced

1 T minced ginger

1 T minced garlic

Put above ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Stir in:

1/2 lb ground turkey/pork

About a minute later add:

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and finely chopped

Cook for 3 minutes or so and stir in:

1 T fish sauce

Serve with chopped scallions, cilantro, and limes over rice.

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Tofu and Sweet Potatoes with Sweet and Pungent Peanut Sauce

I was looking through my pile of recipes that are just waiting for the day they will be tried when I came across this one. I hadn't ever made it....and wanted to test its cardworthiness. It's from Mollie Katzen and was in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel...no date found on the clipping. I couldn't find this recipe on-line either and was hoping to do that so I wouldn't need to type the instructions. The instructions are long which is probably the reason this recipe has been in the pile for some time. Recently I thought I would take a deep breath and try it since we like all the ingredients.

Mollie is well-known for her vegetarian recipes and has authored a number of cookbooks including some in the Moosewood Cafe series. The Moosewood cookbooks are more a guide to cooking rather than specific instructions so they come in extra handy when faced with a large box of CSA vegetables needing inspiration to turn them into dinner. I'll have more of those references in the future...but today I'm referring to the recipe in the newspaper clipping.

I know that Elizabeth does the same thing I do...meatless meals combined with meals to satisfy carnivores. Both families are used to many different things for dinners, so I think both will be satisfied with this as a dinner; however, this recipe was billed as an appetizer or light meal....it could be a side dish as well. I made it for a dinner on a night Paul wasn't here...quite a bit of work for just two of us but I have been storing it for a long time.

I made this in the late spring early summer as a light meal yet a last hurrah for the sweet potatoes since they are not usually summer fare around here.

Tofu and Sweet Potatoes:
3/4 lb very firm tofu
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
water
1 1/2 c unsalted peanuts
1/4 c cider vinegar
3T sugar or light colored honey
grated zest of one lime
2 T lime juice
1/2 t salt
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/3 c hot water
cornstarch for dredging
peanut oil for frying
minced cilantro
carmelized onion condiment (see below)
Cut tofu into 1" cubes. Scrub and peel sweet potatoes and cut into 3/4" cubes.
Fill medium sized pan with water and bring to a boil. Add tofu and boil about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add sweet potatoes to same water. Turn heat down and simmer until just tender (8-10 minutes). Drain everything well and set aside keeping tofu and sweet potatoes separate.
In food processor or blender grind peanuts to a coarse meal. Transfer to med saucepan and add vinegar, sugar, lime juice and zest, salt, red pepper flakes and hot water. Place over med heat and heat to almost boiling then turn down to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Place a large skillet over medium heat and wait about 2 minutes. In the meantime, place cornstarch on a large plate and lightly dredge tofu and sweet potatoes (place in a strainer to help shake off the excess cornstarch).
Add 2 T oil to pan and swirl to coat the entire pan surface. Fry tofu chunks until lightly browned and crisp. Then do the same with sweet potato chunks. Drain on paper towels.
Transfer sauce to serving bowl and sprinkle with minced cilantro.

Serve with rice accompanied by sweet onion condiment.

Sweet onion condiment:

Cut onion into very thin slices. heat oil in pan and add onion slices. Cook on low for 30 minutes or so.

Cardworthiness Rating: Low...it was considerable work for a medicore dinner. Eleanor and I both agreed that the recipe would be best placed in the recycle bin.

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Green Papaya Salad

The thought of this makes my mouth water. If you haven't had it, I admit that it may sound unusual or not appetizing, BUT it is delicious...and after you try it I bet you'll get a craving for it as I do!

I saw the recipe linked from the title in Bon Appetit last summer and was intrigued. After making it my only question was, "what took me so long to try this?". It's just so good to have the tart and sweet and salty tastes together. When I went to an Asian grocery store with my Thai friend she pointed out the sign that it can be ordered there as well.

The green papaya in the picture on the left is how this looks before any shredding. Even if you aren't a papaya fan I would still recommend trying this salad since green papaya tastes nothing like the ripe fruit. It is more refreshing....kind of like cucumber.

I would say that having a food processor is just about a necessity with this recipe...especially if you don't have a mandolin. I hate to say a necessity because I bet it was made without a food processor for longer than it has been made with one...but it would be very labor intensive without it.

If you haven't made this before, try it. It's delicious.

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Pad Thai

Yum! This recipe did require a trip to the Asian grocery store for some of the ingredients, but it was well worth it. I do have supplies to make a few more batches of this. I got the noodles, fish sauce and tamarind paste at the Asian grocery store. Since I was there for those ingredients I bought the cilantro there as well.

I had a recipe for Pad Thai that I had received years ago; we liked making it but it was quite a process. In talking to my Thai friend, she explained a quicker way to make this so it could be a weeknight dinner. After taking the trip to the store and buying a few ingredients...and a few minutes of work on a weekend, I had a dinner that came together in under 10 minutes. Paul is traveling for work, so Eleanor and I had it for dinner and we both liked it. There is enough left over for lunch for both of us tomorrow, so I would say that the portions I am mentioning would probably work for 4 servings.

This recipe isn't so much about using what you have to make dinner...since (for most) it probably involves a bit of adventure to get some of the ingredients. BUT....dinner does come together quickly after that.

