Allison's Coconut Vegetable Curry

Another delicious curry recipe.  It also makes amazing leftovers!

Recipe and Image from Love and Lemons

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• ¼ teaspoon coriander

• ¼ teaspoon turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 cups cubed butternut squash (or sweet potatoes)

• 3 red Thai chiles, or 1 serrano, or ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced

• 2 cups cauliflower florets

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

• 4 cups fresh spinach

• ½ cup fresh or frozen peas

• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and well-browned, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to low halfway through.
• In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and salt. Set aside.
• Add the butternut squash and chiles to the pot, stir, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and then add the coconut milk and the spice mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the lemon juice, lime juice, spinach, peas, and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding additional lime juice, salt, and pepper, as desired.
• Serve the curry over the rice with fresh basil, naan bread, if desired, and lime wedges on the side.

For serving:

• 2 cups cooked basmati rice

• a few big handfuls of fresh basil or cilantro

• Naan bread, optional

Thai Chicken (or vegetable) Curry

 

This is SUPER simple and tastes very similar to curry dishes 

I've had at Thai restaurants.  Feel free to vary chicken/vegetable ratios to your preference! 

picture image from food network.com

Serves 8

In large soup pan sauce for 7 minutes:

1 small onion diced

2 TBS olive oil

Add and simmer for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender:

1 TBS fresh ginger, minced

1-2 TBS Thai red curry paste

2 TBS white sugar (or honey)

2 tsp. lemongrass paste (or lemongrass oil 2 drops)

4-6 red potatoes, diced

3 large carrots, diced

1 small head cauliflower, diced

2 14 oz cans Thai Coconut Milk

1 tsp salt

Add:

1 lb. cooked chicken, cubed

1 can water chestnuts

salt and additional curry paste to taste

-Serve over Jasmine Rice

-Garnish with fresh basil or cilantro if desired.  

-Garnish with peanuts or cashews if desired.  Lime wedges also are good.

-Optional:  Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup peanut butter to make more of a massaman curry flavor.

Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

This is a delicious, fresh, and creamy soup.  I LOVE it!!!  It is also super simple to whip together, so make this soon!

Images (but not recipe) from littlespicejar and 40 aprons

Over Medium Heat sauté 5 minutes:
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS water
1 medium sweet vidalia onion, sliced
1 TBS minced fresh ginger
1-2 tsp Thai Chili paste (red or green)
2 drop Lemongrass essential oil
4 drops Lime essential oil (or 1 TBS fresh)
Add and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes/carrots tender:
1 large potato, peeled and diced

2 large carrots, cut into chunks

3 stalks celery, diced

sliced mushrooms
2 15 oz cans chicken broth
2 15 oz can coconut milk
1 TBS honey
salt to taste
Ladle warm soup into bowls.  
Garnish with fresh basil, cilantro, and lime wedges

**Optional add-ins:
cooked chicken, rice, noodles, peppers

Massaman Curry using Trader Joe Thai Sauce

This recipe is AMAZINGLY close to the dish I love getting at Thai restaurants.  Using the bottled Trader Joe sauce makes this a super fast and easy dinner!  You can easily make this vegetarian by omitting the chicken or add extra vegetables by adding cauliflower.  I've noted the optional add-ins below.  This also makes great take-to-school lunch leftovers for the next day!

Picture from here.

Carmelize with 3 TBS olive oil for 5 minutes:
1 medium sweet vidalia onion, diced

Add and simmer 15 minutes:
1/2 head Cauliflower, cut into small florets (optional)
1-2 c. cooked chicken (optional)
2 large Russett Potatoes, peeled, cut in cubes
4 large carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 cans coconut milk

Add and stir in:
1 11 oz bottle Trader Joes Red Thai Curry sauce
3 TBS peanut butter
2 TBS honey
1 can water chestnuts (optional)
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional)

-Serve in a bowl over jasmine or short grain brown rice.  Garnish with fresh cilantro/limes/chopped peanuts/cashews if desired.


Instant Pot Version:  Carmelize onions on saute setting 5 minutes.  Add all other ingredients and pressure cook for 3-4 minutes.
Ketogenic Version (serve without rice and no honey)

Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice

My children love this easy and simple mango sticky rice recipe. I don't have any fancy rice cooking tools, and I know that this may be not quite as authentic, but it is my easy go to version.  I usually use Jasmine rice which I always have on hand. And if I'm being honest, I kind of wing the ratio of ingredients quite a bit...!!!

 (Picture from aducksoven.com)

INGREDIENTS

1. • 3 cups cooked warm glutinous (sweet) rice
   • 1 13.5 oz can cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
   • 3 tablespoons sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)
   • 1/4 teaspoon salt
   • Diced fresh, bottled, or frozen (defrosted) mangos (preferred frozen brand is Trader Joes frozen mango chunks). 
   • You can sprinkle a little cinnamon or nutmeg on top if you'd like as well.  You can also add extra milk (any kind) if you want it a saucier.

Thai Green Curry Vegetables

Simple, Healthy, Delicious!  

I think this is my closest Thai restaurant copycat invention.  I've never had exactly this, but the sauce tastes very similar.  You could certainly alter the vegetables or add chicken if desired.

In large pan heat over medium for 15 minutes or until vegetables just tender:
2 TBS olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 head cauliflower, diced
4 medium carrots, cut on the diagonal

Add and heat until warm:
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
1 can coconut milk
1/4 c. chicken broth
2 TBS green curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)
1 TBS fresh ginger, minced
1/2 c. chopped FRESH basil
-Serve warm (with rice if desired)

Sesame Thai Noodles with Vegetables

• This is a great quick vegetarian dinner ready to go from start to finish in 20 minutes.  Pre-cut all your vegetables, then while you cook the pasta mix sauce.  My family loved this.  For those that like extra heat, you can garnish with red pepper.
• 
  
• Cook pasta according to directions:
• 12-14 ounces spaghetti, linguine, or angel hair pasta
• 
  
• Sauce (Make while pasta is cooking)
• 2 TBS  sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press
• 1 TBS minced fresh ginger (don't settle for dried!  This is a critical ingredient!)
• 5 TBS soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or Tabasco)
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 TBS toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 
  

While pasta drains, toss the following into pasta pan and stir fry for 3 minutes on high:

• 4 green onions, sliced thin on diagonal
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1 c. pea pods (whole or cut in half)
• 
  
• Add cooked pasta to pan.  Stir in Sauce and add:
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• sesame seeds for garnish
• chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)

Easy Chicken Curry

This is easy and delicious--I promise! You only have to cut the onion :-) since you use peas and preshredded carrots. This is a recipe I like to make when I have friends coming over for dinner...

Serves 6-8

In large skillet saute 5minutes:

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 TBS olive oil

Add and saute 3 more minutes:

1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots (if you're store doesn't carry these, just dice up some carrots)
1-2cups peas

1/2 cup golden raisins

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS curry

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Add and bring to simmer:

1/2-1 c. diced meat from rotisserie chicken

14 oz can coconut milk

1/4 cup soy or regular milk

salt/pepper to taste

-Serve warm over brown rice or couscous

-Garnish with raw almonds and/or diced green onions

KETOGENIC Version:  use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice (I buy the frozen riced cauliflower in the Trader Joes)