Panang Curry

I love eating Thai food, but when it comes to making it, I'm definitely a novice. That's part of the reason why I love this recipe. You can be a total dork at Thai cooking but somehow it still comes out tasting good in the end. The recipe that has been floating around my husband's family for years and years and originated with an uncle that lived in Thailand for a few years. I heard it second or third hand so I'm not sure how authentic it has stayed, but to my palate it tastes authentic enough to make me proud that I made something so foreign. It's also easy and fast to prepare.

The key ingredient is this:

It's panang curry paste. The bad news is, you probably can't find this at a regular grocery store's ethnic food section. I went to a specialty food store to buy it. Once you have it, though, you have enough for the rest of your life. Plus, it's cheap. The bad news is, you might have to do some searching to find it. Don't do what I did and look in the curry section at an Indian food market for 15 minutes before realizing that it's a Thai curry, not Indian curry. I haven't tried it yet, but I imagine you could try this recipe with a green or red curry that you can buy at a regular grocery store. The taste will be different, of course, but I don't think you can go wrong with coconut milk and curry.

Speaking of coconut milk, there's a couple different options for this recipe. I usually like to make healthy meals, so I often opt for light coconut milk for this recipe. A second option is regular coconut milk, and I think a third, probably most authentic and definitely most fattening option is coconut cream. (Not the sweetened cream of coconut, though.) In all steps, you start with adding a half a cup or so to a large skillet on medium high heat and stirring in your curry paste. The official phrase for when you know it's done is "when the oils rise to the top" of the coconut milk surface. I don't see this as much when doing light coconut milk, so usually I cook it until very fragrant and well dissolved. With regular coconut milk you can cook the curry paste in some of the thick, creamy part of the coconut milk that settles to the bottom of the can.

Once the curry paste is cooked, add sugar, fish sauce, the rest of your coconut milk and your meat. I usually use some kind of steak. Chicken or pork or even shrimp can work too, but beef is my favorite. This is a great recipe for cheaper cuts of beef because they are cut so thinly you can't tell that they are tough. To get super thin slices of meat, I usually freeze mine for about an hour until it is mostly firm but not rock solid, and then I throw that in the food processor with the slicing attachment. If you are using a knife to cut thin slices you can still freeze it to help you cut the meat as thinly as possible.

While the meat is cooking, wash some basil and mince it finely.

Remove your pan from heat and stir in the minced basil and some lime juice and add salt to taste. Serve over warm rice.

Pananag Curry

Ingredients:

2 cans (1 if you want the sauce to be thicker) coconut milk or 1 can coconut cream

1 - 2 T panang curry paste. Start with 1 T and add more if it isn't spicy enough

2 T sugar

1 -2 T fish sauce

1 lb meat (chicken, pork, beef) sliced thinly

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 T lime juice

Directions:

Heat 1/2 cup coconut milk in large skillet over medium heat and add curry paste. Heat and stir occasionally until oils rise to the top of the coconut milk. Add remaining coconut milk slowly, stirring with each addition. Add sugar, fish sauce and meat. Simmer until the meat is heated through. Remove from heat and add basil and lime juice. Serve over rice.

Baker's Square Corn Bread

Ok I confess: I am a total corn bread snob. I don't like corn bread too sweet, too non-sweet, too dry, too crumbly, too mushy etc. etc. etc. When we moved to New York I remember my mom coming home and telling us she had a new corn bread recipe to try, and that one of her friends got it from Baker's Square. I know!! Now, just as a disclaimer, who knows if it really is the recipe from Baker's Square, but it's the most delicious corn bread recipe that you'll ever try. Yes--better than the little corn bread muffins at Red Lobster OR Famous Daves. It's a little sweet, and super moist without being too mushy. So I pass this on to you! Oh and it's the easiest recipe ever so I'm not putting step by step pictures--just the final outcome.

