Thai Red Curry with Winter Squash

I had an amazing pumpkin curry at a Thai restaurant in Seattle a few months ago and have been wanting to recreate it at home. A cooking date with a few friends from school was the perfect excuse to find a recipe. And the recipe I found is AWESOME.

Jenna, of Eat, Live, Run, wrote about the recipe, "Seriously, I wanted to drink this sauce with a straw. It’s definitely the closet to “authentic” Thai curry I’ve ever gotten at home. You must make this!!!" I knew I had to give it a try. It was not hard to pull together, although it did require some ingredients that I didn't have on hand and had to get at the local Asian supermarket. You can find her original recipe here.

Thai Red Curry with Winter Squash

serves 4

Time: 1.25 hours (includes time to roast the squash)

Ingredients:

1 large kabocha, butternut, or other orange-fleshed squash

1 large handful green beans, cut in half OR 1 small zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces

1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced

2 kaffir lime leaves, torn

6 Thai basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp canola oil

3 tbsp red thai curry paste (make sure you get one that says, "red thai curry paste", not just a thai curry paste that appears to be red-colored)

1 (15-oz) can coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp brown sugar

2 red thai chilies, pierced several times with a knife

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil on a foil lined sheet tray. Slice squash in half, remove seeds (you can roast them later!), and place cut-side down on the sheet tray. Roast squash halves for about 30 minutes until tender. Remove and let cool completely.

2. In a large pot or deep pan, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add the curry paste and mash into hot oil so all the paste gets incorporated. Slowly drizzle in the coconut milk, whisking continuously until all milk has been added and no curry “clumps” remain.

3. Add water, torn kaffir lime leaves, thai basil, fish sauce, brown sugar and chilies and bring to a simmer. Add bell peppers and green beans or zucchini and continue simmering sauce for about 15 minutes until vegetables are just cooked but not mushy.

Peel or slice kabocha squash away from peel. Chop into large chunks and add to the curry sauce.

Serve curry over jasmine rice (don’t eat the chilies!).

Curried Cashew Burgers

Seriously, try these. They sound weird but they're awesome. Kind of like falafel but with a nutty texture and curry flavor. Really good! Adapted from this recipe and introduced to me by my good friend Alexis. I like mine with a bit of yogurt and mango chutney, she likes hers with cucumber raita or honey mustard.

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
1 cup diced peeled carrots, (2-4 medium)
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup raw cashews
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion, (1 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs or panko
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Combine 2 cups water, carrots, lentils and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer until the lentils are tender and falling apart, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain in a colander, gently pressing out excess liquid. Transfer to a plate; let cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, toast cashews in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, curry powder and the remaining 2 tablespoons water; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Pulse the cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the lentils and the onion mixture; pulse until the mixture is cohesive but still somewhat textured. Transfer to a bowl and stir in breadcrumbs, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; mix well.
5. With dampened hands, form the mixture into 1/2-inch-thick patties, using about 1/2 cup for each.
Using 2 teaspoons oil per batch, cook 2 to 4 patties at a time in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until evenly browned and heated through, about 4 minutes per side.

Serves 6.

Double Broccoli Pesto Pasta

A hearty, winter-y take on the classic basic pesto. Adapted from this 101Cookbooks post. Heidi suggests serving this as a side dish, but I added some lightly sauteed chicken and made it into a full meal.

1 medium head of broccoli (about 3 cups), cut into very small florets
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1 clove of garlic
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 teaspoon + fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1/2 pound (8 ounces) dried whole wheat pasta

Bring two pots of water to a boil, one for the broccoli and one for the pasta.

To cook the broccoli, salt the boiling water and add about 3/4 of the broccoli. Cook for just twelve seconds. Drain immediately and run cold water over the broccoli to stop the cooking. Puree in a food processor along with the walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Drizzle in the olive oil while still blending. Taste, adjust with more salt or lemon juice if needed and set aside. You can add more olive oil or some warm water to thin it out.

To cook the remaining broccoli florets, saute in a skillet with a bit of salt, olive oil, and water until cooked to your liking. Put aside.

To cook the pasta, salt the boiling water generously and add the pasta. Boil until just barely tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Gently stir in about half of the pesto. Taste, add more pesto to your liking. Served topped the broccoli florets and a dusting of Parmesan cheese.

