Twist on Thai

I've looked at this recipe for years with interest, but I have never made--until now. The crepes are a bit time consuming, however it's a fun and different meal to mix things up a bit. If you're in the mood to try something new, these should definitely be on your list. You may want to add some stir-fried tofu to make this a completely nutritious meal--we will next time.

Thai Vegetable Crepes with Peanut Sauce (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

1 recipe Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

Filling:

1 1-lb. eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 Tbs. canola or corn oil

3 carrots, cut into 3-inch-long julienne strips

10 scallions, halved lengthwise, cut into 3-inch lengths, then cut into julienne strips

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into julienne strips

1 Tbs. soy sauce

2 cups cooked rice, or 4 cups chopped nappa cabbage

Crepes:

1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour

2/3 cup glutinous rice flour (available in Asian markets)

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups water

About 1 Tbs. canola or corn oil (or some spray oil)

Garnish:

Whole chives

1. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the eggplant cubes on a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with oil. Bake the eggplant for 15 minutes or until it has softened.

While the eggplant bakes, heat the 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the carrots, scallions, and peppers. Saute them for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the soy sauce, then the rice or nappa cabbage. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the baked eggplant.

2. Make the crepe batter: In a large bowl, mix the white flour, the rice flour, and the salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs and the water. Slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients, whisking continuously. Whisk until the mixture is almost smooth.

3. Cook the crepes: Over medium-high heat, coat a griddle, a crepe pan, or a large skillet with oil. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the surface, and let the crepe cook for 1 minute. Flip the crepe over with a spatula, and cook it another minute. Transfer the crepe to a plate, and ladle another 1/3 cup batter onto the hot surface. Continue cooking the crepes in this fashion until you have twelve. Keep them warm by covering them with a kitchen towel.

4. Assemble the crepes: Warm the filling in the skillet. Warm the peanut sauce over low heat in another skillet. Then ladle some sauce (about 1/4 cup) onto each large dinner plate. Spoon about 3 Tbs. filling onto each crepe, roll the crepes, and plate two on each plate. Serve the crepes garnished with whole, crisscrossed chives.

Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk (you can freeze the rest of the milk in the can for later use)

1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

2 Tbs. Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, or 1 Tbs. soy sauce

3 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro (optional)

hot chile sauce to taste (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and the coconut milk for a minute or two, until the mixture is smooth.

2. Add the peanuts, fish or soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and, if you like, cilantro. If you want some heat, add a bit of chile sauce.

One of the Best

This was a meal that was absolutely fabulous. We actually deemed it one of our best meals that we have made recently. And, to top it all off, it was pretty fast. We changed the recipe ever so slightly to Salmon and Tofu with Mint-Yogurt Sauce instead of Arctic Char with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce, but we still accompanied it with the Red Pepper-Coconut Rice that Cooking Light suggested and sauteed broccolini. Delish! Definitely worth trying this week.

Arctic Char with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce (Cooking Light, September 2010)

1/2 cup 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled cucumber
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil
4 (6-oz.) arctic char or salmon fillets, skinned
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
lime wedges (optional)

1. Combine first 5 ingredients; chill.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fillets with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Serve fillets with sauce and lime wedges, if desired.


Red Pepper-Coconut Rice

Bring 1 cup jasmine rice, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, and 1 (14-oz.) can light coconut milk to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Awesomeness

This meal is not for the faint of heart. You must like spice and you must like flavor. All those who do not like these things, please, do not make this meal. You will not like it. For those of you who do, this coconut rice with tomato sambal and carrot salad meal is just what you need to spice up your night. I thought about eating the leftovers for lunch from the moment I woke up to the time lunch finally came. If this description doesn't sell you, I don't know what else to say other than MAKE IT!


Carrot and Cilantro Treat for All (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

We added slices for extra-firm tofu for some added protein to this meal, but the carrots totally spoke for themselves and don't need anything else.

6 medium carrots, washed and peeled
a large handful of fresh cilantro, leaves picked
4 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted, or poppy seeds

For the dressing
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 lemons
extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

First of all, slice the carrots or cut them up into fine ribbons, matchsticks or batons. Put them into a salad bowl with the cilantro leaves and the sesame or poppy seeds. To make the dressing, finely grate the zest of the orange into a bowl. Add the orange juice, the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and about 4 times that amount of extra virgin olive oil. Pound your toasted sesame seeds to a pulp in a pestle and mortar, then add to the dressing. Mix well, then season to taste with salt, pepper and possibly more lemon juice to make it nice and zingy so that you can taste it once you've dressed the salad. Once the salad is dressed, the flavor of the lemon will lesson, so get eating straight away.


