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Fast & Easy Dinner: Spicy Thai Curried Lentils

partysugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:50:09 -0800

If you don't cook with lentils on a regular basis, you should start experimenting with them. The small legumes cook quickly, are filling, and can be served with everything from chorizo to arugula. Not to mention they're supposed to help you lose weight!

This recipe combines lentils with sweet potatoes, red pepper, and cauliflower. The exotically flavored dish is seasoned with coconut milk and red curry paste. It's a hearty and healthy vegetarian meal, so get the recipe now and read more.

Spicy Thai Curried Lentils
From Woman's Day

Ingredients

1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
1 cup canned lite coconut milk (not cream of coconut), stirred well before measuring
11⁄2 Tbsp red curry paste or 2 tsp red curry powder
3 cups fresh cauliflower florets
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut in 3⁄4-in. chunks
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
1⁄4 cup basil, finely shredded
1⁄4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Directions

Mix lentils, broth, coconut milk and curry in a large saucepan. Simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes until lentils are almost tender.
Place cauliflower, sweet potato and red pepper on lentils. Return to a simmer, cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes until vegetables and lentils are tender.
Sprinkle servings with the basil and cilantro.

Serves 4.

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Monday's Leftovers: Thai Beef With Coconut Rice

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:15:44 -0800

Last night I made an Eastern European-inspired ground sirloin stew with egg noodles, and tonight I'm going to use the leftover beef to make something on the opposite end of the spectrum! I'm craving takeout, but - inspired by my recent successes - I'm going to continue my pattern of preparing Asian foods at home.

Spice up the sirloin with the help of minced garlic, lime, and Asian fish sauce, and wake up your senses with freshly-torn basil and julienned chiles. Complement the fiery protein with a soothing side of milky coconut rice. The result, which is healthier and cheaper than takeout, after the break.

Sunday Dinner: Drunken Noodles

YumSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:30:52 -0700

For this week's Sunday night chicken dinner, I can't wait to apply the mainstream meat to a home-cooked Southeast Asian meal.

I love preparing ethnic foods at home, and this spicy noodle stir-fry, with its complex flavors, comes together in mere minutes, thanks to quick-cooking (and inexpensive) ground chicken.

Craving Thai takeout, sans the grease? For the recipe, read more.

Sunday Dinner: Thai Salmon

partysugar — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:08:31 -0800

Since the majority of you would rather eat Thai food to tacos, I thought it was time to feature a Thai recipe. The weekend is perfect for experimenting with new types of cuisine, so make this fragrant salmon tonight.

If you've never made Thai food don't worry, the techniques and ingredients are simple. Salmon is cooked en papillote with green curry paste, fish sauce, and white wine. Serve with white rice or peanut noodles for a complete meal. To look at the recipe, read more.

Thai Salmon
From Sara Moulton

1 bunch cilantro
1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon fillets
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Asian white pepper or black pepper if you can't find it
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons green curry paste
4 cloves garlic
1 shallot
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken or fish stock
Cooked jasmine rice, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the bunch of cilantro in a bowl and let it soak for a few minutes to remove the dirt.
Put each salmon fillet on a piece of parchment paper, flesh side up. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil over the fish, then smear the green curry paste on top of the salmon.
Dice the garlic and shallots and sprinkle them on top, then place the lime leaves on top, as well.
Cut the lime in 1/2 and squeeze the lime juice over the fish.
Fold the parchment paper around the fish creating a pan like shape. Finally add the fish sauce, wine and chicken stock.
Drain the bowl of cilantro leaves and pat them dry with a paper towel. Garnish the top with some chopped cilantro leaves.
Close up the pouches and place on a baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with fresh cilantro sprigs and jasmine rice can also accompany the dish if you are eating it hot.

