I love curry. My husband on the other hand isn’t a huge fan. So I don’t get to make it that often, and when I do I am trying new recipes. I’ve made this recipe a few times this year and can’t get enough of it. Normally, when I cook curry I like my protein of choice to be either shrimp or chicken. So I was intrigued when I saw that this recipe called for beef!
My husband loved this twist on curry and even more so loved that I served it with rice noodles. Traditionally, I serve my curry up with a bowl of sticky rice. So given the fact that I switched up not only the protein but the carb made him fall in love with this dish!
To add an extra fresh taste to this veggie packed curry I added a healthy amount of chopped cilantro and green onions as well as a little lime. I really enjoyed the cilantro and green onion fresh rather than cooked in. It gives that additional layer of flavor that you wouldn’t be able to achieve without the fresh herbs.
1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk, shaken well
1/4 cup red curry paste
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light-brown sugar
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 baby corn (from 1 can)
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain
Cooked rice noodles
lime wedges
4 green onions, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Directions
In a large wok or skillet, heat 1/2 cup coconut milk over medium-high, stirring, until shiny and thick, about 2 minutes.
Add curry paste and cook, stirring it until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Add bell pepper and cook until softened (about 2 minutes).
Add baby corn and asparagus, cook until crisp-tender (about 3 minutes).
Add the steak and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 2 minutes.
Serve over noodles with lime wedges, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro.
I featured this Thai-Style Pork a few week’s ago from Mostly Food and Crafts. I love Thai food, but to be honest am not the biggest fan of pork. I made this in hopes to keep my husbands love for pork alive! This was very easy to put together prior to leaving for work. I prepped the red bell peppers and garlic the night before, and to be honest I probably could have let everything marinate in the crock-pot the evening before–making it even easier for me to just put the pot into the “crock”, set it and go. I was very excited about this recipe, but to be honest once I tasted it I was a little disappointed. It was a bit on the salty side for me, and I’m a salt freak! I know it’s because of the teriyaki sauce. If I was to make this again I would probably use half the amount of teriyaki sauce required and the other half water (maybe 2 tablespoons teriyaki and 2 tablespoons water). I wouldn’t use a broth since that typically has fats in it, and I think the “sauce” would be extra greasy. I think water would work best. Typically I would just cook plain long grain rice, but I made sure to buy the basmati rice for this dish, and I was very happy I did. It was fluffy and absorbed the sauce well. I could have eaten a bowl of the rice by its self it was that good! I also found out that this happens to be my husbands favorite rice. After nine years–I never knew that! We had more than enough to take to work the next day, plus I was able to freeze a container for later use.
On a side note, I just recently defrosted the Thai-Style Pork. I defrosted it in the microwave then added the container to a large sauce pan. I cooked the pork on medium heat and added about a cup of peanut butter to the sauce pan and about a half cup of water (eyeballed it). Continuously mixing, until the water and peanut butter mixed into the pork. I reduced the heat down to low and let it simmer in the sauce pan for another few minutes.
1. To prepare stew, trim fat from pork. Place pork, red bell pepper, teriyaki sauce, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours.
2. Remove pork from slow cooker, and coarsely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in slow cooker; stir well. Stir in pork.
3. Combine stew and rice in a large bowl. Top each serving with onions and peanuts; serve with lime wedges.
In honor of the last day of Thai Week here at Katie’s Cucina what Chocolate-Coconut Cake would be complete without Ice Cream? This ice cream is much different than the ordinary and from the looks of it you would think its Vanilla Ice Cream, but it’s a far cry from vanilla! The coconut flavor is subtle and the kick of ginger is just right. This ice cream truly compliments the Chocolate Cake I just posted about the other day. If you have an ice cream maker get it out and get ready to make some very unique ice cream! You can find the original recipe on the Thai Kitchen website. I did modify this recipe a tad. From past experiences of making ice cream I cooked the batter my way rather than the Thai Kitchen way. I felt that there way was a bit more complicated and the directions were hard to follow.
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 20 minutes
Serves: 16
Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk, well stirred
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp minced ginger
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp dark rum
directions:
1. Bring coconut milk, milk and ginger to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.
2. Beat egg yolks and sugar in medium with wire whisk until fine yellow ribbons form. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the coconut milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking until well blended. Pour the batter back into the sauce pan, and cook on medium heat (constantly whisking the mixture–the batter should never boil yet simmer). Cook until mixture thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Cool completely in refrigerator overnight. The next day once the batter has cooled completely, strain through a fine sieve. Stir in cream and rum until well blended.
