Pad Thai

Tags

Chicken, noodles, pad thai, shrimp, thailand, tofu

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is basically a Thai noodle stir fry with a delicious sweet-sour sauce topped with peanuts. It is made with thin, flat rice noodles and includes bean sprouts, spring onions and scrambled eggs and either chicken , prawns or tofu. The sauce is what makes the dish and it includes fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and tamarind. What is tamarind you might be asking. It is THE ingredient that gives the sauce the flavour it is known for. Authentic Pad Thai is made with tamarind pulp which comes in a block the size of a bar of soap (easily available on Amazon) which is soaked in hot water before being pushed through a sieve to remove the fibers and seeds. You are then left with the paste. If you can find the tamarind puree in a jar, use that instead by all means.
Making Pad Thai is very easy but be sure to have all your ingredients measured and ready to go as you need to move quickly.
I have added peanut butter in my sauce which I think gives the dish an added creaminess and boost of yumminess.
I think this recipe tastes amazing but do not take my word for it… try it yourself and let me know what you think.

Let me tell you a bit about the history of Pad Thai. There is not a dish that screams “Thailand” more than Pad Thai. It is the national dish and eaten literally on every street corner in Thailand but would you believe that it actually did not exist before WW2?? Crazy isn’t it? But true.
Pad Thai was invented in 1938. Thailand suffered a shortage of good quality rice at this time due to the war and serious floods. Plaek Phibunsongkhram who was the PM at the time encouraged people to eat noodles instead. Noodles used only 50% of the grain so were more economical and cheaper to produce.
The government of Thailand created the dish Pad Thai to protect the rice resources. They told the public that by eating this new dish they were helping their country. Several sources say there was a competition to create a national dish using noodles and Pad Thai was the winner.
The government gave out recipes to restaurants and in mail boxes and even offered free carts to people willing to set up stalls and sell in the streets.
So let’s get on with the recipe.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 7oz / 200g flat rice noodles
• 3 T oil (canola, peanut – not olive)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8oz / 250g chicken cut into very thin slices or 8oz / 250g shrimp, raw, shelled and de-veined
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 200g / 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 5 spring onions or garlic chives (¼ cup) chopped 
• 4 T dry roasted peanuts, chopped
• 2 limes
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

For the sauce

• 3 T nuoc mam / nam pla fish sauce
• 1 T low sodium soy sauce
• 3 T light brown sugar
• 2 T tamarind from pulp (see directions)
• 1 T sriracha hot sauce (optional)
• 2 T peanut butter (optional)

Method:

• Cut enough of the tamarind pulp to provide 2T after the following process.   Pour ½ cup boiling water over the tamarind pulp, cover and place aside for 20 minutes.  After the 20 minutes break up the pulp in the hot water and then press the mixture through a fine meshed strainer/sieve.  Discard the solids.
• Cook noodles according to package instructions, just until tender.  Rinse under cold water
• Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sriracha, tamarind paste and peanut butter.  Mix well and set aside.
• Heat a wok or large pan over high heat.  Add oil.
• Add the bell pepper, cook until it softens slightly
• Add garlic and chicken or shrimp.  If using shrimp they will cook very rapidly, about 1-2 minutes until just pink.  If using chicken, cook until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes
• Push the chicken/shrimp to the side of the wok
• Add the eggs and stir as they cook but do not touch too much
• Add bean sprouts, noodles and sauce. Toss well.
• Switch off the stove
• Add spring onions, peanuts and coriander
• Serve immediately with wedges of limes

Bon appetit

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Chicken sosaties

Tags

barbeque, BBQ, braai, cape malay, Chicken, curry, kebabs, skewered foods, sosaties, traditional food

Sosaties are one of the great  traditional South African braai (barbeque) foods of all time.  Sosaties are not just any old kebabs.  They’re usually lamb meat on skewers, marinated in a distinctive aromatic Cape Malay-style sauce.  The term derives from sate (“skewered meat”) and saus (spicy sauce).  There are a few variations to the sosatie marinade, but most at least include apricot jam, curry powder and onions. The combination of fruit and curry flavors is something you’ll see often in  Cape Malay recipes, like the classic bobotie, and give such delicious results.

Today, I have decided to do a chicken sosatie.  See Lamb sosaties for my lamb sosatie recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut up into large cubes
1 large green pepper
1 onion
12 dried yet plump apricots
marinade:
3 small onions, diced
1-2 small chili peppers or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons/ 30 g curry powder (depends on the strength)
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander/cilantro
10 dried apricots, cut into tiny pieces
175 ml/ ¾ cup apricot jam
50 g / ¼ cup light brown sugar
150 ml / ⅔ cup white wine vinegar
300 ml / 1¼ cup water

Method:

Peel and dice the onions
Cut up the peppers finely
Heat the oil over medium heat, add the onions and chili and cook until just translucent
Add the curry, turmeric, bay leaves, ginger and coriander and allow to cook for a minute
Add the apricots and all the remaining ingredients and leave to simmer about 15 minutes
Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, about 3 hours
When cool, add the marinade to the meat and place in the refrigerator for about 24 hours ideally (minimum 4 hours)
Now cut the peppers and onions to the same size as the meat cubes
When ready to grill, thread four meat pieces alternating with green pepper, onion and apricot to make a sosatie
Remember to soak the skewers first if you are using wooden ones so that they do not burn
Heat the BBQ to about 250°C/500°F
Cook the kebabs about 10 to 15 minutes
Turn several times to make the edges golden, basting with the marinade
Enjoy! Lekker eet! Bon Appetit!

Wine suggestion: Viognier or Chenin Blanc go well with this spicy dish but if you prefer a red, Shiraz or Grenache are equally good choices

Stuffed courgette

Tags

baked vegetables, courgettes, lunch, mince, stuffed vegetables, Veal

These stuffed courgettes are typical fare in France and especially in the South of France. There are numerous recipes for these famous stuffed vegetables, but this is one of my favourites. As we enter summer here in the northern hemisphere, we are starting to see all the typical summer vegetables start to arrive at the local weekly markets and courgettes are one of the most abundant and my favourites. I have used round courgettes here but you can use large beefsteak tomatoes, onions and aubergines too, it’s sometimes nice to stuff an assortment of vegetables this way, so your guests have a choice of which vegetable they prefer.

I made the stuffing in advance, assembled it all and popped it in the oven for 45 minutes once my lunch guests had arrived.

I used veal mince but you can use beef, pork sausage or ground chicken or even if you are vegetarian, omit the meat and add some cooked rice or quinoa in its place.

Serve these delicious stuffed vegetables with a green salad and a crusty baguette to mop up the juices and a glass of wine. voila – perfect, simple summer lunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 round courgettes
1 tablespoon olive oil
400g / 15oz ground veal
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 red or yellow pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C / 360F
Cut the tops off the courgettes, keeping them to use as lids and using a pointed spoon, hollow out the centres of the courgettes and keep the flesh
Place the courgettes in a baking dish and set aside
Heat some oil over medium heat in a sauté pan
Add the onions and peppers and cook until soft and translucent
Add the garlic, courgette flesh, tomatoes and meat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes
Add salt, pepper, cumin and herbs
Spoon the mixture into the courgettes and place the tops back on top of the courgettes Drizzle a little olive oil over and around the stuffed vegetables and bake for 45 minutes, or until well browned and the vegetables are soft, but still holding their shape
Serve hot or at room temperature
Enjoy!