Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Shrimp and Squash Soup

Recipe Source: Hsiung, Deh-Ta with Becky Johnson and Sallie Morris. Thai & Asian. Anness Publishing, London, 2009 p. 204

I really did not expect to feel satisfied by this soup. The picture in the book made this dish look very light, more refreshing than hearty. The description did say that it was "something of a cross between a soup and a stew," but all the words in the world can't change the fact that this looked quite light. However, when I ate this I found it to be quite filling indeed. Filling and delicious, really – just what I wanted that day.

I made a few changes, of course. The vegetable stock that I used was Lemony Vegetable Broth. I added a chili. The dried banana flower was omitted as I hadn't any dried banana flowers and wouldn't even recognize one if it bit me. I couldn't get any shrimp paste, so I substituted minced ginger for the paste. Before you get all up in arms about that, I am very aware that it is not the same thing. It did however provide the necessary moisture to the paste, added a great flavor and made up some of the volume. It was really very easy to make.

Shrimp and Squash Soup (serves 4; approx. $4.08/serving)

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

4 cups Lemony Vegetable Broth

1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ pound raw shrimp

1 bunch fresh basil

4 ounces shallots, sliced

1 tablespoon green peppercorns

2 Serrano chilies, chopped

2 tablespoons minced ginger

Equipment:

• Mini-prep miniature food processor
• Saucepan

1. Combine the shallots, peppercorns, chilies and ginger in the mini-prep and process to a coarse paste. Set aside.
2. Heat the Lemony Vegetable Broth gently in the saucepan.
3. Add the chili paste. Mix well to combine.
4. Add the vegetables and bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes.
5. Add the fish sauce, shrimp and basil. Simmer 3 minutes.
6. Serve.

Recipe: Sour Fish Curry

Recipe Source: Thompson, David. Curry Cuisine. Fall River Press, New York, 2006 pp. 217 and 222

This recipe looks like a pain, but it was actually pretty simple to make. It was also very easy to make ahead and then reheat later, which has gotten to be pretty important around here. I did make a few small changes. I only had one kind of red chili, so that's what I used. I used Lemony Vegetable Broth for the broth and mustard greens in place of "other Asian greens." I omitted the chili garnish and since I couldn't get birds-eye chilies I used a combination of habanero and Serrano chilies. I actually had the roots of my cilantro that week, so I was able to use that as directed. I also omitted the shrimp paste, as I couldn't get it.

Sour Fish Curry (serves 4; approx. $3.29/serving)

2 cups Lemony Vegetable Broth

1 pinch kosher salt

9 ounces fish, cut into small pieces

1 bunch mustard greens, chopped

2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate combined with 2 tablespoons water

2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

8 dried red chilies, soaked and chopped

1 habanero chili, chopped

2 Serrano chilies, chipped

1 more pinch kosher salt

¼ cup chopped shallots

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro root

Equipment:

• Mini-prep miniature food processor
• Large sauté pan or wok

1. Combine the dried chilies, fresh chilies, pinch kosher salt, chopped shallots and cilantro roots in the mini-prep and grind to a paste. If you need more liquid, add a little of the chili soaking liquid until your desired texture is achieved.
2. Bring the broth and second pinch of kosher salt to a boil in the sauté pan.
3. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add the curry paste to the mix. Return to a boil.
5. Add the mustard greens and simmer until the fish is tender.
6. Add the tamarind water and fish sauce. Let the flavors marry for a moment or two.
7. Return the fish to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the fish, simmering until cooked.
8. Serve.

Recipe: Fragrant Grilled Swordfish

Recipe Source: Hsiung, Deh-Ta et al. Thai & Asian. Anness Publishing, London, 2009 p. 232

This was originally supposed to be a chicken recipe. It looked pretty easy despite the number of ingredients and it looked fairly light. After I made my menu, I decided that I would make this with fish because we didn't have any fish on the menu for the week. When I went to the market, the woman behind the counter recommended the swordfish. It was not the most expensive fish on offer, it looked pretty tasty, and I decided to give it a go. The result? It was everything I wanted it to be: light, satisfying and delicious. The sauce was sweeter than I would normally like but my husband was wild for it.

