Lime Cilantro Brown Rice

No one will be able to tell this dish is made with brown rice.. it goes perfectly well with yesterday’s curry…

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 cup brown rice, rinsed
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups water
Juice of one small lime
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with the butter and oil. Add the rice and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt and water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes partially covered or till all the liquid is cooked off on the surface. Cover with lid and cook for another 20 minutes on very low heat. Take the lid off and fluff rice with fork. Add the lime juice and cilantro. Check for seasonings and add salt if necessary. Serve warm.

Chicken and Bok Choy Thai Green Curry

I think I am currently obsessed with Asian food.. I love it and love cooking it…You could buy a jar of green curry from the store or you could make your own.. the one from scratch is way yummier!!!

2 chicken breasts, sliced thin
Zest of one lime
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil

Marinate the chicken slices in the lime zest, salt and oil. Mix well and let it sit for 2 to 3 hours.

Green curry

2 to 3 fresh lemon grass stalks, trimmed, the ends smashed and chopped fine (I used frozen chopped lemon grass)
2 inch piece of galangal, chopped (you can substitute with fresh 1 inch fresh ginger)
2 to 3 kaffir lime leaves (substitute with zest of 1 lime)
Zest of 1 lime (use 2 limes all together if kaffir limes leaves are not being used)
Juice of 1 lime
1 serrano chili, deseeded and chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons salt

Place all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle. Pound till a paste is formed. Keep aside.

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 to 2 teaspoons palm sugar or 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons chili sauce (your favorite)
Salt to taste
1 large red, orange or yellow pepper, sliced
4 to 5 baby bok choy, sliced in quarters
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with the oil. Add the curry paste and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, palm sugar, fish sauce and chili sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken slices and poach on a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep aside. Continue to simmer and add the peppers and the bok choy. Cook for another 5 minutes. Return the chicken back to the curry and finish cooking, making sure the chicken is not over cooked. Garnish with cilantro.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce Mozzarella and Basil

This is my daughter’s all time favorite pasta dish- works for me as it is super easy to make. The key is to make your own tomato sauce with fresh cherry tomatoes. Try this for meatless Monday!

4 cups cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Add the tomatoes, oil and salt to a saucepan and cook on medium low heat with lid on for 30 minutes or till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Transfer to a food mill or processor. Keep the sauce aside.

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ pound any pasta, cooked al dente with ½ cup pasta water set aside
1 cup fresh basil, shredded
1 cup fresh mozzarella, roughly chopped
Salt

Heat a wide frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté on medium low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sauce and salt to taste. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the cooked pasta, pasta water, basil and the fresh mozzarella. Mix well and cook till the cheese melts about half way. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.

Thai Fried Rice with Red Curry Chicken

This is a delicious meal to make either through the week or on the weekend- maybe this would be a great Sunday meal as it is a bit involved with quite a few ingredients.. but it is worth it!

1 pound chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut in 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons red curry paste
Juice of a lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil

Marinate the chicken pieces in the red curry paste, lime juice, tamari, honey and salt for at least 2 hours, ideally 6 to 8 hours. Keep aside.

Transfer to a lined cookie sheet, drizzle with peanut oil and broil till both sides are brown. Change the oven to bake and finish baking the chicken till cooked through.

Rice

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil
11/2 cups brown rice, rinsed
Juice of half a lime
4 cups water or broth
2 teaspoons salt

Heat a pan with the butter and oil. Add the rice and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lime juice, water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer partially covered with a lid until the moisture is cooked off on the surface, about 5 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat and cover and cook for another 30 minutes or till the rice is cooked through. Transfer to a platter to cool.

Sauce

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, softened
Juice of a lime
3 tablespoons sweet garlic chili sauce
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 inch ginger, grated
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
1 orange pepper, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Add the cilantro, green onions and salt to the beaten eggs and keep aside. Heat a wok like pan with the oil. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the carrots, edamame and the orange pepper. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Create a round space in the middle of the pan by moving the veggies aside and pour the egg mixture in the middle of the pan and stir on medium heat and slowly incorporate all the vegetables. Mix well and add the cooled brown rice. Mix well. Add the peanut sauce and check for seasonings. Mix well and serve with the chicken and chopped peanuts on top.

Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles)

This was yummy, yummy! We just got a new Asian store near our house and I am super excited to be able to buy all the yummy veggies like Chinese broccoli and fresh noodles, etc any time I want….

16 ounces rice noodles (any variety will do. I was able to find the actual wide rice noodles), cooked according to package directions. Drain well and drizzle with some oil to prevent sticking together. Be careful not to over cook.

Sauce

2 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce (if you don’t have dark soy sauce, just add extra regular soy sauce with a bit of sugar)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (eliminate if vegetarian)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Mix together and keep aside.

2 to 3 chicken thighs (partly frozen so they can be sliced thin), sliced thin
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Marinate chicken in soy sauce for 2 to 3 hours.

2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch Chinese broccoli, leaves separated and chopped/stems chopped separately
10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
3 green onions, chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wok like pan with the peanut oil. Add the Chinese broccoli stalks and garlic. Saute on a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté on high heat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and repeat the process. Add the noodles and the sauce. Mix well and make room in the middle of the pan and add the eggs. Stir well as the egg cooks and coats all the noodles. Check for seasonings and add the green onions and cilantro. Serve warm.

Refried Beans with Pancetta

I love making refried beans at home- both vegetarian and with the porky goodness. These are with pancetta and are absolutely delicious. Please don’t buy the canned refried beans, especially since you can make them at home quicker and they come out a lot more healthy and delicious!

3 cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt

Transfer the beans, broth, garlic, paprika and salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and either with an electric beater or an emersion blender, blend the beans making sure they are not completely smooth and have a bit of texture. Keep aside.

1/3 cup pancetta, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
½ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a large frying with the olive oil and add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, stirring for 10 to 15 minutes till all the fat is rendered. Take the pancetta bits out with a slotted spoon. Add the onion and cook on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for a minute. Add the cooked beans and mix well. Check for seasonings. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with cheese, green onions and cilantro.

Avocado Cucumber and Apple Salad

Here is another salad or kind of a guacamole… rather my take on a delicious guacamole… it will complement tortilla chips, any meat or fish…

2 avocados, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
2 medium Pink Lady apples, diced
4 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons salt

Transfer all the ingredients to a serving bowl. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

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