Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts
I can still remember the first time I tried Thai food. We went to a Thai restaurant in Chester with our friends Jo and Colin. For me it was love at first bite!
I thought it was delicious! We all ordered different things and then shared with each other. It was like being at a fabulously tasty mini banquet!
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That's a really happy memory for me. I love Jo and Colin and spending time with them has always been my favorite thing to do. Jo was the housekeeper down at the Manor for the first few years I worked there.
She left there to pursue a career in Chiropody. She and I remain good friends to this day. She and Colin are great people and were very supportive me in the changes I had to make in my life several years ago.
I have been so blessed in being surrounded by good people in my life.
.JPG "Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken")
This recipe I am sharing with you today was adapted from one I found on a blog called Seasons & Suppers. It sounded delicious. I am not sure how authentic it is, but I can tell you it is very tasty!
I did make a few changes to the recipe however. I cut a bit back on the meat and added some vegetables for fiber and color. The last time I cooked something like this someone on my Facebook page said it looked like dog food. I didn't want that to happen again.
.JPG "Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
It looks like a lot, but it isn't really. Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way.
For the chicken:
- 4- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized dice
- 1-2 tsp cooking oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- a quantity of loose frozen stir fry vegetables (optional) (you decide how much you want)
.JPG "Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken")
For the sauce:
- 1 tsp ginger paste (or 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp dried ginger powder)
- 1 tsp Asian Chili garlic sauce, plus more, to taste or Sambal Oelek or Sriracha
- 1 TBS soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 TBS peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, plus a bit more stirred in at the end, if you like
- 2/3 cup (160ml) full fat coconut milk, make sure you stir or shake it well (you can freeze the remainder of the can to use at a later date)
.JPG "Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken")
To finish:
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
- the juice of 1/2 lime
To serve: (all optional)
- Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Fresh lime wedges for squeezing
- coarsely chopped peanuts
.JPG "Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken")
HOW TO MAKE THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
You will find that if you have all of your ingredients measured and assembled before you start, this simple recipe goes together very quickly!
Heat the oil over medium high in a medium sized skillet. Add the chicken pieces. Cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Add the vegetables if using. Sprinkle with the spices and salt.
Whisk together the chili sauce, ginger paste, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Stir into the chicken and vegetables to combine.
.JPG "Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken")
Stir in the coconut milk and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors and make sure the chicken is really cooked through.
Taste and adjust seasoning as required. You may also stir in an additional TBS of peanut butter if you desire and like more of a peanut flavor.
Serve hot and spooned over rice or noodles and garnished as desired.
.JPG "Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken")
This made for a really quick and delicious supper. You can easily double everything to feed more people. I really loved the addition of the vegetables. They added color, fiber and crunch.
I served this with some white basmati. For the smaller family you can buy small pouches of cooked basmati rice which has only two to three servings in them. (Depending on appetites.) I find them to be very handy. Its not easy to cook rice for one or two people, and I hate waste.
All in all I really enjoyed this and it is something I would make again. I thought you would enjoy it too. I didn't sprinkle any chopped coriander on it at the end, but I did use some chopped peanuts and lime juice. Delicious!!
Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken
Yield: 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This quick and easy recipe is incredibly versatile and delicious! I like to serve it with Basmati rice, but it is also good with noodles. If you have everything ready and assembled before you start, this goes together very quickly!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized dice
- 1-2 tsp cooking oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- a quantity of loose frozen stir fry vegetables (optional) (you decide how much you want)
For the sauce:
- 1 tsp ginger paste (or 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp dried ginger powder)
- 1 tsp Asian Chili garlic sauce, plus more, to taste or Sambal Oelek or Sriracha
- 1 TBS soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 TBS peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, plus a bit more stirred in at the end, if you like
- 2/3 cup (160ml) full fat coconut milk, make sure you stir or shake it well (You can freeze the remainder of the can to use at a later date)
To finish:
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
- the juice of 1/2 lime
To serve: (all optional)
- Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Fresh lime wedges for squeezing
- coarsely chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium high in a medium sized skillet. Add the chicken pieces. Cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Add the vegetables if using. Sprinkle with the spices and salt.
- Whisk together the chili sauce, ginger paste, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Stir into the chicken and vegetables to combine.
- Stir in the coconut milk and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors and make sure the chicken is really cooked through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as required. You may also stir in an additional TBS of peanut butter if you desire and like more of a peanut flavor.
- Serve hot and spooned over rice or noodles and garnished as desired.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
One thing which I always try to keep in my freezer are flat breads of some sort. You can get rectangular ones (like you see here) or round ones. I also like Lebanese Pita breads and Indian Naan.
Not only do they come in handy to serve with meals, especially soups, stews and tagines, but they also make fabulous pizza bases!
Today I used a rectangular one to make a Peanut Chicken Flatbread Pizza. I am not sure if this would be considered fusion cooking or not, but I like to think that it combines something Italian with something Thai.
I adore pizza. I adore Peanut Chicken. The two together? Fantabulous!
You could of course make your own pizza base or flatbread from scratch and there are no end to the recipes available to do just that. It all depends on what you are looking for.