I did make a few changes, besides the obvious one. I used hot pepper sesame oil for the sesame oil, because I wanted more heat. I increased the amount of garlic in the whole recipe. I didn't have cilantro with roots so I used regular cilantro where roots were called for and I omitted the sugar from the marinade. I used habaneros for the red chilies, because they were better than the red chilies my market had that day. The original recommended serving this with white rice, but I was serving a pasta dish as a side and figured that would be overkill.

Fragrant Grilled Swordfish (serves 4; approx. $4.97/serving)

1 pound (more or less) swordfish steaks

2 tablespoons hot pepper sesame oil

5 garlic cloves, crushed

2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 habanero chilies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fish sauce

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 tablespoons turbinado sugar

½ teaspoon salt

5 more garlic cloves, crushed

1 more habanero, finely chopped

3 bunches fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Equipment:

• Small saucepan
• Big Green Egg or other grill (I prefer charcoal to gas, but whatever you have is fine. You can also cook this indoors under the broiler if you must.)
• Bowl
• Zip-top plastic bag

1. Combine the oil, first round of crushed garlic, 2 sprigs of cilantro, 2 habaneros and fish sauce in the bowl and combine well.
2. Put the swordfish in the plastic bag. Pour the marinade over it and let sit about 1 – 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and sugar in the small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add the salt and stir until the mixture starts to thicken.
5. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and remove from heat.
6. Preheat your grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat.
7. Grill the swordfish until done, 4 – 5 minutes per side.
8. Transfer the fish to a serving platter. Pour the sauce over it and serve. I garnished with lime wedges and a little bit of lime zest.

Recipe: Dry Beef Curry (Krua Gling Neua)

Recipe Source: Thompson, David.  Curry Cuisine.  Jeni Wright, Commissioning Editor.  Fall River Press, New York, 2009 p. 223

This recipe had one purpose in my mind: to use up a late and unexpected windfall of chiles from our garden.  The chiles came in late, and they'd been sitting in our refrigerator for an even longer time.  It seemed a shame to waste them, so I decided to make this curry.  It didn't come out as spicy as I might have liked, since I used a variety of different chiles and the heat of our chiles was pretty variable this year, but it still tasted great and we both enjoyed this thoroughly.

I did make a few changes.  I used stewing beef since I could get it more easily and cheaply than brisket.  I omitted the palm sugar - the recipe said, "to taste," and since my taste is decidedly against sweet foods I left it out.  I hadn't any galangal and substituted ginger instead.  I used regular lime zest instead of kaffir lime zest because that's what I had, and I omitted the shrimp paste because I didn't have any. 

Dry Beef Curry (serves 4; approx. $1.52/serving)

1 lb stewing beef

2 cups water

1 pinch kosher salt

1/4 cup Olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 cup dried red chiles

20 fresh red chiles - bird's eye are best, but I used a mix

1 pinch kosher salt

1/2 cup sliced lemongrass

2 1/2 tablespoons ginger

2 teaspoons lime zest

1/2 cup peeled shallots

1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoons ground black pepper

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Saucepan
• Strainer
• Bowl
• Large wok or saute pan

1. Combine the chiles, dried chiles, pinch of salt, lemongrass, ginger, lime zest, shallots, garlic cloves and black pepper in the food processor.  Process to a paste.  Add a small amount of water if necessary.
2. Slice the beef very thinly.
3. Put the beef in the saucepan and add the water and remaining salt.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked.  This will be quick if you have sliced your beef thin enough.
4. Drain the beef into the bowl.  Reserve the braising stock. 
5. Heat the oil in the wok. 
6. Add the curry paste from the food processor and fry until fragrant. 
7. Add the beef and continue to fry 10 - 15 minutes.  Moisten with a small amount of the braising stock if necessary, but don't use too much - this is supposed to be a very dry dish.
8. Season with the fish sauce and serve. 

