Spicy Thai Mussels

A few weeks ago, Bestie came to visit. We decided that it would be best for just to make dinner together because we have never cooked together.  I mean I heart restaurant dining as much as anyone, but it was nice to stay in and make something delicious.  We ended up having a multi course meal.  We started with a simple recipe for Spicy Thai Mussels.

Ingredients

½ stick butter

½ cup grape tomatoes, seeded, chopped

2 tbs minced garlic

2 tbs chopped peeled ginger

2 14oz cans unsweetened coconut milk

2 tbs Thai red curry paste

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, more to garnish

1 tsp salt

3 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded

Melt the butter in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, garlic and ginger; sauté about 2 minutes until the garlic is tender.

Mix in the coconut milk, curry paste and ½ of the chopped cilantro and salt.  Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Add the mussels; cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. 

Discard any mussels that don’t open.

Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with additional chopped cilantro.

These were incredibly easy to make and absolutely delicious! Mussels have previously intimidated me because I thought it would be too hard to make them. But this recipe was straightforward and I loved it.  We soaked up a lot of the broth using bread. There was some additional broth left over so later in the week, I added potatoes and relived the fantastic meal again.  I can’t wait to try mussels with a different broth soon!

Hungry yet?

Thai Glazed Salmon with Baby Bok Choy

I have a new obsession.  I cannot stop eating Baby Bok Choy! I’ve bought it several times in the past week and added it as a side to way too many things.  I decided to take advantage of the salmon sale at Whole Foods and act like I was dining at a restaurant.

I mixed this one up impromptu so the quantities are guesstimates.

Ingredients

2 Salmon fillets

1 tbs wok oil

1 tbs chopped ginger

4 tbs soy sauce

3 tbs Sriracha

2 heads baby bok choy

Salt and pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Salt and pepper both sides of the salmon filet and put aside.  Heat 1 tbs wok oil in a sauté pan and add chopped ginger.  Once the ginger starts to sizzle, add Sriracha and 3 tbs soy sauce.  

Once the sauce has heated up, add the salmon skin side down.  

Cook for 3 minutes while spreading with sauce.  

Transfer salmon to an oven safe pan and cook in the oven for 6 minutes.

While your salmon is cooking, return the sauté pan to the heat and add 1 tbs soy sauce.  Place bok choy in the pan flat side down and stir.  

The leaves will wilt within a couple of minutes so keep an eye on it and keep stirring.  

The salmon and bok choy will be ready around the same time.  Remove the salmon from the oven and plate with your bok choy.  Being the Nigerian that I am, I couldn’t help myself and I added rice. Stop judging!

I absolutely LOVED this dish. It made me wonder what I’ve been doing going to restaurants for such simple dishes.  I’m still on a hunt for Thai basil. Once I find that, I’ll be golden.

Hungry yet?

Origin - Morristown, N.J.

A few weeks ago, I visited Boney out in Morristown, NJ.  It was surprisingly lively in the streets of Mo-town but we ducked into a great French Thai restaurant, Origin.  We sat downstairs in a dimly lit dining room that was packed.  As we walked over to our table, I saw the different delicious treats that sat on everyone’s table and I knew we were in the right place.

We decided to share the appetizer special, Shrimp and Scallop Dumplings. 

They were steamed and served with a soy vinaigrette dipping sauce.  The dumplings were thinly wrapped, but bursting with flavor.  There was a hearty portion of shrimp and scallop in each bite. I could also taste the ginger and scallions. Every ingredient was perfectly balanced and the soy vinaigrette was the perfect enhancer.  The appetizer as incredible and I couldn’t wait for the main course.  Boney ordered the Pad See Ew with beef.

She noted that it is her favorite dish and she has had it at Origin a few times. It is a simple dish mixed in with Chinese broccoli.  I ordered Pad Kee Maow.

This was no ordinary Pad Kee Maow. It was spicy and served with chicken, shrimp AND squid. There was a mix of red peppers, spicy green peppers and basil. The flavors were incredible. The broad noodles were perfectly cooked and thankfully they weren’t drenched in sauce – sometimes that mistake is made. The only thing odd about this dish was that there was some lettuce at the bottom of the noodles.  I’m not sure why, perhaps that was to combat the spice. I have no issues with spice so I found the lettuce to be an unnecessary distraction.

Overall Origin was fantastic! I can’t believe such a gem exists in Morristown.  I will certainly return to try other items on their menu.

Hungry yet?

Spicy Thai Cornish Hen

I love Food & Wine magazine. Of all the subscriptions I have, it is definitely the one I get most excited about. Once it arrives, I flip through and mark all the recipes I plan to try.  When the July issue arrived, I knew there were many things I would try. The first was the Spicy Thai Marinade with Basil and Cilantro.  Although the recipe showcased steak, I decided a Cornish hen would be the perfect protein to feature the marinade.

