The milder side of Thai

When most people hear 'Thai food" they generally think spicy. But not all Thai is spicy. Mind you, personally I really like something with some heat, but I know many do not tolerate spicy well. I found out just how diversely the phrase "is it spicy?" could be interpreted when I had my cafe, The Antique Oven. When I made chili I had to make a huge pot using only about 1 or 2 TBL chili powder for the WHOLE POT! Then I'd take some of that out to save, and to the remaining  add more chili powder, peppers, etc. for the "normal" crowd. Then I'd take some of that out and add the fun stuff: jalapeno peppers, more chili powder, habenero sauce, etc.. I would still have some people say the boring stuff was too hot. Oh my goodness! Really?!! All that to say that "hot" is very subjective. No matter your preference of spice level, all will like this menu as it has lots of Thai flavor and none of the heat.

The menu consists of Spiced Cilantro Chicken, Sesame Green Beans, Grilled Garlic Bread, and Carrot And Mango Salad. The main seasonings used are sesame oil, cilantro, lime, ginger, coconut milk, green curry paste and ginger. 

First I marinated the chicken overnight to really infuse the flavors of the marinade. This recipe and the Carrot Mango Salad were taken from my favorite Thai cookbook, Greatest Ever Thai,easy and delicious step-by-step recipes by Parragon Publishing- ISBN #1-40543-121-0.


Spiced Cilantro Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 garlic cloves (I used more)
1 fresh green chili (I didn't have this so I used 2 tsp green curry paste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1" piece fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
Juice and zest from 1 lime
2 TBL soy sauce
2 TBL sugar, honey or Agave syrup
3/4 cup coconut milk

Place chicken in zip lock bag.
Place remaining ingredients in blender and process until smooth.
Pour over chicken. Seal bag and knead to coat the chicken.
Refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight, kneading bag occasionally to distribute marinade.
Broil or grill until done.

This next recipe is great for my vegan and vegetarian friends. Even my guests who are "traditional" eaters loved it (even though it had tofu. lol) It is a visually appealing salad.

Carrot and Mango Salad
4 carrots, peeled or scraped and grated
1 small ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced or chopped
7oz firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 TBL fresh chives, chopped
Dressing:
2 TBL orange juice
1 TBL lime juice
1 tsp honey (I used 2)
1/2 tsp orange flower water ( I couldn't find this so left it out)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
(I added 1" fresh ginger roots, peeled and pressed through a garlic press)

Combine carrot, mango, tofu and chives in a medium bowl.
Blend well all dressing ingredients and pour over salad.
Stir well and allow to rest for at least 1/4 hour for flavors to blend, stirring occasionally.

Finally, I made Sesame Green Beans by simply stir frying Haricot green beans (whole young tender beans) in sesame oil and tossing some sesame seeds over when beans are crisp tender. Add a little sea salt and fresh pepper and you are good to go.

Oops- almost forgot that I also Grilled Garlic Bread. I purchased an artisan loaf of garlic bread with whole cloves of garlic baked right into the bread. Slice the bread, butter one or both sides and grill on low heat.

I had extra carrots so I made a carrot cake for my hubby. I'll post that recipe on the DESSERT tab in a bit.

So, my final words for you are: Be bold, daring and open to trying new things. Don't assume you won't like something without actually trying it! Experiment with your foods, flavors and nationalities. You just might find a new favorite.

Tom Kha Gai

Since a FB friend posted a few days ago about soups I can't think of anything else. lol
So even though it is as hot and tropical outside as Maui, I am once again making soup. My daughter introduced me to this soup at a Thai restaurant in Cincinnati and I fell in  love with it. It is light, fresh and only takes about 20 minutes start to finish to prepare.

 It is hard to find some of the international ingredients locally, so I have found some readily available substitutes such as Ginger for Galangal and lime juice for Kaffir lime leaves. Even if you don't like international foods, just hang in there with me for a bit. You just might be surprised.

Tom Kha Gai
14oz can coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
6 thin slices peeled galangal
2 lemon grass stems, bruised or 2 TBL lemongrass paste
1 red chili pepper or jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
8oz chicken breast, chopped
6 green onions chopped
2 TBL cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 TBL fish sauce (try soy sauce if you can't find fish sauce)

Bring coconut milk and chicken broth to a boil.
Add the ginger root, lemon grass, chili pepper and chicken.
Boil for approx. 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Add remaining ingredients and cook another 3 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Even if you are not a culinary visionary, I hope you will give this a try. Even if you don't like coconut milk you may very well enjoy this delightful soup. Take a walk on the wild side. Step out of your comfort zone and expand your horizons- give this soup a shot. You never know, you might find a new favorite recipe.

