Salmon Red Curry Over Rice Noodles

You guys, I have a serious obsession with Thai food.

It’s the reason I could never go on a legit diet or even clean eating plan because I need my spicy, sugary, coconut-y curry and noodles.

This recipe is one of my favorites because it emobodies all of these things.

Salmon is the perfect meaty fish to hold up to being poached in this spicy curry sauce and the noodles soak up the extra sauce making every bite just wonderful.

It took me a long time to find my favorite red curry paste but it’s officially Maesri Red Curry Paste. I pick it up at my local asian grocery store for about $1.89 a can. It usually lasts me about two curry makings!

The key to cooking red curry is finding your balance of flavors. I like a really strong red curry so I usually use way more red curry than a recipe calls for. Always start small and build up! Red curry can be spicy so adding too much can kill your dish.

Alright lets jump into this meal!

Salmon Red Curry Over Noodles
Serves 2

2 pieces of salmon, 8 ounces each
1 tbsp of peanut oil
1/2 scallion, chopped
1 can of bamboo shoots
1-2 zucchini, sliced
2 tbsp of red curry paste
1 can of coconut milk (I prefer regular not light)
1 tbsp of dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
1.5 tbsp of fish sauce
juice of one lime
Fresh basil (or dried if you have it)
200 grams of rice noodles

Directions

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. This usually means bringing a large pot of water to a boil, dropping the noodles and pulling off the heat. Let the noodles soak until soft, but not over cooked.
2. Pre-heat a large pan over medium heat with the peanut oil.
3. Add in the scallions and saute until translucent.
4. Add in the curry paste and fry until fragrant.
5. Add in the coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce and lime.
6. Bring to a boil and then simmer for five minutes and adjust flavor.
7. Place the vegetables, basil and the fish in the curry sauce.
8. Poach the salmon in the sauce for 7-10 minutes until salmon is cooked.
9. Add in the noodles and gently toss!

*A version of this recipe can be found on My Kitchen Treasures.

Asian Ahi Steaks and Stir Fry

Ahi is one of my favorite foods.

In case you didn’t know, ahi is a type of fish, tuna to be exact.  It’s a popular fish in Japanese cuisine, such as sushi, and it can be eaten raw or cooked.

I personally prefer my ahi rare. A fresh rare piece of ahi, mixed with a little soy sauce and spicy sauce is really just the most delectable bite of food.

Although  I have a mad love for ahi, I’ve never cooked it at home. I’ve always found it intimidating. However, recently I was at Raley’s and they had a deal on organic, wild caught ahi steaks so I bought them and figured what the heck.

Boy am I glad I did that!

I have to give a shoutout to my mom that told me not to over-cook them, she probably saved my dinner.

If you love ahi but have been a little nervous to cook it, try this recipe; super easy, super delicious and will kill any ahi cooking fears you have!

Asian Tuna Steaks and Stir-Fry
Serves 2

For the Ahi:

2 ahi steaks about 8 ounces each
1.5 tbsp of soy sauce
1.5 tbsp of honey
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 clove of garlic

For the stir-fry

2 bunches bok choy
3 spring onions
1 handful of Sugar snap peas
1/2 pound of brussel sprouts
½ red pepper
Handful of bean sprouts
½ lime juiced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions: 

1. Combine the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and garlic. Marinate the ahi steaks in the sauce for up to one hour.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil to blanch the brussel sprouts.
3. Trip the brussel sprouts and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes or so. Drain and set aside.
4. Pre-heat a wok over medium-high heat.
5. Add in the lime juice, soy sauce and honey and let start to bubble.
6. Add in the snap pees, peppers, and brussel sprouts and saute for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry until preferred doneness.
8. In a separate pan large enough to fit both of the tuna steaks, throw in one to two tablespoons of oil. (I prefer to use peanut oil because it has a higher heat tolerance). Once your pan is smoking hot, add your tuna steaks and cook until preferred doneness. It’ll take about 1.5 minute per side for rare, 2.5 minute for medium rare and 3-5 for well done.
9. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

 

*Original recipe appeared on Mission Clean Lean blog.

