Thai Country Style Chicken Basil

E: There are some things I really, really love. And basil is one of them. I’m not entirely sure why, but basil and hot peppers were somehow made to go together. So I’m totally a sucker for Thai dishes that use these ingredients. This dish, which is very similar to the Country Style Chicken Basil that I’ve had in local Thai restaurants (but with ground chicken instead of the chicken strips, and minus the bell-peppers that dish seems to perennially have around here) is a particular favorite of mine.

Thai Cauliflower Curry

E: I love Thai curries. They are really one of my favourite foods to make when I’m really busy because 1) they aren’t difficult, 2) they are delicious, 3) they can be made in sizable quantities, and 4) I seem to be able to eat curry for several days and still be nowhere near getting tired of it. It is surprising, given that, that I have only recently started making curry paste myself–and also that it has taken me a good month or so to get this recipe up on the web. True, it takes a little more time to make your own paste, but you really get to control the ingredients yourself (hence, no preservatives), and over time you can form it to your own tastes so it really becomes a personal touch to your food. And though it isn’t as easy as digging into a bottle of pre-made, making it yourself need not be as complicated as this recipe. With just some chilies, ginger, garlic, and some cumin you’ll have something quite tasty (I threw together some for a curry last night, off the top of my head, and my only additions to that list were a pinch of coriander, a pinch of cardamom, and a pinch of dried lemongrass).

So this recipe came about because I had made a cup of curry paste in order to make a salmon and green curry dish that I like to call “Salmon on the Green Sea” (in homage to a “Salmon on the Red Sea” dish at a local Thai restaurant–now closed–that I always thought was brilliant in theory but never quite satisfactory in execution) and I had just a little less than half of the paste left afterward. Rather than waste it, I decided to throw another curry together, decidedly different in terms of ingredients, and see how it came out. (Sadly I have no pictures of my Salmon on the Green Sea, but I promise I will re-make it soon because it was, quite simply, too good to miss.)

The results were unique in my experience, and so I provide this recipe, if you choose to be so bold as to try it, so you too can create this strange and interesting twist on curry.

Thai Tofu Soup with Lime

E: So, some things to say before we begin. First, this recipe is quite good–with a tantalizing mixture of sweet and tangy and spicy–but honestly the lime is a bit too much. I have made the soup twice, and both times it was really good to start, but eventually got a little tiring. By the time I got to the end of my bowl, I didn’t like the soup as much as I did to start. And I also found it was impossible to eat cold or even mildly cool, so keep that in mind. The original recipe suggests tamarind paste instead of limes, and I really think that could be what this soup needs, but I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. If you do choose to use lime, consider keeping some of the lime juice used to soak the tofu out of the soup itself.

(And why haven’t I used tamarind paste yet? Because it is hard to find. Check your grocery store, but it may or may not be there–it wasn’t at mine, and I wasn’t in the mood to go elsewhere at the time. Try an Asian grocery store if you can’t find it wherever you normally shop–unless that is where you normally shop, and then congratulations, it is probably there–or get some online.)

Speaking of the original recipe, it is from Delicious Wisdom, a wonderful whole-food blog that appears to be no longer in existence. The pages still load, but appear totally blank. We have one or two other recipes from that site on this blog, and will likely have a few more, so same goes for them. If you need to find the original, I suggest searching for “Delicious Wisdom” “Thai Tofu Soup.” For now, at least, Google has a cached version.

So, if that hasn’t scared you away, we now turn to the soup itself. This is actually pretty easy. These amounts make enough for 5 or 6 small-ish portions, or 4 large portions (but as I said before this soup is best consumed in smaller amounts).

Panko-Ginger Crusted Salmon + Stir-Fried Snap Peas

It is Erik again, this time with a recipe for a light and tasty Asian-flavored salmon recipe, and a side dish of snap peas.

First, the fish. This recipe is loosely based on this chip crusted salmon recipe, though it is completely different in the flavor and the texture of the crust. The things you will need are:

Filet of salmon (I used about 3/4 lb)
1 c Panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1-2 inches fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp oil for cooking
an extra pinch of salt

Lemon Chicken

I have been craving Chinese food for ages.  However, since I am a poor grad student, I decided that rather than pay $10-$15 for delivery or something, I should just try my hand at making it myself!  I went with a lemon chicken recipe, similar to orange chicken… but with lemon.  Revolutionary, I know.

Now, I have to caution you about this recipe.  It’s very good, but if you’re looking for the cloying, artery-clogging deliciousness of mediocre Chinese delivery, you’re not going to get your fix here.  It also takes FOREVER.  I got home late on a Wednesday night and started making the recipe, expecting it to take maybe an hour, but it took almost 2.5 hours and covered my kitchen (and arms ) in hot oil.  All that said, I’m sure it’ll be less horrific for you if you try it; I was already exhausted and hungry when I got home and I am also a super clumsy person.  So don’t be scared away — just know that it might take you a bit longer than you’d expect.  Also, plan ahead!  The marinade works its magic best if you let it sit for around 24 hours, so whip that up the night before you want to satisfy your Chinese craving.

Chicken and Lemongrass + Kale

I have a ton of midterms/papers/other obligations this week, and what do I do?  Update my blog, clearly, because I have a ridiculous backlog of lovely pictures and lovely recipes to share with all of you, my faithful readers. (…cricket…cricket…)

This recipe comes from one of my boyfriend’s friends, who got it out of an unknown newspaper and changed it up a little.  We altered it a bit as well and ended up with something halfway between the original and his friend’s version.  It was pretty delicious, so here you go!