Thai Lemon Beef

RECIPE

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
1 (1-inch-thick) boneless beef top round steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 to 3 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Hot cooked ramen noodles or rice
Garnishes: lemon rind strips, fresh basil sprigs

Preparation
Cut steak across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick strips, and place in a medium bowl.

Combine soy sauce and next 4 ingredients. Reserve half of mixture. Pour remaining half of mixture over steak. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Drain steak, discarding marinade.

Stir-fry half of steak in 1/2 tablespoon hot oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat 1 minute or until outside of beef is no longer pink. Remove from skillet, and repeat procedure with remaining oil and steak. Remove from skillet.

Add green onions and carrot to skillet, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Whisk cornstarch into reserved soy sauce mixture; stir into vegetables, and stir-fry until thickened. Add steak, and stir-fry until thoroughly heated. Serve over noodles or rice. Garnish, if desired.

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai One-Pot

RECIPE

Yield
4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/4 pounds lean ground pork
3/4 cup short-grain rice
2 1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 scallions including green tops, chopped
10 radishes, cut into thin slices
5 tablespoons chopped cilantro or fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)

Preparation
1. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the bell peppers, shiitakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove.

2. Add the pork to the pan and cook, stirring, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the pan. Stir in the bell peppers and shiitakes, the rice, broth, soy sauce, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, without removing the lid, until the rice is just done, about 20 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the scallions, radishes, cilantro, and lime juice.

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

RECIPE

Red curry paste conveys plenty of spicy heat, so a little goes a long way. Feel free to add a bit more to increase the heat, or omit the paste to tame the dish. The addition of slightly sweet coconut milk smooths out the flavors. Total time: 19 minutes.

Yield
2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)
1 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup light coconut milk
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and curry paste to pan, and sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar; sauté 15 seconds. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut milk and fish sauce; cook 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and basil.

Nutritional Information
Calories:255 (26% from fat)
Fat:7.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.9g)
Protein:36.1g
Carbohydrate:10.2g
Fiber:1.1g
Cholesterol:259mg
Iron:4.6mg
Sodium:740mg
Calcium:111mg

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai Red Curry Fish Stew

RECIPE

Versions of red curry abound in Thailand, but most are flavored with a paste of red chiles, garlic, shallots, galangal (similar to ginger), and shrimp paste, and have coconut milk as their base. Light coconut milk works well in this stew, and prepared Thai red curry paste, found in most supermarkets, makes it a snap to put together. Prep and Cook Time: about 45 minutes. Notes: The spice level in prepared red curry pastes varies depending on the brand, so taste before using. Start with 2 tbsp., then increase it if you like. For a more authentic flavor, add 1 tbsp. minced lemon grass and 2 makrut (Kaffir) lime leaves instead of the grated lime zest in step 4, and use Thai basil instead of regular. Find these ingredients at Asian markets and in specialty-produce departments.

Yield
Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups of curry and 1 cup of rice)

Ingredients
3 cups jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large sweet potato (often labeled "yam")
2 cans (13 1/2 oz. each) light coconut milk, divided
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (see Notes)
2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest (green part only; see Notes)
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds firm fish fillets, such as halibut or tilapia
6 ounces fresh whole spinach leaves
1 cup loosely packed basil
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
Lime wedges

Preparation
1. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

2. Meanwhile, bring 1 in. of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Peel sweet potato and cut into 1/2-in. cubes. Put in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

3. While sweet potato is cooking, spoon about 1/4 cup from top of coconut milk in each can (the thick opaque layer) and put in a 4- to 5-qt. pot or deep sauté pan. Add curry paste and whisk until smoothly blended. Stir mixture over medium heat until nearly dry, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining coconut milk, lime zest, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Simmer 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, cut fish into 1 1/2-in. cubes. Increase heat to medium; add fish and spinach. Cover and cook until fish is no longer translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

6. Chop basil and mint and stir into stew along with sweet potato cubes. Serve with rice and lime wedges.

Variations:
Chicken: Substitute boned, skinned breast for the fish. Cut into 1/4- by 1/2- by 2-in. strips to ensure quick cooking.

Pork: Use tenderloin in place of the fish, trimming fat and cutting meat into 1/4-in.-thick strips.

Swap the greens. Try green Swiss chard instead of spinach: Thinly slice stems and steam with sweet potato in step 2; thinly slice the leaves and add with fish in step 5.

Make it bountiful: Add chopped zucchini or other summer squash, green beans, thinly sliced red pepper, or slivered sweet onion to the sweet potato for the last 5 minutes of steaming time.

Switch the starch: Yukon Gold potatoes work nicely in place of sweet potato and have a similar cooking time.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:707 (17% from fat)
Protein:38g
Fat:13g (sat 5.5)
Carbohydrate:113g
Fiber:4.9g
Sodium:965mg
Cholesterol:36mg

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai Rice Noodles with Chicken

RECIPE

If shopping in an Asian grocery, look for pad thai noodles designated as "XL." At supermarkets, packages will be marked "wide." Check the noodles occasionally as they soak. Take a taste to see when they're ready; they'll be slightly chewy and not too soft.