Recipe: Seafood Curry with Coconut Milk

Recipe Source: Bastyra, Judy and Becky Johnson. The Food and Cooking of Thailand. Anness Publishing, London, 2005 p. 158

This is the recipe for which I made the green curry paste that I posted Sunday. I made it with the intention of freezing it, so we could enjoy it during the playoffs instead of getting take-away. There's nothing morally wrong with getting takeout. It's a great occasional treat. It's when you go an entire week without eating food at home that there's a problem. I decided on this because it contains fish, and fish is important for neurological development in fetuses. Yeah, that's my excuse. Seriously, though, I like fish, and having an excuse to eat it more than once a week is without a doubt the best part of being pregnant.

I made a few changes. Instead of the shrimp I used crawfish, because my Whole Foods actually had them on hand and they were cheaper than shrimp. There wasn't a lot of meat in the little water bugs, but I was able to freeze the shells for making stock at a later date. Since the crawfish were frozen and cooked, I was able to skip a few steps and to move a couple of things around a bit. I did sample the dish before freezing it, and I don't mind telling you that it was tasty. It also cooked up very quickly, making it ideal for weeknight cooking

Seafood Curry with Coconut Milk (serves 4; approx. $5.18/serving)

8 ounces baby squid, tubes and tentacles, cut into bite-sized pieces if necessary

1 lb cooked crawfish

14 ounces light coconut milk

2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 lb mahi mahi or other white fish fillet, cut into chunks

2 fresh green chilies, chopped (I used serranos)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons Green Curry Paste

Equipment:

• Wok or large sauté pan

1. Separate the crawfish meat from the shells. Reserve the shells for making stock at a later date. This is, for the record, the most time-consuming part of this whole process.
2. Pour the coconut milk into the wok and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Add the curry paste, shredded lime leaves and fish sauce. Stir well.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Add the seafood. Cook until the seafood is tender, about 2 minutes. Don't overcook the squid or it will become rubbery and nasty.
6. Stir in the chilies and coriander just before serving.

Recipe: Green Curry Paste

Recipe Source: Bastyra, Judy and Becky Johnson.  The Food and Cooking of Thailand.  Anness Publishing, London, 2005 p. 158

This is another recipe that you'll need for a later recipe.  I had originally intended to post them as one recipe, just as the publishers of the book did.  That was before I realized that you're only using 2 tablespoons of the paste.  I didn't make a lot of changes to the recipe.  I did use both stems and leaves for the cilantro, and I probably used more than strictly necessary of both.  For the "8 fresh green chiles" called for in the original, I used a mix of recently-harvested chiles from my garden: green cayenne chiles, serranos and jalapenos.  For the vegetable oil, I used olive oil, because that's what I keep on hand. 

Green Curry Paste (makes about 12 ounces; approx. $0.22/oz)

6 scallions, coarsely chopped

About 1/8 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded

8 fresh green chiles of your choice, chopped

1 lemongrass stalk, chopped

2 tablespoons minced ginger

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

Equipment:

• Food processor

1. Combine all ingredients in your food processor.
2. Process to a paste. 
3. It is now ready to use, or to be set aside and used at a later date. 

Recipe: Bamboo Shoot Salad

Recipe Source: Bastyra, Judy and Becky Johnson.  The Food and Cooking of Thailand.  Anness Publishing, London, 2005 p. 224

I decided to make this recipe in a kind of roundabout way.  My usual local Asian market closed, forcing me to use the market in the much more "urban" South Bay Center which was an adventure in and of itself.  While I had some urban adventures when I went to the mainstream market across the street, Super 88 and its parking lot were very safe and comfortable.  The larger version of the market was a little cleaner and had a much better selection.  One of the items I'd never seen in the old market was fresh bamboo shoots.  In fact, I couldn't remember having seen fresh bamboo shoots anywhere but on Iron Chef.  Naturally they found their way into the cart.  

