Thai Red Curry

This is probably my favorite thing to make (and eat), and I make it more regularly than anything else. It's taken this long to get it on the interweb because I never seem to get a good photo of it. At this point, I surrender. I'll post some photos now, and maybe update at a later time if I ever do capture it appropriately. So, for now, here it is - the legendary Thai red curry!

1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
Olive oil
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
2 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Chili paste (or chili oil)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
1 lime
4 chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
Vegetables (cut into bite size pieces)
Rice
Basil

What makes this recipe so awesome is that it's very flexible. All of the ingredients for the sauce are really to taste, so proportions are not set in stone. Different curry pastes can be very different (especially in the hotness-factor), so add slowly and taste your way to the best flavor. I usually use chicken, but any meat/seafood/tofu would work. Also, all sorts of vegetables are good in this dish. Some of my favorites are broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco, red peppers, string beans, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms. Whatever you can find. Get creative!


Okay. Start by sauteing the onions and garlic in olive oil in a wok until translucent. Add the coconut milk and let everything warm together. Slowly add the curry paste until you reach a flavor that you like. Next add fish sauce, stir everything together and let it simmer for a few moments. Add chicken and let everything simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir dish and let simmer another 10 minutes. Add sugar and chili paste to sauce until desired flavor is achieved. Next add vegetables. Let everything simmer together until vegetables are cooked. The longer everything simmers, the thicker the sauce will get. If the sauce gets too thick, add some more water. Keep in mind that the vegetables will release a lot of water once they start cooking, so wait to add any water until after veggies have been added.
A few minutes before finishing, grate some fresh ginger into the wok. Stir to incorporate. Immediately before serving squeeze lime juice over curry and tear some fresh basil on top. Serve over rice. And there you have it!

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

This one was a first for me on a few fronts. My first time grilling and my first time deveining shrimp. The grilling part was fun and I hope to explore it further while it is still the appropriate season. The deveining part was tedious but definitely a good learning experience. After a while it was a somewhat meditative process. After hours of prep work, the shrimp cooked really quickly and were delicious. I will definitely be marinating and grilling again soon.

1 1/2 pounds shrimp
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon rind (finely grated)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt
Pepper

Start by shelling and deveining shrimp. This is the time consuming part, but you can buy shrimp that are already cleaned to make this a whole lot easier.

Whisk together the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, chili paste, soy sauce, and tomato paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp in the marinade and mix them around to get good coverage. Place in refrigerator and let the shrimp soak in the marinade for about 2 hours.

When ready, heat the grill. Secure shrimp on skewers by poking through each piece twice. Once at the head and once at the tail. Place shrimp on grill. Brush each side with remaining marinade while grilling. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side.

White Bean Dip

This is the easiest recipe yet. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and is so fresh and flavorful that it is hard to resist. You don't even really need a blender, but it makes the process a lot quicker.

1 can white beans
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 a lemon
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary
Salt
Pepper

Toss the beans, olive oil, whole garlic cloves, and juice from 1/2 a lemon into the blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Stir in rosemary, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle some rosemary on top and voilà! You have yourself an awesome dip. Great on pita bread.