Coconut Green Curry

I really love Thai food and all the fabulous flavors they use. Coconut, chilis, fresh vegetables, lemongrass, lime....oh man! Flavor bursting all over the place.

One of my favorite dishes is Coconut Green Curry. While it’s nice to eat out, it’s really not difficult to make at home. It’s just a few ingredients and can be whipped up in no time, even on a busy week night. 

Plus, you can customize it a little by changing up the protein, sometimes using chicken, sometimes pork, sometimes tofu or a ton more vegetables, but 2 things remain unchanged: the coconut milk and the green curry paste.

There are a lot of brands of green curry paste out there and I haven’t really tried many of them. The Thai Kitchen brand is the one I usually reach for. But if you shop at an Asian market, I’m sure the selection is much larger and you can experiment with how different ones taste.

When it comes to the coconut milk, though, be forewarned. If you’re at all concerned about the quality of ingredients you use, you’ll want to read the labels. I am often fairly surprised at what all gets put into a can of coconut milk. You’d think it would be as innocuous as just coconut milk (what a concept!) but alas, it is not always so.

I prefer no-nonsense brands without artificial ingredients or thickeners that can upset my stomach, and the best for the price that I’ve found is at Trader Joe’s. Even my health food store coconut milk has stuff in it I like to avoid.

Go for the full-fat version if they have it. They also offer a reduced fat version but I tell you it’s not the same. Go for the real deal. There is no need to fear the fat in coconut milk. It’s one of those “good fats” we are supposed to be eating. The creaminess, by the way, also takes food to another level of wonderfulness.

So grab a can of TJ’s organic coconut milk and make this.

Coconut Green Curry

Snap Peas

1 head of broccoli, divided into florets
1 small handful of snap peas
Coconut oil
1 small onion, or 2 green onions (green parts only if following a low-FODMAP diet)
1 lb. protein of your choice, cut into cubes (the equivalent to 2-3 small chicken breasts)
3 baby bok choy
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp. green curry paste

Let’s start with the broccoli. I need to eat this veg pretty well-cooked, so I steam this separately and then add it to my dish later.  Steam the snap peas along with it. 

While this is steaming, chop the onion fine and add to a sauté pan of heated coconut oil. Cook until translucent (if using green onion, add after the protein has been added). Add your protein (I like to use cubed chicken breast) and brown on all sides. When almost cooked through, add chopped bok choy and finely minced garlic and sauté another 3-4 minutes.  Now add the whole can of coconut milk along with the curry paste (whisking to dissolve). Bring to a boil, then simmer a few minutes. Turn off heat, add the broccoli and peas, and stir everything together well.

You could serve this over a bed of steaming rice, or if you’re on a grain-free plan like me, over a bed of “cauliflower rice”.

Curried Chicken Salad

Summer is the perfect time for lighter foods when it’s hot and we don’t want to turn on the oven. And chicken salads are ideal. They are also easy to prepare.

I’ve been making this salad for several years and I never tire of it because I really like the flavor combination of spicy and sweet. I came across the recipe this morning and am thinking about making it again this weekend since the weather remains hot and muggy where I live. There’s something cooling about this salad even though it has some spice from the chutney and curry. The spice is minimal, though, and is really just there to add flavor, not heat.

The salad's great served on a bed of Boston or Bibb lettuce. You could even use the lettuce leaves to sort of scoop up the salad with.

There is no substitute for the wine. If you leave it out it really does affect the taste, even though it’s only 1/3 of a cup. Trust me, I’ve tried. For the mayo, you can use a dairy-free variety if you’re lactose intolerant. I like Vegenaise from Follow Your Heart. I think it’s one of the best-tasting, healthy, dairy-free and eggless mayos out there. They make a variety of mayos to choose from. I usually get mine at the health food store where you’ll see a larger selection, but I’ve even seen 1-2 varieties at the regular supermarket.

