Tropical Slaw is Coleslaw at its Best

Recently I saw a recipe for a coleslaw using mango and radicchio added to the cabbage. It listed other ingredients, and then there were things I thought would be great, or better. I wrote my list of ingredients to use, bought all the ingredients. . . .and then I had to have a tooth pulled and it all got put on hold. Today I was trying to decide what to have for lunch and decided it was time to make that slaw. I got a bag of slaw mix, but used only 8 cups of it (it all condenses down so much after a few minutes). 

Treviso Radicchio

I did use the radicchio and mango. The mango needs to be a little under ripe, hard enough that it can be sliced and julienned. Even an under ripe mango will have sweetness, though the harder it is, the more residual tartness that will remain. This is all great for a slaw, because even if it has a little tartness, it is still sweeter than the other ingredients and will blend in perfectly. I added in a jalapeno, which gave a lovely hint of spice, but can be omitted or increased as desired. I love fresh ginger so I added a fair amount - more than some people might like, as fresh ginger also has a spicy bite to it.  Radicchio is a red-leaved member of the chicory family. The redness of the leaves is accomplished by placing the heads in darkness to stop the chlorophyll and promote the bright red and white of the leaves. It is thinner leaved than cabbage and more bitter. Cutting open a radicchio and a red cabbage side by side, though the heads look similar, the thin leaves and the more maroon color of the radicchio (vs the purple of "red" cabbage) is immediately noticeable.

Tropical Slaw

This salad has elements of sweet, sour, salt and bitter, making it a nicely rounded and balanced mix of flavors. For me, this salad is one of the most bright and interesting mixes I have tried in a long while. The flavors were just that great together. I could easily see this paired with any summer barbecue, but particularly barbecued ribs or my grilled chicken or pork with Indian spices. It would be lovely to accompany a brunch also.

Tropical Slaw

Makes about 6 - 8 servings

Tropical Slaw

SLAW MIX:
8 cups of shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix
1 small radicchio, about 2 cups shredded
1 under ripe mango, peeled, sliced, julienned
½ - 1 cup cilantro, lightly chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed for less spice, julienned
1 - 3 tablespoons thin slices fresh ginger, julienned

DRESSING:
¾ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup of sugar or 4 packets Stevia
1 teaspoon salt
few grinds pepper

Place all the slaw mic ingredients into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss well to combine.

The pork or chicken grilled with Indian spices is another of my most favored go-to dishes for summer grilling time. It is a hit no matter which meat is used, and I have also made it with turkey tenderloins. If using chicken breasts, it is best to cut them lengthwise into two portions each, so the flavor is best distributed. The flavors are well worth it! If using a pork tenderloin, cut each tenderloin on a diagonal into about 3 or 4 pieces. If using turkey, use the breast portions and try to cut them along the silver-skin that bisects the breast meat. Remove the silver-skin totally. The mixture of spices is easy and so flavorful that this meat is hard to resist. I have had people eating the turkey done this way, exclaiming over how wonderful it was - only to find that it is turkey and they really dislike turkey, generally. The marinade will work for at least 2 pounds of meat. Do try this.

Grilled Pork (Turkey or Chicken) in Indian Spices

Serves 6 to 8

(up to) 2 pounds meat of choice

Grilled Pork with Indian Spices

MARINADE:
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons coriander seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper½ teaspoon cardamom seeds ½ cup red wine vinegar½ cup olive oil

Prepare the meat of choice as described above. If at all possible, use whole spices (coriander, cumin, cardamom seed and black peppercorns) and grind them in a small coffee grinder used only for spices. In a gallon sized zip top bag, place the red wine vinegar and olive oil and then add in the ground spices along with the salt, pepper, garlic, ginger and onion flakes. Seal the bag and swish the ingredients around to mix. Add in the meat of choice and allow to marinate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Remove the meat from the marinade and grill to desired doneness.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Cool Cucumber Soup Ideal for Summer

Have you ever had a cool or cold soup? When summer heat starts wearing you down, a cool soup is a wonderful addition to a meal. Many cool soups are RAW foods, just by their very nature. This is another great thing, because a raw soup offers more nutrition than one that has been cooked. Having all the ingredients in their raw state maintains the vital nutrients and enzymes. 

