Thai Style Chicken with Basil

I made this a few nights ago for an impromptu dinner for a few friends who were in the neighborhood house-hunting. It was an easy recipe to prepare and the grocery shopping is easy if you have a good asian grocery market nearby... if you do not, you can substitute some of the ingredients for foods that are easy to find in your everyday grocery store (i.e. thai chiles for jalepenos/serranos). Although the final product doesn't look like its packed with flavor, surprisingly, when you taste it you get a wonderful surprise of a very flavorful spicy, salty, sweet dish. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes any kind of food ever. Its just really good. Adapted (barely) from www.CooksIllustrated.com

INGREDIENTS

- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (I used some thai basil, some regular genovese basil)

- 2 medium garlic cloves

- 8 green thai chiles, stemmed

- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, separated in half

- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

- 1 teaspoon white vinegar

- 1 tablespoon sugar

- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces

- 3/4 cup peeled and thinly sliced shallots

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a food processor pulse 1 cup of basil with the garlic and thai chiles until finely chopped. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this mixture into a small bowl and mix together with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, the oyster sauce, vinegar, and sugar- set aside. Pour the rest of the basil/garlic/chile mixture into a 12-inch skillet. Do not wash food processor bowl. 

Add the chicken pieces and 1 tablespoon fish sauce into the food processor. Chop in food processor for about 6-8 pulses until the meat is about 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer into a medium bowl and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. 

Stir the shallots and vegetable oil into the 12-inch skillet with the basil/garlic/chile mixture. Heat over medium-low heat until sizzling. Then cook until garlic and shallots are golden brown, about 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken, increase the heat to medium, and cook, breaking up with a spatula for about 2 minutes, until only slightly pink. Add the fish sauce/oyster sauce/vinegar/sugar mixture and cook another minute, stirring to incorporate the chicken with the sauce. Add the rest of the basil leaves and stir until wilted. Serve immediately with sides of vinegar, red pepper flakes, and fish sauce, for those who want to add them on top. YUM.

*NOTE: if you cannot find thai chiles, instead use about 1 medium/large jalepeno.

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps

This recipe was recommended to me by two friends who said that I should try them and I am glad that I did (within 24 hours of their suggestion). Its a really nice and HEALTHY appetizer or meal. Full of flavor and very easy. Next time I might play around and add some water chestnuts or bamboo shoots or something else to add crunch. THIS IS FANTASTIC. Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, September 2009.

INGREDIENTS
-1 pork tenderloin (~1 lb.) fat trimmed
-2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
-1 tablespoon white rice
-1/4 cup chicken broth
-3 tablespoons lime juice
-2 teaspoons sugar
-1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

-1 large shallot, sliced thin

-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

-3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

-Small lettuce (bib or mini red-leaf)

Cut the pork into 1-inch pieces and place on a plate in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the rice in a small pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it turns a deep golden brown color. Pour rice in a small bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Grind rice with a spice grinder/mini food processor/mortal and pestle until it looks like powder. Set aside.

Once the pork has chilled, add half of it to the food processor and pulse 5 times for 1 second each time. Remove the pork and place into a medium bowl. Do the same thing with the rest of the pork. Add 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce to the pork and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, chop the shallots, cilantro and mint. Mix together the lime juice, sugar, and red pepper flakes and set aside. 

Once the pork has marinated for 15 minutes remove it from the refrigerator. On medium-high heat bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a 12-inch skillet. Add the pork and cook stirring frequently until about halfway cooked. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rice powder and continue stirring until cooked all the way through (about 3-5 minutes total). Pour pork into a large bowl. Add the shallots, cilantro, mint, lime juice, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. 

Serve over whole pieces of lettuce. 

Simple Sesame Noodles

Although I already have a go-to sesame noodle dish, I recently came across this one which is easier, lighter, and faster than the previous post that I shared months ago. I might like these more??? I added a small amount of peanut butter because I wanted it to have a slightly richer taste- you could add it or not. I made these a few nights ago and I will likely make them again later this week. You could add a protein if you wanted or any other veggies that you think would go nicely. They’d also be great for a potluck as they taste equally delicious hot and cold. Adapted from www.thepioneerwoman.com

• 12 ounces thin spaghetti
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sesame oil 
• 3/4 teaspoon hot chili oil
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1-2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Boil pasta according to directions. 

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the sauce, whisking together until everything is incorporated. 

When pasta has been drained, pour into a large bowl and pour sauce and veggies on top. Toss together with tongs. Serve. Enjoy. Devour. Make again. 

Kung Pao Tofu with Broccoli

• INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pound firm tofu, chopped into cubes
  • 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
  • handful of peanuts
  Marinade
• 4 tablepoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• 1 tablespoon rice or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 inch cube of ginger root, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, grated

Put the tofu cubes in a bowl with the marinade. Stir around to coat and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Once sufficiently marinated, place the tofu pieces on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler until browned and crispy (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli to your preferred tenderness. Set aside

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot bean sauce (found at an asian grocery store)
• 1 tablespoon rice or red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil

In a heavy wok or large saute pan mix ingredients for the sauce and heat. Add the tofu and the broccoli and saute until hot and sauce is evenly incorporated.

Serve over rice. Sprinkle with peanuts (which I forgot to do, but wish I had done). Eat and enjoy!

Szechuan Noodles

I really like asian noodle dishes of all kinds- my dad gave me this recipe and its a great one! Although it requires some ingredients that many people, including me, don’t always keep stocked in their kitchen, like tahini, ginger root, toasted sesame oil… once you buy these ingredients you can make this recipe, and other asian recipes, multiple times with the leftovers. Its very easy to make and can be adapted based on whatever proteins and veggies you have in your fridge. This is a great main course dish, or a wonderful dish to bring to a potluck and share with friends. Its super yummy! Adapted from a variety of recipes, including Barefoot Contessa, and Gourmet, 2002. 

Recipe

• 12 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked, rinsed with cold water, drained
• 2 bell peppers (different colors, for pretty presentation)
• snow peas
• 3 scallions
• optional: protein of choice (chicken, tofu, etc.)

Sauce for Pasta

• 2 gloves of garlic
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 6 tablespoons peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce (reduce sodium or regular)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

In the food processor blend all above ingredients, except the hot water and toasted sesame oil. Once smooth, slowly blend in the hot water.

Pour the cool, drained noodles into a big bowl. Add the toasted sesame oil and coat the noodles. To this bowl, add the sauce, the vegetables and the protein (if using). Stir together and serve!