Beef and Bean Stir Fry

Recipe adapted from Thai Creative Cooking page 56-57

Ingredients

2 teaspoons baking soda
500g topside or round steak, cut into thin strips
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
185g snake or green beans, cut into 10cm lengths
2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons coriander

Method

1. Marinate the beef with the baking soda for 20 minutes and then rinse the beef thoroughly (make sure that the beef is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda). Pat the beef dry with paper towels and then marinate with the sesame oil, sugar and soy sauce. Mix well, cover and let marinate several hours or overnight, refrigerate.
2. Heat oil and garlic together in a wok over a medium heat, increase heat to high, add beef and stir fry for 3 minutes, or until beef turns colour.
3. Add beans, lime leaves, sugar, soy, fish sauce and stir fry for 2 minutes or until beans turn colour. Stir in coriander and serve immediately.

Thai Red Duck Curry with Pineapple & Lychees

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons red curry paste
250ml chicken stock
270ml coconut cream
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown or palm sugar
1 small red capsicum, seeded and chopped into 2cm pieces
¾ cup chopped fresh pineapple, cut into 2cm pieces
½ cup fresh or canned lychees, halved
10 cherry or grape tomatoes
2 duck breasts, trimmed
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons whole Thai basil leaves
½ teaspoon finely shredded Kaffir lime leaves
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the curry paste and stir fry for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken stock, coconut cream, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Add the capsicum and cook for 2 minutes then add the pineapple, lychees and tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the duck breasts for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked to your liking. Remove from heat and drain on paper towel. Cover and keep warm. (Rest the duck)
3. Thickly slice the duck. Stir lime juice through red curry mixture and divide among serving bowls. Top with duck and sprinkle with basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves. Serve with rice.

Notes & Tips

You can substitute duck breasts with ½ Chinese barbecue duck. Remove skin and bones, shred the flesh and place on an oven tray. Place in a 180°C oven and cook for 10 minutes or until duck is warmed through.

To help release the fat from duck breasts, prick skin all over with a fork before adding to the pan.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

I love a good curry- it's sweet, rich, spicy and warming to the belly. Making curry from scratch makes the best tasting curry but if you don't have the time, using a good brand of pre-made curry paste and coconut milk can still taste just as good.
Curry is also great to prepare the night before to allow the flavours to build up and intensify. Just make sure that when you reheat it, do it slowly so that you don't allow the coconut milk to boil or you'll end up curdling it- which is what happened to mine when I made this curry for a family dinner on Xmas day! It doesn't affect the flavour too much but doesn't make your curry look very attractive since you'll have small uneven lumps floating on the surface.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1kg boneless & skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
6 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
400ml coconut milk
250ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown or palm sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 small baby eggplant- halved lengthways, cut into 2cm pieces
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped or 1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 small broccoli, trimmed, cut into florets or 100g beans, topped
50g baby corn- halved lengthways
Sliced red chilli, Thai basil leaves & finely shredded kaffir lime leaves to garnish
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over a high heat, add onions and cook for 3 minutes or until golden. Stir in curry paste and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
2. Add chicken, basil, lime leaves, lemongrass, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, add all the vegetables and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is tender and sauce is thick. Serve garnished with chilli, basil and kaffir lime leaves. Serve with steamed rice

Notes & Tips

Depending on the brand of curry paste you use it can vary in heat and flavour intensity. I've used anywhere between 1 tablespoon to half a jar! It depends on how hot you like your curry and how familiar you are with the brand you use. Experiment until you find the right one for you.

I prefer to use the Maesri brand green curry paste but it's very, very hot! So use no more than 1 tablespoon if you like your curry mild.

Make ahead tips:

If making the curry the night before, do not add the lime juice until right at the end when ready to serve

Add the chicken and vegetables during reheating to keep chicken moist and vegetables crisp

Reheat the curry over a low temperature to avoid coconut milk from curdling

Chicken Satay Skewers and Peanut Sauce

Serves 4
Ingredients

800g chicken thigh fillets or tenderloins, cut
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 stalk lemongrass
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red chillies, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
1 tbs soy sauce (I used ketcup manis for a sweeter flavour)
¼ cup oil
1 tbsp soft brown sugar

