Pad Thai

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's second pit stop in Thailand
adapted from a recipe found on allrecipes.com


Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package dried flat rice noodles
• 6 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons Asian chile pepper sauce (Sriracha, depending on spice tolerance)
  
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 8 ounces medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 6 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
  
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 cups bean sprouts

Instructions:

1. Fill a large bowl with hot tap water and place the noodles in it to soak for 20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, oyster sauce, chile sauce, chicken stock and peanut butter. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, stir in garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add shrimp and chicken; cook, stirring constantly until shrimp is opaque and chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Move everything in the wok out to the sides and pour the eggs in the center. Cook and stir the eggs until firm. Add the noodles to the wok and pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are tender. Add a bit more water if needed to finish cooking the noodles. Stir in 3 cups of bean sprouts and green onions. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped peanuts. Taste for seasoning, adjusting the spice or lime juice if needed.
5. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and remaining bean sprouts and lime wedges on the side.

Notes: When I lived in Madison, I ate a ton of Pad Thai. I would order it from the Sukho Thai cart on Library Mall for lunch... at least once a week. Tim and I ate at the restaurant many, many times when we were first dating. (Googling it shows they closed in 2007--so sad.) I didn't think it would be this easy to make! Pad Thai traditionalists will note the lack of tamarind paste, but I think the flavor is pretty close to most Pad Thai I have had. These leftovers will make a great lunch.


Vegetarian/Vegan Option: replace the fish sauce with soy sauce, the oyster sauce with vegetarian "oyster" sauce, and the chicken and shrimp with tofu or additional veggies.


Tim's Rating: 10/10 (loved it)
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Bánh Mì

Inspiration:
My love for bánh mì and a marinade from Cooking Light, seen on Elizabeth's blog.


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
  
• 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 pound flank steak, trimmed
• sliced fresh jalapeños, shredded carrots, and cilantro
• baguette

Instructions:

1. To prepare steak, combine first 6 ingredients in a large flat dish. Add steak; cover and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Prepare grill or broiler.

3. Remove steak from refrigerator; discard marinade. Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan lightly coated with oil; cook until desired doneness.
   
   
4. Slice steak against the grain; pile on baguette with veggies. Top with fish sauce or a combination of fish sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, lime juice, and sugar.

Notes: These were delicious, but I probably won't make them again. Why? Because we are lucky enough to be able to purchase bánh mì from many nearby Vietnamese-owned restaurants for about $2.50 each. If I didn't have that option, I would be making this often.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Cambodian Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Shrimp

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's stop in Cambodia
as well as our trip there in March 2008
and this recipe from Food & Wine.

Tim and I have never been anywhere like Cambodia. In some ways, it is a total sensory overload-- the heat, the humidity, the bright sun, the sounds, the smells, the bright colors. The Khmer people are some of the nicest people we have met on our trips around the globe. I highly, highly recommend a trip to Cambodia for those of you who have not been. And while there, don't just visit Angkor Wat; try to get out into the communities and spend time with the Khmer people. You will have memories for a lifetime.We were excited to see The Amazing Race would be stopping in Cambodia this season. The racers retraced our steps just months after we left. Watching the episode, we easily recognized the tiny Siem Reap airport...

watched the racers take a traditional boat out on Tonle Sap lake that was just like the boat we hired,
relived being amazed by the poverty and the simplicity and the beauty of life on Tonle Sap,
and we were thrilled to see the clue box on the Tonle Sap lake overlook (here's a shot from that exact small platform). We loved watching the racers finish the detour that used these fish trapsand complete the "roadblock" at Angkor Wat (we thumped our chests in the same room), ...finally finishing up at the "pit stop" at Bayon.
OK, on to the recipe:

Ingredients:

• One 3-pound rotisserie chicken
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
• 8 shelled and deveined medium shrimp, halved lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions:

1. Cut the chicken into legs, thighs, breasts and wings. Cut each breast crosswise through the bones into 3 pieces. Remove the thigh bones and cut each thigh in half.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the ginger and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, water, fish sauce, honey and rice and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook just until opaque, about 1 minute. Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, basil and chile and serve right away, passing lime wedges at the table.

