Curry Up! I'm Hungry for Thai Food

Whenever I have gone to a Thai restaurant in the past, the choices between curries was either green (usually made with fresh chilies which while pungent, have a sweeter taste) or red (usually made with dried chilies, have a smoky taste and are hotter). So imagine my surprise when I began doing research on Thai Curry for this blog post; the variety is astounding. The base for curry is the paste, not just red or green, but Southern Thai (Massaman), Northern Thai (Jungle), Chili Tamarind, Yellow Bean, Black Bean, Mint Tamarind and even Lemongrass. Now remember, I'm only dealing with Thai cuisine here; there are also curries from India, Pakistan, Japan and most of the Asian cultures.

As a reminder, authentic curry powder is not the same thing; it is made from the curry plant which is similar in appearance to lavender, but smells and tastes similar to sage. However, to confuse the issue more, some places do sell "curry powder" which is a dried, ground mixture of herbs and spices to help the home cook's life "easier" when making a curry recipe. I noticed some recipes state "add curry powder" and I wonder if they are using this premade mixture, or the curry plant.

I will not be posting any recipes for a curry paste as there are so many varieties, but I will recommend a book.  It is a simple book to read, easy recipes and little "knowledge" tidbits added in here and there to make it more interesting.  The book is called, "The Everything Thai Cookbook" by Jennifer Malott Kotylo; and I have many of the books in "The Everything" series as they are informative.  Chapter One is "Pastes, Marinades and Other Concoctions" which includes rubs and vinegars.  Not a book reader, then there are tons of cooking sites on the internet containing recipes, and even instruction videos.

I will be giving you two of my recipes, one for Red Curry and the other for Green Curry; simple basic recipes which you can expand upon depending on your own tastes in vegetables and proteins.

Thai Curry

  

 

Red Curry
Ingredients:

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup snow pea pods
½ cup diced onion
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 (14 oz) coconut milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat; sauté vegetables until they just begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Turn heat up to medium-high; stir in curry paste and cook another minute. Mix together coconut milk and cornstarch; add to skillet and bring to a boil; let cook for 2 minutes before serving. Suggested side: Jasmine rice.

Note: One cup of chicken, pork or shrimp can be previously cooked in additional two tablespoons of oil and set aside to be added to the skillet during the final two minutes of cooking.

Makes 2 servings.

 

Green Curry

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp green curry paste
1 cup coconut milk, divided in half
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped broccoli ½ cup chopped baby corn
3 kaffir lime leaves, split
¼ cup Thai basil
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat oil and curry paste over medium heat; add in half cup of coconut milk, vegetables and kaffir leaves; cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat up to medium-high; mix in remaining coconut milk, basil, fish sauce and sugar; bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes before serving. Suggested side: Jasmine rice

Note: One cup of chicken, pork or shrimp can be previously cooked in additional two tablespoons of oil and set aside to be added to the skillet during the final two minutes of cooking.

Makes 2 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Nathan's Joins the Black Angus Clan.

Being a Brooklynite, and a lover of New York foods, I have worshipped at the temple of Nathan's located in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. Once I had moved to Utah, I had to come to terms to the fact that I would not be eating a Nathan's hotdog again. Ah, but I was wrong! The local supermarket, City Market, and WalMart began bringing in packaged Nathan's hotdogs and added them to their already abundant hotdog sections. 

So there I was the other day, already to grab the usual green and yellow package when my eye spied a package with black coloring on it.  Stamped on the front was "Made with 100% Angus Beef", and on the ingredient listing it was listed as the first item which means "predominant" ingredient.  Salt and paprika were the seasonings; gluten free in a natural casing and I couldn't wait to try them out.

Being the winter, I wasn't going outside in 10 degree weather to grill up two hotdogs.  I preheated the oven to 350F, lined a pan with aluminum foil and let these puppies cook for 7 minutes.

The franks themselves measure at 6 and 1/2 inches long, while the typical bun is 5 and 1/2 inches, so I did wonder about the shrinkage factor of these new franks.  I was pleasantly surprised to find they remained longer than the buns.  Typically hotdogs begin to shrivel once removed from the heat, but these stayed plumped up much longer.  The taste was incredible; truly beefy and none of the harshness down the throat that over seasoned, or preservative full, hotdogs typically has.  They have snap to them when bitten into and are juicy; they have all the factors to bring you to hotdog nirvana.

Yes, they are a bit more expensive than Nathan's regular beef franks, but are worth it by far!  Next time shopping for hotdogs, try out Nathan's Angus Franks...hail to the beef!!!

Mary Cokenour

Pot Roast Italian Style, or Who Needs Carraba's?

