Thai Summer Menu

Note…Thai food inherently contains fish sauce. Even if you don’t like fish it is an important and necessary ingredient. Don’t smell it, it will gross you out.

Thai Beef Salad

            Green or red leaf lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

            1 bunch cilantro leaves torn, no stems

            1 bunch mint leaves torn, no stems

            2 ribs celery, sliced thinly

            ½ red onion, sliced thinly

            ½ cucumber, sliced thinly

            good tomatoes, wedged, or diced

            1 carrot, thinly sliced

          

Filet of Beef (at room temperature)

            Salt and peppered then seared for 4 min. on each side till done. I like mine on the rare side.

Turn your pan on med. high heat and wait a min. so it heats up. add 1tsp butter then cook that bitch up filet. If you want it more than rare go for 6 min. on each side. You want the meat to rest after you have cooked it…a good 10-20 min. remember you want it at room temp!

Dressing/Sauce

            Juice of 3 limes

            3 Tbs fish sauce

            1 Tbs splenda* brown Sugar

            3 thai chilies, depending on spice level either remove the seeds or keep them.

Mix it all up in a nice bowl...

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Thai Summer Rolls

            1 bunch cilantro, leaves only

            1 bunch mint. leaves only

            1 bunch basil, leaves only

            Shrimp, cooked till just pink.

            Cucumber, gulianed

            Carrot, gullianed

            Green Onions, sliced down the center and split

            Avocado, optional

            Rice Paper

Rice paper is a tricky thing but easy to find in Asian markets…It’s thin and translucent and usually round.
Fill a shallow bowl with water and place one rice paper in at a time till it’s soft and malleable.
Remove from the water and place on cutting board.
Fill the center with desired amount of goodies and fold over like an egg roll…or a burrito.
The paper is very sticky and easy to tear. Don’t get frustrated and keep trying…with time and practice you can master it. It’s worth the time, patience and effort.

Serve at room temp. as soon as they are finished. If you are not planning on serving them right away dampen a tea towel and place over them.
Do not let them touch…they will stick together.

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Chicken Satay

            2Tbs Curry powder

            2 cloves garlic crushed

            1 Tbs ginger grated

            1 tsp brown sugar

            1 tsp fish sauce

            1 Tbs sweet soy sauce

            ½ cup Coconut milk
Long wooden skewers soaked in water.

            2 Lb Chicken breasts cut on the bias 1inch thick.
Marinade the chicken for up to one day or an hour.
Skewer the marinaded chicken.
When ready to cook. Grill for 3 min. on each side. It might take less time…they are thin.

 Peanut Sauce

            2 Tbs Red Curry Paste (you can purchase at any normal grocery store these days)

            2 Tbs Peanut butter

            2 Tbs Splenda* brown sugar

            1 Tbs Fish Sauce

            1 Tbs Sweet Soy sauce

            1 tsp grated ginger

            1 can Coconut milk

            juice from ½ a lime
This is SO easy it’s insane. Add the first 6 ingredients to a sauce pan on medium heat. Cook till the peanut butter melts stirring constantly. Then add Coconut milk….continue stirring till all is incorporated. Turn down to low heat. When ready to serve stir in lime juice…please use the juice of a REAL lime.

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Pad Thai

            1 package Wide Noodles
Cook noodles till done in a rolling boil. Strain and cool with water…add 1 Tbs of Sesame oil to keep from sticking…set aside.

            2 Tbs Sesame Oil

            Green onions sliced on the bias

            Bean sprouts

            1 Lb Shrimp/sliced beef or pork

            1 Tbs ground ginger

            1 clove garlic crushed

            3 Tbs Lime juice

            2 Tbs fish sauce

            1 ½ Tbs brown sugar

            Chicken broth

            

In a small bowl place brown sugar and and fish sauce till sugar is devolved.
Heat a large frying pan and add sesame oil, garlic and ginger and stir…add choice meat. and cook through. Add onions and bean sprouts cook for 2 min-ish. Add noodles and fry up…add dissolved sugar and fish sauce and if to sticky add chicken broth a bit at a time.
Add lime Juice and serve right away.

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Red or Green Coconut Curry

            1lb Chicken/Beef sliced or Shrimp

            2 Tbs Curry paste

            2 Tbs Brown Sugar

            1Tbs Fish Sauce

            1 garlic clove crushed

            2 Tbs ginger, grated

            ½ onion sliced

            Vegetables: broccoli, pumpkin, edamame, shoots of palm, ect…pick one

            1Tbs Peanut butter

            1 can Coconut milk

            1/2 cup chicken, beef or veg. broth

            1 bunch basil leaves torn

        

Saute meat in 1Tbs veg. oil. till cooked through. remove from pan and set aside. Saute 5 ingredients and Peanut butter (you can skip peanut butter if you want…it just adds a nice flavor). Cook for 1 min, stirring constantly. Add onions and veg…cook for 2 min on med high heat…keep stirring…add choice meat…then Coconut milk and broth. Turn heat to low and stir till incorporated. Add torn basil and keep on low till ready to serve.

Note…In the winter I will saute cubed pumpkin and use leftover pot roast.
It’s a super easy recipe so don’t be scared at all! It’s very hard to fuck mess up.