rice soup with seabass

Rice Soup with Seabass : Kao Dtom Pla ข้าวต้มปลากะพง 

When I was young I didn't like rice soup at all. I just learnt to like/appreciate it in my late 20s. Now, I find "Kao Dtom" very comforting... I guess it has something to do with me not living with my parent any more (aka "homesick"). Rice soup always reminds me of my mum... she always cooked it for me when I was ill. Anyway, "Kao Dtom" is delicious.. its warm (as warm and as warm-hearted) and light yet filling. Its not only good for breakfast (Thai people usually have rice soup for breakfast.) but its aslo very good for light dinner. At times, you feel so stuffed and you dont want any heavy dinner but if you dont eat then you will probably get very hungry later at late night. Rice soup with seabass seems to be the perfect choice. 

Find below my recipe

1/2 Cup Rice (whole grain rice is preferred)

250 G. Seabass, cut or sliced (This could be any kind of white fish that you like. I prefer Seabass.)

4 Cloves Garlic, crushed 

2 Coriander Roots, crushed 

1 Teaspoon Galangal, grated 

Chinese Celery, cut

Coriander and Spring Onion, chopped  

Ginger, julienned

Garlic Oil (to taste)

3 Cups Chicken Stock/Fish Stock 

2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (to taste)

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (to taste)

White Pepper, ground 

Sea Salt 

Soy Bean Paste Sauce

3 Tablespoons Soy Bean Paste

2 Garlic, finely chopped

5 Chilies, finely chopped

Ginger, grated 

Coriander Root, grated 

3 Tablespoons Lime Juice

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

A dash of unrefined Brown Sugar  

Preparation 

Set a large pot over medium heat, add stock and later add rice. Cook the rice till almost cooked through,  keep stirring. Season with sea salt, crushed ginger, crushed coriander roots, and crushed garlic. Bring the soup back the the boil. Add seabass and grated galangal, leave till the seabass is cooked through (at this stage - DO NOT STIR, otherwise the soup will be very fishy and you will break the seabass into small bits. You don't need small bits of fish in the soup as it doesn't look nice in term of presentation. Believe me, everyone wants the seabass in nice chunks in their rice soup!). Taste if more seasoning is needed. Turn of the heat.

Sauce : Put everything into a mixing bowl, add all ingredients, mix everything till combined well. Taste if more seasoning is needed. It should taste tangy (with lime juice) and salty, with very little of sweetness and with a touch of spiciness.

Plating : In serving bowls, spoon the rice soup and some seabass chunks in. Sprinkle with julienned ginger, chopped Chinese celery and garlic oil (to taste - I don't normally drizzle the garlic oil on my rice soup as I like it simple and clean. I always serve the garlic oil separately.). Sprinkle lightly (or heavily) with ground white pepper. Serve hot with a small  cup of soy bean paste sauce. Delightful! 

spicy vermicelli salad

Spicy Vermicelli Salad : Yum Woonsen - ยำวุ้นเส้น (ใส่กุ้ง ปลาหมึก หมูสับ)

I have been craving for "Yum Woonsen" for weeks but I was kept very busy with work after New Year. Luckily, this week, I am told to take a short break again. I am not sure if this is supposed to be a good thing as it sounds too good to be true and (I seriously think) it probably is... Anyhow, I am glad that I get to be home and get to cook this spicy vermicelli salad.. Its very delicious and I am totally satisfied. 

Please find below a recipe

4-6 King Tiger Prawns, cleaned and deviened 

1 medium Squid, cleaned and cut into rings 

1 cup minced free-range Pork

1 Medium Organic Onion, sliced 

A handful of organic Chinese Celery, cut 

2 medium organic Plum Tomatoes, sliced 

A handful of organic Spring Onion & Coriander Leaves, cut 

1 Small pack of Glass Noodle/Vermicelli (approx. 100 G.), cut and soaked in water

Roasted Peanuts/Cashewnuts (Optional)

Spicy Chillie & Lime Dressing 

4-6 Bird-eys Chillie, roughly chopped 

4 Tablespoons Lime Juice

3-4 Tablespoons Premium Quality Fish Sauce

A dash of Un-refined Brown Sugar 

A few of Coriander Roots, cleaned 

Preparation

Add all ingredients of dressing into a blender. Press a button briefly and there you have it. (Make sure that you don't blend the dressing too long as we don't want it too smooth/fine.) Set one side. 