Ingredients:

¼ cup basil leaves

¼ cup cilantro leaves

8 peeled garlic cloves

2 tablespoons sambal oelek

2 tables Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

½ cup vegetable oil

1 Cornish hen

In a food processor, pulse the basil, cilantro, garlic, sambal oelek and fish sauce until finely chopped.

Add the lemon and lime zests and oil. Pulse until the marinade is smooth.  Rinse and pat the hen dry.  Place it in a mixing bowl and pour the marinade on the hen. Rub the marinade on the outside and inside the hen.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavors sink in.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the hen in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  

You want it to cook but not dry out so keep a close eye on it.  The finished hen should have a brownish tint on the outside and the juices should run clear.  

Carve and serve with yellow rice.

Again another simple dish that just required a little bit of planning.  I highly recommend it!

Hungry yet?

Spicy Thai Red Curry Shrimp

I’ve always said if you are what you eat then I would turn into a spicy Thai shrimp plantain.  So one night a few weeks ago, I thought I should combine some of those ingredients.  I bought some Thai curry paste and whipped up a delicious meal for myself.

Ingredients:

14 oz can Thai Coconut Milk

1 tbs Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste

2 tbs fish sauce

2 tbs brown sugar

2 Thai chilies

1 tbs Sambal Oelek (ground fresh chili paste)

1 pound large shrimp

½ cup frozen vegetables

1/3 cup water

In a large skillet, simmer the coconut milk with the red curry paste over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the fish sauce, brown sugar, chilies and Sambal Oelek.  

Then add the shrimp and frozen vegetables.  

Cook the shrimp for 3 – 5 minutes until pink.  

Serve over white rice.

This was suuuuch an easy recipe to make and totally worth it.  Feel free to adjust the spiciness to your liking.

Hungry yet?

Penang Malaysian & Thai Cuisine

I love Thai food so any opportunity I have to try a new Thai restaurant is always a pleasure. This particular occasion was more joyful because we were celebrating the future Mrs. S. I was thrilled when her bridesmaids selected this restaurant. Tucked away on main street in Lodi, NJ this restaurant isn't much on the outside but has a very well decorated interior. The food at Penang was spectacular. We started with a few appetizers. The Chicken Satay was one of the favorites.

I usually steer clear of chicken satay because the idea of chicken on a stick doesn't really appeal to me. Also, the few times I've ordered it I've been terribly disappointed. This time, I loved it!! The chicken was tender and well seasoned. The peanut sauce was also unlike any I've ever had. Simply divine! The favorite appetizer at my table was the Roti Telur.

Everyone snatched the light pieces of roti as soon as it hit the table. The sauce was perfectly spiced. Potatoes make me happy and so does chicken so tasting both in one bite brought pure joy to my taste buds and my stomach. I was a huge fan. After overstuffing ourselves on appetizers, we were slightly overwhelmed when the entrees began to arrive...and wouldn't stop! The arrival of the Mango chicken immediately stopped the conversation.

The brightness of it was enough to make me oooh and aaah. Placement of the chicken in the mango was also quite creative. The taste did live up to the presentation. I've never had mango chicken before, but I'm certain this won't be my last time. The Thai Basil Noodle came out shortly after.

I expected this to be my favorite dish, but it wasn't. There was just a pinch of salt missing but it was evident in every bite which made it hard to ignore.The Vegetable Fried Rice also suffered from the same plight.

I understand people are health conscious these days and don't want to be shoving  spoonfuls of salt into their mouth, but geez give me a break. A little salt goes a long way! The Scallion Beef was a favorite of many at the table.

Obvs I didn't try it but it sure did look good! The Coconut Fried Rice was something special.

I can recall the taste quite vividly as I write this entry. The large juicy shrimp were perfectly cooked with the rice, coconut, ginger and a perfect blend of spices that was mouthwateringly good. I was thrilled when another plate landed on our table. The celebration was perfected with a beautiful cake.

I LOVE CAKE. Especially delicious Red Velvet. 

It was absolutely delicious. So good that I couldn't help myself and started eating it before I took a picture. Penang had a lot to offer and I was happy that the celebration included so many marvelous treats. I know there are other outposts of Penang more conveniently located and I look forward to sampling them soon.

Hungry yet? 

Kittichai

I’ve had my eye on Kittichai for quite some time.  I remember at the Malaysian Night Market all I wanted to do was get a small taste of something delicious.  I felt the same way during restaurant week yet I never made it down there.  Finally, last week my borella agreed to go with me J I was so excited, I must have memorized the menu by the time we got there.  It’s definitely quite the scene.  There’s something about the Thompson Hotel that makes me smile.

We were pretty quick to order and I must say the waiters were quick to deliver.  We started with the Coconut Chicken lettuce wraps with chili-lime hoisin glaze and mango salsa.

