I (Dani) made Summer Spring Rolls, Khao Soi and Mango Sticky Rice.
Summer Rolls (from Foodnetwork.com)
Ingredients For The Summer Rolls:
2 ounces Vietnamese Or Thai Rice Noodles
6 Rice Paper Rounds
½ Cup Basil Leaves
6 medium Shrimp, cooked and halved
½ cup Shredded Carrot
½ cup Mint Leaves
½ cup Cilantro
Vinegar Dipping Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Warm Water
¼ cup Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Chili Sauce (Recommended: Sriracha)
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Fish Sauce Or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Finely Shredded Carrot
1 Scallion, thinly sliced
Directions:
Bring water to a boil and cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse and cool (makes about 2 cups).
Line up ingredients in small bowls before beginning to make rolls. Fill a large bowl or saucepan with very warm water. Place a rice paper round in the hot water. Soak for between 30 seconds and 1 minute, or until rice round is pliable and pattern on the round is barely visible. Remove and place on a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel.
Place 2 basil leaves on the inner edge of the rice round, about 1-inch from the edge and leaving about 1-inch on each side. Top with approximately ¼ cup cooked rice noodles. Place 2 shrimp halves on top. Top with about 2 tablespoons carrots, then 2 leaves of mint. Fold 1 piece of lettuce leaf and place on top of pile. Bring the edge over filling and tuck underneath. As you continue to roll, fold in the sides. Finish rolling, repeat with the other rolls, and reserve under a damp cloth or paper towel. When ready to serve, slice in half and serve, cut ends up, with dipping sauce.
For dipping sauce: Dissolve sugar in warm water, combine with other ingredients, and chill until ready to use.
Khao Soi (Chiang Mai Noodle Soup from Thai Cooking Class)
Makes 1 serving
1/2 tbsp Red Curry Paste mixed with 1 tsp curry powder
2 cups coconut milk
1 tsp palm sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
lime
1 tbsp fried chili powder with oil
rice noodles (softened)
1 chicken breast, cubed
Mix 2 spoons of coconut milk with the curry paste mixture in a hot pan. Add chicken, cook until chicken is cooked through. Add palm sugar, fish sauce and the rest of the coconut milk. Add noodles so there is still a soup consistency. Serve with lime and fried chili.
Fried Chili: Mix chili and 1 tbsp of oil in a hot pan. Fry until fragrant.
Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango ( from Thai Cooking Class)
1-2 cups Sushi Rice cooked
1 cup coconut cream
2 tbsp palm sugar
2 pinches salt
fresh mango/pineapple/bananas
Mix hot rice with coconut cream, sugar and salt. Stir until combined. Serve with fruit.
I (Kim) made Mahogany Fire Noodles from one of my favorite Thai Cookbooks, True Thai by Victor Soksook
Mahogany Fire Noodles
Kwaytiow Sen Yai Phat Prik Sod Kap See-Eu Wan
Serves 4-6 as a side dish, or 2-4 as a one-dish meal
Few chiles are as hot as the tiny Thai chilies we call phrik khee nu - and there are thirty of them in this recipe! You could, of course, reduct the number of chilies to a more manageable level, but this dish is traditionally a fire-eater's favorite. When the chili-garlic seasoning paste for the chicken-and-rice noodle stir-fry hits the hot wok, you'll be greeted with a throat-tingling savory smoke indicative of that fiery chili heat. You may even want to have a fan or or a window open while you cook and an ice-cold beer to cool you down in between bites.
INGREDIENTS:
30 small Thai chilies (I used 15)
10 cloves garlic
1 pound presliced fresh rice noodles (sen yai) or uncut fresh rice noodle sheets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 x 1/4 x 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons sweet black soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 can (8oz) bamboo shoot strips, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups loosely packed holy basil, or fresh mint
INSTRUCTIONS:
Make a seasoning paste with the chilies & garlic:
Mortar-and-pestle method: Stem the chilies. Put the chilies and garlic in a mortar and pound until they are thoroughly mashed & pulverized
Alternate method: Stem the chilies. Crush the chilies & garlic with the side of a chefs knife. Mix the chilies and garlic together and mince. Set aside
Put the sliced noodles in a colander and pour a kettle of hot water over them to remove the protective oil coating and soften them a bit. Unfold & separate the noodles into individual ribbons. If some break off into short lengths, that's fine - it will create texture. Just be as careful as you can to separate the individual noodles from the folded mass.
Place all ingredients within easy reach of the cooking area.