When I was living a RAW lifestyle a few years back, soups were a particular favorite of mine. Generally, I eat soup now and again, mostly thick and hearty types. I am not one to order a soup or have a soup at any meal unless it is one of these thick and chunky sorts, comprising a meal all by itself. But while eating only RAW foods, somehow soups were so easy to make and so flavorful that I ate them daily. And these soups were mainly blended completely smooth, by choice. Any soup that is thrown together in a blender can have some additional ingredients tossed in for texture, but I really liked the smooth soups. I made tomato soup most often, as I had a lot of basil growing and tomatoes and basil are kind of like soup and sandwich - they just go together. 

Creamy RAW Tomato Basil Soup

My Creamy RAW Tomato Basil Soup

Makes 2 servings

1 large ripe tomato, cored and cut in large chunks
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
2 TB smoked sun dried tomatoes, or just use 6 tablespoons regular sun dried tomatoes
2 TB olive oil
½ cup basil leaves
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped off and stems thrown out
1 large garlic clove, minced and soaked 5 – 10 minutes in apple cider vinegar, then drained
1 piece fresh ginger, walnut sized, peeled and sliced across the grain
½ Serrano chili pepper, seeds removed
2 small pitted dates
1 lime, juiced, or at least 2 TB of juice or more, to taste
½ tsp salt
½ tsp peppercorns
1 to 1 ½ cups almond milk (water can be used, but the almond milk imparts a creaminess)


Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until completely liquefied. If your blender does not have the power to finely liquefy things like whole peppercorns, pre-grind those first.

I didn't stop at tomato soups though, and made mixed veggie soups, squash soups and many others. I cannot quite remember if I actually made a soup of mainly green things. I probably did, but was not keeping a record, nor taking photos of every food I ate back then. 

Creamy RAW Vegetable Soup

My Creamy RAW Vegetable Soup

Makes 2 bowls

1 cup cherry tomatoes
½ red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, in chunks
¾ cup celery with leaves, cut in chunks
½ small onion, thinly sliced⅓ cup white vinegar, optional
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup raw cashews
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dill weed (¼ cup if fresh)
1 cup water, or more, if needed
1 avocado, cut into dice, for serving

Place all ingredients except the avocado into a blender container (Vita Mix preferred). Blend until completely smooth. Serve in bowls with the avocado scooped on top. Without the avocado the soup will keep for 1 day in the fridge.


Yesterday I had to have a tooth pulled, so I figured it would be smarter to have soft things to eat for a little bit, until the gum heals. A nice RAW soup for lunch seemed logical. No chewing, and no accidental hurts. I took stock of what I had in the fridge, and then walked to the grocery store two blocks away for a few other things while my bread was rising. I wanted to make a green soup, so I got a "burpless" cucumber. I avoid cucumbers generally, because I tend to burp them, and while I still may with the "burpless" variety, it is not nearly the problem I have with the regular smooth-skinned cucumbers. The burpless are also called European or sometimes just hothouse cucumbers. Whatever they are called, they have less bitterness and less seeds. The skin is very thin. 

"Burpless" Cucumber

My plan was a green soup, so I went for mainly green veggies; cucumber, avocado, cilantro, kale. I used a whole apple for sweetness, along with a jalapeno for a nice little bite. When making these creamy smooth soups, it is helpful to have a really good blender. I have a Vita Mix, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is really powerful and will liquefy just about anything. I have had my Vita Mix for about 7 years, so it's been quite a while since I used a normal blender. I can't say how well all these ingredients will puree in a regular blender. My goal is to have all the fiber but no strings or chunks. The Vita Mix delivers on that score. 

RAW Cool Cucumber Soup

This recipe can be altered to suit your tastes. I added some kale because I had it in the fridge, but any other leafy green such as spinach, chard, arugula - or none at all - will work fine. I left skin on the cucumber, ginger and the apple. I did remove the seeds from the cucumber, though that is not strictly necessary with this kind. I added cilantro, but many people dislike cilantro, so this can be omitted, or substituted with parsley, or even the leafy tops of celery, if available. Nuts can be added, preferably raw cashews or almonds if desired. Nuts are really best after soaking for a few hours. Cashews in particular, once soaked, will puree to a very creamy consistency; great for soup! Frozen green peas would also be good, and they chill the soup even more while blending. All I can say is that the soup was just so very delicious. I ate it all, though I really should have left at least half for tomorrow. Oh well. If on a RAW lifestyle, it is easily 2 meals. If using it for a regular meal, or a nice brunch, along with other courses, 1 cup should be plenty per person.

