Thai One On!

I love Thai food. And while living in Malaysia, I was able to eat my fill of it. So happy was I! I wanted to share some recipes with you that I've managed to get from the locals. I hope you'll try them and enjoy!



Thai Chicken Fried Rice

6 oz Boneless chicken breast
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 tsp Medium Curry Paste(use a Thai paste, not an Indian curry paste)
1 lb Cold Cooked Rice
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Thai Fish Sauce
Large pinch of Sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Using a sharp knife, trim the chicken, discarding any fat and cut into small cubes. Set aside.

2. Heat a wok or large frying pan, add the oil and , when hot (but not smoking hot), add the garlic and cook for 10-20 seconds or until just golden. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for a few seconds. Turn up the heat, add the chicken and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until tender.

3. Stir the cold cooked rice into the chicken mixture, then add the soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar, stirring well after each addition. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is piping hot.

4. Check the seasoning and if necessary, add a little extra soy sauce. Turn the rice and chicken mixture into a warmed serving dish. Season lightly with black pepper and garnish with green onion. Serve immediately.


Grace Notes: I've been told that the best way to cook Asian food in a wok is to have the heat on very high and cook it fast. For this reason, you want your chicken pieces small and uniform in size so that some pieces are not over-done while others are still raw in the middle. Also, the pan should be hot enough that you can see the rice hopping around a bit. The heat makes the rice jump in the pan. This is not a slow cooking recipe...it should all come together very fast!




Szechuan Beef

1 lb Beef Fillet
3 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbsp Dry Sherry
1 Tbsp Brandy
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
2 Red Chilies, seeded and sliced
8 Spring Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 inch piece Fresh Ginger, peeled and cut into match sticks
1 Carrot, peeled, sliced length-way and cut into shot lengths
2 Green Peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 8oz can Water Chestnuts, drained and halved or sliced

1. Trim the beef, discarding any fat or grizzle, then cut into 1/4" strips. Place in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir the hoisin sauce, sherry and brandy together until well blended. Pour over the beef and turn until coated evenly. cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat a wok or large frying pan, add the oil and , when hot, add the chillies, spring onions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until softened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and keep warm.

3. Add the carrot and peppers to the wok and stir-fry for 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

4. Drain the beef, reserving the marinade, add to the wok and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Return the chili mixture, the carrot and pepper mixture and the marinade to the wok. Add the water chestnuts and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with sprigs of coriander and serve immediately with noodles or fried rice.


Grace Notes: All these sauces should be available in the Asian food aisle at the grocery store. Remember Asian cooking is fast so you'll want to have everything prepped ahead of time to be able to toss it into the wok. Happy Eating!



With Love in the Mix,
Shannon