Here's how I made it:
Simmer together for the sauce:
1/2 c tamarind1/2 c fish sauce

1/4 c brown sugar
until the sugar dissolves. This can be made ahead and kept for weeks in the refrigerator. I think I'll make a double batch next time so I will be ready for two dinners.

On the evening of Pad Thai:
Soak rice noodles in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Drain. I used about 1/2 package...so that would be about 7 oz of noodles. It's difficult to break the noodles in exactly half, so it's approximate.

In a wok (or other large pan) heat a generous tablespoon of oil and add:
garlic, about 3 cloves minced
2 eggs..break them into the hot pan and stir them to scramble. When they are almost done push them up the side of the pan and add
about 8 oz tofu cut into matchstick size pieces
Add sauce.
Add noodles and stir to coat with sauce.
I squeezed juice from half a lime and stirred that in. Just because I have the cool lime squeezer.

Top with
cilantro
crushed red peppers
peanuts, crushed
lime wedges

Paul brings pickled radish home form Asia, so I'll add that next time. I guess he doesn't like to eat it as an airline snack when it is served...and since it can be used in Pad Thai...we'll use it next time. Obviously, that's an optional ingredient:)

It's kind of like making a regular stir fry in how quickly it comes together and what can be substituted/added...things like chicken, pork, or shrimp, and bean sprouts. Definitely worth the trip for the ingredients since it is so good. Mine was much lighter tasting than what I have had in restaurants...probably because I controlled the amount of oil added.

So...go ahead...have an adventurous Saturday at the Asian grocery store...you'll be glad that you did!

Thai Noodles

The other day I got to spend some time with a friend from Thailand and cook! We went to the Asian grocery store together to select some of the ingredients and then went to her house to assemble these great ingredients into dinner. I have to tell you that she (and her husband) are the most awesome cooks. When we were all at violin camp in August their smell of their food got us all drooling; fortunately they are good at sharing their food and recipes! I think that their serving dish at potlucks is wiped clean. I asked for their noodle recipe and she explained that it is probably easier to cook together. She is a great cook which means her recipe is a bit of a guide rather than an exact procedure, so it was good to see her in action.

This recipe does have one ingredient I had never used before....coriander root. She had this in her freezer since she gets it at farmers markets when she sees it. It wasn't for sale at the store we visited today. I guess if the choice is to make this dish without it or not make the dish I would try it without; although see the link for a substitution idea. I'll have to update you on that later when I try this recipe again after the markets are done for the winter.

For a pound or so of pork (thick cut pork chop):
Put it in a bowl and toss with 1T. brown sugar and 2 t. soy sauce

In a mortar and pestle mash:garlic and coriander root and a pinch of coriander seeds. Maybe two pieces of 1" root with 4 cloves garlic. After it's mashed and smells good add it to the meat. Add a couple grinds of pepper.

Steam veggies:
Zucchini, sliced thin
broccoli
pea pods
bean sprouts
Dump the veggies in a bowl.

Make garlic oil by warming oil and sauteing garlic until light brown and save it in a bowl.


Use small amount of garlic oil and cook pork. When done slice into pieces and put into bowl with veggies.
Note that the meat in the picture is for a double batch...we were cooking for two hungry families!
Cook boiling pot of water and cook fresh rice noodles and drain. In pan where meat was cooked heat the rest of the marinade until it boils. turn off the heat and add noodles and stir until noodles are coated. Put noodles in bowl with vegetables and pork.

Top with cilantro, lime juice, chiles, and peanuts, if desired. Although it's good just like this too!

The most difficult part of this meal is bringing home that large serving dish and saving it until dinner. I had just a small taste of it for lunch...then a little more....I had better leave the house so I don't eat most of it this afternoon!

Thai Steak Salad

This salad was inspired by one that my husband raved about after a business trip to California. A number of recipes were combined...and a bit of creativity...and this was tonight's dinner! I was cycling tonight, so most of it was prepared ahead of time. Paul grilled the meat while I was gone and the meal was quickly assembled when I got home at dusk.

2 pieces beef tenderloin marinated in 2 T. canola oil, 2 T . ketchup, and 1 T. soy sauce for 4 hours or so. Grilled. Then cut into 1/4" slices against the grain.

Dressing: 2 T. canola oil, 4 T. fresh squeezed lime juice, 2 t. fish sauce, 1/2t. sugar, 1 t. minced ginger, 1/2 t. minced garlic, 1/4 t. salt

Salad: 6 c. chopped red leaf lettuce, 1/4 c. chopped mint leaves, 1 c. chopped cilantro leaves, 1/4 c. chopped red onion, 1 sliced tomato, chopped jalapeno.

The mint, tomato and jalapeno were from our container garden...but the cilantro (sadly) was not. The rest of the items were all from a grocery store expedition yesterday.

Here's the nifty lime squeezer we have. We saw Rick Bayless using it on his TV cooking show and knew it would come in handy. OK, we were thinking of using this for margaritas but it works for juicing limes for salad dressing as well! This really is a favorite kitchen gadget around here...if I had a lemon tree in my back yard I would get the slightly larger version of this in yellow. And, if I had an orange tree I would get the even larger version in orange:)