For ease and speed, I highly recommend a good store bought one. This one is Presidents Choice Original flatbread. It is plain and simple and just the right size to feed four.
From there I slathered it with a delicious homemade Thai peanut sauce, topped it with some mozzarella cheese and a scattering of chicken breast cubes I had marinated and cooked in a Thai marinade.
I baked it and then finished it off with a scattering of chopped roasted peanuts and spring onions and I have to say, it was very delicious! Not to mention, very quick and easy to make!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEANUT CHICKEN FLATBREAD PIZZA
The ingredients for this are actually quite simple, and if you are like me and keep an assortment of oriental condiments, etc. in your store cupboard, it won't take a special trip to the shops, but if it does, trust me when I say it is worth it.
For the chicken:
- 1 large free range boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
For the peanut sauce:
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 TBS sweet chili sauce
- 1 TBS hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water
- 1 1/2 TBS smooth peanut butter
In a pinch you can sub powders for the fresh garlic and ginger. I would use 1/4 tsp each of powdered ginger and garlic powder (not salt).
Also if you don't have sweet chili sauce, then you can make a suitable substitute by subbing 1 TBS plum sauce whisked together with 1/2 TBS sriracha sauce. It is pretty hard to find a substitute for hoisin sauce. I would try equal parts of BBQ sauce, molasses and dark soy sauce.
You will also need:
- 1 4-serving sized prepared flat bread (you can also use 2 medium naan bread)
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 8 ounces (225g) grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 spring onion, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
- 3 TBS chopped roasted peanuts
You could use chopped coriander instead of the spring onions. (Cilantro) I happen to think that spring onion works perfectly here. I think also you want the mild flavor of the mozzarella cheese rather than another cheese. It melts beautifully, quickly and won't take away from the flavors of the other ingredients.
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT CHICKEN FLATBREAD PIZZA
This goes together very quickly and simply once you get each element sorted. You will have more peanut sauce than you need, but trust me when I say that you can drizzle the leftover sauce over the cooked pizza as desired and nobody will be complaining.
I could eat that sauce with a spoon and be quite happy.
Begin by preparing your chicken. Cut it into cubes. This is best done if the chicken is semi-frozen. You can get nice clean cuts. I cut mine into a 1/2 inch dice.
Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and pop the diced chicken into it. Leave to sit for about 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook until quite fragrant.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil, and then simmer until it has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and cooked through.
Preheat your oven to 375*F. 190*C/ gas mark 5. Place your flat bread onto a baking sheet. Brush around the edges with the olive oil.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce in the middle of the flat bread and spread it around up to the edges. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the peanut sauce. Scatter the cooked chicken pieces over top of the cheese.
Pop the baking tray into the preheated oven and bake until the cheese has melted, the crust is crisp and golden brown and the chicken is heated through.
While the pizza is baking chop your spring onions and peanuts for the topping.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let sit for a few minutes, then sprinkle the chopped peanuts and spring onions over top.
Cut into wedges to serve! Prepare yourself for praise and accolade, because you will surely receive them!! This is some good!!
Like I said, you can serve any additional peanut sauce for people to dip their pizza slices in, or you can drizzle it over top.
You could also cut it into smaller squares and serve it as appetizers or game night bites for your friends and family with sauce for dipping.
No matter how you decide to serve this one thing is for certain, everyone is going to love, Love, LOVE it!! I guarantee!!
Peanut Chicken Flatbread Pizza
Yield: 4
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 28 Min
Favorite Thai Peanut Chicken flavors on a flatbread pizza. This is incredibly deliciously moreish.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 large free range boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
For the peanut sauce:
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 TBS sweet chili sauce
- 1 TBS hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water
- 1 1/2 TBS smooth peanut butter
You will also need:
- 1 4-serving sized prepared flat bread (you can also use 2 medium naan bread)
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 8 ounces (225g) grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 spring onion, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
- 3 TBS chopped roasted peanuts
Instructions
- First prepare and marinate your chicken. Whisk the soy sauce, honey and cornstarch together in a bowl. Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes. Add to the marinade in the bowl and leave to sit on the counter for about 10 minutes.
- To make the peanut sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook until very fragrant. Add the sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, water and peanut butter. Whisk together until smooth. Simmer until thickened.
- Preheat your oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken. Sauté the chicken pieces until cooked through and golden brown. Set aside.
- Place the flat bread (naans) onto a baking sheet. Brush the edges with the olive oil. Spread about 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce over top of the bread evenly.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the peanut sauce. Scatter the cooked chicken over top of the cheese.
- Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven until the cheese has melted, everything is heated through, and the crust is golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven. Scatter the spring onion and chopped peanuts over top. Cut into wedges to serve. Serve hot with or without additional peanut sauce for dipping if desired.
Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you come again!
I've been really busy working on a special project this past week, getting it off the ground. I have been looking for quick and easy things to prepare and to eat. You don't get much easier or quicker than these delicious spicy Thai noodles with vegetables.
I have always been fond of Asian flavors. I have never traveled in the far East, but I have eaten in quite a few Chinese and Thai restaurants in my life to know what I like!
