Thai Coconut Green Curry with Chicken and Zucchini

We are adventurous eaters, nothing too crazy, but we do like to try foods from lots of different ethnic backgrounds.  Thai is a great one, because of the variety of food choices.  I always told people that I didn't like curry, but come to find out, it is not that I don't like curry, I just didn't like the ONE curry dish I tried years ago.  This is a great recipe to try if you are just getting your feet wet on trying NEW things.  It's spicy, but NOT tongue numbing, and you can adjust the amount of curry paste you add.  Give it a try and if you do, send me a comment!

Ingredients:

• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 C. onions, finely chopped in semi circles (1 medium onion)
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 (4 oz.) can green Thai curry paste (less if you don’t like the heat)
• 1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces (about 2 breasts or 6 tenderloins)
• 1 lb. chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces (about 3 thighs)
• 2 (14 oz.) cans coconut milk
• 1 T. fish sauce
• 1 T. soy sauce
• ½ T. sugar
• 2 zucchini, cut into semi circles about ½ in thick
• ¼ C. fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• Cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until soft about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and the curry paste and cook for two minutes.
3. Add the chicken and stir fry for two minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk and incorporate the curry paste into the milk.
5. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through about 10 minutes.
7. Add the zucchini and allow to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Serve in a bowl with cooked rice on the side.  Place sambal (chili paste) on the table for those who like extra heat!

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Maesri brand curry paste and Chaokoh brand coconut milk, they can be found at most international food stores.
• This freezes great!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup (Curry Mee)

I had this soup for the first time at a Saints party.  I have been planning to make it for over a year and I finally did.  On my first attempt, I used rice noodles not glass or cellophane noodles, well the rice noodles soaked up all of the liquid and I was left with a soggy stew-like paste (very tasty paste, but paste all the same).  Round two: glass noodles, and wait till the soup is served to place them in the bowl.  Much better!

Ingredients:

• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 C. onions, finely chopped
• 1 T. ginger, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 T. red Thai curry paste (more or less depending on your heat level)
• 1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces (about 2 breasts or 5 tenderloins)
• 2 (14 oz.) cans coconut milk
• 1 qt. (4 C.) chicken stock
• 2 T. fish sauce
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 2-inch strips
• 1 C. sugar snap peas
• ½ C. green onions, finely chopped
• ¼ C. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 8 oz. glass noodles

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the onions and ginger in the vegetable oil until soft about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and the curry paste and cook for one minute.
3. Add the chicken and stir fry for two minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk and incorporate the curry paste into the milk.
5. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, red bell pepper and sugar snap peas.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through about 10 minutes.
7. While the soup simmers, prepare the glass noodles by boiling in water for 4 minutes.  Rinse and drain.  Reserve.
8. Add the green onions, cilantro, and lime juice to the soup and allow to simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
9. Place the glass noodles in the bottom of the soup bowl and ladle the soup over the noodles.
10. Serve with sambal (chili paste) for those who like extra heat!

Tips and Tricks:

• If you use leftover chicken for this recipe, you’ll need about 2 C. chopped.  Just wait and add it when you add the snap peas and bell pepper.
• Don’t be tempted to add the noodles to the soup pot.  They soak up all of the soup.  (I know because that’s what I did.)
• This soup freezes great!

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

We are big fans of a restaurant, La Thai, in uptown New Orleans.  They garnish many of their dishes with a sweet chili sauce that I do believe I could bathe in and be happy.  It makes everything taste even better!  This is my quick fix take on that sauce.  I researched several recipes and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

• ½ T. Sriracha HOT chili sauce
• ¼ C. rice wine vinegar
• ¾ C. water
• ½ C. sugar
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 2 T. water

Directions:

1. In a small pot, combine the first six ingredients and heat on medium-high heat, until it comes to a boil
2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes
3. In a small bowl or cup add the cornstarch, then the water and whisk until the cornstarch dissolves
4. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pot and whisk together for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens
5. Can be served warm or put in the refrigerator and served cold

Tips and Tricks:

• This makes about 1 C. of sauce.  It can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks.
• I served this sauce with the Baked Crab Rangoon appetizer I make.