Healing Foods

Sunday afternoon I came down with a summer cold, probably allergy induced from being in an outdoor facility a good portion of Saturday for my mother in laws birthday party. So after feeling pitiful for a day, I decided to go to my old stand by for a cold... chicken soup. I know there are conflicting reports as to the effectiveness of chicken soup to heal, but to me it's also about the "I'm sick and I want my  mommy" feeling. While chicken soup is not a substitute for my mommy, it is a tried and true comfort food. So, since my  mother lives in Portland Oregon and I live in Ohio, I made soup.

I was out of chicken breasts, which is what I prefer to use, so I used chicken leg quarters. This makes the soup a little fattier, so you'll have to skim off the fat after boiling the chicken. This is a step you can pretty much cut out if you use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Keep in mind that the fat does add more flavor to the broth though...




Healing Chicken Soup


Boil 2 or 3 chicken breasts until tender and cooked through.
Remove from the broth and let cool slightly.

While the chicken is cooking, chop:
2 ribs celery, including tops (I usually save the center of the celery for soups)
1 or 2 carrots
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic

Add the vegetables to the stock pot and bring to a boil while you cut up the meat into bite sized pieces.
Add water to make at least 6 cups of broth (depending on how big of a pot you want to make)


Add:
2 TBL chicken base (I like the brand "Better Than Bullion"- they make the best chicken and vegetable base and even have a vegetarian version that is awesome)
2 TBL parsley
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt (I like Eden brand French or Celtic Sea Salt)
Pinch of dill weed

Simmer for about 15 minutes or until veggies are just barely tender.
Add 2 cups pasta of your choice (I like Rotini, that fun swirly pasta)
Cook an additional 6 -9 minutes or until pasta is cooked but still firm.
Before serving, to deep the flavor add a little soy sauce to taste.

I don't know if it's the onions and garlic combined with the flavorful broth is what makes the magic happen, but I always feel better after having a bowl of chicken soup. Even if I don't have my mommy....

So when a cold hits you, savor a bowl of chicken soup, then snuggle on the couch with a cup of tea and call your mommy. I guarantee you'll feel better by the time you hang up.

Those hazy lazy summer days

Ohio is so hot right now you feel like you are melting the minute you walk outside. My pool was 92 which isn't nearly as cooling as it should be. The humidity is so high you can cut the air with a knife. It was too hot to comfortably grill outside. At least for this native born Washingtonian anyway. So I opted for a quick and simple meal made from some prepared and some fresh ingredients.


My wonderful hubby brought me some Haricot beans (long slender French green beans) which I steamed with some onion and garlic.

I had some three cheese multi-colored tortellini that I cooked up and made a quick Alfredo to go with it. If you've never made your own Alfredo you should give it a try. It is incredibly easy to make. I cook whatever pasta I am in the mood for. Drain into colander and lightly rinse to stop the cooking process and keep the pasta from sticking together. Take a few TBL of butter and brown a few cloves of minced garlic. Add back in the pasta and stir to coat. Then add 1 -2 cups of half and half (I use fat free) or whole cream depending on your preference, and 1/2 - 1 cup of fresh Parmesan or a combo of Parmesan and Romano. Sprinkle with a generous amount of black pepper (preferably fresh grated). Stir for a few minutes until sauce thickens.

And last, but not least, I browned some store-bought meatballs that were hiding in my freezer in a little olive oil with several cloves of garlic thinly sliced. That's it! Simple, quick and delicious! Allowing me more time to spend laying under the air conditioner....on Facebook. lol

Talapia in Lemongrass Aoli

I was in the mood for something light tonight. A filet of talapia cooked in a foil pouch should just do the trick. Add to that a light broccoli salad and a little of one of my favorite couscous and I'm a happy camper.
Tonight's Menu is Talapia in Lemongrass Aoli, whole wheat couscous and a new twist on a broccoli salad.


For the talapia I placed 2 filets on each square of foil and added a little salt and pepper. For the Aoli I combined about 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I like Hellman's Olive Oil or Light), 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced, 1 TBL pureed lemongrass (found in the produce section of your supermarket) and 2 TBL Hot Pepper Jelly.  Spread a decent coating of Aoli over the fillets. Top with a few slivers of red onion and fold the foil into a pouch, sealing the edges. Grill for about 15 - 20 minutes.