RAW Cool Cucumber Soup

RAW Cool Cucumber Soup

Makes 5 cups

2½ to 3 cups cubed cucumber
½ cup cilantro, leaves and stems
1 small Haas avocado, or 1/2 large
¼ cup chopped scallion with some greens
1 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, optional
1 - 2 cups kale or other leafy green of choice
1 medium apple, core removed, in chunks
1 small clove garlic
1 (one-inch) cube fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried dillweed
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water or coconut water

Place cucumber cubes in blender container with the cilantro, and all the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth. It is wonderful just blended, or can be chilled further in the refrigerator before eating, as desired.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Conundrum with Samosas

Flank Steak with Gorgonzola Walnut Butter

Sorry, I couldn't resist the title. Continuing my work on pairing foods with the wines I will serve for the Winefest Renaissance wine tasting event for the benefit of the Boys and Girls Club, I decided on Samosas to pair with a Conundrum white wine.  I have made Samosas before, more traditionally. Samosas are a snack type food, usually fried, though mine are baked. The filling I have most often seen for these delicious pockets is potatoes and peas. Last year at this function I noted that the foods that contained no meat had very little interest generated. The ones that caused the most interest were the little Flank Steak Rolls with Gorgonzola Walnut Butter. The meat was plainly visible!

Chicken & Raisin Samosas

This year I am using some sort of meat in all the appetizers I am making, from smoked salmon, to chicken to sirloin and flank steak. It becomes more interesting to pair food with a wine that has more than one grape variety. The Conundrum white blend contains Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and Muscat Canelli, but not necessarily in that order. In my lists of foods to pair with the various varietals, potatoes and peas are listed in the Chardonnay column, chicken is in the columns for most white wines, and Indian or spicy foods are listed in some websites specifically for Conundrum. Fruity sauces or salsas pair well with Viognier, so I added Sultanas (white raisins) to the mix. I set about creating a samosa mixture that would cover those things and came up with Chicken & Raisin Samosas. I planned to serve them with a little dab of Mango Chutney, but am rethinking that idea. The sweet chutney may throw off the whole mix if the wine will not support that sweetness. 

Rub ghee into flour, flat flakes in the bowl

Meanwhile, I made a dough for the samosas, which requires a good 8 to 10 minutes of kneading time to build the gluten. Though it is not a yeast dough, the gluten gives the dough its stretchiness, making the forming of the little pockets much simpler, with little tearing. I read long ago that the best way to make the dough is to first "rub" the fat into the flour. In this case, using melted ghee, you just lift up two hands full of the flour/ghee and rub the two hands in one long sweeping motion. Continue this process until there are large "flakes" of dough. Then add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and knead until the dough is nice and stretchy. The dough needs to rest for a time, so if you will be busy in the next couple of hours, just cover the dough and place in the fridge until needed. 

Ajwain or Carom

Samosa Dough

Enough for about 64 small samosas

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white rice flour
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds, crushed, optional (see below)
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons melted ghee or clarified butter
½ cup water

In a large bowl mix together the flours, ajwain (also known as Carom seed, or spelled as Ajowain or Ajwan) seed and salt. Pour in the melted ghee and begin lifting and rubbing the mixture together in long motions between the palms. Continue lifting and rubbing together until the ghee is completely incorporated and there are large, flat "flakes" of dough in the bowl. Add in the water and mix to combine, then turn out onto a counter or board to knead. You will not need more flour on the surface. Knead by pressing, folding, pressing and folding over and over for about 8 or 10 minutes. The dough is very stiff. I do not believe it could be kneaded in a heavy duty mixer, as it would just spin around the dough hook. Once kneaded, set aside to rest for at least an hour. If you cannot work with the dough at that time, cover it and place in the refrigerator until needed.