Set a large sauce pan over medium-hight heat, add water and bring to a boil. Add minced pork, wait till almost cooked through, then add prawns and squid, leave to cook for a few mins and lastly add vermicelli. Remove everything into cold water to stop them from being cooked. (We don't want to over cook prawns and squid.) Strain the water and keep one side. (You can cook them separately ; one by one for each ingredient but to save time and energy, I cook them all at once as I know how to cook them nicely at the same time.)

In a large salad bowl, add all vegetables, cooked minced pork, prawns, squid and vermicelli. Drizzle with lots of dressing. Toss to mix everything well. Taste if more dressing is needed. Remove into a serving plate, sprinkle with roasted peanuts or cashewnuts. Serve immediately. (You can either serve it alone or with a cup of steamed rice.)

spicy sour curry with seabass and mixed veggies

Spicy Sour Curry with Seabass & Mixed Veggies : Gaeng Som - แกงส้มปลากะพงใส่มะละกอ ชะอมทอดไข่ ถั่วฝักยาว

I meant to write this recipe for ages but I never got a chance to cook it at home in the past year at all till this holiday. This sour curry is very easy to cook but it needs many ingredients and it takes time to prep. Normally, given that I am a bit lazy & very busy lately, I like cooking something simple and easy (I am a product of my time.) Sour Curry or "Geang Som" is one of my most favourite Thai dishes. Everytime when I get to go out dining at any decent Thai restaurants, I often order this dish. I just love it and I like to try/see how (good or bad) other people execute this dish. My mum cooks a mean dish of Keang Som. I think anything thats cooked by mum is always delicious.. eh? 

Anyway, Keang Som is a dish thats good to cook with seafood (Sea fish or shrimp). I find that it is best eaten a day after its cooked as when you leave it over night, the curry has time to rest, settle and develop the flavour. 

Find below a recipe (This recipe is for sour curry form central of Thailand. There is another version of sour curry or in another name called "yellow curry" which is from southern of Thailand. The flavour is bold, more spicy and more sour. I will post a recipe later)

Lots of fresh Seabass Fillets or Shrimps (shelled and deveined) 

Organic Vegetables (Raw Papaya, Long Bean & Acacia (Cha-Om) Omelette or Pickled Bamboo Shoots)

Tamarind Paste

Lime Juice/ Wedges

Fish Sauce

Palm Sugar 

Water, 5-6 cups 

Curry Paste

5-6 Dried Red Chillies, soaked in water till soft and roughly chopped (You can add as many chillies as you like. This depends on how you can handle spiciness.)

5-6 Medium Shallots, roughly chopped 

1-2 Grachai or "Lesser Ginger"- Rhizome grows in bunches of slender and long orange finger-like roots and, in Thailand, its normally used in fish or seafood dishes.), peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 or 1 Tablespoon of Shrimp Paste

Preparation 

Set a pot with water on high heat, bring to the boil. Add half of shrimp/seabass, leave till cooked through. Do not stir. Turn off the heat, remove and keep dried one side. 

First, we need to prepare the curry paste. Using stone mortar and pestle, pound all ingredients (for curry paste) till very fine. Add cooked shrimp/seabass and pound till everything is mixed well. By adding cooked shrimp/seabass meat into the paste, this will help to thicken the curry, so the broth will not be too watery (like in the cheap version of Kaeng Som that requires no effort that you often see on the street side, in the market or restaurants that the cooks couldn't care less for the quality.) and it helps to add more flavour to the broth as well. Keep the paste one side. (To make it easier, you can just put everything into a blender. Press a button and its done!) 

Now the broth, set another large pot with water on medium-high heat, bring to the boil. Add curry paste, bring to the boil again. Add the second half of fresh shrimp/seabass. Do not stir and leave to cook. Wait till the broth is back to the boil. Add vegetables (You can always add many kind of vegetables as you like ; like Chinese cabbage, daikon, raw papaya, young water melon, long bean, cauliflower, Thai morning glory and water mimosa. The veggies added in this sour curry are your own choice, or in Thailand, people add seasonal veggies - what is available at the market, as you can see from my picture shown above that I only added what I like eating.) Add fish sauce, tamarind paste and a little of palm sugar. Taste if more seasoning is needed. The soup should taste spicy, salty, slightly sweet and very sour. To me its important to not leave the vegetables in the hot broth too long as I like my veggies green and crunchy. Turn off the heat. Squeeze some lime on top just before serving. (It needs to taste tangy to be delicious. If you added the lime while its cooking, the sour favour would be disappeared/ruined by the heat.) Serve hot with a cup of steamed wholegrain rice. Absolutely delicious! 

garlic butter shrimp

Garlic Butter Shrimp served with crusty French bread. 

