Thai Green Curry with Shrimp and Mussels
Not much to say today. I have a lot to do, and not enough time to do it. I am hosting an Indian-themed dinner club where I am making Raita, Laccha, Murgh Makhni (Butter Chicken), Pork Vindaloo, Ghee, Basmati Rice and Naan. Actually, I am buying the Naan. Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. I have never made bread before (don’t judge me) and I am CERTAINLY not going to start with NAAN! That would be a nightmare. It would probably give me an eye twitch, or an upper back spasm which is my new constant companion while cooking for a long time. Read the rest of this entry »
True Cod with Latin-Stewed Eggplant
Tonight, Erik and I had our good friends Dane and Rob over for dinner. We tend to almost always have a Sunday night “family” dinner. These boys are like my brothers, and of course, I have become “one of the guys”.
This meal was a hit! Light, and delicious, and perfect while watching the Olympics. It would be counter-intuitive to be eating something heavy, and unhealthy while watching conditioned athletes compete.
I got this recipe idea from Daisy Martinez out of the September 2008 Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. I love the Latin combination of sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, coconut milk, and cumin. This dish was inspired by a recipe that Daisy had in the Dominican Republic.
I tried true cod for this recipe, but there were also black cod and ling cod to chose from at Whole Foods. I am sure you could use whichever one that you preferred.
Thai Red Beef Curry
Okay! I have to admit, that I think I am becoming obsessed with Donna Hay. I received two more of her cookbooks for Christmas this year (that makes 4), and I am in culinary heaven. I love her cookbooks, because the food is not only delicious, but it has a gorgeous mouth-watering pictures for EVERY recipe. That is rare!
Also, I have the desire, unlike most cookbooks, to try each recipe.
Donna Hay is considering a food mogul in her native Australia. Because of her location, she is heavily influenced by Thai cuisine (which I love because I am sick of eating that same things at Thai restaurants). I may not have ordered this dish on a Thai menu, but it looked beautiful in my “Modern Classics 1” cookbook.
Chicken Coconut Curry
Erik has this new favorite food obsession: Curry. However, when we started dating 5 years ago, he hated it:) Don’t ask me how his taste buds have changed, but I am not complaining! I decided to do an Indian Curry rather than a Thai Curry because I think they are more flavorful. I used a base recipe by Tyler Florence because I actually think that he has visited the countries that he writes recipes for. I have made this a couple of times and changed a few things. This recipe is still a work in progress, but here is the latest version based on some suggestions from people who have tried the recipe, and, of course, Erik.
Spicy Pork and Noodles in Coconut Broth
This is another Donna Hay recipe. I love all the flavors that she uses in her dishes. They are simple, but then you learn the basics of the flavors (like Thai flavors), and you can eventually make the dish your own. This soup could be made with chicken instead of pork, and you could also add different vegetables. I used one whole can of light coconut milk and 1/2 can of regular coconut milk. This lightens the dish, but still adds a richness from the full fat coconut milk.
Halibut with Coconut Curry Sauce
This meal is a perfect finish to any long day. It satisfies, yet, is very healthy. Between Erik and I, we ate an entire bag of spinach. It also only took about 30 minutes to make! This meal is also great to entertain with. If you prep everything in advance, there is only about 20 minutes of cooking time while you entertain your guests.
