Massaman Curry

Dear internet world, I am quite disappointed that there is a total lack of good Thai massaman curry recipes out there. This post, therefore, is part of the solution. 

One of our favorite Thai curries is Massaman curry - but I tried too many lengthy recipes that did not taste like the massaman we have come to love. Finally I got this recipe from a friend, who told me where to get the curry paste. If you have an ethnic food store nearby that sells Thai ingredients, you might find the curry paste there. The brand of paste is Mae Ploy - you might be able to buy it somewhere online. 

1-2 chicken breasts, diced 
3-5 potatoes, diced 
2-3 carrots, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tb. Massaman curry paste
1 Can coconut milk
1 Tb peanut butter
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water or milk

Dice chicken and veggies and stir-fry in a little bit of oil. Mix remaining ingredients and add to pan. Heat and simmer 15 min. Serve over rice. 

20 Things to Do with Zucchini

1. Chopped up in a quiche, frittata, or omelet

2. Grated or cut into noodles and served with a pasta sauce

3. Shredded or pulsed in muffins, waffles, pancakes, breads, cakes,  and cookies

4.  Pickled 

5. In skillet dinners or stir-fry dishes

6. Sliced thin, rolled up with variety of fillings

7. Add in soups or chilies

8. Diced in pasta dishes, like lasagna or mac and cheese, or served breaded as substitute for chicken or eggplant parmesan. 

9. Grated into meatballs or meatloaf

10. As a stand alone side dish, grilled, baked, etc. breaded or seasoned with or without other veggies. 

11. As a main dish like Ratatouille

12. Breaded and cooked in a sandwich, or as a burger

13. Cut and cooked like chips, or fried like french fries

14. Tossed in blender with your smoothie mix

15. As a crustini or cracker with toppings

16. Raw in salads or with dips

17. Peel, chop and marinate in pineapple juice for 24 hours, then substitute in recipes that call for pineapple, like Upside-Down Pineapple Cake. 

18. Stuffed like a calzone, or with any meaty sauce

19. Add to your Mexican dishes, like burritos, tacos, spanish rice, guacamole, salsas, etc. 

20. Sliced thin to add to your pizza, or add it to your pizza crust recipe, substitute the water for blended zucchini. 

What are your favorite ways to use zucchini? 

Slimming Smoothies

Restaurant Review: Station 22, and their Ratatouille Sandwich Copycat

We love Station 22. It is hip, fun, and they have an awesome supply of gourmet sodas. We try a new soda every time we go. They have a fun and creative chef, who adds to the menu all the time. They serve sandwiches and burgers, and as well as some specialty dishes. 

One of my favorite things I ever ordered was from their dessert menu - S'more's in a Cup. It was a hot, rich chocolate pudding, with chocolate pieces, served in a mug, topped with a marshmallow and toasted in the oven, then sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs. Doesn't that sound enticing? 

We've tried many of their burgers, their wedge salad, and their amazing Sage-Fried Chicken and Waffles. So good!

One dish that stands out from the rest is their Ratatouille Sandwich, from their Vegetarian Menu This dish was so impressive, I was almost shocked. After the first bite, I began slowly taking it apart and taking mental notes of everything in it. This will definitely be a new summer meal around our house as soon as the squash and is ready to be picked.  I need to go plant an eggplant out their too. Here is my analysis on how to make this at home: 

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Tomatoes

Onion

Mushrooms

Eggplant

Slice all veggies and sauté, or layer in pan and roast.

Ciabatta Roll

Spinach

Basil Pesto

Olive Oil

Slice roll, spread on pesto, arrange spinach and veggies and drizzle with olive oil. Replace top of roll. Enjoy!

Lastly, a tip of the day: pesto is now a favorite spread on some of my sandwiches!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cups water

4 Tb. butter

1 Tb. brown sugar

2 cups cream

Freshly grated nutmeg

salt to taste

Cut squash in half, scrape out seeds, and place on cookie sheet facing up. Bake at 375 for approx. 35-45 min. or until soft. Scoop out into a blender and puree with water and onion. Pour into saucepan and add butter, brown sugar, cream, nutmeg and a pinch of salt, or more if needed. Heat on low and simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve hot or chilled.