October is quite a month! First, its my birthday and then there are loads happening in my life right now (I hope all is going to be improved in a much better way and I can finally be content in life as I deserve it!) and currently, I have to deal with the massive flooding situation which is soon to arrive in Bangkok. Hopefully, my area (Sukhumvit road) stays dry and safe. I know that I sound selfish and it is not fair for those who are suffering but I have loads of books, especially cookbooks (let alone my shoes) that I love so very much. I can't allow them to be soaked in water.... 

Anyway, last night I cooked "Garlic Butter Shrimp" for dinner. This dish is simply delicious served with a few glasses of chilled Chardonnay. So I think I should share a recipe on here. Next month after the flood, I hope that life will be back to normal and I will have time to post more recipes. 

Find below a recipe of "Garlic Butter Shrimp" 

12-15 Large Prawns/Shrimps

1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

50 G of French Butter (Unsalted)

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

1/2 Yellow Lemon

Handful of Parsley, roughly chopped

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Crusty French Bread or Toasted Sourdough. 

Preparation 

Set a wok or a large saucepan on low heat, heat the olive oil and butter. Add shrimps and garlic and stir well until the shrimps turn pink (about 3 mins). Season with salt and ground black pepper. Squeeze the yellow lemon and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Turn off the heat and serve at once with crusty French bread to tear off and dunk into the juices. Scrumptious! 

shrimp scampi pasta

Shrimp Scampi (with Yellow Lemon & Cherry Tomato) Pasta

This is another favourite pasta dish of mine. If you ever notice, I don't like pasta with cream sauce. I personally think that cream is too rich and too creamy for any savoury dishes. (To me, aromatic creamy food is good for dessert.) I like my pasta cooked very light and summery. (I, sometimes, cook creamy pasta for the kids though as they love it!) The heaviest pasta dish that I ever cook for myself is/was with beef or lamb. (Heavy with protein not with cream.)

Anyway, I cooked this "Shrimp Scampi Pasta" last week. This pasta dish is very  aromatic and delightful. The yellow lemon really brings out the best flavour of the shrimp. In Thailand, it is impossible to find fresh "Scampi/Langoustine". Therefore, I substituted it with fresh "Tiger Prawn" but I do like a word "Scampi". So, I keep its name in my recipe. You can cook it without tomato but I happen to love tomato. So, I put a lot of tomatoes in there. (Italian sun-dried tomato is also a good choice.)

Find below my simple recipe of "Shrimp Scampi Pasta". Its very refreshing but filling.

1 pound of dried pasta (Long form pasta ; Linguini, Capellini or Spaghetti)

16 medium / 8 big Tiger Prawns, peeled, de-veined and cleaned 

4 cloves of organic Garlic, finely chopped or grated

1 cup of organic Tomato, roughly chopped (Cherry Tomato is as good / halved.)

1/4 cup of Shrimp Stock or White Wine

1/2 Yellow Lemon, juiced (Slice the 2nd half and keep one side for garnish.)

4-5 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2 tablespoons of Red Chili flakes

2-3 tablespoons of unsalted Butter, cut into cubes

Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper 

For Garnish

1/2 Yellow Lemon, sliced (Lemon Zest if you prefer.)

Flat-leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
Italian Basil Leaves, roughly chopped (Optional) 

Grated (Parmigiano-Reggiano) Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add plenty of salt. Add pasta, cook till al dente. Drain and return to the pot

Set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and chopped garlic, fry till aromatic. Add tiger prawn, lemon juice, red chili flakes, sea salt,  black pepper and 1/2 of butter. Stir-fry very quickly to combine everything well. Remove the prawn and keep one side. (Be careful not to over cook the prawns. If they turn pink, they are already cooked.) In the same saucepan, with remaining sauce, add white wine or shrimp stock. Continue to cook until sauce reduces by half. Add back the prawns, lemon slices, tomatoes and 2nd half of the butter. Taste if more seasoning is needed.  Add pasta and toss to combine with the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Turn off the heat. Remove into serving plates and serve immediately.

Serve : 4

fried-rice served with fried egg

Thai fried-rice served with fried egg : ข้าวผัด (ไก่, หมู, หรือ เนื้อ) ไข่ดาว

I have been ill (I have a terrible cold.) for almost 2 weeks now. I think of my Mum's dishes a lot something like "Kao Dtom", "Chicken Noodle Soup" or "Kao Phad".... You know.. Comfort food that she cooked for me when I was ill.

