Pan Seared Scallops with Green Curry Sauce

I found some huge scallops at Whole Foods, and made this dish on the fly for dinner. We were supposed to have a fancy anniversary dinner, but we went out the night before and had a great meal so we will have the fancy home cooked dinner at another time. We did open a nice bottle of Riesling, and watch the season premiere of Entourage.

Pan Seared Scallops with Green Curry Sauce

8 sea scallops

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 can light coconut milk

2 tbsp green curry paste

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 chili peppers

1 stalk lemongrass

white rice (prepared in rice cooker)

Heat small saucepan on medium heat.

Add curry powder and heat until fragrant.

Add coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, chili peppers, and lemongrass.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Heat a skillet on medium high.

Add oil and 4 scallops.

Sear for 2 minutes on the first side.

Flip and cook for 3 minutes on the second side.

Repeat with the next 4 scallops.

Plate the rice and drizzle with the curry sauce.

Place scallops on top, and drizzle with more curry sauce.

Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini

I found this recipe on Liz's Cooking Blog. She has many great recipes. I have been craving some good Thai food, and the idea of using zucchini sounded great. This dish really hit the spot!!

http://lizscookingblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/green-curry-chicken-with-zucchini.html

I also used some fresh basil from my mother-in-laws herb garden (now only if I could just get mine together).

Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini

1 14oz can lite coconut milk
3 tbsp green curry paste
1 lb chicken breast, cut in large pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks
6 Thai chilies, finely diced
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
small handful of fresh basil

Serve with cooked rice.

Add curry paste to large wok over medium-high heat, and stir until fragrant.
Add 3/4 of can of coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil.
Add chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth, the rest of the milk, fish sauce, sugar, zucchini, and chilies to wok.
Continue to boil for 7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the zucchini are tender.
Stir in basil leaves, and serve with rice.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

Here is a quick weeknight curry dish. It was colder and rainy today in Ohio, and I wanted a meal with some spice in it to get us through the evening.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts
1 green pepper
1 can bamboo shoots
1 15oz can light coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp green curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
5 thai chilies

Roast the chicken at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Meanwhile dice the green pepper into 1 inch pieces. Saute green pepper, and curry paste in large skillet for 3-4 minutes. Add half the can of coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat. When chicken is ready, dice and add to pan. Add the rest of the coconut milk, chilies, and bamboo shoots and heat through. Serve with steamed rice.

Green Papaya Salad

Green Papaya Salad
Here is another dish from my cooking class in Thailand.
The proportions differ greatly around Thailand, and may be altered to the taste. Its very hard to estimate how much of the ingredients to be used (more or less chili, sweetness of the papaya, etc).

finely chopped red chilies (about 1 small chili)
minced garlic (about 1 clove)
long beans ( a small handful of green beans may be used)
roasted peanuts-small handful
1 plum tomato
1 lime
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
shredded green papaya (about 1/2 of a papaya)
shredded carrot (about 1/2 cup)

To make the sauce mix together some finely chopped chilies, garlic, long beans, peanuts, and tomato. Traditionally a mortar and pestle is used to really crush and mix all of the ingredients together. Add juice of half a lime. Mix well. Add soy sauce and sugar. Then add papaya and carrot, and mix well.

Pumpkin Hummus

Pumpkin Hummus

1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp cashews
6 pieces of steamed pumpkin (can use canned pumpkin-about 3/4 cup)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
small handful cilantro
small handful spring onion
small handful fresh mint

A mortar and pestle is used traditionally in this recipe. A food processor could be used if one is not available.
Crush or pound sesame seeds and cashews together until fairly smooth. Add pumpkin and soy sauce. And blend until evenly mixed. Add cilantro, minced spring onion, and mint. Blend until the consistency you prefer (may add water if mixture is too thick).

This may be used as a dip or a varaition of spring rolls.

Green Thai Curry

Green Thai Curry


1 tsp green curry paste
1 tsp oil
small handful of mixed veggies (carrots, greens, mushrooms, eggplant, etc)
6 tbsp coconut milk
1 cup cooked potato
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
thai basil leaves (optional)

Fry green curry paste with veggies in oil. Add 3 tbsp milk, and potato. Add soy sauces and sugar, and cook until the veggies are cooked but still crisp. Add 3 more tbsp coconut milk. Turn off heat and add basil.
Serve with rice. Makes 1 bowl.