Pot Roast is actually an example of braising; the searing of meat and finishing it off in liquid, cooked low and slow. Italian Osso Buco and the traditionally American Yankee Pot Roast are prime examples, so if you have prepared and/or eaten either of these dishes, you've eaten braised meat.  We're going to do a little more traveling to Italy with this post and mainly due to the newest commercial for the restaurant "Carraba's Italian Grill" featuring "Beef Brasato".  The origin of this dish is Barolo, located in Northern Italy where a deep, rich red wine is made and used in the making of "Brasato al Barolo" or beef braised in Barolo (wine).  A side note, if you cannot find Barolo wine, a full bodied red wine such as Merlot will do nicely as a substitute.

What is truly unique about this braising process is instead of using water or broth, the liquid is wine. The alcohol completely cooks out, so no need to worry if ingesting alcohol is not in your diet for whatever reason.

When choosing a roast for braising, I usually go with rump, eye round or sirloin tip for the leanness, and any outside excess fat is removed while a little marbling is perfectly fine.  Normally though, for pot roasting, a cheaper, tougher cut, such as chuck roast, is the norm.  However this cut is also loaded with sections of fat running throughout it; this fat tenderizes the meat, but causes your gravy to become very greasy.  If this is the only roast you can find at an affordable price, don't panic as there is a way to fix that gravy.  One hour before you'll be getting ready to serve the meal, ladle out however much gravy you think you will need plus one cup into a plastic container.  Put the container into the freezer; in an hour the fat will have risen to the surface and solidified.  The fat is still soft enough to spoon out and will leave you with a gravy that contains little to no grease in it.  While heating up the gravy, your meat should be resting before slicing and they'll both be ready at the same time for serving.  See, told you not to panic.

 

A traditional base for soups and stews is the "mirefois", the combination of onions, celery and carrots.  If cooking were a religion, this would be known as "The Holy Trinity".  Here's a little tip:  Carrots give a natural sweetness to a dish, especially if it contains tomatoes which can be bitter or acidic, so don't hesitate to add them when cooking pasta sauce or chili.  The mirefois will be softened up before adding to the recipe to ensure the vegetables do not remain "hard" after the entire cooking process is done.

 

Time to cook!

 

 

Brasato al Barolo

Ingredients:

1 cup each of diced onions, celery and carrots
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided in half
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 (3 lb.) lean roast, cut in half
1/2 tsp each salt and ground black pepper
4 cups diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning mixture
2 cups wine (Barolo or Merlot)

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium heat, put 2 tablespoons of oil and mix together the onions, celery, carrots and garlic.  Let the vegetables cook for 10 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally to make sure they are not sticking, browning or burning.  Remove to a bowl when done and wipe out skillet.

Return the skillet to the burner, but turn the heat up to medium-high and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season the roast halves with the salt and black pepper; place into the skillet and sear both sides of the meat and all edges. While the meat is searing, turn on a 6 quart crockpot (slow cooker) to low and spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray. Once the meat is seared, place it inside the crockpot.

Now start a layering process: on top of the meat spread out the softened vegetables, mix the tomatoes with the tomato paste and spread this over the vegetables; sprinkle on the seasoning mix before pouring the wine over it all. Place on the lid and let it cook for 10 hours. Remove the meat to a serving platter to rest; use a hand blender, or transfer the liquid to a stand blender. Pulse quickly 4 to 6 times and the gravy will thicken up, but you want to leave some of the vegetables intact for taste, texture and eye attraction.

 Makes 8 servings.



Side suggestions: I used pappardelle, a long ribbon like egg pasta made with semolina flour, but if you cannot find this, using extra wide egg noodles is perfectly fine. Garlic mashed potatoes would enhance the flavors of the gravy; or serve it over Polenta. Polenta is very Italian indeed and can be served in a soft texture, like mashed potatoes, or in a firmer texture which has been fried up to a golden brown in olive oil, butter or combination of both.

Who needs to go out to Carraba's when you can make the same dish in the comfort of your own home?  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Lemon Grass

Lemon Grass

 
Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), a native of India, is used in Asian (Thai and Vietnamese) and Caribbean cooking. Lemon grass is a perennial, which means once you plant it; the grass comes back year after year. Depending on the area you live in, the plant will go dormant in the winter, or will need to be potted and wintered indoors.

Culinary Uses

This is a very pungent herb, so a small amount packs a lot of flavor. The entire stalk of the grass can be used; the grass blade can be sliced very fine, while the bulb can be bruised and minced.

The light lemon flavor of this grass blends well with garlic, chilies, and cilantro; yet can be used to make a refreshing tea.