Blackened Grilled Shrimp and Cauliflower Rice

Blackened grilled shrimp with cauliflower rice drizzled with green dragon sauce from Trader Joes

Shrimp:
1lb shrimp peeled and declined
1tbsp olive oil
2-3 tablespoons of blackening seasoning
Wood skewers 

Cauliflower rice:
1 head of cauliflower, grated
1 tbsp of ghee
1 tbsp of chives
1/2 tbsp of fresh oregano
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Blackening seasoning:*
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Toss the shrimp with olive oil and blackening seasoning. Skewer and grill over medium heat for 4-6 minutes depending on shrimp size.

Heat ghee in large pan and fry cauliflower until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Season with seasonings and herbs. Top the dish with Trader Joe’s green dragon hot sauce!

Tips:

• Soak your skewers for at least 20 minutes before putting on grill
• Use a cheese grader or a food processor to make cauliflower “rice”
• After grating let cauliflower dry out for 20-30 minutes, use a paper towel to get some of the moisture out
• Save left over blackening seasoning to use on fish, chicken, meats and other seafood.

*Original recipe: http://jokesandsnacks.com/

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

I’m beyond excited to share today’s recipe with you.

I LOVE Thai food. It’s my number one choice of foods when I go out to eat and I really really love red curry.

So there’s nothing better than red curry turned into a chicken soup, because I also love chicken soup.

I found this recipe years and years ago and don’t make it very often, so when I do it’s even a treat for me!

I like a strong red curry taste so I’ve found the best way to adjust this recipe to fit my taste buds perfectly.

I highly recommend shopping around for different curries and adding different amounts of curry to this dish in order to get the taste you like. If you’re a curry lover you’ll notice that every type of curry paste has a different flavor, different spices, etc. It took me 5 or 6 curries at several different Asian markets to find my favorite one. Which happens to be Maesri brand and it comes in a small can.

Next time you are craving Thai flavors in a delicious broth-y bowl, cook up this recipe! Don’t be intimidated by the long list of items, most of it is spices you probably already have in your pantry!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Serves 7

Ingredients

4 cups water

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise

1 (5 3/4-ounce) package pad thai noodles (wide rice stick noodles)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots

1-2 tablespoons of red curry paste

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 small hot red chiles, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

7 lime wedges

Directions

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan.
2. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds.
3. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.
4. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.
5. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat.
6. Add shallots and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7. Add chicken broth to pan, and bring to a boil.
8. Add coconut milk to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
9. Add chicken, onions, sugar, and fish sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes.
10. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl.
11. Stir in cilantro and chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Original recipe found on My Recipes 

Directions

Healthy Hoppin’ John

Have you ever heard of Hoppin’ John?

It’s okay if you said no, I had never heard of it either.

However, it turns out it’s quite a healthy and yummy vegetarian meal that won’t have you missing the meat too much!

Essentially Hoppin’ John is a popular southern dish made with peas and rice.

For this particular rendition it uses Black Eyed Peas (the legume, not the musical group). If you’ve never heard, Black Eyed Peas are usually eaten in the South on New Years Day to bring prosperity in the new year.

So I was a little late to eating my black eyed peas but non-the-less this easy recipe came together in 30 minutes or less and had a lot of flavors and was filling.

I actually served this up with my quick braised Kale and the two worked great together!

Healthy Hoppin’ John
Serves 4

Ingredients

5 teaspoons of olive oil
1 1/2 cups of onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups of red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced cellery
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1/2 cup of cooked brown rice (I used Trader Joe’s frozen microwavable rice)
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans of black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomatoes chopped
2 green onion bulbs chopped

Directions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add oil.
2. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Saute for seven minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
4. Add the rice, stirring to coat.
5. Add the stock, salt, paprika, thyme, black pepper, and ground red pepper. (If you want to use uncooked rice you can add the rice plus 3/4 cup of stock and 1/2 cup of water.)
6. Bring to a boil and cover, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. If using uncooked rice, simmer for 10 minutes until rice is cooked.
7. Add black-eyed peas and cook uncovered for an additional two minutes or until thoroughly heated.
8. Top with tomato and green onion and enjoy!

Original recipe found on Cooking Light.