Call me an odd person, somehow, I don't like my "fried-rice" cooked too dry like in those Thai and Chinese restaurants. I think it has something to do with my mum's recipe. Her "fried-rice" is always very moist and soft. Its very delicious. Therefore, I am programed to like my "fried-rice" cooked very moist and soft just like my mum's. 

Find below my very own version of "fried-rice" 

1 cup of meat (chicken, pork, beef or seafood)

2 cups of steamed organic rice (I personally prefer whole-grain rice.)

1/2 cup of organic Tomato, sliced

1 cup of organic Chinese Kale. sliced

1/2 cup of organic Mushroom (Optional)

2 cloves of organic Garlic, crushed and chopped 

1 medium organic Onion, sliced 

2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil, extra light and mild 

2-3 tablespoons of Oyster Sauce

2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon of Seasoning Sauce

A dash of un-refined Brown Sugar

2 organic Eggs

Garnish
.

Fresh organic coriander leaves, chopped

Fresh organic cucumber, sliced 

Fried egg

Lime (cut into wedges)

Preparation 
.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Wait till the wok is becoming hot (but not too hot though), then add olive oil and then chopped garlic. Fry till the garlic is aromatic. Add onion and meat (pork/chicken/beef or seafood : whatever you fancy), stir-fry till the meat is almost cooked through. Add tomato, Chinese kale, and mushroom. Stir-fry to mix everything well. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, seasoning sauce and a dash of sugar. Add steamed rice and stir-fry to mix everything well. Add egg, leave for a few minutes for the egg to set a little. Then stir-fry to mix everything well. Taste if more seasoning is needed. Remove into a serving plate.  Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve with with "fried-egg", fresh organic cucumber, a few of lime wedges and a small cup of "nahm pla prik".
.

Serve : 2-3

steamed squid with chili and lime sauce

Steamed Squid with Chili and Lime Sauce : ปลาหมึกนี่งมะนาว

Lately, I read lots of food blogs written about food in Bangkok or in Thailand. Last week, I visited a blog called "Hungry in Bangkok" (Actually, I have become a fan of his food blog. I love it when people write something good and positive about my country.) and he posted something about "Steamed Squid in Chili & Lime Sauce" which is very inspiring to me. I mean its very easy to cook and its delicious. I had a sudden urge to cook it. So, last Sunday, I went shopping for fresh plump squid at Villa Supermarket.

Find below a recipe

1/2 Kilo of Squid, cleaned & cut thickly into rings
4-5 of Organic Red & Green Bird-Eye Chillies, finely chopped (De-seeded if you can't handle the heat.)
3-4 Tablespoons of Organic Lime Juice
3-4 Tablespoons of Premium Fish Sauce
A dash of Un-refine Brown Sugar
Fresh Organic Coriander Leaves
Fresh Organic Chinese Celery (Optional)
Fresh Organic Chinese Cabbages (Optional)

Preparation

Steam the squid and Chinese cabbage leaves for 5 mins (Make sure that you are using the maximum heat to steam the squid). Keep the squid juice which came out of the squid when its steamed. Keep the steamed squid aside. In a mixing bowl, add squid juice, chopped chillies, lime juice, fish sauce and a dash of brown sugar. Stir to mix everything well. Taste if more seasoning if needed. Lay the steamed squid on a bed of celery and Chinese cabbages in a serving plate. Pour the chilli and lime sauce over the steamed squid and sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

squid ink pasta with scallop

Squid Ink Pasta with Scallop

Yes, I know I cooked lots of western dishes at home lately. Oh well, I am in mood for western food of late. I mean now I can simply go to supermarkets in Bangkok and find lots of fresh herbs and fresh ingredients. I really love it - Now, I don't have to be in London or in Paris to find a fresh "bouquet garni" anymore !

I noticed that squid ink pasta is now becoming very popular among Thai, especially in those Italian restaurants in Bangkok. A few days ago, I had it at Delicatezza restaurant in Thonglor Soi 10. Then, I thought this dish is something you couldn't possibly ordered if you were with your date. Its best to cook at home and I think it will be better if I match this squid ink pasta with scallop. (Oh well, I couldn't find Scottish scallop here, I ended up with Thai scallop - which is not bad.)

Find below my very simple but very yummy recipe

¼ of Package of Squid Ink Linguine (Approx. 250 G.)

12-16 Scallops - Depends on how big they are. (Shelled & Cleaned - You can discard the orange bit of scallop & keep only the white bit but I keep it as it looks colourful with black pasta.)