3. Pour into an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
Chicken Satay is a classic Thai dish that is very easy to put together. If you remember I attempted at making it a few months back and it came out so-so. This time around it came out 100 times better. The marinade is what did it. I’ll be making this easy appetizer/entree for many years to come. I was unable to find fresh lemongrass, so I opted for the paste. I don’t think it made any difference whether you have the fresh stuff or the paste… just less labor intensive. I let the chicken sit in the marinade for a few hours, and quickly skewered them once guest arrived. The key is not over cooking these little gems. You want them to be as moist and tender as possible. I highly suggest you serve these with the peanut sauce & sweet chili sauce. You can find the original recipe on the Thai Kitchen website.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk
2 tbsp Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce
2 tbsp Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
2 tsp minced fresh lemongrass (or paste)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch strips
Bamboo skewers
1/2 cup Thai Kitchen Peanut Satay Sauce
1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce
directions:
1. Mix coconut milk, fish sauce, curry paste and lemongrass in small bowl until well blended. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; toss to coat well.
2. Refrigerate 1 hour or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Thread chicken strips onto skewers.
3. Broil or grill over medium-high heat 3 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with Peanut Satay Sauce & Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping.
I love fried rice. All types, but mainly vegetable fried rice. Instead of making a chicken or shrimp I opted to have another vegetarian dish at my party. This was yet another favorite among the group even though it had vegetables in it! This is a super easy fast recipe and great to make any time you have left over white rice. For this recipe I made the jasmine rice in the morning and then chilled it until I was ready to cook the fried rice. You can find the original recipe on the Thai Kitchen website.
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; stir fry about 30 seconds or until garlic is lightly browned. Add meat and vegetables; stir fry 3 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
2. Stir in rice, chili sauce and fish sauce; stir fry 3 minutes or until rice is heated through. Push rice mixture to side of skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to middle of skillet. Add egg; scramble until set. Stir into rice mixture.
This is probably one of the easiest meals to make in the world, and yet good for you! The stir-fry rice noodles are gluten free and you get a touch of veggies and lots of protein from this meal! This was the favorite amongst the group last weekend at my Thai Kitchen House Party. Everyone wanted this recipe so that they could have a Thai night at home. You can find the original recipe on the Thai Kitchen Website.
*Make sure you enter into the Thai Kitchen giveaway today is the LAST day to enter!!!
Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 (main entree) 4-6 (as a side dish)
Ingredients:
4 oz Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
6 tbsp Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai Sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts
fresh cilantro sprigs and lime wedges
directions:
1. Bring 4 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice noodles; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add egg; scramble until set. Remove from skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add chicken; stir fry until cooked through. Add rice noodles, Pad Thai sauce and green onions; stir fry 3 to 4 minutes or noodles are tender.
3. Stir in bean sprouts and scrambled egg. Place noodle mixture on serving platter. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.
Side Note: Prepare as directed, substituting 4 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp or cut-up vegetables or cubed tofu for the chicken.
While planning the menu for my Thai Kitchen House Party the other week the first thing I honestly thought of was dessert. I was honestly concnerned. I never eat dessert when I go out to Thai restaurants and didn’t think that there would be too many desserts out there to make. Boy was I wrong! When I went on theThai Kitchen website and clicked on “desserts” I found a variety of options. I’ll be honest I’m not a big fan of coconut but wanted to give this cake a try for a number of reasons. 1. It’s chocolate… you can’t go wrong with that. 2. It looked relatively easy to make (given the fact that I was going to be cooking a ton of food I wanted something that I could bake ahead of time and not have to deal with it on the evening of the party.
After reading the recipe in more detail I realized I needed a bundt pan. As soon as I realized this I started digging through a few of my cabinets. I received a bundt pan as a wedding shower gift back in May of 2008 and had never used it. I finally was given the opportunity to use it! I immediately got it out of it’s box, washed it, and was ready to start baking. I made the cake the night before my house party and then the chocolate glaze the day of. I will admit that the directions on the Thai Kitchen site were a bit confusing (and I didn’t realize that the 1/4 cup of toasted coconut was suppose to go on top and not inside the cake until after I was on the last step the day of the party, so I’ve added it into my directions because it tasted delicious). I’ve rewrote the directions to how I feel they should read! The coconut is very subtle and the cake is super decadent (even if it did come from a box). The chocolate glaze is what really makes this cake! Don’t skimp! On a side note; I did contemplate on making my own chocolate fudge batter, but I just ran out of time and a $1 cake batter mix was just going to have to work! I hope you’ll try this recipe out–it’s delicious!
1 package (18-1/4oz) chocolate fudge or devil’s food cake mix
1 can (14 oz) Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk, well stirred
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted
*Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted
directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small frying pan toast 1/4 cup coconut.