Here’s the recipe.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts (depending on the size, you may need only 4)

1 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise 

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 cup mango chutney

2-3 Tbsp. curry powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped celery (finely diced)

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup raisins

a little grated fresh ginger

Instructions:

Roast the chicken breasts in a 350 degree F oven for 35-40 minutes. While those are cooking, puree the mayo through the salt in a food processor until smooth. This will be your sauce. 

Combine the celery through ginger in a bowl. When the chicken breasts are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized chunks. Add the sauce, toss, and chill for a few hours.

When you’re ready to eat the salad, add 1 cup of warm, salted toasted cashews, if you like. Pecans also work nicely.

Enjoy for lunch on a hot day!

Around the World...India

In my Flavor Profile on spices many moons ago, I mentioned that I love Indian food. With its bold, assertive flavors, and vegetarian dishes that are far from boring, it's no surprise that this cuisine is so popular the world over.

Indian cuisine reflects a 5,000 year history of various groups and cultures interacting with one another, leading to diversity of flavors and regional cuisines. Later, the British and Portuguese added their influence to the already diverse Indian cuisine. And diverse it is - there are at least 36 regional cuisines in India!!

The development of these cuisines was shaped by Dharmic beliefs, and in particular by vegetarianism, which is a growing dietary trend in Indian society. A normal diet in early India consisted of fruit, vegetables, grain, eggs, dairy products, honey and sometimes meat. Over time, segments of the population embraced vegetarianism, primarily due to the advent of Buddhism, as well as a climate that permitted a variety of fruit, vegetables and grains to be grown throughout the year.

Staple foods of Indian cuisine include pearl barley, rice, whole-wheat flour, and a variety of lentils, peas and mung beans. Some pulses, such as chickpeas and kidney beans are very common, especially in the northern regions. These are sometimes also processed into flour.

The most important and frequently used spices are whole or powdered chili pepper, black mustard seed, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, asafoetida, ginger, coriander, and garlic. One popular spice mix is garam masala, a powder that typically includes five or more dried spices, especially cardamom, cinnamon and clove. Each culinary region has a distinctive garam masala blend.

These are wonderful spices! No matter how many you throw together, you have a winning combination and can't go wrong. These warming spices satisfy my love for flavorful food when sometimes nothing else will do. 

Years ago I enrolled in a 12-week cooking class which was a ton of fun. This was "hands-on" training - not just sitting there watching someone else cook.  I had signed up to be part of the prep team. We chopped things up and prepared the "mise en place" for the chef. We'd get there a few hours before class started and learn.

What was so great about this course was that each week we learned about and then tested another cooking technique. It kept things very interesting. One week we made pastry and bread dough, another week we sauteed, smoked, or roasted. The night we braised, we prepared these dishes. (Braising, by the way, means to cook slowly, in a covered pot, with a little bit of liquid).

We prepared all 3 of these recipes one night. They were really good and went well together for a complete vegetarian meal. It is a lot of chopping, so it's best to plan to make all 3 on a weekend when you have a little more time. The good news is you'll have a lot of leftovers that you can freeze and take out when you don't have time to cook during the week!

Vegetable Curry

1/4 cup clarified butter (ghee)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-4 Tbsp. curry powder depending on how much you like
1 1/2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (Pomi tomatoes by Parmalat are great if you don't want to chop)
2 large boiling potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 small cauliflower, separated into florets
about 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley
10 oz. frozen "petite-style" peas
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saute pan, heat butter, add onion and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Add ginger, garlic, and curry and saute 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes uncovered.

Add potatoes and cauliflower and enough stock to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently until potatoes are somewhat tender. Add green beans, peas and more stock if necessary. Cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender (depending on how cooked you want everything to be). The entire cooking process should take about 45-60 minutes. 

Remove from heat, add herbs, toss well, season to taste with salt and pepper, and adjust seasonings.

