Thai-Style Potato Stew

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Have you ever had one of those crazy weeks/months where everything seems to be happening all at once? Well, I'm having one of those weeks/months. Everyday is a brand new opportunity for something to go wrong. I've managed to squeeze some home cooked meals during this time. Here is a Thai-styled potato stew that's hearty and spicy. Sure, you need about a million ingredients to make this recipe, but it's worth a try, especially on unseasonably cold nights.

You'll need:

• 1 portion Thai yellow curry paste, recipe below
• 1 block extra firm tofu or unflavored bean curd
• 2 cups green beans, trimmed and chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 5 medium red potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 15 Thai basil leaves
• 15 mint leaves
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• salt to taste
• lime wedges for garnish

For Thai yellow curry paste, you'll need:

• 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 stalks lemon grass, remove tough outer leaves and sliced
• 3 Thai chilies
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 tablespoons canola oil

Begin by adding all the ingredients for the curry paste, except the canola oil, to a food processor. Process until everything is finely chopped. Stream in canola oil to form a paste.

In a heavy pot, heat up canola oil until it shimmers. Add onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in potatoes and add water and soy sauce. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in green beans, red bell peppers, tofu and coconut milk. Adjust seasoning. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Just prior to serving, add mint and basil. Serve with lime wedge.

Thai Tofu Curry

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It's been such a long time since I had Thai food. I crave it from time to time. So I thought I'd make my own. I started by making some Thai red curry paste and then added soy sauce, coconut milk, string beans, sliced onions, sliced bell peppers, Thai basil and tofu. The result was sweet, spicy, creamy goodness. It was more than good enough for my Thai food craving.

I used this Thai red curry recipe, but without the Kaffir lime leaves and shrimp paste. Instead of grinding the mixture using mortar and pestle, I cheated and added everything plus some canola oil to a food processor. I think that the mortar and pestle would require a ton of work, considering that lemongrass stalks are quite tough.

This recipe is a keeper! I can't wait to have to leftovers for lunch.

Thai Pomelo Salad

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It's too hot to turn on the stove or the oven. I want nothing to do with them. I want light, refreshing food with a beer or two. So, it's another salad for me today. This time, a tangy spicy Thai pomelo salad.

• 1/2 of a large pomelo, peel, pith and membrane removed
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (about half a lemon)
  
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar
  
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce
• 6 large mint leaves, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped fine
  
• 3 tablespoons of toasted peanuts, chopped

For the dressing, combine lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and Sriracha sauce. Drizzle over pomelo, mint leaves, cilantro and chopped peanuts. Toss to combine.

Similar recipes would require a dash or two of fish sauce. But really, you won't miss that at all because this salad is so tangy, spicy and sweet. The flavors combine so well together and hit your taste buds in all the right places. Now, all I need is an ice cold beer. And a tub of ice water that I can sit in. Mmmm... Beer.