For the satay sauce 

½ cup crunchy peanut butter
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Process the onion, lemongrass, garlic, chillies, coriander, turmeric, salt and soy sauce in a food processor, in short bursts, until smooth, adding a little oil to assist the processing. Place marinade mixture and chicken pieces into a snaplock bag, mix together well till chicken is thoroughly coated with the marinade and leave overnight in the fridge - make sure all the air is pushed out of the bag. 
2. If using wooden skewers, soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes prior to cooking.
3. Meanwhile to make the satay sauce: stir all the ingredients in a heavy based pan over low heat, until the mixture boils. Remove from the heat. The sauce will thicken on standing.
4. Heat a char-grill or barbecue flat plate until very hot and brush with some oil. Skewer the chicken taking care not to overload the skewers by bunching up the meat. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side, sprinkling with a little oil and brown sugar (this will help produce a lovely flavour and colour). Serve topped with satay sauce and rice.

Thai Prawn & Pumpkin Curry

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas magazine, May 2008 edition, page 37

Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 large brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
1 tablespoon fish sauce
270ml can light coconut milk
1 long red chilli (or 2 Birdseye chilli), deseeded, thinly sliced
¾ cup cold water
800g medium green king prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact
100g green beans, trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths
1 small broccoli, cut into florets, steamed or microwaved
steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer, in a large roasting pan. Spray some olive oil and toss to coat. Bake in oven for approx. 8 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add curry paste. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add pumpkin, fish sauce, coconut milk, half the chilli and cold water. Simmer for a few minutes or until pumpkin is just tender and sauce has thickened slightly.
4. Add prawns, broccoli and beans. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until prawns are cooked through and beans tender. Top with remaining chilli. Serve with rice.

Thai Beef Salad

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced
4 coriander roots, finely chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons oil
400-500g piece rump or sirloin steak
125g-200g mixed salad leaves
125g cherry tomatoes
½ small red onion, finely sliced
fresh coriander and mint leaves, chopped

Dressing

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon caster sugar or soft brown sugar
1-2 red chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped



Method

1. Combine the chopped garlic and coriander roots, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of the oil. If you have a mortar and pestle, use it to finely grind the mixture. Alternatively, blend the mixture well in a food processor or blender. Spread the mixture evenly over the steak.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy based frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the steak to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes each side, turning the steak once only during the cooking time. Remove the steak from the pan and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, wash the salad leaves and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Arrange the prepared leaves on a serving plate and arrange the cherry tomatoes over the top with the sliced onions.
4. Prepare dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Cut the cooled steak across the grain into thin strips and arrange over the salad leaves. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter the fresh mint leaves over the top. Serve immediately.
   

Minted Pork & Mango Salad

The weather has been pretty hot lately so I've been making lots of salads. This minted pork and mango salad is one of my favourites :)

In this recipe I use mangoes but I have substituted them with ripe papaya when it hasn't been mango season and it still works for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
500g lean pork mince
60g canned water chestnuts, chopped
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
60g bean sprouts
3 green onions (shallots/scallions)
4 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
200g assorted lettuce leaves
1-2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
60g toasted hazelnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok over a medium heat. Add pork, water chestnuts, and lemongrass and stir fry until pork is browned. Remove from wok and set aside to cool.
2. Place pork mixture, lime juice, and fish sauce in a bowl and mix to combine. Add beansprouts, green onions, mint, coriander and black pepper to taste, and toss gently.
3. Line a serving platter with lettuce leaves, then top with mangoes and pork mixture. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts or pecans.

Note:
This salad can be prepared to the end of step 2 several hours in advance. Cover and keep at room temperature. If preparing more than 2 hours in advance store in the refrigerator and remove 30 minutes before you are ready to assemble and serve it.

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

I was holidaying in the Gold Coast a couple of months ago and whilst there, hubby and I decided to visit a Thai restaurant located not too far from where we were staying. We ordered Thai pineapple fried rice amongst other Thai dishes and were pleasantly surprised and amused that the fried rice came served in a pineapple boat!

I've always admired fruit and vegetable carvings so it wasn't a surprise to my hubby that I was keen to try and carve out my very own pineapple boat when I got back home to Sydney. But as usual, life got very busy as soon as we got back from our holiday and so I just never got around to playing around with this dish. Until...

Just the other day I had a whole pineapple left over after making my fruit kebabs. So, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to recreate some Thai pineapple fried rice.