Serves 4-6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Pad Thai

partysugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:01:31 -0700

Who would have thought that my favorite Thai dish can be quickly and simply made in the comfort of my own kitchen?? Pad Thai is quite possibly Thailand's most well known noodle dish - a combination of rice noodles, shrimp, crushed peanuts, eggs, etc. - all stir-fried together. In this version, chicken and shrimp are tossed with a delicious mixture of veggies and Asian sauces. An exotic meal can make the middle of the week bearable, especially if you invite over a few girlfriends and crack open a bottle of wine, so get the recipe now and read more

Pad Thai
From Family Fun

1/2 pound dried rice noodles, linguine width
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 pound shrimp (about 10 to 12 medium or 14 to 16 small)
1 cup shredded carrot
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped scallions
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Chopped peanuts (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and turn off the heat. Let them stand for 10 minutes, using tongs or two forks to separate the strands as they soften and turn from translucent ivory to white. Drain the noodles, rinse them well in cold water, and drain again. Set them aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the Asian fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, water, and chili flakes if desired, until the sugar dissolves and everything is well mixed. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the egg and scramble it as it cooks just until it is no longer runny, about 30 seconds. Transfer the egg to a plate.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl it around. Add the garlic and toss well. Add the chicken and cook it until the edges have mostly changed color, about 1 minute. Toss it well and continue cooking to brown it, about 30 seconds, then push it to the sides.
Scatter in the shrimp, spreading them out, and cook until the edges have changed color, about 1 minute. Toss them well.
Add the carrot and cook everything about 1 minute longer. Scoop the chicken, shrimp, and carrot into a bowl, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.
Swirl the last tablespoon of oil in the pan. When it's hot, add the noodles, spreading them to the edges. Cook for 1 minute, until the oil sizzles. Scoop up the noodles and turn them over in a big mass. Cook them another minute, then turn them again.
Pour the sauce mixture around the sides of the pan. When it sizzles, place the cooked chicken and shrimp on the noodles, along with the bean sprouts, scallions, and cooked egg. Gently scoop the noodles from the bottom and turn them over.
Continue tossing them to mix in the chicken, shrimp, and egg. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lime juice and toss the noodles well. Serve the Pad Thai hot or warm, topped with chopped peanuts if you like.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad

partysugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:50:31 -0700

Now that it's officially Summer, I crave healthy yet hearty salads for dinner. With its creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing, shrimp salad is a delicious favorite, but it's not so light. That's why I prefer to make a spicy Thai-inspired shrimp salad.

It's packed with bright, crisp flavors and crunchy, cool veggies. The recipe serves the salad on bibb lettuce; I think mixed greens or romaine would be equally scrumptious. Get the technique when you read more.

Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad
From Eating Well

Ingredients

2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound cooked and peeled small shrimp
1 cup thinly sliced red, yellow and/or orange bell pepper
1 cup seeded and thinly sliced cucumber
1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro and/or mint
Bibb lettuce, for serving

Directions

Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, oil, brown sugar and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Add shrimp, bell pepper, cucumber and fresh herbs; toss to coat.
Serve the shrimp salad on a bed of bibb lettuce.

Serves 4.

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Southern (Indian) Thanksgiving

Yum Community — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:30:42 -0800

This story was written by member courtneyd and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.

For a few years now I've wanted to try to marry the traditional Southern Indian food my husband grew up enjoying with Thanksgiving as I know it (Southern girl with a love of spice and heat). So this year I did a trial run of a tandoori-style turkey made in the oven.

By next year I hope to build my own tandoor, or at least grill this guy, because it needs a little more heat to crisp up properly. Even so, the meal turned out great! Tandoori turkey, tamarind gravy, creamed saag, masala mashed potatoes, and Whole Foods' naan, which has a slight dinner roll texture, so it works out perfectly for this blended meal. The tamarind gravy was an original creation (that I cannot believe turned out properly, it was sooooo good), and the other recipes were either inspired by or taken directly from The Food of India from Whitecap Books. I love their "food of" series, and my husband is impressed with the Indian recipes.