Set a wok over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot add the chili-garlic paste and stir-fry briefly, about 15 seconds. Raise the heat to high, add the chicken, and stir-fry until it begins to lose its raw color and turn opaque, about 30 seconds. Stir in the fish sauce. Add the noodles and stir-fry briskly, for 30 seconds, tossing the noodles to incorporate them with the other ingredients. Stir in the pepper and soy sauce. Add the oyster sauce, bamboo shoots and sugar and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the basil and cook for a few seconds, just until the basil begins to wilt.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.
Note from the author: Fresh rice noodles can be stored in the refrigerator, but if you buy them the same day you plan to serve them, keep them at room temperature. They will be easier to unfold. If buying uncut noodle sheets, slice them lengthwise through the folds into strips about 3/4-inch wide.
Kim's note: Even with only 15 Thai peppers, this dish was quite fiery the day it was made. I noticed the spice was tamed a bit in the leftovers.
I (Rebecca) made a double recipe of Tom Kha Gai soup which I adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine.
Tom Kha Gai
2 stalks fresh lemongrass2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam pla)
2 scallions (white and green parts), trimmed and very thinly sliced crosswise
6 fresh or frozen wild lime leaves (also known as kaffir lime leaves) or use grated zest of 2 limes
1 boneless chicken breast half (about 6 ounces), cut into bite-size chunks or sliced across the grain into strips
10 to 12 thin slices galangal, fresh, frozen, or dried (ginger may be substituted)
1/4 lb. white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and thinly sliced to yield 1 cup
14-oz. can unsweetened light coconut milk (shake the can before opening it)
14-oz. can low-salt chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups water
2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
3 green Thai chiles, sliced for garnish
Trim away and discard the root end and the top 3 inches of each stalk of lemongrass, along with any brittle leaves. Pound each stalk lightly with the spine of a cleaver or an unopened can. Cut each stalk crosswise into 2-inch lengths and set aside.
In a large serving bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, scallions, and half of the wild lime leaves. Set the bowl by the stove, along with small dishes containing the galangal, lemongrass, and remaining lime leaves; the chiles (if using), the chopped cilantro; and the sliced chicken and mushrooms.
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk and broth. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors and cook the chicken.
Remove the pan from the heat, pour the hot soup over the seasonings in the serving bowl, and stir well. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and chilies.
I (Katharina) made a Thai vegetable curry from foodandwine.com:
1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, sliced thin
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
1 2/3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk (one 15-ounce can)
1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup drained canned bamboo shoots, halved
1 pound boiling potatoes (about 2), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound broccoli, thick stems removed, tops cut into small florets (1 quart)
1 tomato, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1/3 cup thin-sliced basil leaves
1.In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and fry, stirring, for 1 minute.
2.Add the coconut milk and broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar, salt, bamboo shoots, potatoes, and broccoli. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
3.Stir in the tomato and heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice and basil.
Variations
Other vegetables that would taste good in place of the broccoli include carrots, eggplant, cauliflower, snow peas, cabbage, green beans, and canned baby corn. Try your favorite, or use a combination of vegetables.
I (Stephanie) made
I (Lauren) made Chicken Laab (Also called Larb)
I used a combination of recipes from Cooks Illustrated (Thai Pork Lettuce Cups, Sept., 2009) and from Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet (Laab Gai or Minced Chicken with Fresh Herbs, pg. 196).
Laab Gai
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch chunks.
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. white rice
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium shallots , peeled and sliced into thin rings (about 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp. juice from 2 limes
2 tsp. sugar (I used the palm sugar Dani had)
2 green thai chiles, well minced
3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves
1 head Bibb lettuce , washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole
1. Place chicken chunks on large plate in single layer. Freeze meat until firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Place half of meat in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, 5 to six 1-second pulses. Transfer ground meat to medium bowl and repeat with remaining chunks. Stir 1 tablespoon fish sauce into ground meat and marinate, refrigerated, 15 minutes.
3. Heat rice in small skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool 5 minutes. Grind rice with spice grinder, mini food processor, or mortar and pestle until it resembles fine meal, 10 to 30 seconds (you should have about 1 tablespoon rice powder).
4. Bring broth to simmer in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until about half of chicken is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon rice powder over chicken; continue to cook, stirring constantly, until remaining chicken is no longer pink, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Transfer c hickento large bowl; let cool 10 minutes.
5. Add remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons rice powder, shallots, lime juice, sugar, Thai peppers, mint, and cilantro to chicken; toss to combine. Serve with lettuce leaves.