We liked the dish, certainly, but it didn't set our hearts afire.  There are two main reasons for this.  I served this as a side dish for a dish that actually did set our hearts afire, and not in an indigestion kind of way either.  I also served this dish well past one o'clock in the morning.  We had stayed too late at the Boston Auto Show and couldn't find a nearby restaurant that was open, and so I started cooking at 11:30 PM.  This was late even for me, and it sapped me of some of my creativity.  On the whole, though, it was a good dish.  I blanched the bamboo shoots lightly to simulate the canning process, since the book called for canned.  I didn't have any specifically glutinous rice, but the brand of basmati rice I had on hand was a lot more glutinous than I would have preferred so I figured it was okay to use in this context.  I increased the garlic as usual, skipped the small amount of sugar, and omitted both the mint and sesame seeds. 

Bamboo Shoot Salad (serves 4; approx. $0.98/serving)

1 package (around 1 lb) fresh bamboo shoots, roughly chopped and lightly blanched

3 tablespoons glutinous rice

2 shallots, finely chopped

3 tablespoons minced garlic

3 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon dried chili flakes

Equipment:

• Mini-prep food processor
• Skillet
• Small bowl

1. Dry the bamboo shoots and place in your serving vessel.
2. Dry-roast the rice in the skillet until it is lightly browned. 
3. Tip into your mini-prep and grind the rice into fine crumbs.  You can use a mortar and pestle if that's what you have.
4. Transfer the ground rice to the small bowl and add the shallots, garlic, scallions, fish sauce, lime juice and chili flakes.  Mix well.
5. Pour the dressing over the bamboo shoots and toss well.
6. Serve.

Recipe: Beef in Cucumber Cups

Recipe Source: Jue, Joyce.  Far East Cafe: The Best of Casual Asian Cooking.  Sunset Publishing Corporation, Menlo Park, 1996 p. 62

My copy of this book, as you can probably guess from the date, is old.  I've had it ever since I got my first apartment, at the very least, and I still use it.  I use it for the most part when I'm throwing a party.  So many of the dishes are so well suited to a party type of environment!  This is one dish that I've probably made for dozens of parties, just not since February.  It's actually pretty easy, the presentation (in the cucumber cups) turns heads and it's easy for people to eat while holding a drink in one hand. 

There are a couple of changes I made.  First, the original recipe calls for raw beef.  Now, I like raw beef.  I don't know a whole lot of other people who are going to be willing to eat beef without at least some cursory attempt at cooking.  I therefore always substitute cooked ground beef for the raw beef.  Cooking the ground beef also allows you to add other spices and flavorings to the beef, although I did not do so in this particular instance.  Secondly, while I couldn't find the normal crushed red pepper, a little jar of Peruvian aji amarillo powder fell out of the cabinet as I searched.  I therefore used the aji and I think it worked well.  It didn't make a huge impact on the finished dish, but the subtle flavor was there.  If you don't have aji amarillo, just use crushed red pepper.  Third, I omitted the mint, because my husband is allergic to mint and there is no way he would not eat these little hors d'oeuvres.  I used basil instead.  If you increase the amounts of the filling, you will be able to re-use it at a later date.  Try it with pasta or rice! 

Beef in Cucumber Cups (serves about 20, approx. cost per serving not available)

2 tablespoons long-grained white rice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lb ground beef, cooked

4 shallots, finely chopped

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon aji amarillo

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 large English cucumbers

Equipment:

• Some sort of dry pan
• Miniature food processor

1. Heat the dry pan over high heat.
2. Toast the rice grains until they are golden brown.  Remove from heat.
3. Grind the toasted rice grains in the miniature food processor until they resemble a powder.
4. Put the rice powder in a bowl with all of the other ingredients except the cucumbers.  Mix well.
5. Transfer the mixture to a zip-top bag or resealable container and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour - overnight is best.
6. When you are ready to serve, slice the cucumbers into rounds approximately 1/2 inch thick.  You can peel them or not, it is up to you.  I feel that leaving the peel on the cucumbers helps them hold their shape better.
7. Scoop out a depression in the middle of the cucumber round, taking care not to go all the way through the slice.  A melon baller will be helpful here, but isn't strictly necessary. 
8. Pile a spoonful of beef (or so) into the depression.  Repeat until all the cups are filled.
9. Serve and enjoy! 