Massaman Curry

Massaman Curry

1 tsp red curry paste
1 plum tomato
1 cup potato (already cooked)
handful mixed vegetables (carrot, greens, mushrooms, cauliflower, etc)
1 tsp massaman curry powder
6 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
Sprinkle roasted peanuts
lime juice

Fry red curry paste with tomato, and potato in oil. Add curry powder and cook until fragrant. Add 3 tbsp coconut milk and veggies. A little water may be needed to be added to cook the vegetables. Cook until veggies done and add soy sauces and sugar. Add 3 tbsp coconut milk. Turn off eat and add juice of half a lime. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Serve with rice. Makes 1 bowl.

Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls

spring roll wrappers

leaf lettuce

blanched bean sprouts

shredded carrot

grated coconut

sweet thai basil leaves

peanut sauce (see http://courtcooks.blogspot.com/2008/01/pad-thai.html)

sesame seeds

Soak spring roll wrappers until pliable. Roll 1 wrapper out and place lettuce on bottom. Add bean sprouts, carrot, coconut, basil, and peanut sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Roll up wrapper being careful to turn the edges in to enclose the filling. Great when dipped into the peanut sauce.

Pad Thai and Peanut Sauce

Pad Thai

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp minced garlic
pinch of sliced fresh chili (amount to your spice level)
small handful mixed veggies (carrot, onion, tomato)
1 egg
1 portion presoaked glass noodles
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
small handful bean sprouts
small handful spring onions
sprinkle roasted peanuts
lime

Fry chili, garlic, and veggies in oil. Add raw egg. When egg cooked on one side break it up and add the noodles. Mix well and add sauces , sugar, and bean sprouts. Sprinkle with onion, peanuts, and drizzle with lime juice.

May serve with some peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce

1 plum tomato
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp oil
6 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp roasted ground peanuts
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp dark sauce
1 tsp lime juice

Dice the tomato, and fry with curry paste in oil until paste is fragrant. While frying, try to smash the tomato into a paste. Add 3 tbsp coconut milk, and ground peanuts. Then add sauces and sugar. Add 3 more tbsp milk, and cook for 5 more minutes. If too thin may add more milk or water. Remove from heat and add lime juice.

This sauce is a great dipper for Spring rolls.

Stir Fried Vegetables with Cashews or Ginger

(you can also add chicken, beef, etc)

2 tsp oil

1 plum tomato

small handful sliced onion

small handful shredded carrot

small handful any mixed veggies on hand (mushrooms, greens, cauliflower, broccoli, etc)

1 tsp crushed garilc

diced chili pepper (amount and type to you liking)

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce or mushroom sauce

6 tbsp water

handful cashews or thinly sliced ginger

If using any meat, stir fry in oil until almost cooked through in wok. Then add veggies (if doing ginger version add ginger now) , garlic and chili. Stir fry until still crisp. Add sugar, soy sauce, and water. Stir fry for 2-3 more minutes, Turn off heat and add cashew nuts.

Pumpkin Soup

6 pieces steamed pumpkin
1/3 bowl coconut milk
1/3 bowl water
small handful parsley
small handful cilantro
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 tbsp chapped garlic
pinch salt
pinch sugar

Place steamed pumpkin, milk, water, parsley, and cilantro in food processor. In wok, add butter, onion, and garlic. Fry for a few minutes, then add pumpkin mixture. Add salt and sugar. Stir for 3 minutes, or until soup reduces and becomes thicker.

For a variation you can add 1/2 tsp yellow curry.

Cooking Class in Thailand, Tom Yam Soup

I took a cooking class at May Kaidee's on our vacation to Thailand. I had a private lesson. The class starts out with a trip to one of the local markets to buy ingredients for some of our dishes. Then we headed into the kitchen and made 12 different items. When it was finished we had a group of 6 people to eat all of the wonderful food. The recipes make single soup size bowl portions. The restaurant is vegetarian, but she showed me when meat/seafood could be added to the dishes. Also alot of the measurements are to you liking/spice level.

The dish above is Tom Yam Soup

1 bowl water
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 slices galangal
2 inch piece of lemongrass
1 tbsp shredded carrot
1 tbsp sliced onion
1 plum tomato
1 handful of mixed vegetables (any on hand, cauliflower, broccoli, greens, etc)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp Tom Yam paste
1/2 tbsp chopped spring onion
1/2 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp coconut milk


In a wok, boil on soup bowlful of water. Add 2 crushed kaffir lime leaves, 2 slice galangal and a 2 inch piece of lemongrass(smashed to release flavor). Add carrot, onion, tomato, and mixed vegetables. When boiling again add soy sauces, sugar, and Tom Yam paste. Turn off heat when vegetables are tender. To finish add spring onion, cilantro, lime juice, and coconut milk.


If shrimp are to be added to the soup place in water after water boils, then add the veggies.



I will post more pics/recipes in other posts