Coconut Curry

I had hoped to find a recipe for Sweetnick's ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays, but it just didn't happen. I did have some of the leftover Dijon Chicken Stew with russett potatoes, but that was about it. I will, however, be making Chicken Santa Fe tomorrow - an easy, tasty crockpot dish which has black beans, which are on the ARF Top 20 list, in it.

I could not decide on anything for dinner up until the very last minute. Curry. Curry is such an easy dish to prepare and lends itself to so many different meats, seafood and vegetables. I don't really follow a recipe, I just use a few key ingredients and throw it all in as I go. It can be as complicated as you like, but even the just a few key ingredients are enough. The curry I prepare is not a traditional Indian curry, but more of a Thai curry, with coconut milk and lime juice.

I usually start out with a bit of crushed garlic, sliced red bell pepper, 1 can of light coconut milk, curry powder, some sort of heat (usually in the form of red chili paste) and lime juice. Beyond that, I add whatever vegetables, meats or seafoods we have on hand. Tonight I added zucchini, peas, and shrimp. Not only do I love the flavors, but it's a great way to get the kids to eat all kinds of vegetables. When I pair vegetables with a strong, spicy sauce like curry, they'll eat vegetables I'd never get them to eat otherwise. I served the curry over brown basmati rice for an extra nutritional boost.

It's a great weeknight stand-by - great flavor, great color, great nutrition but very little fuss. I will post a more organized recipe and hopefully a photo, sometime tomorrow.

Thai-Style Pork Stew

This is a recipe from Cooking Light that was written for a crockpot. I have tried it twice in the crockpot and both times, the pork came out too dry and the vegetables too mushy. Still, it had great flavors and was easy to throw together, so it deserved another chance.

Here is the recipe as originally written with my alterations below:

Source: Cooking Light, September 1999

Peanut butter melds with classic Asian flavors to lend this one-dish meal a Thai flair. Lime makes a perfect accent.

Stew:
2 pounds boned pork loin, cut into 4 pieces
2 cups (1 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
(I also added about 2 cups of chopped broccoli)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce*
2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I cut way back on this)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
(I had a lot of pork and we like a lot of sauce, so I increased the sauce by about 1/2)

Remaining ingredients:
6 cups hot cooked basmati rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
8 lime wedges

To prepare stew, trim fat from pork. Place pork and next 5 ingredients (pork through garlic) in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker, and coarsely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in slow cooker; stir well. Stir in pork.

Combine stew and rice in a large bowl. Top each serving with onions and peanuts; serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew, 1 tablespoon green onions, about 1/2 teaspoon peanuts, and 1 lime wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 412(30% from fat); FAT 13.6g (sat 3.6g,mono 6.2g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 28.9g; CHOLESTEROL 64mg; CALCIUM 37mg; SODIUM 425mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.3gCooking Light, SEPTEMBER 1999

My notes: This time I did it on the stovetop as follows:

Sauté the pork in a small amount of toasted sesame oil, just until it begins to turn white. (I am a firm believer in not cooking meat until it's completely done or it will dry out - the meat will finish cooking while resting or when you return it to the pan to warm through.) Remove pork from pan and set aside.

Add a bit of water to the pan, along with chopped broccoli; cover and lightly steam broccoli for about 5 minutes. (I overdid the broccoli a little - next time I would steam for maybe 5 mintues or even less.) Add red bell pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add teryaki sauce and vinegar. Next add the peanut butter and stir to blend well. Add pork and scallions and heat through.

This was a big hit with the family and was very easy to prepare. It even got my husband and my youngest son to enthusiastically eat their broccoli. Not only that, but my broccoli-hating older son didn't hate it so much with this delicious sauce to mask the broccoli so well. Quick, easy and delicious - definitely a repeater for us, especially with the new cooking method - not as easy as a crockpot, but it is still prepared in only one pot and with added veggies, can be a one-dish meal.

