I love anything curry!!! From tonight's class here are 2 warm, nourishing, and simple Thai flavored dishes as we head into our fall season. They are both adapted from personal chef Emily Lane.
You may have to visit your local Asian market for some of these items. They last a long time and are sooo worth it!
I encourage you to skip the bleached & quick ingredient alternatives and instead use ingredients with nutrients!!! These are delicious recipes and can be very nutritious if you choose ingredients that are as close to their original form as possible. Nourish your body....nourish your soul :)
Sometimes when we have recipes with a lot of ingredients or ones we don't use often we can get overwhelmed. I'm going to just list the steps with each ingredient as you need it here in an effort to make this simple.
Chicken, mushroom, coconut soup
1. Heat 3T of grape seed oil over a medium heat
2. Add 3 minced shallots (get creative and substitute another form of onion if that's all you have on hand!) and sauté for about 3 minutes
3. Add 4 cloves of grated garlic, 2 sliced thai chiles, 4 kaffir lime leaves (buy extra and keep them in the freezer until you need them....they last several months!), 4T lemongrass (also can buy this frozen and keep it for awhile), 2 inches of grated ginger (use fresh ginger and just grate it....it's worth it) and sauté for about a minute
4. Add 8 ounces of sliced shitake mushrooms and 5 cups of chicken stock; reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes
5. Remove and discard the kaffir lime leads and lemongrass
6. Add 1 sliced chicken breast and simmer until it is cooked, about 5-7 minutes or leave the chicken out and use white beans instead
7. Add 3T fish sauce, 1T soy sauce, 1t sugar (always use organic, unrefined!), 1 cup coconut milk (do not substitute low fat!), 2t sriracha, 3T fresh squeezed lime juice, 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and simmer for a minute
Thai Red Beef Curry (with vegetarian option)
Two notes: 1. you can make a big batch of curry paste and refrigerate the extra for months, and 2. keep in mind that the smaller the chili, the spicier it will be
Red curry paste: (if it is too spicy you can add tomato paste to make it more mild)
1. Place all of these ingredients in a food processor and puree
10 red Thai chiles, sliced with the seeds
1T pepper
1/2t ground cumin
1/2t ground coriander
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2T frozen lemongrass (can use extra for making tea!)
2T shallots
1T fresh grated ginger
Zest of 1 lime
2. Add 1T of water and continue to puree; add another tablespoon if needed to make it a paste
Beef curry: (or substitute beans/lentils)
1. Slice 1lb of beef bottom round against the grain and combine it with 2 cups of cubed butternut squash or eggplant (whatever you have on hand!), 4 kafiir lime leaves, and 4t of the curry paste you made above in a pan with 3T of grape seed oil; cook until beef is browned on all sides
2. Add a 14oz can of coconut milk (do not substitute fat free or low fat!) and 1 cup of chicken stock; cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes; remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce by about half, about 20 more minutes
3. Remove from heat and add 2T sugar, juice of 1 lime, 2t fish sauce
Serve over rice (remember to choose your option as close to its original form in nature!)