Baker's Square Corn Bread

1 cup Butter, melted

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup milk
2 eggs

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

2 cups Corn Meal

2 cups All Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt your butter and combine it with the sugar, mix well. Add the buttermilk, milk and eggs and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients. Combine and pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake 35 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the corn bread has cracks in it.

Chicken and Grape Pasta Salad

When I say chicken pasta salad, you think of something mayo-based and greasy, right? Try to imagine a chicken pasta salad that is the polar opposite of that and you'd probably be thinking of something very similar to the recipe I'm sharing today. Based on a Cooking Light recipe, it is fresh, light, and deceptively tasty for something so low in fat. It's one of my favorite lunches, but unfortunately it's rare that enough is left over for me to bring as a lunch the next day. Someday I'm going to make a big batch just for myself and selfishly horde it away. And you know what? I won't even feel guilty about it because it's so light and healthy.

You start out with about 8 oz (or 3 cups) farfalle pasta. You may have noticed that farfalle pasta is the shape of choice in our household. I don't have much of a preference one way or the other in a pasta salad, but I know my husband thinks those little bow ties are adorable. If I made the same recipe with a different shape pasta, he might not eat as much. This information may come in handy in the future if he needs to diet, but since right now I have to do everything I can to encourage him to eat we're sticking with farfalle for everything pasta in this house. Boil this up according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, prep the dressing for the salad. See the orange juice and lemon juice? Now do you know what I mean about light and fresh tasting? Mmm.

Also while the pasta is boiling, chop the rest of the ingredients. You've got a couple tablespoons of fresh parsley . . .

 . . . some red grapes . . .

 . . . some pecans (the recipe originally calls for walnuts, which would be good too if you like walnuts.). . .

. . . and green onions. Add these to the dressing with the cooked (and cooled) pasta and stir it up.

I find that this recipe tastes best after sitting for at least a few hours. Overnight is even better.

 You may or many not notice - there is no chicken in these finished pasta salad pictures. That's because I finished the salad, took pictures, cleaned up the kitchen and then saw that the shredded chicken was still in the fridge waiting to be added. Ooops. Please imagine chunks of chicken in this bowl with the rest of the salad.

Chicken and Grape Pasta Salad

8 oz (about 3 cups) uncooked farfalle pasta
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T stone ground mustard
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
3 green onions, chopped (including white parts; about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 T chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and cool completely.
2. Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Add in the chicken, grapes, green onions, pecans, cooled pasta and parsley. Stir to combine.

Guacamole

Is there anything better than guacamole and chips? Or guacamole and anything? My husband and I have been known to mash a few avocados, add some pepper and salt, throw in some tortilla chips and call it dinner. Can you tell we don't have kids yet? This recipe is one I use when I make guacamole to bring anywhere. It originates from my brother's childhood friend, who grew up to be a real live chef at a fancy schmancy restaurant. He made dinner for my brother's family when they were visiting once and my brother diligently wrote down how he made everything, including the guacamole. I'm thankful he was persistent in getting the amounts that his friend was just throwing together to taste because I could never have recreated this recipe without them. It makes a sizable batch of guacamole, probably enough for five or six people, but I nearly always double it because it goes that fast.

To start out with, you need some nice, ripe avocados.

Cut them in half and use a spoon to scoop out all their deliciousness into a bowl.

Add about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro to the avocados and mash them together. Even if you are a cilantro hater, don't cut it out of this recipe. It really adds something and doesn't overpower the guacamole. In fact, I'd say this recipe was a major part of why I went from a cilantro hater to cilantro lover.

Add some sour cream, lime juice, salt, black pepper and minced grilled red onions. If I'm not grilling something, I usually cook a slice of red onions in a pan or broil it. The point is just to tame it a bit so it's not so strong and overpowering.

Now, add some heat. I love this recipe because there's no chopping hot peppers and wearing gloves to keep from getting the spicy oils on your hands and trying not to touch your eyes and forgetting and ending up with stinging, burning eyes and pockets of extreme spiciness in the guacamole because you didn't chop the peppers small enough. Nope. Just add some of this:

Be careful, though. It's really spicy. I always add less than I think I need and then add a few drops at a time until it's the right heat for me.