Lemongrass Tea

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Chopped fresh lemongrass tops or 2 tablespoons dried lemongrass

4 cups boiling water

Sugar to taste

Preparation:

Preheat teapot with boiling water; discard water. Add lemongrass and boiling water, steep 8 to 10 minutes; strain. Serve hot or allow to cool, sweeten to taste, and serve in tall glasses with ice.

Medicinal and Other Uses

This grass is rich in a substance called citral, the active ingredient in lemon peel. This substance is said to aid in digestion as well as relieve spasms, muscle cramps, rheumatism and headaches.

Lemon grass is also used commercially as the lemon scent in many products including soaps, perfumes and candles. A related plant, (Cymbopogon nardus) is the ingredient in citronella candles sold to ward off mosquitoes and other insects.

Buying and Storing

Lemon grass can be found in most Asian markets. Select fresh looking stalks that do not look dry or brittle. Store fresh lemon grass in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed plastic bag for up to 3 weeks, or freeze it for about 6 months without any flavor loss.

In addition to fresh, lemon grass may be purchased dried or powdered. The dried product has to be soaked in hot water and reconstituted before use. The powdered variety is useful in teas and curries, but is not a good substitute for the fresh product.

Thai Hot and Sour Soup

This is a flavorful soup that is great for a cold winter's night

Ingredients:

1/4 cup ginger, peeled and julienned

1 large onion, slivered

4 Thai bird chiles

3 stalks lemon grass, white part only, sliced

1/4 cup fish sauce

6 cups chicken stock

6 kaffir lime leaves

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup Thai basil leaves

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 cups sautéed sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 cup enoki mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1/2 cup chopped scallions, green part only

Preparation:

Sauté ginger, onion, chiles and lemon grass until soft. Deglaze pan with fish sauce. Add chicken stock and lime leaves. Simmer and reduce the liquid by 20 per cent. Add vinegar, basil and pepper. Check for seasoning. Strain the soup. Add sautéed shiitakes, fresh enoki mushrooms and sliced scallions. Ladle soup in soup plates. Garnish with green scallions.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: sautéed shrimp or chicken can be added to the soup; approximate 1/4 cup per serving.

Mary Cokenour
 

One Sandwich, Two Textures.

I was telling people about Sweet Cravings in Moab, and how they should try the "Adventure Inn" panini. Now Moab is one hour away from me, and as much as I would love to just hop in the car, drive down there and grab a meal at Sweet Cravings; it's not always possible. However, I did have some turkey tenderloins in the freezer and knew that roasting them up to slice up for sandwiches later on wouldn't be something to cry about.

  Throwing together a quick Sweet Onion Relish wouldn't be too much of a bother either.  Ok, so now I had a game plan and as soon as the turkey was defrosted and the relish ready, the creation could begin.

I have to admit that I didn't want to make an exact replica of the Adventure Inn panini; didn't want to deal with cranberry sauce, jalapeno jelly and cream cheese.  I wanted a much simpler version to put together, where my biggest decision would be to toast the bread or not.  I had a soft roll that I could use to make a panini, but I also had soft croissants that would hold together nicely without the toasting.  No, I don't like to toast croissants as the process seems to make them become too crumbly and fall apart. 

  The decision was made for me when I spied my Calphalon Panini press that I had gotten a while back...the panini won.

  Preheating the oven to 350F; I lined a small roasting pan with aluminum foil and sprayed the rack with nonstick cooking spray. The turkey tenderloins (about 3/4 lb each) were boneless, skinless and trimmed of any excess fat; a simple sprinkling of salt and ground black pepper was done to both sides. Tenderloins on the rack and into the oven, they roasted for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reached 160F.  I did turn them over once during the roasting process, so each side would brown.
 Before slicing the turkey up, I let it rest for 15 minutes...now lets make that panini!

Slicing the roll open, I spread some mayonnaise on the outside of each side; the mayonnaise would give the bread crunch after toasting without being greasy.  The turkey was sliced up, 5 pieces each 1/4" thick; Swiss cheese and sweet onion relish ready for adding.  I put my stove top burner on medium heat, put the panini pan on the burner and let it heat up.  This pan does heat up quickly, so make sure you have everything ready to go or you risk burning the roll side closest to the burner.  Yes, I'm talking from experience.

  Roll on the pan, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, turkey slices fanned out along the roll, a generous helping of sweet onion relish before being topped with another 2 slices of Swiss cheese and the other side of the roll.

 Place the press on top of the sandwich and begin pressing down slightly; don't slam down hard immediately, or the insides will just come gushing out. Let it cook for one minute before flipping the sandwich over and begin pressing down again. Since the cheese is now melted, the sandwich will press together more easily and you can apply more pressure; one minute on the pan and then to the plate it can go.

