15-minute broccoli, spinach, and green curry coconut soup

green curry paste (1T-1/3c, depending on your preference)
one can of coconut milk
3 cups of water
a pound of broccoli florets, chopped
a handful to baby spinach leaves
fresh cilantro leaves (coriander leaves)
salt and pepper

stir-fry the curry paste
if you’re using real Thai green curry paste, DON’T use a third of a cup unless you have a steel stomach – start with a tablespoon and add more later if it needs it
if the paste is thick, add a little water

when fragrant, add the water and chopped broccoli stems, and boil about five minutes

add the rest of the broccoli, salt and pepper, turn down the heat, and simmer until soft, about ten minutes

add the coconut milk, simmer another few minutes

turn off the heat

add the spinach leaves and cilantro

blend, adjust seasoning to taste

can top with crispy fried scallions if you’re feeling fancy, or a scoop of plain yogurt, but it’s great just as is

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modified from epicurious

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really fantastic. if you love the flavor of cilantro more than you love broccoli and spinach, it’s a great way to get all your veggies. it takes just as long to cool the soup for blending as it does to cook it.

again, seriously be careful how much curry paste you use – i’m in so much pain from heartburn. but the flavor is amazing. perfect way to use up those curry paste packets i’ve had sitting in the pantry for a year. i definitely recommend this recipe.

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thai salad with crispy tofu over greens

can’t wait to try this one from veggie and the beast feast.

1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped carrot
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 tablespoon olive oil
salad greens
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
¼ cup raw cashews, chopped

tofu:
1 14-ounce container extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cornstarch

dressing:
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons unseasoned brown rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon tamari
3 tablespoons honey
3 garlic cloves
1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons light coconut milk

toss red pepper, carrot, and edamame in olive oil and broil for 5-7 minutes, stirring/shaking the pan 3 times and checking frequently to keep the veggies from burning.

remove from oven and lower to 400 degrees.

let tofu drain, or press to remove moisture.

slice tofu and add the sesame oil and tamari and sesame seeds.

bake for 25-30 minutes, flip once.

combine everything. drizzle with dressing just before serving.

dressing: food process or blend ingredients.

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modified from veggie and the beast feast

look chin pa (fish balls)

This wonderful traditional Thai food blog says these fish balls can go in rice or noodle soups, or in suki-yaki.

They emphasize that we should only use a soft-fleshed (not necessarily white) fish, which is also much cheaper.

Gluten-free, very healthy, and extremely affordable!

250 gms (8.8 oz) Soft Fish Meat
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Chopped Spring Onions
2 Tablespoons Cassava Starch (Tapioca Starch)
50 gms (1.8 oz) Crushed Ice

1. Clean & gut the fish and remove the backbone, on soft meat fish you should be able to open the fish and pull out the backbone with the small bones attached. You can then scrape the meat off the skin with a knife.
2. Put the fish meat into the blender with the garlic, salt, pepper, spring onions, and cassava starch.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Put a pan of water onto boil, and a bowl of cold water next to it.
5. Crush the ice, if you don’t have an ice crusher, place the cubes in a plastic bag, wrap it in a towel and bash it with a rolling pin.
6. Add the crushed ice to the blender and blend it into the mixture.
7. Using two teaspoons, scoop out spoonfuls of the fish mixture and shape into balls, then drop them into the boiling water.
8. Cook for 1 minute, the ball will float to the surface.
9. Scoop out the balls and drop into the cold water to cool quickly.
10. If you want to freeze them, keep them separate on a tray until frozen, then transfer them to a freezer bag. That way they won’t stick together.

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from appon’s thai food

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Drop into homemade stock for a quick soup!

ginger tapioca pudding

eyeballed about 2/3c tapioca pearls (old-fashioned, not quick cook – get them at your local asian grocery store)
half-can coconut milk
enough water to cover

soak overnight

next day, heat mixture over a medium heat

add
the rest of the coconut milk
an egg (or an egg replacement)
a spoonful or two of sugar or honey (optional),
a pinch of minced ginger,
a teaspoon of vanilla extract,
a pinch of salt,
a few pinches black sesame seed and a pinch of ground black cardamom (optional)

vegan coconut milk soup

cook rice and beans in a big pot with too much water, dried thai chilis, dried mushrooms, some of a can of coconut milk, a dash of peanut oil, and salt.

add bouillon or stock, a ton of ginger or galangal, whatever vegetables you have in the house roasted (i added a bunch of sweet potatoes), basil, a lot of roasted garlic, a ton of lime juice, coriander, chili-garlic sauce, and any thai-style curry paste if you have it or any thai ingredients you may have on hand like lemongrass or lime leaves, and a few drops of fish sauce if you eat it.

ignore for a long time – at least a half-hour – and then start stirring every fifteen minutes or so until powerful – two hours or so. add the rest of the coconut milk.