Lime Saffron Rice

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 gram saffron threads, ground in a mortar and pestle
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
11 oz. basmati rice (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place stock, saffron, salt and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes until liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from heat, cover with a clean dry towel, the lid, and allow to stand covered until the rice is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 min. more. Fluff with a fork or wet rice paddle.
Add butter and lime juice, stirring gently and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add 2-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley on top before serving.

Mango Salsa

3 ripe mangoes*, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped lime zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. sugar (or more if fruit isn't well ripened)
1 pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together gently in a bowl. Serve within 1 day. Variation: add 4 Tbsp. chopped freshly cilantro or mint. You can substitute 3 cups of any peeled and chopped ripe fruit (nectarines, papaya, peaches, etc.). Can also be served over grilled fish or with tortilla chips.

* Since mangoes are typically in season May - September, try Trader Joe's for mango, already cubed, in the freezer section. Makes this recipe even easier, just thaw before using.

The many benefits of Coconut Oil

For decades, health care officials and the media have been telling us that saturated fats are bad for our health and that they lead to a host of negative consequences, including high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Amazingly, during this same time, the levels of serum cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer’s have increased. Coincidence? Not likely.

Maybe it’s the type of saturated fat that needs to be looked at, and not just all saturated fats, because studies done on Pacific Island populations have shown that although their diets contain a 30-60% caloric intake from saturated fat, they have virtually non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease. The thing is, it seems, that not all saturated fats are created equal. The difference, it seems, lies in the fact that some are “created”, or artificially made, while others are natural. There is nothing natural about hydrogenated fats, which appear in just about everything processed these days, but what are they exactly?

Hydrogenation means that we’ve manipulated vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a thickened substance that increases shelf life, but does nothing for our health. These hydrogenated fats are also called trans fats and although they have been banned in the United States, food manufacturers can get away with labeling their products trans-fat fee as long as a serving contains “less than 0.5g of total fat” according to the FDA (ever wonder why servings seem so small? It’s not because you’re a pig and like to eat a lot. It’s how these food manufacturers get away with adding trans fats into their food but stay under the radar). I often wondered about this: how could there be a listing of 0 trans fats on the nutrition label but yet on the ingredient list, there were still hydrogenated fats listed?

The good news is that for most of us with heart and/or weight problems, fat is not the enemy. Many leading nutrition experts tell us that fat is very much needed, to nourish not only our immune system, nervous system, hormonal system and skin, but to also control the inflammatory process in the body and be burned for energy. Our health is suffering as a result from not eating enough of the right kinds of fat! The body does a lot better burning fat for fuel than burning carbohydrates. It’s much more efficient. The thing is to give it “good fats” while avoiding “bad fats”. Good fats include avocados, raw nuts  like almonds, walnuts, pecans, and macadamias, and seeds like sunflower, pepita and flax seeds, olives and olive oil, organic butter and ghee, and fish, cod liver and flax oils.

But one other fat to add to the “good” list is coconut oil. Although it often gets a bad rap for its high saturated fat content, we know that coconut oil offers many health benefits. For example, it has been found to help normalize blood lipids and protect against damage to the liver by alcohol and other toxins, can play a role in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases, and is associated with improved blood sugar and insulin control and therefore the prevention and management of diabetes. In addition, coconut oil has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is also thought to help strengthen mineral absorption, which is important for healthy teeth and bones, and can also help improve the condition and appearance of the scalp, hair and skin when ingested or applied topically.

If Nature hadn't wanted us to eat coconuts, then why do they exist?

If you’re still not convinced, then read on: coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs).  LCFAs are large molecules, so they are difficult for the body to break down and are predominantly stored as fat. But MCFAs, being smaller, are easily digested and immediately burned by your liver for energy – like carbohydrates but without the insulin spike. MCFAs actually boost your metabolism and help the body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so it can help us become leaner.

