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.
Christmas Eve dinner with our Aunt Patty has been an event we look forward to each year. She is an incredible chef and hostess. This year I was able to help her in the kitchen to learn her recipes that she has been making for many years. I was surprised on how simple each dish was to make! The biggest key to a successful dinner party is timing, patience and organization.
There are many dishes in her holiday meal and I will post each separately but categorize them under the menu “Holiday Meal” so that you can find them with ease.
Original recipe by Margery Katz
This dish is a speciality of Grenoble, a town bordering the Alps. Here leftover Gratin Dauphinois is eaten without reheating, accompanied by a green salad, seasoned with oil, vinegar and a generous amount of chopped garlic.
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.
I’ve been fighting a cold this last week and hot soup always seems to be the best remedy to feel better. I’m not a fan of eating noodles in my soup, I prefer vegetables. Lately I have been in love with baby dutch potatoes.
Here’s the soup I made for myself yesterday. You can change it up to whatever you like. I wanted my soup to be light and lots of broth so I don’t use a thickener.
During my weekend cooking session with my friend Clifford we decided to make some BBQ chicken instead of fried chicken. This was probably the easiest protein i’ve cooked in a long time and it turned out so good! You can make this any night of the week and your family will be super impressed!
1-2 packages of Organic chicken legs, breast and wings (skin on)
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Dried Parsley
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Trader Joes Organic Sriracha and BBQ sauce
Directions:
Remove the chicken from packaging and since chicken.
Place in large bowl or container
Mix together all spices and rub all over chicken until coated
Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour
Heat grill
Place chicken on hot grill and baste with the Sriracha and BBQ sauce through the entire cooking process. (this will lock in flavor and keep the meat moist)
I’ve been making this recipe for 22 years. Its always a hit at any party! I typically make this for the holidays. The trick to serving these is when you remove them from the oven and plate them, walk around the party and serve them. They taste best right out of the oven.
Who says you can’t have breakfast for dinner? I started back at the gym this week and I find it very difficult to get the amount of protein needed and keep my carbs down low. This healthy dinner provides lots of protein from eggs and 6 different types of vegetables. You can use any veggies you like or even throw in meat. I just used all my fresh vegetables I picked up at the farmers market. YUMMY!
Stir together the butter or olive oil in a cast iron pan with onions. Cook until translucent and then add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms cook down, add the spinach and asparagus and sauté for about 1 minute. Whip the eggs in a bowl and add the salt and pepper and cheese. Add to the pan and stir for about 1-2 minutes. When you see the eggs start to form, put in the oven for 17 – 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 – 2 minutes.
Arugula Salad
1-2 handfuls of arugula
1 cup of chopped baby tomatoes
2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
Toss together the arugula and tomatoes add vinegar and olive oil.
Enjoy!
Mushrooms, Spinach, Asparagus, Onions
Vegetables for the frittata
This is what the egg and vegetable mixture should look like before you put it in the oven.
I’ve been cooking Thai food since I was a young child. I’ve made Red Curry all different ways. If you make the curry paste from scratch it can take a lot longer. I’ve opted to take the easy route and buy the curry paste. I do however, take the time to make home made chicken stock. I think this makes the curry so rich and flavorful. Also, adding fresh Thai basil is key. (don’t skimp not that)
I made mine tonight with untraditional vegetables that are not typically used in Thai red curry recipes. I was inspired by the farmers market this week so I used what I found there.)
Ingredients:
1 can of red curry paste (I like the Maesri brand)
1 can of coconut milk (I like Chaokoh brand)
2 cups of chicken broth (I prefer homemade or a high quality brand)
1 package of organic chicken tenders
1 can of bamboo shoots (I like Chaokah brand)
1 Tablespoon of soybean oil or peanut oil
2 Teaspoons (or more to taste) of fish sauce (any brand will is fine)
1 Tablespoon of palm sugar or table sugar (if you want it sweeter, you can gradually add more)
1 large handful of Thai basil
1 Large zucchini (chopped)
1 handful of green beans (chopped)
1 handful of mushrooms (any kind is fine)
1 sweet onion (chopped)
Directions:
Heat the red curry paste and the oil together stirring regularly for about 1-2 minutes. This will help the curry paste waken up and the flavors to be more rich. Add chopped onion and let the onions cook through.
Add 1 can of coconut milk and bring to a boil then add 2 cups of chicken broth.
Add the large handful of Thai basil (make sure your remove the stems).
Add bite sized chicken and let cook through.
Add all vegetables
Add sugar and fish sauce
Let boil until the vegetables are cooked through (about 20 minutes)
Serve over rice or noodles.
Can be kept in air tight container for up to 3 days.