pepper, salt, and serve. if you like, top with cilantro.

thai fusion curry from scratch

yesterday’s attempt:

put chicken thighs (or vegetables, or whatever,) in a baking dish and put just a bit of soy sauce, coconut vinegar, and salt over them. then add a ton of lime juice.

add half a can of coconut milk mixed with a teaspoonful or so of shrimp paste.

throw in freshly grated cinnamon, ginger, shallot, and garlic. fresh orange-mint and basil from the garden. turmeric. paprika. cayenne. some reconstituted and finely chopped dried thai chili, plus some of the soaking liquid. sesame seeds. black pepper. cumin. coriander. (forgot those last two.. whoops. still good.)

notes:
too shrimpy, somehow, even though such a small quantity was used. great otherwise. first attempt at cooking with shrimp paste!

baked it for a half-hour-ish. i forget what temperature. 350?

served with grits because they’re faster than rice! next time i think i’ll wait out the rice.

spicy peanut sauce // shrimp paste day

SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
from Corinne Trang’s The Asian Grill
Makes 5 cups.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp red curry paste
1 Tbsp shrimp paste
1-1/2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts, finely ground
1/4 cup granulated sugar or palm sugar
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup tamarind concentrate*
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 cup packed fresh Thai basil leaves, minced
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, minced

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir-fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp paste and continue to stir-fry until the shrimp paste is broekn up and one shade darker, about 1 minute. Add the peanuts and stir, roasting until two shades darker but not burnt, 8-10 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to stir-fry until the sugar is dissolved and starts to caramelize, 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, tamarind concentrate and hoisin sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce until slightly thickened (look for a créme anglaise consistency), about 30 minutes. By that time, the natural oils from the peanuts should have surfaced. Turn off the heat and add the basil and cilantro. Cover and let cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

red curry // shrimp paste day

red curry

The main ingredients are garlic, shallots, (dried) red chillies, galangal, shrimp paste, salt, kaffir lime peel, coriander root, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and lemongrass. Common additives are fish sauce, sugar, Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, thai basil (bai horapha), and meat such as chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, frog, snake or duck. Tofu, and meat analogues or vegetables such as pumpkin, can be substituted as a vegetarian option. This dish normally has a soup-like consistency and is served in a bowl and eaten with steamed rice
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Red curry paste itself is the core flavouring for a number of other non-related dishes such Thot man pla (fish cakes) and sai ua (grilled Chiang Mai sausage).

-wikipedia

garlic, chilis, ginger, shrimp paste, salt, lime peel, coriander, thai basil, cumin, sugar, and squash sounds pretty good to me.

thai coCOnut tapioca pudding

THAi COCoNUT TaPIOCa PUDDING

(PlEASE eXcusE tHE BROKEN CaPS lOCK KEY…)

* 1 2×1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
* 1 1×1-inch piece fresh galangal,* peeled, sliced
* 10 Thai basil leaves*
* 6 fresh cilantro sprigs
* 2 kaffir lime leaves* or 2 teaspoons grated lime peel
* 1 tablespoon sliced lemongrass*
* 2 cups water

* 2 cups whole milk
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca* (not quick-cooking)
* 1 13.5- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk*

* 1 large mango, peeled, cut into cubes
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
* Pinch cayenne
* Thai basil

Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor; blend 20 seconds. Transfer to medium saucepan; add 2 cups water and bring to boil. Remove pan from heat and let steep uncovered 20 minutes. Pour mixture into strainer set over heavy large saucepan; press on solids to release flavored liquid. Discard solids in strainer.

Add milk and sugar to flavored liquid in pan; bring to boil. Stir in tapioca; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until pudding thickens and is reduced to 2 1/4 cups, stirring frequently, about 35 minutes. Stir in coconut milk (pudding will be runny). Transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Toss mango cubes, lime juice, and cayenne in medium bowl. Divide tapioca among 6 stemmed glasses or bowls. Top with mango mixture; garnish with basil sprigs.

we didn’t have half of the ingredients and it turned out anyway like the most amazing pudding i’ve ever made (even better than home-baked-bread-pudding!)

vegan satay & dipping sauce

this recipe works with any protein, by the way. i’m using tofu here because more of my friends eat this than other proteins. chicken, pork, beef, etc. work just as well.

marinate tofu/meat in cayenne, ginger, garlic, and some kind of delicious spice blend. i’m making this today at a friend’s house who will have more latin-influenced spices than indian, so i’ll probably do cumin, lime juice, coriander, cinnamon, cilantro/coriander leaves, and whatever nutmeg/mace/allspice stuff she has. shrimp paste and fish sauce makes this authentically thai; lacto-fermented hot-pepper pickles add a sour tang and can be a substitute.

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dipping sauce

coconut cream/milk
peanut butter
tamarind
butter/oil
cilantro

heat. dip. enjoy.