Pad Thai

This traditional Thai noodle dish is usually made with long, chewy rice noodles, but ramen noodles make a fine stand-in. You might be surprised to learn how few ingredients the sauce contains, considering it achieves such a complex-tasting balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Look for tamarind paste and fish sauce in the Asian section of your supermarket, and refrigerate what you don't use for this dish; both ingredients last for months.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tspn soy sauce
1/2 tspn Thai chili paste
1 package ramen noodles, any flavor
2 tspn vegetable oil
3 oz. baked tofu, Thai flavor
2 scallions, light green and white parts, thinly sliced
1 large egg

Garnishes:
2 tbsp chopped peanuts
1/4 cup mung beans
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 lime wedges

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until thickened and the brown sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and 1/2 tspn chili sauce or to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Break the ramen noodles into 4 pieces and cook in boiling water for 3 minutes, or according to the package directions (discard the ramen seasoning). Drain.
3. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Add the noodles, tofu, and scallions, and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and break the egg into the pan. Stir the egg into the noodle mixture until the egg is scrambled, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the sauce into the pan and cook until all of the ingredients are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to combine all the ingredients.
4. To serve, transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the peanuts, mung beans, cilantro, and lime.

Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Ramen To The Rescue Cookbook by Jessica Harlan

Thailand [ print this recipe for Pad Thai ]

Chicken with Fresh Mint and Basil Recipe

This simply prepared dish takes me right back to my honeymoon in Chiang Mai. The combination of fresh mint, coconut milk, Thai basil and chiles is magical.

Tip:
Be careful when handling chile peppers. They contain oils that can burn your skin and especially your eyes. Wear rubber gloves or try generously greasing your fingers with shortening.

Recommended Equipment:
Medium rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off

Ingredients:
1 cup Thai jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 Serrano chile peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
3/4 cup packed fresh Thai basil leaves, thinly sliced, divided
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) pieces
2 tbsp granulated sugar
pinch freshly ground white pepper
3 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

Preparation:

1. In the rice cooker bowl, combine rice, coconut milk and water. Set the rice cooker for the Regular cycle. At the end of the cycle, hold rice on the Keep Warm cycle.
2. In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic and shallots for about 2 minutes or until shallots are softened and translucent. Add Serrano peppers and two-thirds of the basil; stir-fry for 1 minute or until basil wilts. Add chicken and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add sugar, pepper, fish sauce and water; stir fry for about 2 minutes or until sauce bubbles and thickens. Add mint and the remaining basil; stir-fry for 5 to 10 seconds.
3. Fluff rice with a wooden spoon or plastic paddle and scoop onto serving pates or into bowls. Top with chicken stir-fry. Serve immediately.

Variations:
Shrimp with Fresh Mint and Basil on Thai Jasmine Rice:
Substitute 1 lb (500 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, for the chicken breasts.

For a spicier version of this dish, replace the Serrano peppers with 1 Thai chile pepper, sliced, with seeds, or add 1 tspn (5 mL) Thai chili sauce (such as Sriracha).

Serrano Peppers
The Serrano pepper is a smaller version of the jalapeño but is said to be five times as hot! Serranos have thin walls, so they don't need to be charred, steamed or peeled before use. They are perfect for salsas, relishes and garnishes, and taste great when roasted. They are commonly used in Thai and Mexican dishes.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe courtesy of 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin

Thailand [ print this recipe for Chicken with Fresh Mint and Basil ]

Thai Fish Curry on Jasmine Rice

There are hundreds of different kinds of curry, but I like this one because the red curry sauce gives the fish a delicious tangy flavor.

Recommended Equipment:
medium rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
blender or food processor

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Thai jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
2 1/4 cups water
2 tspn ground cumin
2 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn minced ginger root
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup tamarind paste (see tip below)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tspn Thai red curry paste
2 lime leaves, minced (optional)
1 1/2 pounds skinless swordfish or red snapper, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 cup diced seeded tomato
fresh cilantro sprigs
lime wedges

Preparation:

1. In the rice cooker bowl, combine rice and water. Set the rice cooker for the Regular cycle. At the end of the cycle, hold rice on the Keep Warm cycle.
2. In blender, combine cumin, coriander, ginger, coconut milk, tamarind paste, fish sauce and Thai red curry paste; purée until smooth.
3. Pour sauce into a wok or large nonstick skillet and add lime leaves (if using). Bring to a boil over high heat. Add fish, mushrooms, chopped cilantro and brown sugar; reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Gently stir in tomato and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
4. Fluff rice with a wooden spoon or plastic paddle and scoop into deep serving bowls. Top with fish curry and garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Tip:
Tamarind paste is the tart pulp that surrounds the seeds of the tamarind pod. It is used much like lemon - to provide acid - and is commonly added to grilling glazes, barbecue sauces and curries. It can be found at Asian markets. If you can't find tamarind paste, you may substitute lemon or lime juice mixed with a bit of brown sugar.

Coconut Milk:
Coconut milk adds a delicious flavor to rice and is used in many Thai, Southeast Asian, West African, West Indian and Hawaiian recipes. It contains essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that supply a host of benefits to the human body, including strengthening bones and promoting healthy brain development. Because it's non-dairy, it's wonderful for lactose-free diets.

Recipe courtesy of 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin

Thailand [ print this recipe for Thai Fish Curry ]