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
8 ounces 1/2-inch-thick rice noodles
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
3 tablespoons thinly diagonally sliced green onions
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
1/4 cup very thinly sliced lemongrass (tough outer stalks removed)
1/4 cup very thinly vertically sliced shallots

Preparation
1. Combine 2 tablespoons juice and chicken in a bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Soak noodles in hot water 15 minutes or until somewhat soft but still slightly chewy. Drain well.

3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons juice, sugar, and next 4 ingredients (through chile paste). Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt.

4. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Remove chicken from juice; discard juice. Add chicken to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes or until done. Transfer to large bowl; sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry 45 seconds or just until golden and fragrant. Add noodles; cook 30 seconds, tossing well. Stir in sugar mixture. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Place 1 1/4 cups noodle mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each with 2 tablespoons basil, 1 tablespoon lemongrass, and 1 tablespoon shallots.

Nutritional Information
Calories:343
Fat:5.5g (sat 0.6g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:17.5g
Carbohydrate:54.4g
Fiber:0.7g
Cholesterol:34mg
Iron:2.1mg
Sodium:615mg
Calcium:36mg

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai-Style Pork Stew

RECIPE

Peanut butter melds with classic Asian flavors to lend this one-dish meal a Thai flair. Lime makes a perfect accent.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew, 1 tablespoon green onions, about 1/2 teaspoon peanuts, and 1 lime wedge)

Ingredients
Stew:
2 pounds boned pork loin, cut into 4 pieces
2 cups (1 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Remaining ingredients:
6 cups hot cooked basmati rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
8 lime wedges

Preparation
To prepare stew, trim fat from pork. Place pork and next 5 ingredients (pork through garlic) in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker, and coarsely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in slow cooker; stir well. Stir in pork.

Combine stew and rice in a large bowl. Top each serving with onions and peanuts; serve with lime wedges.

Nutritional Information
Calories:412 (30% from fat)
Fat:13.6g (sat 3.6g,mono 6.2g,poly 2.5g)
Protein:28.9g
Carbohydrate:42.3g
Fiber:2.1g
Cholesterol:64mg
Iron:2.9mg
Sodium:425mg
Calcium:37mg

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai Wings And Ribs

RECIPE

Yield
48 wings and 20 ribs

Ingredients
24 chicken wings
3 pounds pork back ribs
1 cup frozen pineapple-orange-apple juice concentrate, undiluted
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation
Cut off wingtips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Place wings and ribs in large shallow dishes or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags.

Stir together juice concentrate and next 6 ingredients. Reserve 3/4 cup mixture for dipping. Pour remaining mixture evenly over wings and ribs; cover or seal, and chill 8 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove wings and ribs from marinade, discarding marinade. Place meat on racks in shallow roasting pans.

Bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes or until done.

Microwave reserved 3/4 cup sauce in a 1-cup glass liquid measuring cup at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring once. Serve with wings and ribs.

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai Shrimp and Chicken Soup

RECIPE

The minced ginger, minced garlic, mushrooms, and snow peas in this recipe require no preparation time at all. Find all those ingredients in your supermarket's produce department.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Ingredients
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon red curry paste
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (3-ounce) package trimmed snow peas
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons (1/2-inch) sliced green onion tops
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk

Preparation
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large Dutch oven, stirring with a whisk. Add mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. Add the shrimp, chicken, and snow peas; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.

Stir in lime juice and remaining ingredients. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information
Calories:262 (24% from fat)
Fat:7.1g (sat 3.8g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:30g
Carbohydrate:18.3g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:121mg
Iron:3.3mg
Sodium:973mg
Calcium:64mg

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai Beef Salad

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 small serrano chile
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 cup grated, seeded, peeled cucumber
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 (12-ounce) package broccoli coleslaw
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained

Preparation
Combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak evenly on both sides with pepper and salt. Add steak to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Thinly slice steak.

Combine cabbage and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle slaw mixture with cilantro mixture; toss. Arrange 2 cups slaw mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 3 ounces beef.

Nutritional Information
Calories:313 (34% from fat)
Fat:11.8g (sat 4g,mono 5.5g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:28.2g
Carbohydrate:22.6g
Fiber:5g
Cholesterol:71mg
Iron:2.8mg
Sodium:883mg
Calcium:105mg

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover

Thai-Style Stir-Fried Chicken

Curry paste and coconut milk spice up a simple chicken and vegetable stir-fry. Once the ingredients are prepped, the cooking goes quickly, so have everything ready before you heat the pan.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup chicken mixture, 1/4 cup of sprouts, and 1 tablespoon cilantro)

Ingredients
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, lime juice, red curry paste, and crushed red pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes, turning once.

Remove chicken from the bag, reserving marinade. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add onion and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add reserved marinade, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add coconut milk and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Stir in chicken and salt; cook 1 minute. Top with sprouts and cilantro.

Nutritional Information
Calories:271 (28% from fat)
Fat:8.4g (sat 2.2g,mono 1.6g,poly 3.4g)
Protein:29.7g
Carbohydrate:19.6g
Fiber:2.9g
Cholesterol:66mg
Iron:2.2mg
Sodium:767mg
Calcium:43mg

Thai cooking@home
by cooking lover