Stir it together, and put it on everything you can think of.

Justin's Guacamole

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

3 avocados

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 rings grilled onions, minced

1 T lime juice

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4-1/2 tsp sriracha chili sauce

Mash the cilantro with the avocados. Add the other ingredients and stir together.  

Roast Beef Aus Jus Sandwiches

I remember growing up, every Sunday we'd leave for church returning to a home that magically smelled of heaven. Heaven being the smell of roast beef simmering away in the crock pot! I love slow roasted beef, with gravy and mashed potatoes or on sandwiches, it's my idea of heaven. So this recipe is a variation of the one that I grew up on. The aus jus sauce is just the liquid you let your roast cook in. Trust me, it's WAY better than the McCormick powdery stuff that you just add water. So whether you leave for work, church, play when you put this recipe in the crock pot and arrive home hours later, get ready for your mouth to start watering!

Roast Beef Aus Jus Sandwiches

(Recipe from ourbestbites.com & my mom's kitchen)

2 lb Roast Beef

2 tbsp Olive Oil

salt and pepper

2 envelopes Onion Soup mix

2 cans Beef Broth

6 large buns (I look for the hoagie buns in the bakery)

Provolone cheese

Here's what you'll need:

First you'll want to seer your roast beef. In a large skillet heat up the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then salt and pepper your roast and carefully put your beef down in the skillet. If you hear a loud sizzle then you know you are doing the right thing. Allow each side of the beef to seer for at least 2 minutes.

Then put the roast in your crock pot.

Pour the water over the roast, then sprinkle the onion soup, and pour the beef broth over it. Then, super hard, let sit in your crock pot for hours (or you can do 4 or 6 hours too)

Once the roast is cooked, take it out and shred it (it will literally fall right apart effortlessly). Generously spread some of the shredded beef on to the rolls. Put some cheese on top of them and broil for about 3-5 minutes (watch carefully because they'll burn).

Pour some of the broth into a bowl and dip your yummy sandwich, then put it in your mouth. Yeah, I know---heaven right??!!!

Simple Green Thai Salad

This salad was inspired by a wrap that I had for lunch one day at a restaurant by my work. I don't know if I've eaten anything Thai-inspired that I didn't like, but I especially like the peanut flavored sauces. Can you go wrong with peanut butter in anything? I didn't think so. For a week after eating this wrap the peanut flavored sauce would just call to me and beg me to eat it again. Since I'm not much for going out to eat a lot, I tried to recreate the wrap at home in a salad form. (I'm just as inept eating wraps as I am tacos. In my opinion, all my food is much better of being speared by a fork than handled by my hands.) I looked up some Thai peanut sauces and dressings and found most sauces were yummy but WAY too heavy for a salad with lettuce. After some trial and error, I put together a dressing that is peanutty enough for my cravings but not too much to put on a green salad. This salad works great with some chicken as a dinner salad, or as a side dish. You can even put it in a wrap if you are more coordinated than I am, which I'm sure you are.

To put it together I start with the dressing. If you cook Asian food a lot these are things you probably already have. If not, I'd say most of them are easy to find in the Asian section of your grocery store. The bottled fresh ginger, which I think is genius in terms of convenience and shelf life, is usually in the produce section on an endcap with the minced garlic and sundried tomatoes.

All you do is put everything together and whisk it up. If you have on of those little dressing shakers, that would work, too. The peanut butter is the hardest part to mix in, so you might need to be patient.

Next, prepare your rice noodles. These are also in the Asian section of the grocery store. To soften them, just cover with hot tap water for about ten minutes and then drain.

Chop up your veggies. I usually used red bell pepper because I like the taste and color.

Throw everything together in a big bowl.

Add your dressing and serve.

