Category Archives: Asian

Panang Curry

June 19, 2020

Thai curry isn’t something I thought I’d ever make myself, but since we left our favorite Thai restaurant behind and miss their Panang curry most of all, I found myself wondering if I could make it at home…! I found this recipe from Tastes Better than Scratch and figured it was worth a try. I ordered the curry paste from Amazon (it’s essential for the authentic flavor), found the Thai basil at my local grocery store, and everything else I had on hand. As you might guess since I’m sharing it here, this recipe was a success! It’s a truly delicious Panang curry.

I used thinly sliced chicken breast but you could try it with shrimp (or another meat like pork or beef). Full-fat coconut milk is best for the richest flavor, but I’m guessing it would still be great with one can of light coconut milk (though I wouldn’t go for two). The full amount of curry paste listed make a medium spicy dish. It was just right for my husband and I, but almost too hot for my kids. Reduce the curry paste if you want it mild. And this curry could be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated until ready to heat and serve. I would cook the rice just before eating though because reheated rice is never as good.

Panang Curry

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. Panang curry paste
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into thin slices
1 small onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used red and yellow)
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
4 garlic cloves , minced
2 14-oz. cans full-fat coconut milk
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice + pinch lime zest
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
handful Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped
hot cooked jasmine rice

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a (very) large non-stick skillet. Saute onions for 2 minutes, then add bell peppers, garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes more.
  2. Add curry paste and peanut butter and saute for 1 minute. Add 1 ½ cans of coconut milk. Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/2 can coconut milk then add to the pan. Stir well.
  3. Add chicken, stirring to coat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or just until chicken is no longer pink and sauce begins to thicken.
  4. Stir in sugar, fish sauce, lime juice/zest, and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Adapted from Tastes Better from Scratch

Sushi Rice Bowls

April 4, 2020

My kids LOVE sushi. At first we were proud of their adventurous taste buds but soon realized how expensive their sushi habit was going to be. We can’t go to a Japanese restaurant and trick them into eating teriyaki while we feast on maki anymore. They want the good stuff and they can eat A LOT of it. Luckily, they’re pretty easy to please with California or shrimp rolls. I’ve yet to try making my own sushi rolls at home, but these bowls are a simpler solution that satisfy us all!

Since we don’t feed them raw fish and we all love salmon, we make salmon sushi bowls. You could substitute shrimp or crab meat or make yours a veggie bowl. So many options! There are a few different things to prep but much (or all) of it can be done ahead of time and each step is pretty simple. The two things that make these sushi bowls extra special: roasted nori (for that essential umami flavor) and spicy mayo! My kids can handle a little kick and they can’t get enough of that stuff.

Sushi Rice Bowls

INGREDIENTS

Salmon:
~1 lb. salmon
drizzle of olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon, sliced (optional)

Sushi Rice:
1 1/2 cups sushi rice, cooked according to package directions
3 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Spicy Mayo:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. sambal oelek (or sriracha)*
1 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice

Sweet Soy Sauce:
3 tbsp. soy sauce (I use low-sodium)
1 1/2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. honey

green onion, sliced
carrot, grated or sliced
cucumber, peeled and sliced
avocado, pitted and sliced
nori roasted seaweed snack, crumbled
toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the salmon on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and top with lemon slices (if using). Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 
  2. Prepare the sushi rice according to package directions. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Microwave for 20-30 seconds and stir until the sugar/salt dissolves. Once the rice has finished cooking, remove the rice from the heat and stir in the vinegar mixture until the rice is evenly coated. 
  3. To make the spicy mayo, combine the mayo, sambal oelek, rice vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Adjust heat to taste.
  4. To make the sweet soy sauce, in a small bowl whisk to combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. (You can heat it a bit in the microwave if you’re having trouble getting the honey to combine.) 
  5. While the salmon and rice finish cooking, prep the remaining ingredients so they are ready to go into your bowls. 
  6. Place prepared rice in individual serving bowls, top with salmon, onion, carrot, cucumber, avocado, nori, and toasted sesame seeds, Drizzle with spicy mayo and sweet soy sauce and serve.

*The amount of chili paste/sriracha can be adjusted to taste. This is mildly spicy so that my kids can handle it!

Inspired by Budget Bytes

Salmon Rice Bowl with Maple Lime Glaze

May 22, 2015

IMG_7929

We love a good rice bowl. (One of my favorites is the salmon- with veggies- teriyaki bowl at Whole Foods. Clara and I have shared a dozen of those over the last few years.) So I was excited when I found this recipe. The maple-soy-lime glaze is what really makes it awesome! Steam some rice. Saute spinach and whatever other vegetables you desire. Simmer a quick glaze to brush on the salmon before roasting and drizzle atop before serving. I added some steamed broccoli on the side. Healthy and delicious.

p.s. Serve it with brown rice if you prefer. Or try rice noodles. I bet chicken or shrimp would be equally delicious. (Shrimp you can roast- it’ll cook quick!- but chicken I would grill or cook in a skillet.) Or tofu. Or just go crazy with the veggies.

Salmon Rice Bowl with Maple Lime Glaze

INGREDIENTS

1 cup jasmine rice
2 tsp. unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
3-4 salmon fillets (12-16 oz. total), skin removed
1 tsp. canola, coconut, etc. oil
2 5- oz. packages baby spinach (and/or a mixture of vegetables to saute- I added green beans, shallot, and bell peppers)
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
chopped green onion or chives, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Cook rice as directed on package (I use 2 cups water and 3/4 tsp. salt for 1 cup white rice).