About Ajwain or Carom Seeds - Trachyspermum ammi

Also known by Ajowain, Ajowan, Ajwan and many other spellings. Ajwain is a tiny seed in the Umbelliferae family (like cumin, celery, anise, etc). The seeds have a flavor similar to a mix of anise and oregano, but more aromatic and bitter. They smell much like thyme, because they contain thymol. The seeds have a tiny stalk attached, much like anise seeds and look similar and are related to celery seed. Carom is popular in Indian dhals or potatoes and is almost always used cooked in a dish as its flavor can be overwhelming when raw. It is good for digestion and is often used in lentil dishes for its anti flatulent effect.

Chicken & Raisin Samosas

When I created the recipe for the filling, I was completely unsure of the quantity I would need. I ended up with enough for double the amount of dough I made, so I had to make another batch of the dough. The filling was a sort of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants recipe, so feel free to change quantities. If you prefer to make half the filling, just halve the quantities as needed. I added in potatoes, though it was not my original intention, as I was concerned it would not be enough. Leaving out the potatoes would work fine, or if you prefer vegetarian, leave out the chicken and keep the potatoes.

Indian recipes very often have a "whole spice masala" as part of the ingredients. I understand the concept, but it can be very difficult to fish out little whole cloves or cardamom seeds, or worse, chomping down on one when eating. I left the bay leaves whole to remove later, but crushed finely the cinnamon (use true cinnamon - not cassia), cloves and cardamom seeds. I will list these ingredients as "whole spice masala", and you can do as you choose.

Chicken and Raisin Samosa Filling

Enough for about 64 small samosas

Toast the whole spices in a dry pan, cool, grind

WHOLE SPICE MASALA:
1 tej patta leaf
2 whole cloves
1-inches true cinnamon quill
2 cardamom pods (or about ¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds)
----- 1 pound ground chicken 
1½ teaspoons salt
½ large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil or ghee
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoons whole coriander seed, crushed
¼ teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder, right
¼ cup golden raisins (or regular raisins or currants)
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely minced, use more or less as desired

½cup peas
¾ pounds potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled

In a large skillet, heat the oil or ghee. Add the whole masala spices (or grind/crush first) and cook until they are fragrant. Add the onion and saute until golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic and toss until fragrant. Add the chicken and salt; cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add the coriander, cumin and Garam Masala with the raisins, cilantro and jalapeno, if using. cook for 5 minutes more. Add in the baked, peeled potatoes and use a spatula to break them into small chunks while combining with the chicken mixture. Mix in the peas. Cool the mixture completely before using to fill the samosas.

The dough ball; 1 little piece rolled, then cut in 2

To make the samosas, once the dough has rested and the chicken mixture has cooled, cut the dough into half, then into quarters. Cut each quarter in two, and then further divide each eighth into 4 more pieces, making 32 little bits of dough. Roll one of these little bits into a ball, then roll out on a surface (no flour needed) to about a 6 inch circle. Do not worry if the circle is not completely round - it makes no difference. With a large knife, cut the circle into 2. This will be repeated with each little piece of dough.

Steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Lift one half of the dough circle and moisten half of the straight edge with water (Step 1). Bring the rest of that straight edge up to form a little cone shape (Step 2). Press the pointed end closed, then firmly press the edges of the cone so they stay together. Hold the little cone in your hand and place about a rounded tablespoon or so of the cooled filling mixture into the cone (Step 3). Moisten half the cone edge with water (Step 4), then begin pressing the two sides together firmly to seal completely (Step 5). I took this one step further, just to make them cute for the presentation, and pinched that top edge together into little pleats, but this is not necessary. 

The samosas can be frozen as soon as they are done, if needed for a future date. Set them onto baking sheets and in the freezer until hard, then place them in freezer zip top bags. Keep frozen for up to 2 months. When needed, set the frozen samosas onto baking sheets, brush with oil or ghee and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the outsides are golden. (The insides are already cooked, and only need to be heated through). If desired, the samosas can be deep fried until golden. Another option is to bake them and then briefly turn them in a lesser amount of hot fat to give them the crisp, fried look and taste. Serve them with chutney of choice.

These are great to make ahead for a party. They can be baked when needed and served at room temperature.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A New Twist on a Pilaf and a New Recipe for Cod

I am always interested in going back to basics when  making foods, partly because it was something I had to do in Guatemala and that is how I learned. When what is locally available is all you can use, one learns quickly. Back in the 1970s there was no availability of every thing one could imagine on the internet. There was no internet. No cell phones. It is hard to even remember what we did back then. No remotes for the TV. Two or three channels at most. Foods that were available locally were what could be used. Period.

