Green Curry Beef

Serves 8.

If you’ve never cooked Thai before, start with this one.
It
introduces you to many ingredients and flavors at once, is spicy
but not too fiery, and is simple to make.
Look for the best quality
commercial curry paste you can.
The first time you make this dish,
start with half the curry paste and taste after combining with the
coconut milk; you can increase the intensity at this point if
desired.
Be sure to use unsweetened coconut milk.

1 pound (450 g) lean beef steak
2 tablespoons (25 mL) peanut oil
3 tablespoons (50 mL) green curry paste, or to taste
1 (14 ounce) (400 mL) can coconut milk
4 fresh red chile peppers, seeded, ribbed and sliced
3 tablespoons (50 mL) fish sauce or soy sauce
2 teaspoons (10 mL) salt
1 tablespoon (15 mL) granulated sugar
4 lime leaves
2 cups (500 mL) chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 green onions, sliced
Handful of fresh basil leaves

Cut the beef into thin slices about two inches long (you may
want to partially freeze the beef to make cutting easier).
Set
aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet until hot.
Add the oil, and when hot
stir in the curry paste.
Stir fry for 30 seconds.
Drizzle in the
coconut milk, stirring constantly.
Add the sliced chili, fish
sauce, salt, sugar, lime leaves and stock.
Bring to a boil.

Add the beef slices and green onions.
Turn the heat to low and
simmer the dish uncovered for 15 minutes until the beef is tender
and the sauce slightly thickened.

Stir in the basil leaves and cook until wilted.
Serve at once
with plain steamed rice.

Quick Thai Eggplant Soup

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms (caps only,) or use white
mushrooms
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed and cut into 1-inch squares
1 envelope Coconut Ginger Soup Mix (a Taste of Thai brand)
2 chopped plum tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, stems included
8 ounces chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a medium-size pot, heat chicken broth over medium heat.
Add
eggplant and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.

Add onion, bell pepper, soup mix, tomatoes, coconut milk and
cilantro, and return to a simmer.
Add chicken and simmer for 10
more minutes.
Serve hot as a soup or over rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: Cal 379 (56% fat) Fat 24 g (20 g sat) Fiber 5 g
Chol 50 mg Sodium 242 mg Carb 19 g Calcium 51 mg

Thai Beef Salad

From the kitchen of Martin James - Copenhagen, Denmark

1 pound (500g) beef rump steak
1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
2 tablespoons shredded mint leaves
150g spinach leaves
2 (260mg) Lebanese cucumbers, seeded, sliced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Combine beef with juice and mint in medium bowl, cover;
refrigerate at least 3 hours or until required.

Heat oiled large pan; cook beef until browned on both sides and
cooked as desired.

Cover beef and let rest 5 minutes; cut into thin slices.
Combine
beef with spinach and cucumber in large bowl.

Gently toss combined vinegar, sauce and sugar through beef
salad.
Serves 4.

Per serving: 8.6g fat; 2g fiber

Vietnamese Eggroll (Cha Gio)

1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound shelled shrimp or 1 can crab meat
1 small white onion
1/4 jicama
Several dried mushrooms
Pinch of bean threads
1 carrot, sliced into threads
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 egg
Dash of monosodium glutamate
1 package rice paper

Soak mushrooms to soften and then slice into threads.
Mix all
ingredients except rice paper, together thoroughly.
Dampen both
sides of rice paper for easy rolling.
Put the filling in the middle
of the rice paper and fold two opposite corners together, then roll
it.
To get a nice looking roll, you must wrap it carefully.

Warm about one inch of oil in a large fryer over high heat.
When
oil is hot, add rolls and turn heat down to medium (the oil should
just cover the rolls).
Be sure to check and turn the rolls often to
avoid overcooking.
Fry rolls until golden brown, then place on rack
to drain the excess oil.

Caramel Shrimp (Vietnam)

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 scallions (white part only), chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 fresh red chile pepper, thinly sliced (optional
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 lime
Sprigs of cilantro (optional garnish)

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the oyster sauce, salt,
cayenne pepper and flour.
Set aside to marinate for 5 to 10
minutes.

In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, heat the oil.
Add
the garlic and cook until golden brown.
Transfer the shrimp to the
pan, discarding the marinade.
Cook the shrimp, stirring
occasionally, until they begin to turn pink.

Add the water and sugar and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the scallions and onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the chile pepper, if desired, and black pepper to taste.
Squeeze the lime juice over the top of the shrimp and transfer the
mixture to a platter.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Serve
immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Crab Noodle Soup (Vietnam)

In Vietnam and in many Vietnamese restaurants, this soup is
served with the crab ground almost to a powder or even in patties.
Serves 4 as a complete meal.

8 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cups flaked crabmeat
6 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound rice vermicelli, cooked
1/2 head lettuce, finely shredded (Romaine
is preferable to iceberg)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 limes, quartered

Heat a large heavy pan over medium-high heat.
Sauté
the shallots in the hot oil until soft.
Add the crabmeat, tomatoes,
fish sauce, sugar and salt.
Pour in 5 cups of water.
Bring to a
boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.

To serve, divide the vermicelli among 4 large individual bowls.
Ladle the soup over the noodles, and top each serving with a
handful of lettuce and bean sprouts and squeezes of lime juice.