Umm wow.  This was the first time in a long time that food made me speechless.  Seriously.  The coconut chicken was a perfect blend of spices with a spicy finish.

I usually don’t order lettuce wraps but doesn’t that look amazing?  It was the perfect appetizer.  I really do wish we had ordered more.  It wasn’t long until our entrées arrived.  I ordered Duck two ways.

The duck breast was pretty good but I actually don’t enjoy the fatty part of the duck so that wasn’t so great.  The Spiced Orange Curry on the other hand was AMAZING! 

Fingerling potatoes added to the depth of the curry and left me feeling like I ate a very hearty meal.  The curry is definitely spicy. The orange was subtle which worked really well with the duck.  I will say that I didn’t appreciate the onions that I found in there because I bit into them thinking they were potatoes – blech.  My borella ordered the Coconut Braised Short Ribs.

They were dressed with kaffir lime leaf, mint and fresh coriander.  It was definitely a hefty portion.  It was the first time in a long time that he actually thought they served him enough food.  Of course, it helped that we also ordered the Jasmine rice sans pork sausage.

The cashews were better than I thought they would be.  They enhanced the flavor of the rice rather than serving as a distraction which is what I expected.  The dessert menu was lacking or perhaps I was just so satisfied with the meal I didn’t want to ruin it with a dessert I didn’t really want.

Kittichai is the truth.  I know many think it’s overrated, but I find it to be fabulous.  The service was stellar, the atmosphere was fantastic and the food was incredible.  I can’t wait to go back!

Hungry yet?

Bangkok Thai Dining

After checking into my hotel, I realized I had some time to kill before the crew would arrive.  I was famished so working wasn’t an option.  I decided to walk around and see what P Street had to offer.  I stumbled upon Bangkok Thai Dining and after the so-so experience at Pam Real Thai earlier in the week, I was still craving Thai.  They were advertising a lunch special, but upon evaluating the options and the full menu, I realized that there were better items that weren’t on the lunch menu that would cost roughly the same.  I started with Tom Yum Soup with Chicken.

The chicken was flavorless.  It was quite obvious that they had previously cooked up these pieces of chicken and added it to the broth after the fact.  Shameful.  The broth was great and I would have loved it if the chicken had some of that flavor.  My Drunken Noodle with Shrimp arrived soon after.

It’s always disheartening when I am able to count the number of shrimp on my plate.  Four is all Bangkok Dining was willing to spare.  Thankfully the noodles were flavorful enough that I barely noticed the lack of shrimp.  The noodles included jalapenos and sweet basil leaves.  Jalapenos were a welcome addition and guaranteed that this drunken noodle would be spicy.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my meal at Bangkok Thai Dining.  Since I stumbled upon it, I didn’t have high hopes but in the end I’m glad I went in there.

Hungry yet?

Pam Real Thai Food

After attending opening night of an off-Broadway show last week, MM and I were famished.  Our mutual love for Thai food made it pretty easy to figure out what we were going to eat.  It was only a matter of where.  As we walked up 9^th avenue, we eventually decided on Pam Real Thai.  If you recall, I went to its sister restaurant with Bestie a couple of months ago.  It turns out I’ve actually been to this location before, about a year ago.  I was looking forward to the dining experience however it was less than remarkable.  Perhaps I hyped it up but in truth I think they just didn’t do their best.  We decided to share three dishes.  The Shrimp Yellow Curry Fried Rice was first to arrive.

A delightful and colorful dish filled with flavor and featuring two of my favorite items, shrimp and rice.  I was quite satisfied with this dish and felt the rest of our dining experience held promise.  Next the Stir Fried Long Hot Pepper with Chicken arrived.

It certainly sounded like it would be good when we read it on the menu.  It was fine.  Not good, not bad, just fine.  I really was hoping it would pack a punch.  The green peppers did a lot to boost each bite but I felt the sauce was lacking.  After we finished the dish, we fully expected our next dish to arrive.  Instead we waited, and waited, and waited.  Finally our check arrived.  WHAT?! We stared at the server with a puzzled look and he stared back then realizing the error apologized and asked us if we still wanted the dish.  Umm, duh, of course we do!  Our Kai arrived and I wondered why we had bothered.

Stir fried chicken with flat rice noodles with Gaelic onions and Thai style hot sauce on the side.  What a mistake.  The dish was so onion heavy it was almost unappetizing.   The noodles lacked flavor and the side of hot sauce was awkward.  I just kept wondering why they didn’t cook it in the sauce.  What a waste.  We had a few bites then gave up.  Upon reflection I realize that our experience at Pam wasn’t actually that bad, but ending on a sour note definitely left me feeling wanting.  At least I got to spend time with MM, which was nice.

Hungry yet?