When I came back to the US, it was the time when using whole grains, higher fiber and jogging came into vogue. I never got the jogging bug, but was always interested in being healthy. Using foods with higher fiber seemed natural. I really liked all those things, so there was no difficulty in it for me. But, just because something is high fiber does not immediately turn out tasting good. We have to try new ways to make some foods taste marvelous. Now, here we are, 40 years later. I am still experimenting. I buy foods like whole oat groats or raw buckwheat, raw cashews, millet, teff, amaranth. The list goes on and on. Not all of those were immediate hits. Not all of those were even something I tried more than once. Still, because once they weren't my cup of tea, doesn't mean that at some point they won't taste really good made in a different way.

Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf with Baked Crusted Cod

Recently a friend gave me a recipe for waffles using soaked buckwheat and millet. No cooking of the grains beforehand. I loved those waffles. I wish I could claim that recipe as my own, but it is not. I have been meaning to get them out and make those waffles again, but have yet to get to it. Meanwhile, I keep seeing the bags of the seeds in my freezer (where I keep anything that doesn't get used too often), and was thinking what I might do with them. A few days ago, I got an idea for a sort of pilaf with less-used or -known grains, lentils or seeds. I ended up making a Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf, which I just loved. I have been eating it the past few days, all on my own, as it is not a dish my husband would touch, though I keep hoping. I had green De Puy lentils because I had used them in another dish from the Food and Wine magazine. Their recipe was with these little green lentils, red quinoa and cauliflower and I loved that too. So, the lentils were there in the cabinet, and the millet was in the freezer and I decided they would make a nice looking dish; it remained to see what I could do with the flavor. 

Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf

Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf

Serves 4 - 6
 
½ cup green (De Puy) lentils
1 small carrot, grated
1¼ cup water
½ cup millet
1 cup water
1 small knob fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 - 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
½ green pepper, chopped
½ teaspoon salt, or more, to taste
 
Place the first 3 ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until cooked through. In another small saucepan, bring the next 3 ingredients to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 to 18 minutes or until tender.
 
While these are cooking, heat a skillet and add the olive oil. Add in the shallot with the first half teaspoon salt and saute until soft. Add in the garlic, celery and green pepper and saute for another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add in the drained lentils and the millet and the second half teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.

A few weeks back, I bought some frozen cod. The pieces were individually wrapped so they were just fine in the freezer. But, I like fish and my husband doesn't, unless there is enough breading, it is fried and there is plenty of ketchup to smother it in. I like fried fish just fine. Just not as the only way. I like eating fish made in other creative ways. So, there is this cod. I had made Beef Vegetable Soup, which is a favorite of my husband's, so I left the soup for him and made myself a piece of fish. Mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese make a nice topping for things. I have long made pork chops by setting them onto a baking sheet, setting one (¼-inch thick) onion slice on top of each, placing a dollop of mayo onto the onion, and then Parmesan over the top of the mayo. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes at 350 and o-m-g! So, with a little play on that concept, I made my cod. The recipe was just for the one piece, so if making more than one, just multiply the recipe as needed. It took longer in the oven than I anticipated, so the next time I might set the oven to 400 degrees and bake for less time.

Baked Crusted Cod

Baked Crusted Cod

Serves 1

1 cod filet, (about 5 ounces)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 on Convection). If the cod filet is very thick in the center, butterfly so it lays flat with a more even thickness all along the length. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish. If you have white pepper, try using that instead of black.

