Coconut Curry

This curry has quickly become a house favorite- it's really simple, but looks pretty fancy! It has been particularly good on these recent cold nights! For variations on this, I'd suggest replacing the tofu with some shrimp, or adding whatever veggies sound good! 

- 16 oz tofu

- 1 tsp sesame oil (other oils work as well)

- 1 bell pepper, sliced

- 1 onion, sliced

- 1 1/2c baby carrots, sliced

- 2 potatoes, cubed

- 3 oz red curry paste (I prefer Thai Kitchen's)

- 1 c water

- 1 c chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium)

- 14 oz of lite coconut milk

- 1/4 c soy sauce

- 6 oz rice noodles (2 bundles), cooked

- 1/4 c cilantro, chopped

1. Slice the tofu into bite-sized triangles- I ended up with 48. Drain the tofu by setting the pieces out on a paper towel, then covering them with more paper towels. Place a heavy pan (I use my cast iron) on top of them and let it drain for 5 minutes. 

2. Saute the tofu in the sesame oil until each side of golden brown and firm. Set aside. 

3. Drizzle some sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the curry paste. Mix as well as possible. Add the water and broth. Mix well. Add the carrots, potatoes, and onion. 

4. Bring to a boil. Add the coconut milk and peppers. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce and mix well. 

5. Place the noodles in the bottom of each bowl. Add the curry, then top with cilantro. Serve hot! Pairs well with lagers and pilsners. Enjoy!

Mmmm... 

Tofu Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a dish that, while so delicious when done right, is easily done wrong. This recipe is spot on, and it's easy! It's adapted from the Fake Ginger blog's version.

Sauce
- 1/4 c tomato paste
- 1/3 c packed brown sugar
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1/2 - 1 tsp Sriracha

Noodles
- 6.5 oz dried rice noodles
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use grapeseed)
- 1/2 lb. extra-firm tofu
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 4 scallions, sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp roasted peanuts
- Lime wedges for garnish

1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook until done, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. 
3. Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. Place them evenly on a large surface covered in paper towels. Top with paper towels, then cover with a large, heavy saucepan and let them sit for 5 minutes to release excess water.
4. Heat 1-1/2 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the drained tofu and cook until each side is lightly browned. Set aside.
5. Add 1/2 Tbsp of oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour in eggs and scramble. Once they are cooked, add the noodles, tofu, and 3/4 of the green onions. Pour on the sauce and toss to coat. Cook until evenly hot, about 3-5 minutes. Serve in bowls and sprinkle the remaining green onions, cilantro, and roasted peanuts on top.
6. Garnish with lime wedges. Pairs well with light beers, particularly lagers or fruit beers. Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Rolls and Thai Chicken Pasta

This recipe is a 2-for-1 since it can be used in its original roll form or adapted to a pasta. To make the rolls, do as the following instructions tell you. To turn it into a pasta. just put the chicken, veggies, and peanut sauce into some hot pasta and serve. (The pictures are for the pasta!)

Teriyaki Chicken
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar or sherry
- 1/3'' fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
- 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 c peanut butter
- 1/2 c hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp - 2 Tbsp dried chili flakes or Sriracha sauce

Coconut Sauce
- 1/2 c coconut milk
- 1/2 c peanut sauce (see directly above)
- 1/2 tsp - 1 Tbsp chili paste (I prefer Thai Kitchen's Red Curry Paste)

Tortilla Rolls
- 6 - 8'' tortillas
- 2 T butter, at room temperature
- 3 T Peanut Sauce (see above)
- 3/4 c shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 c carrots, shredded
- 6 - 8 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 water chestnuts, chopped
- 3 T peanuts
- 2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 T parmesan
- 1 T chopped parsley (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Cover two baking sheets with foil.

2. Combine all ingredients for the teriyaki chicken in a bowl. Let the chicken marinate 5-6 minutes per side.

3. Broil the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side on a baking sheet covered in foil. Once the chicken has cooled a bit, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 500.

5. In a sauce pan (I always prefer cast iron), combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. I have the most success when I combine the peanut butter and hoisin together before adding the others. Bring the sauce to a boil, and let it simmer for 1 minute to thicken up. If you use cast iron, it will not stick to the pan at all!

6. Combine the ingredients for the coconut sauce. Set aside.

7. One at a time, brush butter over one side of the tortilla, and place it butter side down on the baking sheet. (Because of the size of the tortillas, sometimes the last couple need to be placed on after they've been rolled up.)

8. Fill the middle of each tortilla with 1/2 T of the peanut sauce,  some of the teriyaki chicken, mozzarella, carrots, scallions, water chestnuts, peanuts, and cilantro. Try to divide each of these as evenly among the rolls as possible. When all the ingredients have been placed in the tortilla, roll is up like a burrito. Top with parmesan.

9. Bake the rolls for 5-6 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Top with parsley.

10. Serve hot with the coconut sauce as dip. Pairs well with most beers, especially browns and ambers. Enjoy!

So many good things in there!!

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu

This recipe is based on the one from Grumpy's Honeybunch Blog, and it is INCREDIBLE. You try various recipes, you like some better than others, and then every now and then you just go nuts for one: I am crazy for this tofu!! It's super easy, and completely delicious (I have even had success with this among supposed tofu-haters!).

Quinoa
- 3/4 c quinoa (or couscous or rice)
- zest from 1 lime
- 2 bruised cardamom pods (I'll explain "bruised" below)
- pinch of salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 1/3 c water

Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- juice from 1 lime
- zest from 1/2 lime
- pinch or cayenne pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt

- 16 oz extra firm tofu
- 3 heads chopped bok choy (or kale)
- 2-3 Tbsp water
- lime slices for garnish

Don't you feel healthy already?!

1. To bruise the cardamom pods, place them on a cutting board and press down with the large flat surface of a knife. Let the pods crack along the sides, but don't press so hard as to open them completely. This is so that the strong cardamom flavor can come out, but doesn't overtake the quinoa's other flavors!

2. Mix the quinoa, lime zest, cardamom pods, salt, cinnamon stick, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 mintes then remove from heat. Let steam for 10 minutes. (It's like cooking rice!)

Delicious quinoa mix

3. Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. (I cut mine into 36 pieces.) Place the cut pieces uniformly across a cutting board on top of 3 paper towels. Cover them with 3 paper towels and a heavy pan (I use my cast iron saucepan) and let them drain for 5 minutes.

Draining the tofu

4. In a small bowl, mix all the Sweet Chili Lime Sauce ingredients until combined. Set aside.

5. Place the drained tofu onto a hot skillet over medium high heat. I generally place a small bit of oil in the pan to be sure it doesn't stick, but that's not necessary if you're good about checking it. Cook for 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Then apply the sauce. Keep the heat on for 30 seconds, then turn it off and let the sauce turn into a reduced glaze.

6. Steam the bok choy with the water in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Steam for 2-3 minutes, until the water evaporates.

7. Place the quinoa under the bok choy under the tofu in a bowl. Garnish with limes. Pairs well with dry white wine, limeade, or a beer (Pilsners and Lagers especially). Enjoy!