Food & Wine beverage suggestion: Citrusy, off-dry Australian Riesling: 2006 Banrock Station.

Notes:
I thought this was just ok. I don't know what my problem is, because the three reviews on Food & Wine's website gave it 5 stars, and Tim loved it. Hmm. I personally prefer the Brazilian Shrimp Soup from a few weeks ago.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10 ("I like the peppers, the rotisserie chicken, and the overall flavor. And the lime.")

Next week on The Amazing Race: India! (Don't worry, we haven't been there, so I'll just focus on the food next week! :) )

Country-Style Curry with Ground Beef and Green Beans

Inspiration:
Quick & Easy Thai
as well as zucchini and green beans from our CSA and ground beef from a local farmer

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1/2 pound ground beef or ground pork
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3 cups chicken broth or water
• a handful of green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium zucchini or 2 long Asian eggplants, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch lengths (about 2 cups)
• 4 wild lime leaves, torn or cut into quarters (optional)
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• a handful of holy basil (bai graprao), or other fresh basil leaves or cilantro leaves
• cooked rice, for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and toss well. Add the curry paste and cook, mashing and stirring to dissolve it until fragrant and softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Crumble in the ground beef and then add the mushrooms. Cook, tossing often, until the meat and mushrooms are browned and seasoned with the curry paste, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth, green beans, zucchini, lime leaves (if using), fish sauce, sugar, and salt and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked. Stir in the basil leaves and remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot or warm.

Recipe Notes:
Serves 4 to 6
Thai name: gaeng bah neua sahp

"This firecracker version of vegetable-beef soup uses red curry paste, simmered in broth rather than coconut milk. The word bah means "forest," evoking the soup's origins, where hunters of old made curry over an open fire, without the luxurious addition of coconut milk.

Bamboo shoots, eggplant, and baby corn would make tasty additions in this hearty dish, an upcountry favorite yielding intense and fiery flavors in a flash. You could also make it with thinly sliced beef or pork, or with chicken cut in big, bite-sized chunks. Serve this curry with lots of rice and a plate of coarsely chopped tomatoes, cucumber slices, and halved hard-boiled eggs. Pair it with new potatoes tossed with butter and a hunk of crusty bread for a volcanic but delicious supper on a winter night."


My Notes:
This was an ok recipe. I think the amount of broth is a bit much; start with half the broth and then add the rest to your liking. I was happy with how many vegetables were incorporated into the curry. I think that we prefer green or yellow curry to red. Like I said, it was ok.


Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 7.5/10

Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini

Inspiration:
Quick & Easy Thai

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini or 2 long purple Asian eggplants
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons green curry paste
• 3/4 pound boneless chicken thighs or breast, cut in big, bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
• 6 to 8 wild lime leaves, torn or cut in half (optional)
• A handful of fresh Asian or Italian basil leaves, plus basil sprigs for garnish
• cooked rice
  

Instructions:

1. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium saucepan or heavy skillet, bring 3/4 cup of the coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it begins to thicken and becomes fragrant. Add the curry paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes, pressing and stirring to dissolve it into the coconut milk. Add the chicken and cook 2 minutes more, tossing to coat it with the sauce.

2. Add the remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk, the chicken broth, zucchini, fish sauce, palm sugar, and about half the wild lime leaves, if using, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked and the zucchini is tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining lime leaves and the fresh basil leaves. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh basil and serve hot or warm over rice.

Recipe Notes:
"Green curry gets its name from the profusion of fresh hot green chilies fortifying the curry paste, rather than from the color of the finished curry. Some say it is the hottest of all Thai curries, but curry heat depends both upon how a given curry paste is made, and how much of it the cook stirs into the curry pot. The classic green curry uses chicken with lots of golfball-sized Thai eggplant, known as makeua poh, along with a flourish of the tiny, fragrant eggplant called makeua peuang, which adds a unique herbal note to the curry. I like it with chicken thighs cut into generous chunks and zucchini or yellow squash, or some of both. Long purple Asian eggplant makes a fabulous alternative. The lime leaves and basil are lovely, but not essential to a great green curry."


