Thai Basil Chicken

 

Thai Basil Chicken

If your weeknight dinner repertoire doesn’t include Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai), then you’re missing out. This superquick stir-fry comes together faster than you could get takeout delivered. It traditionally uses holy basil, which is very hard to find, but you can use either Thai or sweet basil, depending on availability.  

Ingredients:
2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce, preferably Thai
1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce, preferably Thai
1 tbsp (15 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
l tbsp (15 mL) water
1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar
6 tbsp (90 mL) canola oil, divided
1 lb (455 g) ground chicken
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bird’s-eye chili, finely chopped
1 long red chili, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
7 oz (200 g) green beans, cut on bias into 1/4-inch (5-mm) pieces
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) loosely packed basil leaves, preferably Thai
4 large eggs
Jasmine rice and lime wedges for serving

Directions:
Stir fish, oyster and soy sauces with water and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Add chicken and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until liquid has evaporated and chicken is starting to sizzle and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and chilies. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add green beans and fish sauce mixture. Stir constantly until sauce evenly coats chicken, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Cover and set aside.

Heat remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil in a small nonstick pan over medium-high. Cook eggs, one at a time, until edges are browned, whites are puffed and yolks are still runny, about 1 minute. (Be careful as oil tends to pop a bit.)

Serve stir-fry with steamed jasmine rice, lime wedges and a fried egg on top of each serving.  Serves 4

Coconut-Lime Cooler ~ Vegan

                                           

Coconut-Lime Cooler  ~  Vegan

Cool off with a low-carb coconut lime cooler, a deliciously creamy tropical drink that is truly refreshing. They also make great cocktails!
Ingredients:
1 cup full fat canned coconut milk
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Sweetener equivalent to 2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 cup crushed ice
Club Soda for topping up
Lime wedges for garnish
Directions:
In a blender, combine the coconut milk, lime juice, sweetener, lime zest and ice. Blend until smooth and well mixed.
Divide into 4 small glasses and top each up with club soda.

Grilled Mexican Sweet Corn (Elote Recipe)

Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

If you aren’t able to find traditional Mexican crema in your local grocery store, use regular sour cream spiked with some lime juice. You can also substitute crumbled feta for the cotija cheese.

Ingredients
6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
1/2 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, from 1 lime
2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Lime wedges, to serve
Directions:
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400°F. Once the grill is hot, clean the grates.

Whisk together the sauce:
Meanwhile, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste and season the mixture with salt if needed. (Crema and cotija cheese have a little salt already, so add extra judiciously.) Set aside.

Grill the corn:
Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3 minutes, undisturbed, or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.

Top the corn with sauce and cheese:
Using a brush or a spoon, coat each ear of corn with the crema mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled cojita cheese. Sprinkle with additional chipotle pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges. Serves 6 to 8

Thai Coconut Soup With Shrimp

Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp

Laced with ginger, lime and fish sauce, this weeknight-easy recipe is a version of tom kha goong, a brothy, aromatic coconut soup. To make tom kha gai, swap in 3 cups shredded cooked chicken for the shrimp.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon neutral oil, like vegetable or canola
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 inches piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (2 Tbsp.)
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
1 small green chile*, such as Serrano or Thai, finely chopped   

   optional
1 tablespoon lime zest
⅓ cup lime juice
Cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges

Directions

Heat the oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots and ginger and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and salt, raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the coconut milk, shrimp, mushrooms, brown sugar, fish sauce, and chile, if using, stirring to combine. Simmer until the mushrooms are tender and the shrimp is opaque and cooked through, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. (Do not allow the soup to boil once the coconut milk has been added.) 

Add the lime zest and lime juice.

Serve the soup garnished with sprigs of cilantro and a lime wedge.

Variation: With Chicken Follow the instructions as directed, except use 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (from one supermarket rotisserie chicken) instead of the shrimp. In step 3, simmer until the mushrooms are tender and the chicken is warmed through, about 3 minutes.