Chinese and Thai are very much not the same thing. Thai flavors tend to be quite a bit spicier! I first tasted Thai food several years ago at a restaurant in Chester.
My friend Jo and her husband Colin were up for a few days and they have very adventurous palates. They suggested that we all go to this Thai restaurant for supper and we were up for it. I guess we had adventurous palates also!
We ended up in a Thai restaurant on Lower Bridge Street in Chester city, called the Ruan Orchid and had a great time.
We decided we would each order something different, including starters, have them put in the middle of the table and then share everything. That way we would all get a little taste of a lot of different things. Kind of like a mini buffet.
For me, it was love at first bite. I loved the fresh new flavors and textures. So different than Chinese food.
It was a beautiful combination of sweet, sour, spicy, salty and bitter. With plenty of fresh vegetables, color and crunch. I think the favorite thing I had on that day was their fish cakes. They were so delicious!
I especially loved the chicken curry. I immediately wanted to go home and replicate it. That's what I did. You can find the recipe here for a Thai Green Chicken Curry. Its fabulously tasty and one of my favorites!
Thai food is completely different than Indian food, and Chinese food. It can be very spicy, but not in an obnoxious way. Well, I suppose that all depends on your. Mine is never obnoxious because I don't really like overly spiced food.
I wasn't so bothered when I was younger about spicy, but now I am in my winter years, my digestion can't really tolerate too much heat or spice.
These Thai Noodles with a Peanut Sauce were something which I made for my dinner the other day. I was really happy with the way they turned out.
The whole dish went together very quickly. That is because I had everything ready to go before I even started. Crisp carrot and red pepper.
I cut them on my Swiss mandolin cutter. That is not something which I use very often. Mostly because I am a tiny bit afraid of it, having really cut my finger badly once. Never get cocky with a mandolin cutter. Always wear a cut-proof glove and use the vegetable holder.
There are really only two vegetables in this dish, because mainly that is what I had the other day. You could switch that out a bit and add a few more, its up to you. Just don't go crazy.
Simple is always best. There isn't a lot of any one vegetable that you need. I used half a carrot and half a red pepper.
You will need some kind of long thin noodle as well. I used spaghettini. It is a bit thinner than spaghetti.
You could also use linguini, or fettuccine, etc. Just make sure it is long and it is thin. This is not the time to use tagliatelle or Mafalda. Ramen noodles also work beautifully.
The real star here is that lush peanut sauce. I adore peanut sauce. It is the perfect combination of flavors.
I could eat it with a spoon. Salty soy, creamy peanut butter, sweet honey, a touch of sriracha sauce for some heat and garlic flavor.
Sriracha sauce is something I only started using a few years ago, and I do confess I use it quite judiciously. I know people who squirt it all over their food.
That is not me. I like a bit, but that's it. Its far too hot for my taste in any large quantity!! Call me a wimp, but it is what it is.
I like to be the one who does the biting when it comes to eating, and I am not very fond of food that bites back!
But this sauce, in the quantities given . . . its a tad bit spicy, but not overly so, and like I said, I could eat it with a spoon.
The garnishes are also really nice and add a lot both in terms of flavor and crunch to the dish, not to mention colour!
Chopped peanuts. I used roasted peanuts. Sliced spring onions. They lend a touch of green and a certain fresh sharpness.
More green also comes from the use of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro). If you are not a fan, use flat leaf parsley in its place.
Then there are sesame seeds, again for color and looks. There is not an appreciable amount so it adds no flavor.
Once you have everything prepped, it goes together in a flash. Like magic.
You can be sitting down and enjoying this tasty dish in not much more than 10 minutes. I small batched the recipe because there is only one of me and I didn't want to be eating it for a week.
As it was half the recipe was more than ample for little old me. I couldn't even finish the half of that which I put into my bowl. Very filling.
It did make for a lovely lunch/dinner though and I really enjoyed it. I adapted the recipe from one that I found here.
And, yes it was easy and very tasty!
I don't have any chopsticks now, so I had to make do with a fork. Mental note to self, buy some chopsticks one of these days. They come in handy for all sorts.
If you are looking for a nice, quick, easy and tasty lunch, then you can't go far wrong with this. Its also vegetarian and if you use rice noodles, gluten free!
Enjoy!
Peanut Sauced Easy Thai Noodles
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min
These spicy noodles are so simple to make a wonderfully easy and tasty lunch! This goes together very quickly if you have everything ready to go before you start cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 TBS vegetable oil
- 6 ounces (170g) spaghettini, fettuccini, etc. (you want a long thin noodle)
- 1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
- 1/2 red bell pepper, trimmed and julienned
- 2 TBS soy sauce
- 1/2 TBS honey
- 2 TBS creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce
- 2 TBS chopped roasted peanuts
- 1 spring onion, trimmed and sliced
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
- chopped fresh coriander to garnish
Instructions
- Cook your noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, peanut butter and sriracha sauce. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the carrots, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring, until crispy tender and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the noodles and sauce. Toss well together and heat through.
- Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts, sliced spring onions, coriander and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
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