Technorati Tags: Recipe,hors d'oeuvre,appetizer,cucumber,beef,lemongrass,Thai food

Recipe: Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

Recipe Source: Trang, Corinne.  The Asian Grill.  Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2006 p. 85. 

The original recipe claimed that these quantities served six.  I managed to feed 20 on the same quantities, although there were many, many more dishes on the table.  It's a pretty simple recipe, made even more simple by the fact that I omitted things like the sugar and the chilies.  This leaves four ingredients, which is pretty amazing.  It's a great party dish.  It serves a lot of people, it can be made well ahead of time, and it won't heat up your kitchen - invaluable in the summer, and not exactly useless the rest of the year either! 

Cucumber and Red Onion Salad (serves 20; approx. $0.32/serving)

2 large English cucumbers, halved and sliced very thin

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 cup rice vinegar

1 red onion, peeled, halved and sliced very thin

A handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped

Equipment:

• No special equipment is necessary, but a very sharp knife or a mandoline will make life easier for you. 

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the serving bowl. 
2. Toss well.
3. Serve. 

That's really it.  I've made a lot of changes from the original, but people still really enjoyed this dish.  My husband particularly liked it and has asked for it again.  Sometimes I guess simple is best! 

Technorati Tags: Easy recipes,simple recipes,Thai food,cucumber,red onion,recipe,salad,side dishes,vegetarian recipe,vegan recipes

Recipe: Bok Choi with Lime Dressing

Recipe Source: Bastyra, Judy and Becky Johnson.  The Food and Cooking of Thailand.  Anness Publishing Ltd., London, 2005 p. 228

Bok choi is cabbage.  That is a plain and simple fact.  I don't like cabbage.  This is also a plain and simple fact.  However, there are many members of the cabbage family - broccoli and mustard, for example - that I enjoy immensely.  I used to avoid bok choi because of its relation to my eternal culinary foe, but I've been trying to loosen up a bit and I'm finding that bok choi generally doesn't make me quite as ill as regular cabbage does.  I selected this recipe because I needed a vegetable to go with a German chicken dish, and what goes better with German food than cabbage? 

I did make a couple of changes to this recipe.  The first two center around the bok choi.  First of all, I only used one head.  This is simply the result of an error on my part.  I should have used two, but really just the one was enough.  Secondly, I didn't boil it as directed.  I would love to tell you that I did this as a matter of principle, because boiling rids the food of much of its nutritional value, but who are we kidding.  I was tired, it was late, and I misread the recipe.  Instead, I stir-fried it like everything else in the recipe.  I think that worked out okay, though.  I managed to avoid that "boiled cabbage" smell that I find so offensive.  I used habaneros for the red chilies, because my two chili options at the market were habaneros and poblanos, and poblanos just wouldn't work for this recipe.  As always, I increased the garlic on general principles. 

Bok Choi with Lime Dressing (serves 4; approx. $1.34/serving)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 habaneros, sliced into thin strips

8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6 scallions, sliced on the diagonal

1 bok choi, shredded

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 cup light coconut milk

Equipment:

• Wok
• Slotted Spoon
• Plate
• Bowl

1. Heat the oil in the wok.
2. Add the chilies and stir-fry 2-3 minutes, until crisp.  Use the slotted spoon to remove them to a plate. 
3. Add the garlic to the wok.  Stir-fry about 30 - 60 seconds, until golden brown.  Do not let the garlic burn.  Remove with the slotted spoon to the plate.
4. Stir-fry the scallions about 2 minutes, then remove to the plate. 
5. Stir-fry the bok choi until tender and slightly wilted.  Transfer to the serving vessel and remove the wok from the heat. 
6. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce and coconut milk in a bowl and pour over the bok choi. 
7. Scatter the contents of the plate over the bok choi and serve. 

Technorati Tags: Vegetarian recipe,vegan recipes,bok choi,lime juice,coconut milk,Thai food,recipe,side dishes