 There you have it, the Turkey Sweet Onion Panini; tender slices of turkey, smooth Swiss cheese and a sweet, yet tangy onion relish.
 Did I make a cold version of the sandwich, you bet I did! On a croissant and it was just as delicious as the hot version. One type of sandwich, done up two ways and all you have to do is make the decision of which one to try out first. Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

I, Spoon, Take Thee Bowl.

Have you ever been to an Italian wedding, or should I say an Italian-American wedding? They are usually on the grand scale where the food seems to take center stage more than the bride and groom themselves. I've been to many in my lifetime, but I have to admit that soup was frequently an uninvited guest. So where did the idea of "Italian Wedding Soup" come from then? 

Italian Wedding Soup has its origins in the United States, but is definitely influenced by such Italian soup varieties as Tuscan Soup or Minestrone. The Italian phrase "minestra maritata", translated to "married soup", has been misconstrued into making us believe that this is a typical item served at Italian wedding feasts. Actually the phrase refers to the perfect "marriage" of vegetables to meat or poultry, and can be applied to almost any soup in general if you think about it.

Typically, the Italian wedding soups we see served in restaurants, or marketed in cans by Progresso and Campbells, has miniature meatballs, diced vegetables and orzo in a thin to semi-thick broth.  In fact I've posted my own version which I call simply Meatball Soup, but I use cubed potatoes instead of orzo as my filler. Another version I have eaten was called "Escarole Soup" which was served at Easter time containing mainly escarole and shredded chicken in a seasoned broth.  That is the wonder of this soup; tiny meatballs, sausage or chicken, with or without pasta or beans, with or without a leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale or escarole....no version is wrong.

Clicking on Tuscan Soup or Meatball Soup will bring you to my posted recipes.  For the Meatball Soup, leaving out the potatoes and adding 2 cups of a leafy vegetable (spinach, kale or escarole) and 1 cup of orzo will get you to what is in the photo above.  The orzo goes into the soup pot uncooked of course and gets cooked during the simmering process.   For my meatballs, I use a mixture of ground beef and ground turkey; seems to give the meatballs a smoother, more comforting mouth feel than when only beef is used.  A hint if you intend on making a version with shredded chicken in it; melt some mozzarella over the soup before serving and it becomes absolutely decadent.

Have fun when making your own version of Italian Wedding Soup.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Angelic Pasta and Shrimp in a Skillet.

As much as I rave about, and love, homemade pasta sauce, there are times I want it now, and waiting for a container to defrost just won't do. Oh sure I could defrost it in the microwave, but in the time that takes, I could have a meal either ready, or almost so. No way, you say....way, and it will not involve using any jarred or canned sauce purchased at the supermarket.

When I was little, my grandmother would make "shrimps in sauce", basically shrimp cooked in pasta sauce and served over spaghetti; still one of my favorite dishes to this day. When I can find them, I'll add sea scallops which makes it an overall decadent meal, but for now we'll concentrate on shrimp. For this recipe, 3/4 of a pound of medium sized shrimp, shelled and deveined will do nicely; and to make it extra special, angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti. For the pasta, just a 4 ounce portion of dried will do; it's a very thin and light pasta, so a little of dry will become a lot once cooked up.   When you put the pasta in the hot water, please do not break it up; the long strands are so lovely in the sauce.  For the tomatoes I'm using canned diced tomatoes, not crushed or pureed; if you can find the type that have diced onion included, great!; if not, don't worry about it.   Hungry yet? Lets go have some fun with a skillet then, shall we?

Skillet Shrimp and Pasta
Ingredients:

1 (14/5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with onions (*see note)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning mixture
3/4 lb. medium sized shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 lb. angel hair pasta (**see note)

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium heat, add the tomatoes, garlic and seasoning mixture; cover and let sauce cook down for 20 minutes; stir occasionally to keep from sticking or burning.   In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt and pepper; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

After 20 minutes, pasta should be ready, drained and kept warm; add the shrimp to the skillet, mix thoroughly.  Sprinkle the parsley over top and let cook for 7 minutes. 

Add the pasta, but toss lightly to coat and not break it up; let cook additional 2 minutes in skillet before serving.



This will make 4 servings.  Enjoy!

*Note: if you cannot find this type, dice up a small onion, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat and saute' the onion until translucent; do not allow it to brown or burn.

**Note: the sauce will be cooking down for 20 minutes before the shrimp are added; make sure the pasta is cooked around the same time as it will be added after the shrimp.

Mary Cokenour