For the Broccoli Salad I cut broccoli into small pieces to make about 4 cups. Grate 5 or 6 baby carrots. Chop 1/2 green pepper, 1/4 cup diced red onion, and a little  pineapple. Combine the above ingredients with 1/4 cup dried cranberries. Now for the twist... Chop 1/2 cup of Wasabi Peas and add to the veggies. The Pampered Chef Food Chopper works well for this. For the dressing I used 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 TBL red wine vinegar, 2 tsp sugar and a little juice from the pineapple.  I really like the little punch the wasabi peas give this salad. YUUMMMYYY!!

The couscous I used tonight was from Rice Select. It is a whole wheat pearl couscous (toasted Israeli pasta) with a hint of rosemary oil. It cooks in less than 10 minutes. It has 6 gr fiber and 7 gr protein per serving!! I love the flavor and texture of this couscous. I rarely add anything to it other than a tsp of olive oil or butter when cooking. Left over couscous is a good base for a salad also, but that will be for another day. lol

This whole meal took me less than 30  minutes to prepare an only about 15 to cook. In less than an hour you can have a light, delicous and flavorful meal. There is very little mess involved in preparing this meal also so you have more time to spend at the pool.  Grab a cold beverage and a cup of sherbet or sorbet and kick back and enjoy the rest of your night.

Wings and Things

Tonight I was in the mood for wings. I marinated the wings in Kraft Free Caesar Dressing then popped them on the grill. Well, actually, they were the last thing on the grill. Let me back up a bit.

Here is tonight's menu:
Grilled garlic bread,Carrots, grilled potato slabs and marinated wings.

First I marinated the wings.

Then I scrubbed a few potatoes and slice them lengthwise into 1/4 - 1/2" thick slabs. Pour a few TBS of olive oil into a pan and add 1TBS of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. I really like the Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Blend.

Next I slice some Italian Bread into 1/2" slabs and lightly butter both sides. I then sprinkled a little garlic powder and some of the Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Blend over one side.

I placed the better part of a 1lb bag of baby carrots in a small sauce pan and barely covered with water. Add a little S & P and 1/2 tsp of the PC Italian Seasoning.

Now it's time to bring all that out to the grill.



I grilled the bread on the top rack while cooking the potatoes on the lower rack.

The key is to keep the grill fairly low and move the potatoes around on the grill often. When the potatoes have a nice color, and are fairly tender but not yet cooked all the way thru, remove them to  a covered pan. They will continue to cook and steam until done. If you cook them the entire time over the flame they will become too dry.

Once I removed the potatoes I added the wings to the grill. Then I can sit back and enjoy the bread while I watch over the wings. Of course I had to dip in the pool a few times while grilling. Its incredibly hot and humid here in Ohio today. lol

Here is the completed meal, plated up and ready to enjoy in the dappled shade of  our pergola.

I did end up making a dipping sauce from sour cream and this wonderful sauce I bought on line, but basically any hot sauce would do. If you want to check out some fun sauces, go to Spice Exchange Brand by Figueroa Brothers. They have some really awesome sauces and marinades. What I used tonight was Habanero Traditional Caribbean Style Hot Sauce & Marinade.

While this meal might not have been the lowest in calories, it isn't too bad either.  What this meal lacked on the diet range it made up for in ease. Cooking in the summer for me is all about quick, easy and simple meals so you can enjoy your time in the sun with family and friends.

So check out your fridge and see what you have in there to use in a marinade and go for it. Quick and easy is the key.

Asian Pasta Salad

I had planned on making my Southwest Ceaser Salad for dinner tonight, but found I was missing several key ingredients. So once again I get to "play with my food" and see what I can come up with. It is very hot and humid here today so I wanted something that was cool, light and refreshing. This Asian Pasta Salad is the result.

Asian Pasta Salad
2 cups shell pasta
2 cups broccoli florets cut small
1/2 cup green sweet pepper, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 slicing tomato or 2 romas diced
1, 15oz can mandarin oranges drained
2 large chicken breasts, diced (abt 1 1/2 -2 cups diced)
2-3 TBL hot pepper jelly or sweet pepper sauce (found in Asian section of supermarket)
1 TBL sesame oil
2 TBL sesame seeds
Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing

Cook pasta to Al Dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cool.
Heat sesame oil in fry pan. Add diced chicken along with a few cloves of minced garlic or a little garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.  Add hot pepper jelly and sesame seeds and cook until chicken is no longer pink and liquid is absorbed. Cool.