3 Cloves of Garlic (Finely Chopped)

1 Yellow Lemon

A handful of Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley (Roughly Chopped)

Freshly Ground Pepper

Ground Sea Salt

Olive Oil

Preparation

Bring a large saucepan/pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling add pasta and sea salt and cook according to the package instruction until the pasta is Al Dente. Drain, drizzle with olive oil and keep warm one side.
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, fry till aromatic, add scallops, keep stirring. (You don't need to wait till they are cooked. - Over cooked scallops are not good.) Add cooked pasta, stir-fry very quickly till everything is well blended. Turn off the heat. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. Squeeze a wedge of lemon & sprinkle with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Stir a few times and remove into a serving plate. Serve hot with a wedge of yellow lemon & a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio (Be careful not to put too much of lemon in your pasta if you serve it with "Pinot Grigio" as the wine is already with lemon-citrus flavours.).

Serve : 2

phad goong sai toa kup hed : stir-fried shrimp with sweet green pea pod & mushroom

Stir-fried Shrimp with Sweet Green Pea Pod & Mushroom : ผัดถั่วหวานกับเห็ดใส่กุ้ง

I like cooking stir-fry. It is so simple and easy to cook but it is actually not as easy as one could think it should be. Getting a satisfied stir-fry needs skill. Cooking stir-fry you need to set a wok over high-heat and cook it very fast. Vegetables need to still be crunchy and looking colorful. You need to learn to balance the flavour and make sure that your stir-fry will not be so soggy with sauce and watery from vegetables.

Stir-fry is versatile. You can serve it alone with steamed whole grain rice as a single dish for lunch or you can serve with it with a cup of spicy chili relish (Nahm Prik), mixed herbs omelette (Kai Jiew Samoonpai) and a cup of steamed whole grain rice for dinner. I personally like to cook it when I am too lazy to go through something too complicated. I simply open my fridge and find what are stored in there and then get started. Later in 5-10 minutes, I am well & healthily fed. (Actually, I didn't want to post this recipe because its too easy but the dish is very delicious. So, I think I should post it.)

Find a recipe below

1 Cup of Fresh Shrimps (Cleaned)
1 Cup of Organic Green Pea Pods
1 Cup of Organic Mushroom
2 Tablespoons of Garlic (Crushed and Finely Chopped)
2 Tablespoons of Grape Seed Oil (or Sunflower Oil)
2 Tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Seasoning Sauce
A pinch of Raw Un-refine Sugar

Preparation

Set a wok over high-heat. Wait till becoming very hot. Add garlic and fry fill aromatic. Add Shrimp and stir-fry very quickly then add green peas and mushroom, keep stir-frying. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Turn of the heat. (All this stir-fry thing should be done within 2-3 minutes.) Serve hot with a cup of steamed whole grain rice.

puu phad phong-kari : stir-fried crab with yellow curry powder

Stir-fried Crab with Yellow Curry Powder: ปูผัดผงกะหรี่

To me cooking is always my true love & real pleasure. If someone asked me to cook something for him/her, with no doubt, I delightfully would love to. A few times, I was asked to organise a party to be in charge of food & Drinks, I was so happy & pleased (and exhausted) and when I saw all the guests being happy & satisfied, all of my time and effort that I put into was/is all worthwhile. I guess I am a domestic type of person.

A mate likes eating “Crab” and when she visited. I cooked it as a lovely lunch for her.

Find below a recipe

2 of Crabs (approx. 500 Grams), cleaned, chopped & smashed
2 of Eggs
1 Cup of Onion, sliced
1 Cup of Chinese Celery, cut
1 Cup of Spring Onion, cut
2 Teaspoons of Yellow Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon of Ground White Pepper
4 Tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
½ Cup of Milk
½ Cup of Ginger, peeled & sliced
4 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (Extra light & mild)
2 Tablespoons of Sweet Chili Paste
A dash of Brown Sugar

Preparation

Whisk Eggs, Milk, Curry Powder & Sweet Chili Paste, till mixed well
Set a Wok over high-heat, add Garlic, fry till aromatic. Add chopped Crab & Ginger, fry till cooked through. Add the mixed liquid of Eggs, Milk, Curry Power & Sweet Chili paste, then add Oyster sauce, Soy sauce & a dash of Brown Sugar, fry till combine well. Sprinkle with sliced Onion, Spring Onion, & Chinese Celery, fry for a few mins
Sprinkle with Ground White pepper, turn of the heat
Remove into a serving plate
Serve with steamed rice

phad ka-pao talay: stir-fried seafood with holy basil leaves

Phad Ka-Prao Talay: ผัดกะเพราทะเล

Because of many reasons that I didn’t cook Seafood for ages. So, when my mates stopped by for lunch last week, I managed to cook something that they do like. "Seafood cooked with Holy Basil Leaves" came to mind. Then I served it with “Ink Squid Pasta”, my mates loved it too bits.