So how do we get more coconut in our diet? You can start by using coconut oil. It's less sensitive to heat than other oils so it’s great for stir-frys and sautéing. Apparently, it’s better to use coconut oil than olive oil when heating. Some health professionals recommend not heating olive oil because of how it oxidizes when heated. They say it’s best to use it cold, drizzling it on food or using it in salad dressings. This is new to me. All these years of cooking and always using olive oil. Perhaps I'll do less of it now.

So what’s wrong with using regular oils like corn, canola, safflower, or sunflower? These polyunsaturated fats are omega-6 oils and they produce a variety of toxic chemicals as well as trans fats, especially when heated. Plus, most of these vegetable oils are genetically-modified, including more than 90% of soy, corn and canola oils on the market. But even if you buy these organic or from reputable sources, the use of vegetable oils contributes to the overabundance of damaging omega-6 fats in our diet. This heavy emphasis on omega-6’s throws off our omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, and as we’ve heard, insufficient omega-3’s contribute to numerous chronic degenerative diseases. Another reason to give up those oils or drastically reduce using them.

Coconut oil can be substituted for other fats when baking and in recipes that call for butter, lard, shortening or any other saturated fat. I haven’t tried that yet, but I will. The oil is hard in its jar, so it’s fairly similar in consistency to butter. You could probably spread it on toast. I also recently tried it in my smoothie. I used a dark chocolate organic whey protein powder, added some unsweetened shredded coconut and a small teaspoon of coconut oil (totally delicious). Some people use coconut oil as a creamer substitute for coffee or tea. I don’t think I’d go that far, but if you like it, why not?

When looking for the product in your store, make sure to select organic virgin coconut oil. Anything labeled extra virgin is just marketing hype and offers nothing “extra”. Coconut oil is now readily available everywhere. Even Trader Joe’s has it.

I bought a jar of it recently and had only used it so far for sautéing tilapia. I used a spoon to scoop it out and what initially looked like Crisco quickly melted into a glossy clear oil in the pan. I didn’t really notice a coconut-y flavor to the fish, although it smelled wonderfully coconut-y when I opened the jar.

Last night, I used it for a recipe my sister emailed me. Delicious over jasmine rice, or in my case, I had some cooked quinoa to use up. It was the perfect dish to add a slight coconut flavor to because it went well with the green curry and Thai flavors. I wanted some protein in the dish so I decided to dice up some firm tofu which I added during the last 5 minutes just to heat it through. Really good and super healthy.

Green Curry Vegetables with Sweet Potato and Eggplant

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. green curry paste

1 sweet potato, diced
1 cup coconut milk

1 jalapeno chili, diced (optional. Use only if your curry is mild and you like a little bit of heat)

1 eggplant, diced
Lemon or lime juice
Cilantro or green onion for garnish

Cooked jasmine rice, brown rice, or quinoa

In a medium sized sauté pan, heat coconut oil until melted. Add onion and fry until slightly browned. Add green curry paste. Cook for another minute.
Add coconut milk, sweet potato and jalapeno, cook 10 minutes.

Add eggplant, cook 15 minutes (might take 20 minutes if your chunks aren’t that small). Remove from heat.

Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice, then either chopped cilantro or green onion and serve over your grain of choice.

Optional: add diced tofu or cooked chunks of chicken breast for the last 5 minutes of cooking to just heat through.

Next, I’m tempted to slather some coconut oil on my dry skin. Should make me smell very tropical and summery. 

Flavor Profile: Dry Rubs & Spice Blends

As next in the series, dry rubs and spice blends are my focus. Though they seem to be simply a mixture of herbs and spices, truly great combinations are a complex intermingling of flavors that add a depth to food greater than any one spice can accomplish. They can be purchased at the market pre-blended, or you can experiment and create your own from individual spices and herbs you already have at home. Dry rubs are ideally suited to grilling and are excellent on either meat, poultry, or vegetables.