2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and pepper flakes until garlic is lightly golden, 1 minute. Add syrup, juice and soy sauce; cook until bubbling, 3 minutes. In a bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tsp. water; stir into garlic glaze. Cook until slightly thick, 1 minute.

3. Arrange fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread 1 tsp. glaze over each fillet. Roast until just cooked through, about 12 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add 1 package spinach; sauté until just wilted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from pan; set aside. Repeat with second package spinach. (At this point you can sauté any other vegetables you want to include.) Divide rice among bowls; top each with spinach/veggies and salmon. Drizzle with remaining sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion/chives (optional), and serve.

Serves 3-4.

(Adapted from Self)

Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken and Rice

March 26, 2015

IMG_7234

As long as I’ve known Clara (almost 3 years now!) she’s been soup-averse. Not a fan of purees or anything swimming in broth. She’ll usually try them, and then lose interest. I’ve often gotten away with draining the liquid off and serving soup less “soupy”. But rarely does she devour, with pleasure, a bowl of anything soupish without resistance. This was the soup though that made history.

Curry spices + rich coconut milk + shredded chicken + rice + lime juice + cilantro…. essentially coconut chicken curry in soup form. It comes together in about 15 minutes and Dustin, Clara, and I agreed: it’s absolutely delicious!

If you want to complicate things (and maybe add an extra bit of nutrition/flavor), you could saute a small onion, a few cloves of garlic, and some diced red bell pepper before adding the spices at the beginning. But totally not necessary. This soup was full of flavor and perfect just as written. We like our soup thick so I added lots of chicken and rice- cut back on both for a thinner consistency. And you’re always welcome to spice it up to taste. When serving a child, I usually just provide pepper flakes on the side. Serve with warm naan for dipping.

Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken and Rice

INGREDIENTS

1-2 Tbsp. butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. chili powder
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I added ~1 tsp. salt)
1 large carrot, grated
2 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used half of a Whole Foods rotisserie chicken)
2 cups cooked white or brown rice (I used white Jasmine rice)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
fresh cilantro, chopped for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter/oil over medium heat, then stir in the spices and let cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the carrots, stir to combine and let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the carrots are soft.

2. Add the remaining ingredients (chicken broth through soy sauce) and bring to a low boil, then let simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir in fresh cilantro, and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Everyday Reading)

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry with Pineapple

March 13, 2015

Processed with VSCOcam with c2 preset

Clara and I are in Virginia visiting my parents this week and because my mom LOVES Chinese food we decided to try out this new recipe. Well, I’m sharing it here so obviously it was a success! (Despite some pretty awful iPhone photos. I wanted to bring my camera in case a delicious meal needed photographing but after squeezing both of our belongings into one bag there wasn’t an extra ounce of space. Blankie, pillow, lambie, lambie’s blankie, video monitor, alarm clock that lights up when it’s time to wake up in the morning and on and on- nothing must be left behind if we want to get any sleep!) I could write a lengthy essay about traveling with a toddler, but back to the recipe. I’m not an expert stir-frier. But this recipe fooled me into thinking so. It doesn’t take much skill and the result is A++!

FullSizeRender (2)

Thinly (very thinly) sliced chicken breast is stir-fried with fresh veggies (I chose broccoli, carrot, mushrooms, and red pepper), fresh pineapple (use canned in a pinch but fresh, yum!), and a pineapple juice- based sweet and sour teriyaki sauce. I blanched my carrots and broccoli before they went into the pan so they’d cook quicker (we don’t like them too crunchy). And served it all over steamed white rice with some peas and green beans on the sides.

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry with Pineapple

INGREDIENTS

stir fry:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
~2 Tbsp. canola, grapeseed, peanut, or coconut oil
3 cups broccoli florets
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/4 cup pineapple juice
~2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (or a 20-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved)

sauce:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
2 tsp. cornstarch

steamed white or brown rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Very thinly slice the chicken breasts, pat them dry, and toss them in a medium bowl with the cornstarch and salt and pepper. Let the chicken sit for about 10-15 minutes while whisking the sauce and prepping vegetables.

2. For the sauce, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl or liquid measuring cup and whisk until smooth.

3. Heat about 1 Tbsp. oil in a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Add half of the chicken to the skillet in a single layer without overlapping and let it cook until nicely browned, about 30-45 seconds. Flip the chicken and let it cook through on the other side, 1-2 minutes. If your chicken is sliced super thin, it won’t take long to cook through. Remove the chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

4. Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the pan if needed and heat again until hot and rippling. Add all of the vegetables to the hot skillet and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are bright in color and barely tender. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice to the skillet and cover (you can add water here instead of the juice, if desired). Cook, letting the vegetables steam for 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender (add more liquid, if needed, if it dries up). (NOTE: I blanched my broccoli and carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes and then cooled them under cold water before stir-frying, so they would cook quicker. If you like your veggies super crisp don’t bother blanching.)

5. Add the pineapple and chicken back to the skillet. Whisk the sauce to recombine and then stir the sauce into the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Serve immediately over hot, cooked rice, if desired.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)