My Notes:
The sauce was thinner than I would prefer. Next time I wouldn't add the chicken broth until I thought it needed it. I did like the flavor, and I liked the addition of zucchini to pack in veggies.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Thai Spinach with Black Pepper and Garlic

Inspiration:
Spinach from our CSA and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

• 8 to 10 cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves (about 20 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or white pepper

• 1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or a wok over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, and then add the garlic. Toss well and add the spinach. Gently turn the pile of spinach to heat most of the leaves. (Add it in 2 or 3 batches if your pan won’t hold all the leaves at first).
   
2. Add the fish sauce or salt,the sugar, pepper and water. Toss well, and then cook, turning often, until the spinach is barely wilted and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn out onto a deep platter, sauce and all, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
"This is my version of the classic Thai dish, pahk boong fai daeng, made with pahk boong, a leafy, hollow-stemmed Asian vegetable known as water spinach. In Thailand, pahk boong is fried over such a hot fire that flames leap out of the wok as the chef toss the greens. My home version will give you most of the fantastic flavor without the unwieldy fire, using a sack of prepared spinach from your grocery store produce section. Forget how health-full spinach is for us – make this just because it tastes so good."


My Notes:
The fish sauce was a bit too much. I didn't care for this.

Tim's Rating: 7/10
Liz's Rating: 6/10

Shaking Beef with Pea Shoot Salad

Inspiration:
Sirloin steak from Batalden Farms, pea shoots from our CSA, and this recipe from Food and Wine


Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef sirloin, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 medium onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 6 ounces baby pea shoots
  

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, toss the beef with 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of garlic, 2 teaspoons of sugar and the fish sauce; season with pepper. Let stand.
2. In a bowl, toss the onion and vinegar. In another bowl, mix the soy sauce with the olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a wok, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat until smoking. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Add half of the meat and cook for 3 minutes without stirring; turn and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a plate; cook the second batch. Return the meat to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
4. On a large platter, toss the pea shoots with the onion and the soy dressing. Spoon the beef on top and serve.

Suggested Beverage: A light, fruity Pinot Noir

Notes: The sirloin tasted so good. We loved it. The pea shoots, not so much. I don't think we're fans of pea shoots. The leaves taste good, but it's a lot of work to prepare and eat them. I will use this beef marinade and preparation again in the future, either to serve over mixed greens or brown rice.

So we're just rating the beef.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Thai Summer Bean Stew with Shrimp

Inspiration:
Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails removed
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound frozen shelled edamame
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 10 basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound mixed green beans and yellow wax beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 2 ears of corn, shucked and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• Lime wedges, for serving
  
• Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Sauté until almost done, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk half of the coconut milk with the green curry paste. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk, 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, the fish sauce and the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender. Add the 10 basil leaves and the 1/4 cup of cilantro and puree.
3. In the same large skillet from step 1, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned. Add the edamame, green beans and yellow wax beans and the corn and cook over high heat for 2 minutes, tossing frequently. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. Cover the skillet and simmer the beans until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut-curry sauce and the shrimp and simmer until just heated through. Season the stew with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls, and garnish with basil and cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges and jasmine rice.

Notes:
The original recipe included chicken instead of shrimp, so refer to it if you would prefer chicken. Meat/seafood is not needed, necessarily, the dish would be hearty even without a protein.

The corn looked beautiful but was difficult to eat. Tim did not care for the corn format at all. ("Am I supposed to stab this with my fork?") Next time I will probably just add frozen or fresh corn at the very last minute.

Tim's Rating: 9/10 (not including the corn; 7/10 with the corn).
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Hot-Sweet-Tangy Dipping Sauce

Inspiration:
Hung, the winner of Top Chef, featured in Food and Wine Magazine.

Ingredients:

• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 2 Thai chiles, minced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, stir the lime juice with the fish sauce, chiles and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10