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Shrimp and Mushroom Laksa

Popular in Singapore and Malaysia, this noodle dish is a labor of love. I have tried to make a bit easier but it is still a bit time consuming and requires quite a few ingredients- but it is so worth it. I would recommend this for a Sunday dinner!

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned, deveined and shelled, shells reserved
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half
  • 2 carrots, sliced in one inch pieces
  • Salt

In a large saucepan, add the reserved shells, onion, carrots and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer till reduced to about 5 cups, about 45 minutes. Strain and keep aside.

Marinate the shrimp in 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and keep aside.

Paste

  •  2 large shallots, cut in quarters
  • 3 green onions, trimmed and chopped
  • 2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 2 large lemongrass stalks-bottom 7 inches only, outer layer removed, stalk cut into 1 inch length

Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • One 14 ½ ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 pound Thai flat rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions
  • Juice of a lime
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 bunch Asian greens (I used yu choy, a leafy green), bok choy or spinach, about 4 cups

Heat a large saucepan with the peanut oil and add the puree and sauté on medium heat for 9 to 10 minutes, till the mixture is dark brown. Add the mushrooms and sauté another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the 5 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add the honey, fish sauce, lime juice and soy sauce. Check for seasonings as the broth is simmering and add more soy, lime juice or honey as needed. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp are cooked but not over done.

Divide the noodles and greens in 4 to 6 bowls and top with the shrimp and hot broth. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Drunken Noodles

Meatless Mondays are back with this delicious recipe with flat noodles. I used all vegetables but it can be made with chicken, shrimp, etc. If you want to make it completely vegetarian, eliminate or substitute with the suggestions below. Kids will love it!

  • 1 pound pad Thai flat rice noodles
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 Serrano chilies, seeds taken out and chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 cup snow peas, sliced in half
  • 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Shaosing rice wine
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (eliminate if making it completely vegetarian)
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium tamari
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon brown sugar (substitute Worcestershire sauce if making vegetarian)
  • 2 green onions, sliced on a bias
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions, drain and rinse with cold water and add 1 tablespoon oil to avoid sticking. Keep aside.

Add the 2 tablespoons oil to a wok on high heat and add the garlic, chilies and onion. Saute for a minute on high heat. Add the snow peas, bell pepper and the carrot. Saute for another minute and add the noodles and mix well. Add the rice wine, oyster sauce, tamari and the fish sauce and sauté till all the flavors have combined. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Coconut Shrimp Curry- Thai Style

Thai Style Shrimp Curry

  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined and sliced in half
  • 2 teaspoons tamari
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

Place the shrimp, tamari and garlic in a zip lock bag. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

  • 2  tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and the insides minced- yields about ½ cup
  • 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Salt
  • ½ lime, juiced

Heat a wok like pan and add the olive oil. Add the marinated shrimp and sauté on high heat for a minute. Take out and keep aside.
Add the onions and lemongrass. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tamarind concentrate, coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar and sriracha sauce. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fresh basil, cilantro and shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the shrimp are cooked. Taste for seasonings, add salt and lime juice.

Rice Noodles with Shrimp Curry and Chinese Broccoli

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 8 allspice berries

Toast the spices in a dry cast iron pan on medium heat until fragrant and grind in a spice mill. Keep aside.

  • 1 pound rice noodles, cooked according to package directions. Drizzle a bit of oil, mix well and keep aside.
  •  2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons lemongrass, chopped finely
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Juice and zest of one large lime
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1 14 ounces can of coconut milk
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 bunch Chinese broccoli, chopped
  • 3 green onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Heat a wok like pan with the coconut oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemongrass, garlic and ginger and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the spice mix, turmeric, cayenne pepper, juice and zest of lime, salt, fish sauce and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Chinese broccoli and shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and add the green onion, mint, cilantro and basil.

Dip the noodles briefly in hot water, drain and add some to each serving bowl. Top with the shrimp curry and 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.

Pork and Vegetables Stir Fry Ramen Noodles

This was a huge hit! Everyone loved it and wanted me to make it again!

  • 1 pound boneless pork chops, sliced
  • ¼ cup Szechuan peppercorns, ground
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil

Marinate the pork slices with the peppercorns and salt for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge. Take out half an hour before cooking.

Heat a frying pan with the oil and add the pork slices. Cook on a high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Take out and keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 red chili, deseeded and chopped
  • 2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium red pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut in half
  • ½ cup green onions, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Sauce

  • ¼ cup oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shao Shing Hua Tiao cooking wine
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ponzu sauce
  • 1 packet of Ramen noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Transfer the oyster sauce, fish sauce, cooking wine, dark soy and ponzu sauce to a medium bowl. Mix well and keep aside.

Heat a wok like pan with the peanut and sesame oil. Add ginger, garlic and red chili and sauce for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper and green beans. Sauce for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the noodles and cooked pork slices. Mix well and add the sauce. Toss and garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serve warm.

4th Of July Recipes: Thai Style Mango Salsa

Thai Style Mango Salsa1 It is time to talk about fourth of July recipes. I can’t believe it is that time already. It feels like yesterday when we were complaining about the cold and wet weather and couldn’t wait for summer to begin. Well here it is and it is time to plan a delicious yet easy meal for your family and loved ones.

I came upon a Thai theme for this holiday. I find it a lot easier  to come up with recipes if I have a central theme established. For this theme, mangoes came to mind. Usually for an appetizer, I like to do a salsa and chips. It is easy and delicious and not too filling. It also goes well with beer, wine and any other mixed drinks you may be serving.

I decided to make a Thai style salsa- what does that mean? Well,  you essentially add Thai ingredients including fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, cilantro, lemon juice and you have a Thai style mango salsa! I served it with rice chips I purchased from Trader Joes.

Try it for the upcoming fourth of July holiday….
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