Vegan Peanut Sauce Noodles

On June 27, 2016 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, Salads, Side Dish, Thai, Vegan, Vegetables, vegetarianLeave a comment

Recently I have had a few of my vegan/vegetarian friends ask me for some modified recipes so they can enjoy some of my recipes too. This is a simple noodle salad packed full of flavor and you can make it ahead of time and enjoy on a hot day.

Vegan/Vegetarian Peanut Sauce Noodles

Servings: 4-6
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients for peanut sauce:

1 can coconut milk
1/4 can Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (more to taste)
2 teaspoons sugar or palm sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon of peanut oil
1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for noodle salad:

1 package of rice vermicelli noodles – see picture below for type (cooked and washed in cold water to cool). You can also use thick spaghetti if you are in a pinch or experiment with other noodles. You need a thicker noodle to hold up the peanut sauce so it doesn’t get too mushy.
2 seedless cucumbers sliced into chunks (I like Persian)
3 carrots julienned
1/2 cup green onions (chopped)

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, mix the curry paste with a teaspoon of peanut oil and stir until hot, add coconut milk and bring to a boil.
Add peanut butter, sugar, salt and lemon. Bring to a boil for 5 minute stirring the entire time so it doesn’t burn.
Add hot water to make the consistency looser and not to thick
Taste and make sure there is enough salt and sour taste.
Add more sugar if its too spicy.
Toss the peanut sauce 1/2 cup at a time to make sure you don’t over dress the noodles
Add cucumber, carrots and onions
Chill and serve cold or room tempurature

fivegrainbrandguilinricevermicelli

Egg and Scallion Fried Rice

On June 22, 2016 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, dinner, Easy Dinners, Side Dish, vegetarianLeave a comment

This recipe was inspired by the fried rice in Din Tai Fung. I love being able to use my fresh eggs from my hens for this dish! You can serve this dish with any meat, vegetables or curry dishes.

Egg and Scallion Fried Rice

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

3 cups cooked short grain rice (cooled on a plate for at least 5 hours)
1 – 2 tsp salt
1- 2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 cup green onions (use entire stem, chopped)
4 eggs (beaten)
4-5 cloves garlic (grated fine)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tbsp soy oil or vegetable oil

Directions:

In a large skillet or wok heat oil
In the bowl with the beaten egg add garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper
Drop into hot pan and stir quickly until halfway cooked
Add cold rice and combine until there are no rice clumps
Add scallions
Taste and adjust with salt or soy sauce until you have reach the flavor you like
Serve hot

Green Papaya Salad

On January 25, 2016January 25, 2016 By nathalieskitchenIn Appetizers, Asian Party Food, Salads, ThaiLeave a comment

One of the many reasons I love living in California, is because we are able to get most of the ingredients needed to make authentic Thai food. Just 10 minutes from my house is a great Thai Market with all the fresh ingredients you need. This weekend I found a nice unripe papaya so I was inspired to make one of my favorite dishes, papaya salad.

Papaya Salad

Servings: 8-10
Time: 30min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

1 unripe papaya (shredded)
1 handful of roasted peanuts
1 handful of cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1 handful of Chinese long beans (cut)
1-2 Tbsp of dried shrimp
2 cloves garlic
1-2 fresh thai chilies (more if you want spicier)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp tamarind juice
1 – 2 tsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp palm sugar (grated)

Directions:

In a large mortar and pestle pound the garlic, peanuts and shrimp together to make a loose paste.
Add chilies (per your taste) and pound together.
Add tomatoes and pound together.
Use a large metal spoon to mix the ingredients in the bottom of the mortar around to make sure you are mixing all ingredients.
Add the Chinese long beans and pound together.
Add the papaya and continue pounding until all ingredients are combined together. Continue to use the spoon to mix ingredients.
Add fresh lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind to taste.
The finished product should be a combination of sweet, spicy, and sour.
Serve on a plate with fresh cabbage and sticky rice.

Chicken Fried Rice

On January 8, 2016January 8, 2016 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, Chicken, Thai, VegetablesLeave a comment

I love fried rice, It’s one of my favorite meals to make! I love making it with different proteins (chicken, pork, beef, crab, and shrimp). You can’t really mess this dish up, it is so easy. Of course use the freshest organic vegetables for a better taste.