The ingredients in this fried rice is a little different to how I would normally make my fried since it is Thai style fried rice as opposed to the Chinese-style fried rice. Nonetheless, the method of cooking is very similar. 

In this recipe I have added lots of extra curry powder and chilli since hubby likes a bit of spiciness in his food ;) However, you can adjust the following recipe to make it as mild or as spicy as you wish just by adding more or less curry powder, omitting the chillies etc.

This is also a good dish to bring along for a pot luck or to make if you're having a lunch or dinner with friends over. They'll be pretty impressed with the presentation!

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp oil
1 whole pineapple or 225g tinned pineapple pieces, juice drained
4 cups of cooked rice, cooled
1 cup frozen carrots, corn, peas mix or whatever vegetables you desire
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 red bird eye chilli
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbs soy sauce
3 eggs, beaten
8-10 medium prawns, peeled, deveined and chopped into small pieces
⅓ cup cashew nuts (optional)
cracked pepper (optional)

Method

1. Slice off one side of the pineapple to remove the skin (do not cut off the leaves). Carve out the fruit from inside the pineapple. Set carved pineapple aside.
2. Pound chilli and garlic in a mortar and pestle to make a paste. If you don't own one, just use your knife to flatten it.
3. Place oil in a work or frying pan and turn heat to medium high. Add the chilli paste and diced shallots. Saute until fragrant.
4. Add the frozen vegetables, cashew nuts, prawns and stir fry for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the rice, soy sauce, curry powder and cracked pepper. Stir fry everything together until well combined then add the pineapple pieces.
6. Push the rice to the edges of wok/fry pan, add the beaten eggs into the centre of the wok/fry pan and scramble them till cooked.
7. Continue to stir fry the rice and ensure that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
8. Taste the rice, if not salty enough add some soy sauce or salt.
9. Serve in the carved out pineapple.
10. Enjoy!

Thai Fish Cakes

Makes approx. 15

Ingredients

8 green beans, very finely sliced
1 small onion, peeled and quartered (or 2 spring onions, finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 thick slices peeled ginger
2 red chillies, trimmed (optional)
2cm piece fresh lemongrass
6 Kaffir lime leaves, crushed
¼ bunch coriander, roughly chopped
350g white boneless fish fillets, cubed
1 x 60g egg
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons red curry paste
3 tablespoons rice flour or cornflour
Oil, for shallow frying
Sweet chilli dipping sauce, to serve

Method

1. Process onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, lemongrass, lime leaves and coriander in a food processor until it forms a paste.
2. Add fish, egg, fish sauce, red curry paste, rice flour and process until mixture is well combined.
3. Stir in the green beans and mix thoroughly.
4. Using wet hands, form 1 tablespoon of mixture at a time into flattish pieces
5. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook the fish cakes until they are golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with a dipping sauce
   

Pad Thai

This is a quick and easy to cook dish from central Thailand, you add the chilli when it is served, so your guest can choose to make the dish spicy or mild.
For the pounded peanut, it's better to choose a dry unsalted peanut. Roast them in a dry frying pan then chop them up til they form smaller pieces. Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place. This process can be prepared ahead of time.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 small pack of glass noodles/rice stick noodles/pad Thai noodles (approx. 200g)
1 egg
200g Thai flavoured tofu (chopped into small squares)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
50g bean sprouts (ends trimmed)
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
½ tbs Tean Gourmet crispy prawns chilli
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs lemon juice
12 medium green prawns (peeled, deveined, leave tails intact)

Serve with

Fresh beansprouts
Green lettuce

Garnish with

Sugar
Unsalted peanuts (pounded/chopped to fine pieces)
Dried chilli flakes
Lemon or lime slice


Method

1. Soak the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften them. Drain. Rinse under cold water.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok on high heat.
3. Add prawns. Stir fry until partially cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on plate lined with paper towels.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok on medium heat. Add onion and cook til transparent. Then add bean sprouts and tofu. Stir fry for 1 minute.
5. Add noodles, seasonings and stir fry for another minute.
6. Move to one side of the frying pan to make room to fry an egg.
7. Break the egg into the wok and stir fry quickly for a few seconds to break it up.
8. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, reserved prawns and stir fry til ingredients are mixed through evenly.

Notes and Tips

Prawns can be substituted with chicken