Thai Red Curry Beef and Eggplant

If you'd like, add strips of fresh Thai chilies to this dish. They lend nice color and a jolt of heat. Fragrant jasmine rice is the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients

1. 1 jar Thai red curry base
2. 1 can (14 fl. oz.) coconut milk, well stirred
3. 3 Tbs. canola oil
4. 3 cups eggplant slices (cut into 1/2-inch half moons)
5. 1 1/2 lb. New York steak or other tender cut cut into bite-size strips
6. 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
7. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
8. 1/2 cup slivered fresh Thai basil or 1/4 cup slivered fresh regular basil
9. 2 or 3 Kaffir lime leaves, torn in half (optional)
10. 1 to 2 Thai green bird chilies or 1/2 jalapeño, cut into long strips (optional)
11. Steamed jasmine rice for serving

Directions

1. In a clay pot or saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the red curry base and coconut milk and heat until hot.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the pan with the curry sauce and add the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and the eggplant is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the peas, cherry tomatoes, basil, Kaffir lime leaves and chilies and stir until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately with steamed rice. Serves 8.

Notes

Thai Red Curry Beef

Most Thai cooks use bottled curry paste mixtures that make preparing fragrant curries like this one incredibly fast and easy. Serve this liberally sauced dish with steamed jasmine rice.

Ingredients

1. 2 1/2 lb. lean stewing beef, such as chuck or round, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2. 1 tsp. salt
3. 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4. 3 Tbs. canola oil
5. 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
6. 4 garlic cloves, minced
7. 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
8. 2 cans (each 13 1/2 fl. oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
9. 2 Tbs. Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
10. 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
11. 2 Tbs. firmly packed dark brown sugar
12. 2 cans (each 8 oz.) sliced bamboo shoots, drained
13. 3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint

Directions

1. Place the beef in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Working in batches if necessary, sauté the beef until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and stir until it is fragrant and coats the onion and garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom with a wooden spoon. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
3. Stovetop method: Transfer the beef to a large Dutch oven and add the coconut milk mixture. Partially cover the pot, set over low heat and cook until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick but still fluid, about 2 hours. About 15 minutes before the beef is done, stir the bamboo shoots into the curry.
4. Slow-cooker method: Transfer the beef to a slow cooker and add the coconut milk mixture. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick but still fluid, about 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. About 5 minutes before the beef is done, stir the bamboo shoots into the curry.
5. Spoon the curry onto warmed individual plates or into a large serving bowl. Garnish with the mint and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Notes

Thai Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken, diced avocado and shredded greens are dressed with the flavors of Southeast Asia to make a light main-course salad for the outdoor table. Fish sauce, a salty seasoning, is sold in Asian markets. For a festive presentation, omit the diced avocado from the salad and spoon the salad into 4 avocado halves.

Ingredients

1. 2 chicken breast halves, each 1/2 lb.
2. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3. 1/2 small head green cabbage
4. 1/2 small head iceberg lettuce
5. 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
6. 3 Tbs. fish sauce
7. 1/3 tsp. Asian sesame oil
8. 2 tsp. sugar
9. 2 Tbs. seeded and minced serrano chili
10. 1 small avocado, pitted, peeled and finely diced
11. 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F.
2. Place the chicken breast halves, skin side up, on a rack in a small roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until the juices no longer run pink when the chicken is pierced to the bone with a knife, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove and discard the skin. Remove the chicken from the bone and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Place the cabbage half on a cutting board and, using a large knife, slice across the cut side into the thinnest possible shreds. Measure out 2 cups; reserve any left over for another use. Cut and measure the lettuce in the same way. Set aside.
4. In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Add the chicken and stir to coat with the dressing. Add the cabbage, lettuce and chili and toss to combine. Add the diced avocado and gently turn the salad to distribute evenly.
5. Divide the salad among 4 individual bowls or plates. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve. Serves 4.

Notes

Thai Marinated Cucumber Salad

Slender, dark green English cucumbers, also called hothouse or hydroponic cucumbers, are a good choice for this recipe. They have thin peels and fewer and softer seeds than other varieties. To seed a cucumber, split it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and the pulpy matter with a teaspoon or melon baller.

Ingredients

1. 2 lb. cucumbers, peeled and seeded
2. 2 tsp. salt
3. 2 Tbs. sugar
4. 1/2 cup rice vinegar
5. 4 shallots, thinly sliced
6. 1 red jalapeño chili or other fresh hot red chili, seeded and julienned
7. 2 Tbs. fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Cut the cucumber halves crosswise into half-moons 1/4 inch thick. Place in a colander, sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the salt and toss together. Set aside to drain for 1 hour. Pat the cucumbers dry.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, the remaining 1 tsp. salt and the vinegar. Heat until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, stir together the salted cucumbers, shallots and chili. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and toss well. Garnish with the cilantro leaves. Marinate the cucumbers for at least 1 hour before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

Notes

Pad Thai

This simple home-style noodle dish made with chicken and shrimp is quick and easy to prepare. The right noodle is essential. Look in Asian markets and well-stocked food stores for the flat ribbon-shaped noodle called sen lek in Thai. They are 1/8 inch wide and made with rice flour.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 lb. dried rice ribbon noodles
2. 2 Tbs. vegetable oil, or as needed
3. 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, about
4. 1/4 lb., cut into strips 1/8 inch thick
5. 1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
6. 3 garlic cloves, minced
7. 1/4 cup minced shallot or yellow onion
8. 3 Tbs. tomato ketchup or tomato paste
9. 2 Tbs. plus 1 1/2 tsp. Thai fish sauce
10. 2 Tbs. lime juice or rice vinegar
11. 1 Tbs. sugar
12. 1 egg
13. Large pinch of red pepper flakes
14. 4 Tbs. chicken stock
15. 1/2 lb. mung bean sprouts
16. 6 green onions, including tender green portions cut into 2-inch pieces
17. 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
18. 1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
19. 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
20. 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Directions

1. Place the noodles in a bowl, add warm water to cover and soak until soft and pliable, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a nonstick wok over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the oil. Add the chicken and toss and stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and toss and stir until bright pink, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Add the garlic and shallot and toss and stir until golden, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high and add the ketchup, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Toss and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Crack the egg into the middle of the wok and lightly beat. Cook, without stirring, until set, about 20 seconds. Gently fold the egg into the sauce; tiny egg flecks should peek through the sauce. Add the noodles and red pepper flakes and, using tongs, toss to coat with the sauce. Add the stock, 2 Tbs. at a time, to moisten the stiff noodles, and cook until the noodles begin to cling together and are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add the bean sprouts, green onions, carrot, chicken-shrimp mixture and half of the peanuts. Toss to combine and cook until the bean sprouts begin to wilt, about 3 minutes.
4. Divide among individual plates and top with the remaining peanuts and the cilantro. Squeeze the lime wedges over the noodles. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Notes