Makes about 6 side servings or 3 main servings.

Summer Strata with Spinach, Basil & Garlic Custard

This yummy summer dinner dish comes from a fun new blog that my roommate Sally introduced me to: eat me, delicious. There are also some killer baked goods dishes on her site. When Sally and I made this we halved the recipe - which was enough for about five servings. The one below should serve ten.

Caramelized Onions (start this early!)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 yellow onions, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup vegetable stock or water
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly-ground pepper
1 tsp minced fresh thyme, sage or rosemary (or a combo)

Filling
1 lb sourdough loaf, cut into 3/4" cubes (you could use whatever bread you wanted - we used a simple white-whole wheat loaf)
2 bunches of spinach, wilted, squeezed and chopped OR a big bag of baby spinach (no need to prep, it'll wilt when it's being baked)
1 recipe caramelized onions
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (not oil packed)
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional)
1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese, divided

Custard
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk (no-fat is fine)
2 bulbs roasted garlic, mashed OR four cloves raw garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground pepper

Caramelized Onions
1. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter begins to foam. Add the onions and stir to coat. Add salt and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. Sprinkle in the sugar and wine and reduce until the liquid has evaporated. Add stock, vinegar, pepper and herbs. Cook gently until the stock is reduced and the onions reach a creamy texture.

Filling and Custard
1. Soak the sundried tomatoes until soft, strain and chop coarsely.

2. To make the custard, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cream, mashed roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in the bread cubes, cover and let stand for up to 1 hour. Stir occasionally to ensure that all of the bread is evenly soaked. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients, reserving half of the grated cheese.

3. Heat the oven to 350F. Butter or oil a 9"x13" baking dish and scoop the bread pudding mixture into it. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and bake until crusty, golden brown and just set in the middle (about 45 minutes). Let stand for several minutes, cut into squares and serve.

Soy-Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Eggplant

I always love the idea of eggplant but often don't like the way it's prepared. I wanted to make something asian-inspired, thanks to the delicious eggplant dish we had in July at Pok-Pok. I found this recipe in Andrea Chesman's "Serving Up The Harvest" and it was great!

2 large-medium eggplant, sliced 3/8" thick
Canola or peanut oil
5 T soy sauce
2 T dark sesame oil
2 T Chinese rice wine
1 T rice vinegar
1 T chili paste with garlic (or 1/2 T chili powder)
1 1/2 T sugar or honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, whites and tender greens, finely chopped

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill or preheat the broiler. Brush eggplant with oil.

2. Grill the eggplant until browned, 5-7 minutes on each side. Or broil the eggplant on high (2-4" from the top) until brown, 5-7 minutes on each side. The eggplant should be slightly crusty on the outside but soft and moist inside.

3. Slice the eggplant into bite-sized pieces (I left mine fairly large so I could put them on bread). Transfer to a bowl.

4. Combine soy sauce through scallions in a small bowl. Mix well. Pour over the eggplant and toss to mix.

5. Let stand for about 30min to allow the eggplant to absorb the flavors of the marinade. You can refrigerate the dish for up to 3 days. You can serve warm or cold.

Optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup

So I don't like fennel but I LOVE this soup. There's something about roasting the fennel and cooking it with carrots that gives it a sweet and complex depth to this soup. You're probably thinking this soup sounds kind of weird, but trust me, you have to try it. It's really easy and I promise that you'll love it.

Adapted from this recipe from Sweet Amandine and this recipe from Orangette.

1 fennel bulb
1 ½ pound carrots
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2 T. tomato paste
5 c. vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Trim the fennel bulb (discard the stalks, but reserve and set aside the fronds), cut in half lengthwise, and then into ½-inch-thick wedges. Peel and slice the carrots into ¼-inch rounds. Toss the carrots and fennel with 1 T. olive oil, and several grinds of sea salt and black pepper. Spread the carrots and fennel evenly on a lined or lightly-oiled baking sheet, and slide into the oven for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender.

While the carrots and fennel are roasting: Coarsely chop the onion. In a large heavy pot, heat the remaining 1 T. of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic , and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Turn the heat to low, add the tomato paste, and stir to incorporate.

