Spicy Red Curry Lentils

Ingredients

12 oz. Soyrizo
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 1/2 cups lentils (green or brown)
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
couple of shakes of your favorite hot sauce (I used Cholula)
a few dashes of paprika
1/4 to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
1 (14 oz.) can of diced tomatoes or unsweetened tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat up your butter over med-high heat. Sauté your Soyrizo, diced onion and garlic. Set aside.

2. Rinse and pick over your lentils. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook your lentils per package instructions. When done, add back in your Soyrizo, garlic and onions.

3. Add in red curry paste, garam masala, coriander, curry powder, brown sugar, turmeric, minced ginger, hot sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper.

4. Cook for 2-4 minutes.

5. Add in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, mixing so that the ingredients blend well. Add in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook thoroughly for 20-25 minutes, stirring periodically.

6. Garnish with green onions, Thai basil or a dollop of Greek yogurt. Serve over jasmine or basmati rice. The dish goes equally well with garlic naan.

7. Leftovers can be frozen.

☺ TIP: If the end product turns out to be a bit too spicy for you, you can adjust the heat by adding extra coconut milk.

There's some days when I have a ton of energy and feel like this:



And there's other days when it takes all my energy just to get out of bed and brush my teeth:




When it's the latter, I like to cook simple recipes that require minimal effort. Like the Spicy Thai Red Curry Mussels dish I made last week. Just throw a couple of things in a pot and slice up some crusty peasant bread. 20 minutes tops and you're good to go. And do these taste good? You bet your sweet bippy they do!



Spicy Thai Red Curry Mussels

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 big shallot, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk lemongrass,  trimmed, bruised and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger (I use a microplane)      
1 small Thai Bird chile, seeded and minced
1  (13.5 oz.) can of unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (nam pla)
2 lbs. fresh mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
zest of 1 small lemon
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro leaves (stems removed)
1 loaf of crusty peasant bread or a baguette

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chile. Cook until the ingredients become soft, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and red curry paste. Stir well, you want to make sure that red curry paste mixes into the coconut milk.

3. Bring to a boil, then add in your mussels. Cover. Steam for about 5 minutes or until mussels are opened. I usually give it one good stir during this time so that the top mussels get to the bottom and vice versa.

4. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove mussels from pot. Place in a bowl to the side. Throw away any mussels that don't open.

5. Add your zest, lemon juice and cilantro leaves. Let it simmer for a minute or two.

6. Place your mussels in two shallow bowls and ladle the spicy curry broth over it. Serve hot and with several slices of crusty bread for dipping.

* Don't know how to clean and de-beard mussels? Click here for an easy how-to: How to clean and de-beard mussels

* If you'd like a broth that's a bit on the sweeter side, you can add a tablespoon of white or brown sugar.

I'm always looking for food recipes where I can get Mr. S.'s kidlets interested in food, so imagine my delight when both kidlets expressed an interest in what I was cooking last Wednesday. What drew their interest to my fumbling in the kitchen? Banana leaves. They were enamored with the idea of cooking with them. Although banana leaves can be found at pretty much any Asian market in South Sac, for two kidlets growing up in the suburbs and eating mainly mainstream American food; the idea of cooking with banana leaves seems exotic. So once I had the sauce whipped up, I enlisted their help in wrapping up the fish in the leaves. Now if you've never cooked with banana leaves before, they're great for steaming or grilling fish. The leaves keep the fish moist and tender. Now while cooking, the leaves impart a green tea-like fragrance...it wafted about making the kitchen smell wonderful!


Thai Fish Baked in Banana Leaves ( from About.com )
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2-3 fillets fish (I used fresh pink snapper from Oto's)

• 1 pkg. banana leaves (if frozen, thaw for at least 1/2 hour)

Marinade/Sauce:

• 1 shallot

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced

• 2 tsp. ground coriander

• handful of basil leaves

• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce

• 1/2 can good-quality coconut milk

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, snipped into slivers with scissors, or 1 tsp. lime zest

• 1 fresh red chili, sliced & seeds removed

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• juice of 1/2 lime


Instructions:

1. Place all marinade/sauce ingredients in a food processor and process well.

2. Place fish fillets in a large bowl and add 1/2 the marinade. Reserve the rest for later.

3. Slather the marinade over both sides of the fish, then let it sit in the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes.