Cauliflower Fried Rice With Curried Shrimp

Cauliflower Fried Rice With Shrimp 

Ingredients
1 pound large deveined shrimp
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons curry powder
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts
   separated
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice (thawed if frozen)
2 cups frozen riced cauliflower, thawed
Sliced Persian cucumber, Mango chutney, plain yogurt
   and lime wedges for serving

Directions:
Season the shrimp lightly with salt and toss with 1 teaspoon curry powder. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until lightly browned around the edges and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet along with the onion and scallion whites. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the almonds, ginger, garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder. Cook, stirring, until the almonds are lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the white rice, riced cauliflower and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 

Cook, tossing and breaking up any clumps, until lightly toasted and heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and toss until warmed through, about 1 minute; season with salt.

Divide the fried rice and shrimp among bowls. Serve with sliced cucumber, mango chutney, plain yogurt and lime wedges. Top with the scallion greens.

Cook’s Note
Try mixing white rice with riced vegetables, like we did for this dish. It’s an easy way to get extra nutrients!

Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili + IP

Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili with Kahlua

The only active, time-intensive part of this recipe is chopping the aromatics (onions, garlic, etc.). You can do this a day before, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, until you're ready to cook. If you don't have Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur), it's fine to substitute beer, broth, or even coffee. Use a favorite chili powder - I call for a range here, use more if you think you can handle it, less if you like a milder chili. 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 stalks of celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, (1/4     c.)

1 - 2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt, or to taste
1 pound of black beans, soaked 4-6 hours or overnight
1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes in juice
3 1/2 cups water / broth
1/3 cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur

to serve (some or all of the following): salted (non-dairy) yogurt with smashed garlic, herbs, scallions, hemp seeds, lime wedges, drizzle of olive oil, avocado

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the chipotle, chili powder, and salt. Stir until combined and cook for another minute or so. Transfer to a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.

Add the beans, tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands as you add them, their liquid, the water, and Kahlua. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on the LOW setting until the beans are tender, 5- 6 hours. Stir occasionally, if convenient. Adjust seasoning, ladle into bowls, and top with any of the suggested toppings you like.

Store leftover in the refrigerator for up to a few days, or freezer for a month or two.

Serves 10+.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker method: If you don't have 5-6 hours for the slow cook, you can use the Instant Pot to pressure cook this chili. Use the SAUTE function, to start, and once you've made it to the point where you've added all the ingredients, press CANCEL. Close the pot, secure the lid, set the pressure release valve to SEALING. Press MANUAL for 15 minutes at high pressure. When cooking is complete, carefully QUICK RELEASE.

Conventional stovetop method: Bring everything to a simmer (after all the ingredients have been added). Cover, and cook, over the lowest heat (while still maintaining a low simmer), until the beans are tender. If you need to add more broth or water at any point, do so, and re-season. I think you could likely cook this in a Dutch oven in a 300F for a long stretch as well.

Gone-In-A-Minute Spareribs

Ribs With The Rub Ribs In Packets Ready For The Oven Hot Off The Grill And Dinner Is Ready!

Our daughter-in-law Susan came across this recipe and suggested we try it as the published photo looked very inviting. Personally, I think our finished ribs looked better than the photo and were very tender and soooo delicious. Even the grandchildren ate a man-sized portion.

Gone-In-A-Minute Ribs

Ingredients:

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 racks baby back spareribs

Lime wedges for serving

***

Directions:

Heat oven to 400F and place rack in lower third. For dry rub: combine is small bowl, chili powder, sugar, salt, dry mustard, paprika, and cinnamon. Reserve 2 teaspoons mixture.

Rinse ribs and pat dry. Place rack of ribs on sheet of heavy duty foil or two layers of regular foil, large enough to wrap around ribs making an airtight seal. Rub ribs on both sides with dry rub and wrap in foil making airtight seal. 

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet: roast 1 hour  to 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on thickness of ribs.

Heat grill to medium high. Sprinkle ribs with reserved dry rub, remove foil 
and grill turning occasionally, until grill-marked and deep brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve with lime wedges. Makes 4 to 6 servings