*I like to use Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce. It is one of the few store-bought sauces that I really like. Plus, I LOVE the name!

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce

Source: Cooking Light, September 2002

Tilapia's mild flavor allows the bold flavors in this brothy sauce to shine. Serve this dish with rice, which will absorb the sauce.

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Cooking spray
3 cups hot cooked basmati rice
4 lime wedges

Preheat broiler.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet, 1/2 cup sauce, 3/4 cup rice, and 1 lime wedge)

CALORIES 506(30% from fat); FAT 17.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 29g; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 616mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 2.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 56.6g

I talked about this recipe HERE.

Seared Tempeh Wraps with Thai-Style Peanut Sauce

Source: A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop

1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
8 ounces tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
1 medium carrot, shredded
4 medium scallions, white and green parts, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1/4 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves (I chopped them)
2 tablespoons roasted peanut oil (I used sesame oil)
4 12-inch flour tortillas (Ours were a little too small. I warmed them wrapped in foil in the oven.)
4 small romaine lettuce leaves, torn in half

Whisk the hot water, soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, and pepper flakes together in a medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the peanut sauce to a small bowl and reserve. Add the tempeh to the bowl with the remaining peanut sauce and marinate, tossing occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

Place the cucumber, carrot, scallions, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Set the salad aside.

Reserve any marinade the tempeh has not absorbed (my tempeh absorbed it all). Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the tempeh and cook, turning the pieces several times, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes. (I cooked the tempeh slowly at first, then browned it since a cooking time of at least 20 minutes seems to really help cut down the bitterness.) Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and cook until the tempeh is glazed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the seared tempeh pieces to the platter.

Pour the reserved 3 tablespoons peanut sauce over the cucumber salad and toss to combine.

Lay the warm tortillas flat on a work surface. Place 2 pieces of lettuce on the bottom half of each tortilla. Spoon some cucumber salad over the lettuce, then top with several pieces of tempeh. Roll up the wraps, tucking the sides toward the center to form neat bundles. Slice each roll in half and serve immediately.

I talked about this recipe HERE.

Thai Chicken Sauté

Source: Cooking Light

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag rice (I used brown basmati rice)
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 cup sliced onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic (I used fresh garlic)
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)***
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used parsley)
4 lime wedges

***The brand of chili paste I used is very hot - even a half teaspoon gave our sauce a mild heat, so I'm quite sure that 2 tablespoons would make it inedible. Just be careful to add a little at a time until you know how hot your brand is.

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Keep warm.

Toss chicken with cornstarch and fish sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until done. Stir in coconut milk, Sriracha, sugar, and juice; cook 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro. Serve chicken mixture over rice with lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture, 1/2 cup rice, and 1 lime wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 403(24% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 42.6g; CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 32mg; SODIUM 650mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.4g

David Bonom
Cooking Light, MARCH 2007

I talked about this recipe HERE.

Pad Thai

Source: CLBB/NY Times

8 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (I used tamarind concentrate)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons lime juice
4 cup broccoli florets
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 c canola oil (I used about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons. minced garlic
1 teaspoons minced ginger
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I skipped this and used 8 ounces of tempeh)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bean sprouts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 chopped salted peanuts
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I skipped this)
1 lime, cut into wedges
sesame seeds
red pepper flakes

1. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and 1/4 c water. Set Aside. Lightly steam broccoli and carrots and set aside.

2. Drain the noodles. Set a wok over high heat for 1 minute, then add oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and giner and saute 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and saute until almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add noodles and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in 3/4 of the tamarind sauce and toss to coat the noodles. Add more sauce if needed. Cook until the noosles are al dente, then push to one side of the wok and scramble the eggs in the remaining space. Add the shrimp, broccoli, carrots, scallions, bean sprouts and half the peanuts. Toss to mix. Divide among 4 plates and garnish with remaining peanuts, cilantro, lime wedges and red pepper flakes.

I talked about this recipe HERE.