2. Mix cake mix, coconut milk, toasted coconut flakes, eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.
3. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool completely.
4. (The following day in my case) Prepare glaze by mixing sugar, milk and butter in small saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to boil on medium heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon vanilla until chips are melted.
5. In a small frying pan toast the remaining 1/4 cup coconut. Spoon glaze over cooled cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Let the glaze set onto the cake (I put the cake in the fridge for a few hours until the party).
Super easy peanut noodles to please even the biggest carnivores! This super easy and simple recipe was found on the Thai Kitchen website in honor of Thai week on Katie’s Cucina.
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Set aside.
2. Mix peanut satay sauce, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, sugar and salt in large bowl. Add noodles; toss to coat well. Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts, if desired.
This is the first of many recipes for “Thai Week” at Katie’s Cucina. I’ve never had Thai Iced Tea; however, I have a friend who swears by it and every time we all go out to eat at a Thai restaurant you better believe he is going to order some Thai Iced Tea. Although the color was slightly different from the iced tea I’m use to seeing in the Thai restaurant I think the flavor was there. This was like a cold creamed tea. It wasn’t too sweet, but had just enough sweetness for a “sweet tea”. All in all I would definitely make this tea again–it was a nice twist on the traditional Southern tea. You can find this recipe on the Thai Kitchen website.
A few week’s back I was selected to host a Thai Kitchen House Party (some of you may have already known that if you follow me on twitter). I’ve used Thai Kitchen products quite a few times, and was so excited to see a party like this being offered, so I instantly applied, and was very happy when I found out that I was selected to throw this house party. I knew that a majority of my friends had never cooked Thai food at home, and some have never even consumed it! I knew it would be a great product to represent and introduce to my friends.
I am declaring this week as Thai Week at Katie’s Cucina.
I’ll provide you with all of the recipes I made at my Thai kitchen party PLUSone lucky winnerwill receive a Thai Kitchen reusable grocery bag with a recipe pamphlet and coupons! One winner will be selected at random on Friday, October 1st at 12:00pm EST. You will have up to three chances to enter; here’s how:
1. Become an active follower on my blog
(leave a comment under this post letting me know that your a new follower).
2. If your already are an active follower of my blog leave a comment below.
3. Follow me on twitter (leave a comment below/if you already follow tell me).
4. “Like” my Facebook Page (leave a comment below/if you already follow tell me).
Here are just a few of the products sent to me for the Thai Kitchen party (at the time of the picture I had already used 2 cans of Coconut Milk).
On top of all the great product Thai Kitchen sent me they also sent place-mats, napkins, and chop sticks (along with the goodie bags handed out at the end).
Here is a picture of our pool table converted into a 12-top dinning table; set and ready for guest!
Some of our friends enjoying there food!
I must admit that I really enjoyed planning the menu for this event. I knew the sky {was kind of} the limit with this party. The Thai Kitchen website gives so many great recipes and examples of way to cook dishes that I honestly had a difficult time limiting myself to just a few dishes! All-in-all I would say that the Chicken Satay Skewers, Chicken Pad Thai, and Thai Fried Rice were among the favorites.
We had 12 friends and 3 children who attended the party (not including my husband and myself), and everyone loved the easy recipes and readily available ingredients used to make these dishes. Out of our 12 friends; five had consumed Thai food at a restaurant before and out of those five only one had cooked Thai food at home. All five friends had agreed that they would definitely be making a Thai Kitchen recipe at home and having “Family Thai Nights”. The other seven had never had Thai food at a restaurant nor at home, and they all really enjoyed the diverse flavors that Thai food has to offer. All of them talked about making the Chicken Pad Thai at home now knowing that its a simple and quick recipe to cook on a busy work night!
On a side note: two of my friends in real life came to my house party and are also bloggers. Make sure you check out: Anngela & Ashley‘s blogs!
Here is what our menu consisted of (recipes to come later this week):
Thai Iced Tea (A twist on a Southern classic)
Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut & Sweet Chili Sauces (messy to make, but delicious to eat)
Red Curry with Shrimp & Vegetables served with Jasmine Rice
Thai Fried Rice (*Vegetarian Option)
Cold Peanut Noodle Salad (*Vegetarian Option)
The infamous Chicken Pad Thai
… And for dessert:
Coconut Ginger Ice Cream was churned a few days prior to the event
Chocolate Coconut Cake (complimented very well with the ice cream)!
I hope everyone will enjoy Thai week at Katie’s Cucina and have your own Family Thai Night at home! Remember, to enter the contest!!!
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