Simple Green Thai Salad
Dressing:
3 T peanut butter
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 T lime juice
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp sriracha chili sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Mix together and taste. You might want to add a few T of water to get the dressing to a consistency/strength that is good for you.

Salad:
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 cup rice sticks (sometimes called rice noodles)
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 peanuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (optional)
1 T chopped green onions (optional)

Broccoli Chicken Skillet Pasta

I'm a color eater. I'm never happier than when I have a plate full of colorful food. It's part of the reason why I love salad so much, and probably part of the reason I love candy so much. That and the sugar, perhaps. . . Anyway, every time I make this dish I just smile when I add the broccoli and it gets all bright green, and stir in the bright red roasted peppers. It's just so happy. And the other part that makes me happy? It's delicious, and only uses one pan. Hallelujah! I love when cleaning up after dinner involves cleaning one pan. Oh, and did I mention it's super fast to put together? Can I get an amen?

It starts out with browning some cubed chicken breasts in a 12 inch skillet. As I said in previous posts, make sure you pat your chicken dry with paper towels so it will actually brown and not bubble in a weird white liquid. Also, season it with some salt and pepper.

While this is happening, I chop up some onion and measure out the spices I'll be adding. I'm all about efficiency on weeknights. Actually, always. This recipe uses some oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and garlic. When the chicken is done cooking, you remove it to a clean plate or bowl, and add these guys with a little butter and cook until the onion is soft. Add your pasta (Right to the same skillet! Genius!) and some chicken broth and cream. Cover this and let it come to a boil.

While my broth/pasta mix is coming to a boil, I chop up my broccoli. Chop may not be the correct word. I like the use kitchen shears for my broccoli because I can get right at the base of the floret much neater and faster than with a knife.

Next I chop up some roasted red peppers. Sure, you could roast your own and they'd be delicious. But you could also save yourself some time and buy some jarred ones. I just rinse them off to get rid of that juice they've been sitting in.

Once the mixture is boiling, add your chopped broccoli and red peppers. So pretty!

Cover this and cook until the broccoli is bright green, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken back in and simmer until it is cooked through.

Add some parmesan and lemon juice and serve.

Broccoli Chicken Skillet Pasta


1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breats, cubed into 1 inch pieces
3 T unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces (2 1/2 cups) farfalle pasta
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 broccoli crown, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 T lemon juice (optional)

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 T of the butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned but not fully cooked, about five minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.

2. Add 1 more T of butter to the empty skillet, and add onion, red pepper flakes, oregano and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

3. Sprinkle the farfalle evenly into the skillet. Pour the broth and cream over the farfalle. Cover and bring to a boil, about five minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the broccoli and roasted peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.

5. Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juice. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

6. Stir in the remaining 1 T butter, the parmesan and lemon juice (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Cilantro Lime Creamy Dressing

I always wonder what it is about cilantro that you either LOVE it, or HATE it. I am one of those people that could have cilantro on everything, and never tire of it. My husband on the other hand, gags at even the mere sight of the green leafy herb. So in our house cilantro is always a side garnish, unless if of course, you found a wonderfully fresh and delicious creamy dressing, which I have. Don't act surprised, I found it on ourbestbites.com. It's the kind of dressing that literally lights your mouth on fire. The earthy fresh taste of the cilantro combined with the fresh lemon zest....my mouth is watering just thinking about it. So enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Creamy Dressing

1 Envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 cup Mayo

1/2 cup Milk

1 Lime squeezed to amount to about 2 tablespoons

2 Garlic Cloves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Green Salsa

hot sauce to taste

It really is one of the easiest dressings that you'll ever make! That's why I'm not doing a "play-by-play" with pictures. Just throw literally everything in a blender (or a food processor) and mix it up. With the hot sauce, add that in the end and just add a few drops at a time. My first batch I was feeling "sassy" and added waaay too much!

Poor over any salad, use as a dipping sauce for tacos, or for a simple dip with chips.