4. When fish is done marinading, spread a banana leaf approximately 1 foot square on a working surface (you will have to cut the leaf). Place one fillet in the center of the leaf.

5. Fold both sides of the leaf over the fish, then fold both ends to create a square "packet". Turn it seam-side down to keep sides from opening (or secure with a skewer, like I did). Do the same for the other fillets.

6. Place packets in a glass casserole dish or pie plate (to catch the drippings in case packets leak) and bake for 15 min. at 350 degrees, or longer depending on the thickness of the fillets.

7. After 15 minutes, open one of the packets. Insert a fork into the center of the fillet (the thickest part) and gently pull back. If inside flesh is opaque and no longer transparent, the fish is cooked. If not, return to oven for another 5-10 minutes.

8. Over low heat, warm up the reserved sauce/marinade.

9. To serve the fish, scoop several spoonfuls of rice onto the side of the fish. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish, then add a sprinkling of basil and/or garnish with diced red/yellow/green bell peppers.

By now, all of you in Blogland know how much my better half, Mr.S., loves Thai yellow curry. So as a surprise I decided to try and attempt some at home; however, type in those three words and there are pages upon pages of recipes on Google. Luckily, I was at my friend Susan's one day and she mentioned this great Thai yellow curry with vegetables recipe that she uses by Giada De Laurentiis. Susan was not only kind enough to email me the recipe link but she also sent me home with curry paste, several prik kee noo chiles and some kaffir leaves so I could get started right away. The recipe came out great and Mr. S. was elated; in fact, he admitted that this is now his 2nd favorite Thai yellow curry dish (first place belongs to Thai Chef's House's thai yellow curry).

Note: I did make two small alterations to Giada's recipe, I omitted the red bell pepper and chose to add a bit more chile (Mr. S. likes it SPICY). The original recipe can be found here and is much milder: Giada De Laurentiis' Veggies in Yellow Curry.

Ingredients

* 2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk
* 1/2 cup (4 ounces) yellow curry paste (recommended: Mae Ploy brand)
* 1 small (about 8 ounces) russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 (15-ounce) can baby corn, rinsed and drained
* 1.5 Thai chiles, such as prik kee noo
* 5 sprigs Thai basil, with stems, plus 1/4 cup chopped
* 3 kaffir lime leaves
* 1 tablespoon fish sauce


Directions

* In a large saucepan, bring the coconut milk and curry paste to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until smooth, about 1 minute.
* Add the potato, carrots, onion, baby corn, chiles, basil sprigs, lime leaves, and fish sauce.
* Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
* Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
* Discard the lime leaves and the basil sprigs.
* Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with chopped basil and serve over steamed white rice.

2851 Fulton Ave, Sacramento, CA 95821, (916) 481-9500

The man in my life has a mistress and I have no one to blame but myself. After all, I introduced the two of them. Oh, I know all about her and their little dalliances. They make no attempt to hide their affair. She’s exotic, spicy and always makes him smile. All she had to do was touch his lips once and he was addicted. He longs for her everyday, no matter where he is…and that ladies and gentleman, is how I lost my boyfriend to the seductions of Thai food.

In all innocence, I had no idea that he had never indulged in Thai food before meeting me. (I mean, isn’t eating Thai food in California as American as eating apple pie?) Anyhow on a whim one night, I suggested that we grab some takeout at Taste of Thai on Broadway…and that’s when I lost him. He took to Thai food like a junkie does to crack rock. The curry, the rice, the peanuty goodness they enveloped him with their heavenly scents...it was literally love at first bite. From there, dining out became a quest to find the holy grail of thai food restaurants. After sampling a multitude of Thai joints from one end of town to the other, we were satisfied but not wowed. I thought a pilgrimage to Thailand was going to be next on his agenda. But then one evening, some friends recommended Thai Chef's House. It was out in the ‘burbs but we decided to give it a shot; after all, nothing ventured, nothing gained—right?