In a little bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Spread this paste over the top of the fish, evenly. In another small bowl, combine the panko, 1 tablespoon of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the olive oil. Press these crumbs onto the mayonnaise mixture on the fish. Set the filet onto a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. [To prevent messy cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil first.] Set the filet into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it flakes in the center.
The cod was delightful. I smeared some tartar sauce onto my plate and set the fish on top of the tartar sauce to serve. It made for a prettier photo. You can always serve more tartar sauce on the side. Together these two recipes were just wonderful for dinner.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Thai Green Curry Paste in a Recipe

lines showing how to slice across the grain

Yesterday I finally got around to trying a recipe with my recently made (and frozen) Thai Green Curry Paste. I got chicken breasts to use for my recipe, though boneless chicken thighs or pork tenderloins would work well also. In order to slice meat thinly, it is best to start with it still partially frozen. For the chicken breast, or for any meat used, it is also good to slice it across the grain of the meat. When the meat is cooked in the dish with the cut across the grain, it allows very easy cutting and eating with a fork. 

julienned carrots

The vegetables for a Thai Green Curry recipe are usually things like green or red bell pepper and hot green chiles, more garlic and lemongrass (there is garlic and lemongrass in the Thai Green Curry Paste used in the recipe). I also used julienned carrot. Coconut milk is generally the liquid. My favorite brand of coconut milk is Thai Kitchen; it just tastes like fresh coconut, to me. I did not use extra hot chiles, as my husband would not tolerate them, but feel free to use as many as you can stand! 

My Dried Keffir Lime Leaves

Many recipes call for Keffir lime leaves (sometimes spelled Kaffir Lime). I have never yet had the fortune of having a real, fresh Keffir Lime. I hope someday to have that experience and really know the difference between those and Persian limes. Meanwhile, the best I could do with my Thai curry was to use dried Keffir lime leaves. The only place I found them (at the time I was looking, a couple of years back) was Savory Spice Shop, in Colorado. I am sure they are available elsewhere, but this was where I found mine. Keffir limes are indigenous to Southeast Asia and now grow in Hawaii as well. The leaves often have a double leaf, looking like two leaves growing end to end. The fruit's skin is extremely puckery; far moreso than a Persian Lime. Wikipedia has an excellent photo of both the fruit and the double leaves. 

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

The recipe turned out very well, overall. The flavors were great and everything cooked just as I wanted, meaning nothing was too overcooked. I believe that Thai flavors are not really my preferred flavors. While the meal was truly delicious, had it been an Indian Curry, I would have loved it far more. I just love some of the warm Indian spices more than Thai flavors. Regardless, I may be in a great minority on that, so do not let that stop anyone from trying this dish. It really was wonderful. 

Thai Green Curried Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 4), partially frozen

Thai Green Curried Chicken

3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 dried Shiitake mushrooms
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 onion, in wedges or cubes
4 - 8 tablespoons Thai Green Curry Paste
1 can coconut milk (not sweetened)
2 carrots, peeled, julienned
1 green or red bell pepper, cut in cubes
2 - 4 Thai chilies, optional
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
3 - 4 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced finely
2 Keffir lime leaves, or 1 - 2 teaspoons lime zest
fresh cilantro leaves, as garnish
roasted cashews for garnish

Slice the chicken across the grain of the meat, into thin slices. Set them into a bowl and toss with the soy sauce. Set the Shiitake mushrooms to soak in about 1 1/2 cups boiled water. Cover and allow them to reconstitute for at least 20 minutes. Heat the coconut oil in a very large skillet or wok and cook the chicken, about half the pieces at a time. They need only be partially cooked. Removed them to a plate when done. Add the onions to the skillet and saute them for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the Thai Green Curry Paste and stir until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Add in the vegetables, garlic and ginger with the lime leaves and return the chicken to the skillet. Stir together carefully and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with cilantro leaves and cashews. Best served over white rice.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Making Thai Green Curry Paste; a Midwest Adventure

To start, I must first admit to knowing very little of Thai cuisine. Along with that, while I haven't made it a quest to find good Thai restaurants, I have been unimpressed with those I have tried. To date, the one time I ate at a Thai restaurant and enjoyed a soup (one of the Tom Yum, with chicken), it was at some little hole-in-the-wall place in the middle of nowhere, California, while on a trip. Admittedly, if it wasn't for my daughter in law, Julia, who is a true Thai food fan, I would never have eaten at that Thai place, or any other!

Ever since, I have been curious. Though, as I said, I have been unimpressed with any places I have tried since. When I read recipes, they do not inspire me. They just do not jump out as interesting. I know Thai food is supposed to be quite healthy; generally simple ingredients. Maybe that is part of the problem. I tend to love anything that has a multitude of ingredients going on. Indian cuisine just so completely engulfs my imagination and my palate. A list of 20 ingredients, with 15 of them spices - that is something I love.