Add the roasted carrots and fennel to the pot, add 4 c. of vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat, and use a standing blender or an immersion blender to purée the soup. Add the additional 1 c. of broth, in part or in full, until you have achieved the thickness that you desire. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like to serve this with cheese toasts (whole wheat bread topped with gruyere cheese and baked in the oven for 5 minutes after the veggies come out).

Yield: Serves 4-6

Vegetable Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Topping

Adapted from my new Gourmet Today cookbook (thanks, Mom!). This is true comfort food.

Serves 8-10

For filling
1 1-pound package frozen pearl onions (not thawed)
2 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 fresh thyme sprig, plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 large parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium boiling potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
Any other veggies: sweet potatoes, turnips, squash, etc., coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, thawed

For biscuit topping
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour - I used a mix of white and white whole-wheat
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar (about 4 ounces)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk or yogurt

1. Combine pearl onions, water, 1 tablespoon butter, thyme sprig, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until onions are tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl; reserve liquid and discard thyme sprig.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch deep heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add chopped vegetables, mushrooms, garlic, chopped thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown (bottom of skillet will become crusty), about 15 minutes.

3. Sprinkle vegetables with flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add reserved onion cooking liquid and milk (and wine, if using) and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer, covered, until vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and stir in peas, pearl onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

5. Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheeses, add buttermilk or yogurt, and stir just until combined.

6. Drop biscuits onto filling in 12 equal mounds, leaving spaces in between. Place baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until topping is golden and filling is bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Alexis's Arabian Spinach

My friend Alexis brought this delicious and simple dish to my Chanukah potluck.

1 onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
14 oz spinach, washed and shredded
1 tsp cumin seeds
15 oz can chick peas, drained
a knob of butter (1-2 tbsp)
salt and pepper to taste
optional: feta

1. In a large frying pan or wok, fry the onion with the oil for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cumin seeds, then fry another minute.

2. Add the spinach, in stages, stirring it until the leaves begin to wilt. Fresh spinach condenses down dramatically on cooking and it will all fit into the pan.

3. Stir in the chick peas, butter and seasoning. (Optional: add as much feta as you like!) Reheat until just bubbling, then serve hot. Drain off any pan juices if you like, but this dish is rather nice served slightly saucy.

Swiss Chard Gratin

Really good and simple recipe for chard! Adapted from Andrea Chesman's book about fresh veggies, Serving Up the Harvest.

2 lbs (12-16 stems with leaves) ruby, green, or rainbow chard, stems sliced and leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons
4 T butter
1 onion, halved and sliced
1/4 c flour
2 c milk (skim is fine)
1 c grated Gruyere cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 c dried bread crumbs

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chard stems and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leaves and continue to cook for another minute. Drain well.

2. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole of 9x13 inch baking dish. You can also use two smaller dishes which will cook for less time.

3. Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour to form a paste. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Fold in the chard.

4. Transfer the chard mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.

5. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned. Serve hot (with a slice of crusty bread)!

Caramelized Turnips

And you thought you didn't like turnips...

Preheat oven to 475.

Rinse and dry young and tender turnips, peel older purple-top turnips.

Cut small turnips into halves or quarters, larger ones in half lengthwise, then into wedges.

Toss the turnips with a generous amount of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes, then toss only once (otherwise they will break apart).

Roast 5 minutes more or until fork tender and nicely caramelized.

Vegetable Lo Mein with Edamame and Mustard Greens

Charlie and I made this for dinner last week and it was a big hit! Healthy, yummy, and not too hard. You can substitute other veggies for the edamame and mustard greens if you want, and add chicken if you're looking for more protein.

Ingredients:
2 quarts water
3 cups chopped mustard greens (or other dark leafy greens)
1 (14-ounce) package fresh Chinese egg noodles (or fresh angel hair pasta)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 T dark sesame oil
2 T canola oil
1 T grated peeled fresh ginger
1 container shiitake or other fancy mushrooms, sliced
1 1/4 cups (1/4-inch-thick) red bell pepper strips (about 1 medium)
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed (you could also try asparagus or broccoli)
3 T hoisin sauce

Preparation:
1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add greens, and cook for 1 minute or until greens wilt. Remove greens from water with a slotted spoon. Plunge the greens into ice water; drain and squeeze dry. Set greens aside.
2. Return water in pan to a boil. Add egg noodles, and cook for 2 minutes or until done. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain and rinse with cold water, and drain well. Place noodles in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sesame oil, tossing to coat, and set aside.
3. Heat canola oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger; stir-fry 5 seconds. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, onions, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in greens and edamame; stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in reserved noodle-cooking liquid, noodle mixture, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and hoisin sauce; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Adapted from a Cookling Light recipe.