Jalepeño Poppers

This is one of my absolute favorite things to add to any grilled or mexican meal!!! Or any meal, really. I'm a jalepeño fan. And I LUV these things!! If you like extra mild, no-can-do spice, try using mini sweet bell peppers.

4-6 Jalepeños, cut in half, seeded and deveined

1/2 package cream cheese

4-6 pieces bacon, cut in half

Cut your jalepeños in half, and be sure to remove the seeds and vein. This picture shows the jalepeños whole, rather than halved, but just picture them halved, spread side up. (It does work better to leave them whole if your going to grill them, though.) Using a butter knife, spread the cream cheese inside the hollowed jalepeño, and wrap the bacon around the whole thing. You can grill these, but I usually just put them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 for 15-20 min. Ahh, one can't have too many of these things!

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

3 Tbsp. garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 bunch fresh basil

6 vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin*

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin**

*Visit a farmer's market in your area to find a variety of sizes and colors.

**Fresh mozzarella is typically available during the summer months at specialty grocers and cheese shops. For a real treat, try the "mozzarella di buffalo" from your local grocer.

Mix the garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and set aside. Pluck and stack the basil leaves, and slice into 1*8-inch ribbons. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a cutting board, and season each slice with salt, pepper and a generous pinch of basil ribbons. Top each tomato with a slice of mozzarella. Move slices to a serving platter. Spoon the balsamic olive oil mixture over the tomatoes and cheese. Serve with thick-cut crusty bread for dipping. Serves six.

Lillian's Veggie Sausage Pasta

This is a really good affordable, healthy dinner. And don't let the cabbage scare you, it ends up really sweet and rich. You'll love it! Only 492 calories per serving. And these are big, filling servings.

serves 6~8
1 package turkey smoked sausage (about 14 oz), cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces diagonally
3/4 head of cabbage, sliced thin
1-1/2 onions (I used 1/2 spanish onion and 1 red onion), sliced thin
2 meium carrots, peeled and sliced very thin
1 lb multigrain long pasta (I use Barilla Plus spaghetti or thin spaghetti)
6 T heavy cream
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add salt and cook pasta to al dente, about 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in another large pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat until just starting to ripple. Add the sausage and let brown just a little on each side. Add carrots, a slash of pasta water (or white wine or chicken broth) and scrape up browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add cabbage and onions, tossing often. Add 1/2 t salt and place the lid on the pot. Let the cabbage cook down and soften. Check on the vegetables once in a while and toss them to make sure they all get cooked evenly.
3. Once vegetables are tender, add the pasta and heavy cream and toss to coat. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Vegetable Stir Fry (野菜炒め)

Vegetable Stir Fry (野菜炒め)

12-14 pieces of frozen or fresh shrimp (if frozen, thaw in cold--not warm--water until tender)
1 green pepper, sliced into long, thin strips
1/2 of an eggplant, cut into thin long pieces
1/4 of a cabbage, coarsely cut into similar shapes to other vegetables
carrots, cut into thin long pieces
onions, sliced into long thin strips
4 cloves garlic, crushed, not chopped
canola or vegetable oil for wok/frying pan

soy sauce
hoisin sauce
grated ginger
rice wine vinegar
sesame seed oil
chili oil
white pepper
salt & black pepper
mirin

1. Heat wok/frying pan on high heat and add canola/vegetable oil. Add carrots, onions and cook until slightly tender. Add green peppers, eggplant, and cabbage and cook until cabbage cooks down a bit.
2. Push the vegetables over to the side a little to make room for the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the wok, making sure they all are touching the hot metal. Cook quickly on both sides until slightly pink.
3. Add garlic, and continue to fry. In the mean time, mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Add the sauce to the stir fry and toss.
4. Serve on the side with rice, while still hot.