Thai Green Curry Paste

Somewhere I saw a recipe for Thai Green Curry Paste and thought the ingredients sounded good together. I sat down to create what I thought would be good ingredients for a recipe of my own. In general, some things seem to be ubiquitous in any TGCP  recipe: cilantro, green chiles, lemongrass, fresh galangal (preferred) or ginger, garlic, Keffir Lime (preferred) or regular lime, coriander, cumin, pepper and some kind of oil and a fish sauce. Other possible additions are things like shallot, Thai Basil, shrimp paste, coriander roots, turmeric, soy sauce. 

I read one person's blog, very obviously a Thai person, who emphatically stated that Keffir limes are not to be substituted with Keffir lime leaves. They stated that this would be like saying if you didn't have an orange, you could use orange leaves instead. There is no resemblance. This makes sense. I have dried Keffir lime leaves in my spice cabinet, but no way to get the actual Keffir limes. I realize that Keffir and Persian limes also have no resemblance, but the regular Persian limes were all I had. Likewise, I had fresh ginger, but no way to get fresh galangal (a cousin to ginger, but with much stronger, more pungent flavor, said to help reduce fishy flavors). Where I live, I cannot get fresh lemongrass, though there are those tubes (Gourmet Garden brand, Lemongrass) in the grocery, stating Lemongrass Paste on the front, though the ingredient list contains other things to "stabilize" the ingredients or whatever. Still, it was the best I could do. Such times as I have been able to acquire fresh lemongrass, I have never been able to make the inner white parts smooth. Unless I slice exceptionally thinly across the lower stem, there are just fibrous bits in there.

Thai Green Chilies are also not available everywhere here. Generally Serrano and Jalapeno are the most accessible. Since my husband would not tolerate too much heat anyway, and if I want him to taste-test my experiments, I used seeded jalapenos, definitely at the lower end of the heat spectrum. If you want more heat, keep the seeds, of whichever chili is preferred. Fish sauce or shrimp paste? Nope. I could probably get one of those items, but if it tasted fishy, again my husband would not touch it. I have been able to sneak a little anchovy paste into a Caesar's Salad occasionally, but I would never use a fish sauce for anything else, so it would be a waste to keep. 

Okay, with all this in mind, it is obvious that my "Thai" Green Curry Paste is a very Americanized, upper-midwest-grainbelt sort of interpretation. Still, the flavors turned out an interesting mix; bright, clean, not-too-hot, a little bitter and very green. One recipe I saw said to use whole limes, skin and all. This captured my taste-imagination, so I did that. I am sure that is where the bitter notes came in. Had I used Keffir Lime peel and galangal, I would likely have some pungent bitter notes as well. Most authentic recipes call for pounding all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle. I have many mortars and pestles; none large enough to accommodate this many ingredients. Instead I used my Vita-Mix Blender, which comes with a plunger that allows one to push down the ingredients and keep blending. Using a regular blender might require stopping and starting numerous times, including starting out with some ingredients cut very small, or pre-ground. So, this is what I did:

Thai Green Curry Paste

This makes about 2 cups.

1 large bunch fresh coriander, stems and all
6 green jalapeno chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 shallots
5 Tablespoons Gourmet Garden Lemongrass Paste
4 large cloves garlic
1 chunk fresh ginger, about golf ball size, skin left on, cut in smaller chunks
2 whole limes, washed and cut in chunks
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon peppercorns (white, if available)
3 - 4 tablespoons oil (I used olive; all I had on hand - not very "Thai", I know)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

In a dry skillet over high heat, toast the coriander, cumin and pepper for a few minutes until fragrant. Place into the blender, along with all the rest of the ingredients. Blend, stopping as necessary to stir down ingredients, until the paste is as smooth as possible.

A good measure is 1½ to 2 tablespoons per person for a Thai Curry. Freeze it in portions to have on hand. I made 4 tablespoon (¼ cup) portions, since there are two of us in the house. I use the little old-fashioned sandwich baggies with a flap, put the paste into one corner, tie a little knot in top and freeze these little portions of anything (Red Curry Paste, leftover tomato paste, etc.) 