For the turkey, I followed the instructions from November's Martha Stewart Living to spatchcock a turkey and cooked according to their instructions after marinating for about 7 hours. Not including the marinade time, this meal came together in about 2 hours on a Friday night. Also, we discovered New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc complements Indian food perfectly.

To get her recipes for this Southern Indian feast, keep reading.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

partysugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:50:04 -0700

This fragrant and scrumptious recipe is a cinch to throw together, making it the perfect midweek pick-me-up. It combines the exotic freshness of Thai cuisine with the comforting classic, chicken soup.

Although the ingredient list only calls for carrots, I plan on throwing in lots more vegetables like asparagus, green onions, and mushrooms. Feel free to do the same! To get the recipe, which is a great use for leftover chicken, read more.

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 2- to 2-1/2-lb. deli-roasted chicken
1 15-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup lime juice (2 medium limes)
3 medium carrots, thinly-sliced diagonally (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Thai seasoning blend
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh cilantro, optional for serving
Lime wedges optional for serving

Directions

Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Shred chicken.
In large saucepan combine shredded chicken with coconut milk, water, lime juice, sliced carrots, soy sauce, the 2 teaspoons Thai seasoning and salt.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 8 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender.
To serve, sprinkle bowls of soup with additional Thai seasoning and cilantro. Pass lime wedges.
Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Thai Steak Salad

partysugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:30:04 -0700

To get non-veggie-eating meat lovers to consume more greens, consider making this recipe. It's a flavorful steak salad that combines the best of both worlds. With its Thai style ingredients and structure, this salad is wildly delicious. The dressing is a mix of lime juice, fresh ginger, and chili paste and the salad is packed with fresh herbs and crunchy red cabbage. Thanks to MyRecipes.com you can experiment with this scrumptious salad tonight. Get the recipe when you read more.

Thai Steak Salad
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons chile paste with garlic
Steak:
Cooking spray
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
Salad:
3 cups trimmed watercress (about 2 bunches)
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup julienne-cut carrot
2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.
To prepare steak, heat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Rub both sides of steak with pepper.
Add steak to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
Remove from pan; place on a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 5 minutes.
Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place steak in a bowl. Drizzle with half of dressing, and toss well.
To prepare salad, combine watercress and next 5 ingredients (watercress through carrot) in a large bowl.
Drizzle with remaining dressing, and toss well.
Divide salad evenly among 6 plates; arrange steak evenly over salad. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon peanuts.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 230(40% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 4g,mono 4.2g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 25.1g; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 68mg; SODIUM 327mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 3.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.5g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- Speedy Thai Suppers
- Dinner Tonight Recipes in 45-Minutes or Less
- Get More Salad Recipes

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Thai Chicken with Basil

partysugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:45:22 -0700

Take advantage of Summer's bounty of fresh basil with this fragrant recipe. If you have access to different types of basil, use both classic basil and lemony Thai basil. To make this quick meal chicken chunks are cooked with garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and Asian fish sauce. The basil is added at the last minute. This delicious dinner from our friends at MyRecipes.com is perfect for a weeknight. Learn how it's made and read more.

Thai Chicken with Basil
From Sunset magazine

Ingredients

1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes
2/3 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) or soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed
Salt
cooked rice, optional for serving

Directions
Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick strips 2 to 3 inches long.
Place a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat; when hot, add oil, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and the chicken. Stir often until chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 3 to 4 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix broth, fish sauce, and cornstarch until smooth. Add to pan and stir until sauce is boiling, about 1 minute.
Add basil leaves and stir just until barely wilted, about 30 seconds. Add salt to taste and pour into a serving bowl.

Serves 3-4.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 202(25% from fat); FAT 5.7g (sat 0.9g); CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.5g; SODIUM 239mg; PROTEIN 30g; FIBER 3.2g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- Speedy Thai Suppers
- Homemade Chinese Takeout
- Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
- Fresh and Inspired Recipes from Sunset

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