Coconut Rice with Spicy Tomato Sauce (Nasi Lemak with Sambal Tomat) (Cooking Light, March 2008)

Rice:
3 cups light coconut milk
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Sambal:
8 red Thai chiles [we used serranos]
1 Tbs. peanut oil
1 cup peeled and quartered shallots (about 4 large)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. grated lime rind
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 (14.5-oz.) can whole plum tomatoes, undrained, seeded, and chopped
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1. To prepare rice, combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes; discard bay leaves. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt.
2. To prepare sambal, seed 7 chiles; leave seeds in 1 chile. Mince chiles. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add chiles and sugar to pan; saute 1 minute or until fragrant. Add rind, juice, and tomatoes to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt. Serve sambal over rice.

Thai-tastic!

After we made the curried lentil dip with a scant 1/4 cup coconut milk, I was on a hunt for a recipe to use up the rest of it. And I found the perfect recipe! Thai Tofu with Red Curry Sauce over Coconut-Scallion Rice was my first attempt at making curry at home that I truly felt successful at at the end. The flavors are so superb that it's worth the minimal effort to make your own curry. All I can say is that the next time you are in the mood for Thai, try this before heading out to your favorite Thai restaurant.


Thai Tofu with Red Curry Sauce over Coconut-Scallion Rice (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

If you opt for the lime rind instead of the kaffir lime leaves, you are actually making your life a lot easier. Not only do you not have to find the lime leaves, but you cut out a few steps in the recipe, saving you time and effort (and I don't think a lot of taste).

10 dried kaffir lime leaves (available in Asian markets), or 1 1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) coconut milk
2 3/4 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups jasmine, basmati, or regular long-grain white rice
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped (you'll need 2/3 cup for the sauce and 2 Tbs. for garnish)
2 large garlic cloves, cut in half
1/4 cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 Tbs. Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, or 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup canola or corn oil
3 Tbs. hot chile sauce, or 2 Tbs. chile paste
1 16-oz. package firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into small pieces (about 4 cups)
1 cup minced scallions, both green and white parts

1. Soak the kaffir lime leaves in 1 quart very hot water for 30 minutes.
2. While the leaves soak, bring the coconut milk, 2 1/4 cups of the water, and the 1 tsp. salt to a boil, then add the rice. Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Let the rice cook, covered, for 25 minutes.
3. Drain the lime leaves, and, with a very sharp knife, chop them into pea-sized pieces. In a food processor or blender, combine the lime leaves (or lime rind), 2/3 cup chopped cilantro, the garlic cloves, and the peanuts. Run the machine in spurts until the lime leaves are pulverized, pushing them down with a rubber spatula if necessary. Slowly, with the machine running, add the fish sauce (or 1/2 tsp. salt) and 3 Tbs. of the oil, then add the chile sauce or paste. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl.
4. In a wok or a non-stick skillet, over high heat, pour the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Add the tofu, and cook until the pieces form a golden crust on the bottom. Then turn them with a spatula, and let the tofu form more golden crust on the other side. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
5. Into the same wok or skillet, put the broccoli and the remaining 1/2 cup water. Cover, and steam the broccoli for 2 minutes. Stir in the lime-peanut sauce, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add the tofu, and toss.
6. Stir the scallions into the rice. Mound the rice on plates, and spoon the tofu and sauce around it. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. chopped cilantro, and serve. (Serves 4)

Party Dip

I swear I haven't been lazy, just incredibly busy once again. My apologies. I have been making some killer food in the mean time though. To start off, I will share the recipe I made for the first neighborhood cookout in our new building. Our condo building and the neighboring townhouses got together for a wonderful night of food and The Big Lebowski projected onto a garage. A ton of fun! We made a really simple and delicious curried lentil dip with pitas. The dip was a tad dry, but had really good flavor. Next time (and there most likely will be a next time), I'll just add some water into the mix.


Curried Lentil Dip (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

We used brown lentils instead of red and weren't closely watching them as they were boiling, so they ended the boiling process a little dry. Perhaps if we were more diligent the whole dip would have been moister.

1 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala (optional)
1/4 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are very soft and most of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions, apples, and garlic with a dash of salt for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the raisins, curry powder, and the garam masala, if using, and continue to saute for about 10 minutes, until tender.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree the cooked lentils and sauteed onion mixture with the coconut milk and lemon juice. Add the salt and adjust to taste.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.