Toss pasta, veggies, oranges and chicken with about 1/2 bottle of the dressing.
Top with toasted or sugared almonds

NOTE: I make my own hot pepper jelly if anyone would like that recipe. You may also purchase it at larger grocery stores. I will also post later how to make the sugared nuts.

This is where the playing with food comes in. lol
You can use any nut in place of the almonds- raw, dry roasted, sugared, toasted- whatever fits your mood.
Substitute shrimp or pork for the chicken.
Change out the pasta with pene or bow tie.
Switch the oranges for strawberries or pineapple.
Try poppy seed dressing for the Asian style, and use poppy seeds instead of the sesame seeds.

The point is, have fun with your food.
Make it your own.
Create, Play. Enjoy!!

Perfect summer meal by the pool

Ahhh.... Warm night, cooking on the grill under a shaded pergola on the deck.... dipping in the pool in between turning over the chicken.. ahhh... I love summer.

So here is my menu from tonight's dinner: Chicken grilled to tender perfection, baby red potato salad left over from a previous dinner, and my favorite salad ever- Jo's Amazing Salad. Add some ice cold beverages from the cooler and the company of family and friends. What more could you ask for?

I seasoned the chicken with garlic powder, onion powder and my own seasoning blend (any seasoning salt will do though). I heat the grill, then turn it low so as to not burn the chicken. Grill until you have a nice golden crust, rotating the pieces to cook them evenly. When the crust is how you like it, turn off the center of the grill and place the chicken in the middle where there are no flames. Continue cooking, checking chicken often until done through. By keeping the end burners on you are basically "baking" the chicken to finish it.

The Baby Red Potato Salad is made by washing the potatoes and cubing them into bite sized pieces. Boil until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and cool.  Meanwhile, slice & fry about 1/2 pound or so of bacon until crisp. Slice a couple bunches of green onion.  Toss together onions, bacon, potato and a good quality ranch dressing such as Marzetti.  Chill. This is a quick and easy salad that is always received well.

Jo's Amazing Salad is basically whatever greens you choose: romaine, baby spinach, red leaf lettuce etc., Add fresh sliced strawberries, sugared slivered almonds and a creamy red wine vinaigrette dressing and you'll be purring. I never get tired of this salad.

Great salads are one of the things I love about summer. Fall and winter are all about soups and home made breads, but summer is all about delicious salads, fresh fruits and light desserts. Speaking of light desserts, I think I'll have a dish of my home-made sorbet.

Welcome to my Blog

Welcome to my blog. This will be a learning experience for me so bear with me as I traverse this new frontier. I'm sure this will develop and change as I progress and as I receive feed back from my followers. For right now I will start by blogging about what foods I am preparing and would love to answer any cooking questions you might have.

I prefer to use ingredients as close to nature as I can. I use organic often, although in the area I live organics are hard to come by. I am a member of a natural foods co-op so I can buy many items through them. I love to try new foods and enjoy cooking foods from different countries. My favorites currently are Thai and Indian.

I have been having a lot of fun grilling this summer and I'm always experimenting with new things to grill. Yesterday I grilled marinated garlic ribs which is my son's all time favorite. (Ben and his family came down from Toledo for dinner and a swim in the pool) We had some garlic parsley angel hair pasta in Alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli with sesame seeds and a splash of sesame oil, and baby red potato salad to go with it. The meal was rounded off with rhubarb crisp and ice cream for dessert. I will post recipes as soon as I figure out how to do that. lol

The day before I grilled a beef roast with a Pampered Chef Chipotle rub. Baby red potatoes in olive oil with the same rub, wrapped in foil was also done on the grill. Then I tossed broccoli in the same bowl that I prepared the potatoes in to coat them in the oil seasoning mix left in the bowl and grilled that in my grill baskets.

Earlier in the week I grilled chicken breasts marinated in teriaki sauce. Then I sliced up some apples onto foil squares, topped with a little sugar, cinnamon and allspice and grilled that while we are the rest of the meal. yummy!

I hope you will enjoy my posts, and I promise I will get better at it. For now, I'd like to leave you with this: Even though your mother always said not to play with your food I say go for it! Don't be afraid to play with your food! If it sounds good to you, it will probably be great. Experiment freely! Just write down what you are doing so if it turns out good you can repeat it again. :)