So, the place resembles a Waffle Hut from the exterior. Yes, we were apprehensive too. However, if you take a chance and cross the threshold you’ll find friendly faces and some delicious dishes at an affordable price. The interior is clean and adorned with various intricate wood carvings…nothing too fancy. I also appreciate that the tables are spaced out enough that you don’t feel like you’re piled upon one another like sardines nor do you have to yell to be heard. We’ve returned to TCH several times and have yet to be disappointed. The artichoke soup is sweet, tangy and creamy all rolled into one...it'll knock your socks off. Their yellow curry with chicken is simultaneously mild and smooth. Along with the meat of your choice, it’s loaded with hearty chunks of potatoes, carrots slices and onion slivers. We usually go a bit mainstream and pair this dish with their delicious thai fried rice and steamed “shumai-esque” dumplings. During one visit we were craving some fish but we were disheartened to find that all of the fish dishes offered were battered and fried. We mentioned our disappointment to the gentleman who waited on us and he promptly offered to prepare us a steamed white fish topped with a delicate black bean and ginger sauce (even though it wasn’t technically on the menu). The impromptu fish dish was a hit and we left satiated. The only miss we’ve ever had was an ill-executed eggplant entrée. The dish was a bit bland and the cooking of the clunky eggplant bites was inconsistent—some pieces were mushy and other pieces were undercooked; neither of us cared much for it. One of these days we do hope to save enough room to sample a dessert; but in the meantime, the carefully packaged boxes of leftovers will have to suffice.

So for now, as long as he keeps me in on the action, I’m okay with my man having a dish on the side. Now if I could just get him to quit propositioning our waitress to give him one of their “I Love Thai Chef’s House” tees (I kid you not!), I’ll be happy.

527 A Munroe St, Sacramento, CA 95825, (916) 485-3888

Every time I think of the Thai House, I get p.o.'d at my friend J. all over again. How long J.'s known about Thai House and kept it his own dirty little secret is anyone's guess. Like a sultry mistress on the side, he never gave us an inkling that he had this place squirreled away in his 'hood for his thai food booty calls. According to the hostess, T.H.'s been there for about two years. How it eluded my food radar until now is a complete mystery to me.

Thoughts of this Thai House's dishes make my taste buds bust out in a happy disco (Deney Terrio-style) and my tummy gurgle with fond memories of mouthwatering spices and savory bites. Not to be confused with the other numerous Thai Houses in the Sac area, this little treasure is wedged towards the back of a strip mall at the corner of Munroe and Fair Oaks (aka Loehman's Plaza). Upon arrival, Anna, the waitress/hostess/ all around restaurant extraordinaire will greet you with a 100-watt, beaming smile. Anna's cheerful attitude and expeditious service is one of the primary reasons that I've became a Thai House convert. She's on the mark with recommendations, doesn't bat an eye on modifications and even when the place becomes full and crazy busy, she's able to squeeze in some friendly conversation. After my first two visits, I felt like a regular.

The decor in T.H. is simple but fresh. Care has been taken to accentuate the small establishment with a few bits of tasteful art, without going overboard and verging on clutter. The portions are sizable and non-noodle dishes come with rice. My current favorite dish there is the Koong-Yang, which are delectable, garlic-marinated prawns accompanied by a spicy lime sauce (due to the potent garlic factor-- not advisable if you're on a date and looking for some good night kiss action). To be honest every dish I've had there so far from curry to pad thai to soup has been perfect. I wasn't blown away by the Kuay See Mer (a gravy sauce punctuated by mushrooms/ carrots/bamboo/corn/and a choice of meat over hard, crispy noodles) but that was because it wasn't something I'd normally order (dining companion's choice) as opposed to it being bad. The satay and po-pia tod were delicious and not too oily like at some of the other places in town. My only grievance would be that their wine list is a bit lacking (Kirkwood White Zin? Sigh.). I feel that they could have fun with the list and carry a few inexpensive labels that taste better.

I realize that there are a multitude of thai restaurants currently peppering the grid, but T.H.'s is worth the slight hop, skip and jump to the 'burbs (did that really come out of my mouth?). And should you need someone to help you eat all those dishes you order, I'll gladly volunteer my services.