Chicken Fried Rice

Servings: 4
Time: 45min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups Jasmine rice (cooked and cooled)
2 chicken breasts (cut into bite sized pieces)
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup thin sliced carrots
1/2 cup cut fresh green beans
Handful cilantro
1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 Tbsp thin soy sauce
1 Tbsp golden mountain soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 egg (beaten)
Sliced cucumbers to garnish

Directions:

In a wok or large skillet heat on high
Add garlic
Add chicken and cook until no longer pink
Add beans and carrots and cook for 2 minutes
Add rice and separate and stir well
Add all soy sauces and mix together until the rice is brown
Add peas
In the center of the pan make space for the egg and scramble until thicker and then mix rice in
Add pepper
Add cilantro
Taste and add additional soy sauce if needed
Serve hot with garnish of cucumbers

Vegetarian / Vegan Thai Yellow Curry

On December 16, 2015June 17, 2016 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, Easy Dinners, Thai, Vegan, vegetarianLeave a comment

Today my friend Tess is coming to hang out with the family so I thought I would cook her a tasty vegetarian yellow curry. She doesn’t eat any animal products so curry is a great flavorful option to serve. This is not a traditional recipe, its one that I have adapted myself. I used salt instead of fish sauce and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Serve with cucumber salad to give the curry some texture and brightness.

Vegetarian Thai Yellow Curry

Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients for curry

1/2 can of yellow curry paste
1 tbs peanut oil
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp dry turmeric powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp palm sugar
1 cup sliced baby dutch potatoes
1 large white sweet onion (chopped)
1 cup firm tofu (cubed)
1 tsp of salt (instead of fish sauce)

Directions

In a large pot heat over medium fire
Add oil and yellow curry paste
Add turmeric powder
Add sweet onion and stir until translucent
Add coconut milk stir for 2 minutes
Add vegetable stock
Add potatoes
Add palm sugar and salt
Reduce heat and let simmer until potatoes are soft
Add tofu and simmer for 10-15 more minutes
Taste and adjust sugar or salt
Serve over white Jasmine rice and cucumber salad

Ingredients for cucumber salad

2 Persian cucumbers (diced)
1 shallot (chopped)
1 tbs cilantro (minced)
1 stock green onion (chopped)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs water

Directions for cucumber salad

Mix together and let marinate for 30 minutes

Nathalie’s Peanut Sauce Noodle Salad

On November 8, 2015 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, Chicken, Easy Dinners, Salads1 Comment

This is a recipe I’ve created and have been making for many years. It’s not a traditional Thai recipe but I do sometimes serve it at parties because I can make it ahead of time by cutting all the vegetables and making the noodles and placing in the refrigerator when ready. This also makes a great bento box lunch!

Nathalie's Peanut Sauce Noodle Salad

Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

1 handful of fresh bean sprouts
3 carrots (julienned)
1 medium diakon (julienned)
3 Persian (or english) cucumbers (julienned)
2 stalks of finely chopped green onions (optional)
1 handful of finely chopped cilantro
1 package of Chinese vermicelli noodles (prepared per package instructions)
1 package of organic chicken tenders (boiled and cut) or you can substitute with a rotisserie chicken cut up
1/4 cup Peanut Sauce – (recipe here) https://nathalieskitchen.com/2015/11/07/nathalies-thai-peanut-sauce/

Directions:

Assemble all ingredients in a bowl and serve with peanut sauce
If the noodles get to sticky you can rinse with cold water and squeeze the water out before assembling

Thai Spicy Beef Salad – Nam Tok

On October 29, 2015October 28, 2015 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, beef, Salads, ThaiLeave a comment

There are a few different kinds of Spicy Beef Salad you can order in Thailand. This version is like the sister of the popular dish “Laab” which is made with ground chicken. Nam Tok is a northeastern Thai dish typically served with sticky rice and fresh vegetables. I chose to make mine without either but instead adding cucumber and tomatoes to the base.