Store-bought rubs are certainly easier, but according to the great chefs out there, it's far better to do this: buy the individual spices whole, toast them, grind them and then blend them yourself. I've only done this once or twice myself, and I want to do it more. These DIY creations are a far cry from the blends that have been sitting on the supermarket shelf for who knows how long, because they are fresh and bursting with flavor. It's like grinding the coffee beans right before you brew a pot instead of using pre-ground beans. There is a big difference in flavor. Great blends bring out the best in the foods they are applied to, but do not overpower them and they usually consist of flavors that are harmonious with one another.

My two favorites are a dry rub I use exclusively on grilled salmon, and the spice blend curry powder. The dry rub contains Kosher salt, Paprika, Crushed Red Pepper, Chili Pepper, Oregano, Basil & Coriander.

Another great rub for salmon, as well as meats, is this one, which has some smoky, peppery overtones: Cumin, Oregano, Chili Pepper, White Pepper, Sea Salt & Dehydrated Garlic (powder).

To use dry rubs, I first wash and pat dry the meat (or whatever I'm covering with the rub). Then I apply a light coat of olive oil onto both sides with a basting brush. Then I rub the spices on. Just like with a marinade, I allow the spices to sit on the food for at least 30 minutes, if not longer, before it goes on the grill. Though they won't penetrate very far, it does allow for the flavors to develop a bit. I'm going to get creative doing this. When I look at the ingredients in a spice blend or dry rub at the market I am always thinking, "I have these spices at home, I could make this myself". What I usually do is buy the store-bought blend, try it, and if I like it, try to replicate it.

For the spice blend I wanted to feature, Curry is my fave. I currently have 2 sorts in my spice cabinet and they definitely vary in taste (curries are not all created equal). One of them I bought at my local Indian store and contains Coriander, Turmeric, Chilli, Fenugreek, Mustard and "other spices". The Madras Curry Powder is the other one and it's really excellent. It contains (check out this list!) Coriander Seeds, Turmeric, Chillies, Salt, Cumin Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Black Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Fenugreek, Cinnamon, Cloves, Anise and Mustard! I highly recommend this one. I bought mine at Cost Plus World Market but I think it's at most supermarkets. Clearly, recipes differ and I like to try new ones every now and again to see if I like the way they blended their spices but I usually fall back on the Madras brand.

Curry is great on so many things. I already provided a recipe (Curried Tofu Dip) in a previous post. It's excellent as a snack with either bagel chips, or veggies like celery and carrots. Curry is usually blended into sauces for chicken, meat and veggies. It can also be mixed with mayo and white wine and made into a lovely curried chicken salad, with diced celery, raisins, cashews and mango chutney. Delish!

Curry makes the house smell warm and comforting. When an Indian woman in my neighborhood cooks, I can smell the curry as I walk near her house. It's such a delicious odor as it wafts its way through our streets. Watch for a post from me soon where I share some of my favorite Indian and curry recipes.

Curried Tofu Dip

Under "Favorite Cooking Reads" I just added a few more of the cookbooks that I use on a fairly regular basis. As I added one of them, I realized I wanted to share a recipe from it. The book is called "Delicious Dips" and it has some great ones that span from veggie and herb dips, to salsas and guacamoles, to cheese, bean and legume dips, to meat and even dessert dips. A little of everything.

I love to snack, and to do this more healthfully, I wanted to make dips for the veggies I was trying to eat more of. I've prepared a lot of the recipes in this book, but one of my favorites in this one: a curried tofu dip. It is alive with flavor and totally addictive! It's a great way to get some healthy soy in your diet but you'd never know it was there.

Curried Tofu Pate

1 lb. firm tofu
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
3 green onions, including tops, finely sliced
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise (soy-based, or regular, whichever is your preference)
1/3 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Drain tofu and blot completely dry with paper towels or a kitchen towel. Let the tofu sit in the towel while you saute the vegetables.

In a small saute pan, warm the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the green onions and celery and saute until beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Add the curry, turmeric, and cayenne. Saute, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a food processor, puree the tofu, add the curry mixture and the mayo. Add the remaining ingredients, pulsing until just blended.

Great with crudites (cut veggies), pita chips, or bagel chips.