Roasted Asparagus

Springtime means asparagus! Adapted from one of my favorite food blogs, http://orangette.blogspot.com.

This method is quick, easy, and delicious. Nothing fancy. The high heat of the oven intensifies the flavor of the asparagus, and the result is fork-tender, lightly caramelized, and unexpectedly sweet and juicy.

1 bunch green asparagus, preferably on the fat side
Olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus stalks, rinse them well, and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and drizzle them with a thin stream of olive oil—it doesn’t take much. Use your hands to roll the stalks in the oil to coat them lightly but thoroughly, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes; then shake the baking sheet to turn and roll the asparagus. Bake for another 4-5 minutes, until the asparagus are a vibrant, shiny, cooked shade of green and their skins are lightly blistered and slightly wrinkled. They should be soft and yielding but not shriveled or mushy. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

I made this original dish for the potluck on March 18. A big hit!

Carrots and (peeled) Sweet Potatoes, chopped into bold, attractive pieces. Peel the carrots, if not organic.

Enough to fill one-ish layer in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.

Combine and drizzle over the vegetables, mixing to incorporate:

1/8 - 1/4 C olive oil

spponful of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

large pinch of fresh thyme, chopped

1 T brown sugar

1 T honey

1 t ground garlic (fresh would be good too)

1/2 t cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Bake at 375 until carrots are al-dente and sweet potatoes are soft.

Thai Red Curry Vegetables

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 3-4 mains servings

2 T peanut, olive, or canola oil
1 stalk lemongrass (if frozen nuke for 45 sec)
1" x 1" x 1/2" of ginger (don't use galangal)
1.5 T Thai red curry paste
1/2 c white wine
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
2 T fish sauce (nam pla)
1 lime
4 T chopped fresh cilantro (stems & leaves)
4 T chopped Thai basil or Italian basil leaves
1/2 c fresh or frozen peas
3 c of diced vegetables (any combination of potatoes, cauliflower, raw cabbage,
onion, celery, carrots)
Meat, if desired

Vegetables can either be sauteed (potatoes & cauliflower won't saute well) or boiled
ahead of time (and set aside) or cooked in the curry as the curry is being made.
In any case, remember to add faster cooking vegetables later so they all get
cooked to the same degree (firm but easy to bite).

Cut top off lemongrass, remove outer leaf, mince bottom 1/3 & cut rest in >4" strips
Mince ginger

Heat oil in a Dutch oven until shimmering.
If using meat, fry the meat with curry paste (make sure the paste contains oil or
add some) and coconut cream to tenderize it.
Add minced lemongrass, minced ginger, curry paste and stir until consistent mixture

Add strips of lemongrass, wine, coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice and mix
Bring to a simmer, whisking ocassionally

Let curry simmer at least 5 min. (anything longer is fine)
If curry becomes too dry, add water, not coconut milk, as the coconut milk will make
it too thick.

A few min. before serving, discard lemongrass strips (leave a few for authenticity)
Add cilantro and basil and mix
Add veggie mixture and peas and mix
Bring to simmer

Serve over rice

Sa-Cha green beans, cabbage, or other vegetables

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb of vegetables (cabbage or green beans are best)
meat, if desired
1 medium size onion, wedged (no more or dish will be too sweet)
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 T drained prik dong or 1 jalapeno or 2 hot thai peppers minced (Note: This produces medium heat for BJB, hot for others)
4 T sa-cha sauce (Bull Head brand)
1/2 C of chicken broth or water if using string beans (no liquid if using other veggies)
3 T soy sauce

Directions:
1) Add sa-cha sauce & heat pan, then add garlic, onion & chili pepper
2) Stir well & saute until onions are translucent
3) Add vegetables:
3a) If vegetables requiring broth or water -- lower heat to medium, add veggies, cover & cook 10-15 min, stirring occasionally (the vegetables will absorb some water during cooking)
3b) If other vegetables - keep heat high, add veggies according to how fast they cook
4) About 1 min before serving, add soy sauce and taste for saltiness, sa-cha, & pepper