Thai Spicy Beef Salad - Nam Tok

Servings: 2-3
Time: 30min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

1 or 2 high quality cuts of organic beef (NY Strip or Fillet Mignon)
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
4 tablespoons of lime juice (less if you don’t like it as sour)
1-4 fresh Thai chilis cut up
1 tablespoon of roasted dried chili’s
1/4 cup of cut green onions (the entire thing)
1 tablespoon of toasted rice
1-2 teaspoons of sugar (to taste)
1/2 red onion sliced thin
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Lettuce (optional)
Cilantro and Mint (optional)

Directions:

To make the toasted rice, you can use any asian rice. Toast the rice over medium heat in a frying pan. Move the rice around so it doesn’t burn, the rice should be brown (not black). Place in food processor until a course powder.

In a medium bowl combine the fish sauce, lime juice, chili’s, sugar, and onions. Set aside while you grill the beef.
Grill steak to how you like to eat it and let it rest for 10 minutes
Slice into thin pieces and mix with the dressing
Pour over sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce

Thai Glass Noodle Stir Fry with Vegetables – Pad Woon Sen

On October 27, 2015October 27, 2015 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, Thai, VegetablesLeave a comment

Recently I’ve discovered that glass noodles are very low in calories and a great diet food. These noodles are quick to make and your kids will love it!

Thai Glass Noodle Stir Fry with Vegetables - Pad Woon Sen

Servings: 4-6
Time: 25min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

4 bundles of Chinese vermicelli noodles
1 cup of chopped green beans
2 carrots (mandolin sliced into ovals)
1 small sweet onion
3-4 chopped pieces of garlic
1 handful of beansprouts
2 tablespoons of golden mountain soy sauce
1 tablespoon of thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sweet black soy sauce
1 teaspoon of fish sauce
pinch of pepper
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of peanut oil

Directions:

In a medium saucepan bring 4 cups of water to a boil
Turn off heat and add the noodles
let soak for 3 minutes and make sure all noodles are submerged into the water
Remove and drain and cut with kitchen scissors into small pieces and set aside
In a large pan or wok heat peanut oil
Add garlic and onions and stir for 1 minute
Add beans and carrots and stir for 3-4 minutes
Add noodles
Add all sauces and pepper
Stir well until all combined
Make an area in the pan clear of all noodles and crack 2 eggs and scramble them until it almost looks like scrambled egg and add then mix through the noodles
Add bean sprouts and cook for another 2 minutes stirring and mixing well
Serve immediately

Fish Sauce, Golden Mountain Sauce, Thin Soy Sauce, Thick Sweet Soy sauce — Fish Sauce, Golden Mountain Sauce, Thin Soy Sauce, Thick Sweet Soy Sauce

Garlic Truffle Edamame

On October 22, 2015October 22, 2015 By nathalieskitchenIn Appetizers, Asian Party Food, VegetablesLeave a comment

This is one of my favorite dishes I order at our go to sushi place. I needed to eat this more on a regular basis so I experimented at home with this recipe. It is so easy to make and you can adjust the taste to your liking by just adding more of each ingredient if you want, you can’t go wrong!

Garlic Truffle Edamame

Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen (not cooked) Edamame
1/4 cup of soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1/4 cup of Ponzu sauce (I prefer Mizkan brand)
1 tablespoons of Chili Oil (you can use less or more depending on spice profile)
1 tablespoon of black truffle oil
4-5 cloves of finely chopped garlic

Directions:

In a medium bowl mix all the sauces and garlic together and let sit for 30 minutes on the counter to marinate.
Steam Edamame per the instructions on the bag and then add to the sauce mixture.
Stir well and serve hot!

4th of July Party 2015

On September 26, 2015October 12, 2015 By nathalieskitchenIn Asian Party Food, ThaiLeave a comment

This was the first year we hosted 4th of July at our house. Since we just remodeled our kitchen I felt the need to trial run a smaller party with 10 people vs. the 40-50 people party I typically throw.

My new kitchen was a success, I had plenty of counter space to prep (85 sq feet) and my new Bosch hood kept all the smoke alarm at bay. (no firemen had to save us…LOL)

The theme for my menu was “Asian Inspired” instead of just Thai. We had a little Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Thai. I think the dishes blended well together on the plate.

Here are just some of the dishes from the menu:

Truffle Edamame with soy, garlic, chili and ponzu sauce