For use, in general, heat some oil in a pan and add in the Curry Paste to release flavors, add in coconut milk, vegetables (peppers, zucchini, carrots, peas and/or chicken or shrimp) and cook to desired doneness. Additions might be chicken stock, Thai basil, a pinch of sugar. I will be trying this out in the very near future. The paste also tasted wonderful raw, so it could also make something in a RAW food diet taste marvelous.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Easy Stir-Fry

Vegetable Stir-Fry, closeup

I have been making a stir-fry of sorts for a lot of years. It changes with vegetable availability; both seasonal and just what I have on hand at any given moment. It can be as simple as onion, garlic, ginger, celery, carrot, green pepper and peas - to the additions of bok choy, bean sprouts, frozen peas, snow or sugar snap peas, cabbage or Napa cabbage, squash, green beans, lemongrass, and the list continues. One of the reasons I love to make this stir fry is that I love vegetables. Another reason is that, for whatever reason, though my husband dislikes things like cabbages, carrot or squash, I can put them in this stir-fry and he loves it. I have even sneaked a little broccoli (a true hatred, alongside fresh tomato or large chunks of tomato in anything). When I use bok choy, I slice the white parts on an angle, similarly to the celery. I finely chiffonade the greens and add them at the end. 

What I love best is that there are a lot of vegetables with little calorie count, so I get the bulk that  makes me feel full, with a lot less calories than in most normal meals.

You may wonder about meat. I usually do add meat - either chicken or pork. The way I make it is to use either a pork tenderloin or pork chops, meat cut off of any bone or fat, or chicken breasts. It is best if the meat is only partially thawed, as it makes cutting into thin strips far easier. I slice the meat across the grain, thinly, and then again, into thin strips a little wider than matchsticks. It's hard to get the meat quite that small, and it isn't necessary. Once I have the thin pieces of meat, I prep some fresh garlic and ginger by mincing very finely. I set a nonstick fry pan on relatively high heat, add in some olive oil or coconut oil and add the meat. I stir-fry the meat tossing quickly, until it starts to brown. I toss in the ginger and garlic (about 2 - 3 tablespoons, minced all together). This gets tossed quickly until very fragrant, and then I sprinkle on some soy sauce or Shoyu. Once the soy sauce is evaporated (doesn't take long), I remove the pan from the heat and drizzle on a little Asian dark sesame oil. Once the vegetable part of the stir fry is done, I add the meat and mix it in. Easy. 

Vegetable Stir-Fry

This method of preparing the meat is also something I do when making a more substantial luncheon salad, usually for guests. I love salad, and prefer to toss in just about anything I can find. The meat just makes it heartier. Another thing I have done is to use a rotisserie chicken from the store - just shred and add to the vegetable part of the stir fry.

This is a basic recipe. Feel free to embellish however you might prefer.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

Asian (Dark) Sesame Oil

1 tablespoon oil or coconut oil
1 - 2 large onions, sliced in wedges
1 juicy lemon or lime, or 2 tablespoons vinegar
1 bell pepper, cut in long strips
2 - 3 large stalks celery, cut thinly at an angle
2 cups very thinly sliced cabbage
1 large carrot, grated (large holed grater - or julienne)
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chunk of fresh ginger, about equal to the amount of garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas, OR
1½ cups sugar snap peas or snow peas
3 - 4 tablespoons soy sauce or Shoyu
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, preferably unhulled, raw
2 tablespoons Asian Dark Sesame Oil
¾ cup cashews of choice (I use raw), optional
cilantro, for garnish
cooked rice, for serving

Heat to medium high a very large skillet. Add in the oil or coconut oil, then add the onions. Toss the onions frequently, until they begin to just barely turn color. Add in some vinegar or the juice of one juicy lemon or lime. This seems to help the onions taste better and gives a little zip to the flavor. Continue cooking until the juice or vinegar evaporates. Add in the bell pepper, celery and cabbage and toss for a few minutes until wilted. [In general, add any vegetables that take longer to cook to your desired doneness, first.]

Now add in the garlic and ginger and toss well, until it becomes fragrant. Add in the shredded carrot, sesame seeds and cashews. Drizzle on the Asian dark sesame oil and toss to combine.

Serve over a bed of white or brown rice, rice noodles, or other oriental style noodle.

This makes 4 very hefty portions. It takes about 1 hour, start to finish, if making the meat to add in; otherwise about 45 minutes.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.