...

"Phad Ka-Pao" is the most popular & the most beloved "stir-fry" by Thai poeple. It's versatile - you can cook it with Meat, Pork, Chicken, Tofu or Seafood. Oh well, it can be cooked with anything, really.

Anyway, this dish is where Calories & Cholesterol meet up. Personally, I eat "Seafood" in moderation – 2 times a week not more than that.

Find below a recipe of “Stir-fried Seafood with Thai Holy Basil Leaves”

1 Cup of Prawns, cleaned
1 Cup of Scallop, cleaned
1 Cup of Clam, cleaned
1 Cup of Squid, cleaned & cut
1 Cup of Crab, cleaned & cut (optional)
5-6 of Red Chilies, finely chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
3-4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, extra light & mild
4 Tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
2-3 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Seasoning Sauce
1 ½ Teaspoons of Brown Sugar
A Handful of Hot Holy Basil Leaves

...

Preparation

Set a Wok over high-heat, wait till becoming hot
Add Oil, wait till hot, add chopped garlic, stir-fry till aromatic or turning yellow. Add in Seafood, stir-fry till becoming a little cooked
Add Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, Seasoning Sauce & Brown Sugar
Stir-fry regularly to mix everything well till cooked then sprinkles with Holy Basil. Turn off the heat, remove into a serving plate
Serve hot with Steamed Rice or Ink Squid Pasta

shrimp wanton soup

Shrimp Wanton Soup

As I mentioned in my earlier post that I cooked a 4 course meal last weekend, wanton soup was one of them. So, I think I should post it here too.

Wanton soup is categorized to be one of comfort food to me. I like to cook wanton soup for Saturday’s afternoon if we happen to stay home.

Find below my recipe

Wanton
8 of Large Wanton Wrappers (get them from any decent supermarkets)
8 of Big Tiger Prawns, cleaned & shelled
1 of Organic Egg, beaten

Soup
8 Cups of Chicken Stock
1/4 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil
2-3 Tablespoons of Light Soy Sauce
2-3 Cups of Daikon, cut into smal cubes
2 of Coriander’s roots, crushed
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed

Garnish
3-4 Cups of Fresh Bok Choy Leaves
½ Cup of Chopped Spring Onion
Freshly ground White Pepper Corn


Preparation

Set a large saucepan over high heat
Add chicken stock, bring to the boil (you can always cook the stock from scratch)
Add daikon, coriander’s root & crushed garlic, don’t stir
Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour at least
Add soy sauce & sesame oil just before serving

Wrap one shrimp in one wanton wrapper
Use egg to seal each wanton properly
Repeat doing it with the rest of shrimps & wanton wrappers

Set another large saucepan over high heat
Add water, bring to the boil
Add bok choy leaves in, wait for 1 min
Remove into very cold water to shock them, in order to keep them green & still munchies
Bring the water to be back to the boil again
Add wrapped wantons, wait for a few mins
Remove and keep one side

In a serving bowl
Place a few bok choy leaves in
Place wanton on top of the bok choy leaves
Add stock
Sprinkle with chopped spring opinion & ground white pepper
Serve hot

Serves : 2-4 (depends on the size of portions)

stir-fried flat glass noodles with squid

Stir-fried Flat Glass Noodle with Squid

I came across an interesting Thai cookbook (The recipes are not authentic – kind of modern Thai cooking) and found this dish interesting. So, I managed to experiment. The outcome wasn’t too bad. I think I will need to go round this dish a few times to get it even better.

Note: Squid is good at times but its not for everyday eating – too much of cholesterol.

Find below a recipe



3 Cups of Flat Glass Noodles (“Gueoy Teaw Shanghai” – as it’s named/called by Thai)
2 Cups of Squid, Cleaned and Cut into Rings
½ Cup of Spring Onion, Cut

1 Clove of Garlic, finely chopped
½ Teaspoon of Black Pepper, Finely Ground
1-2 of Coriander Roots, Finely Chopped
(To save time : simply put Garlic, Black Pepper and Coriander Roots altogether into the blender)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
1-2 Tablespoons of Chilie Sauce (Sri Racha is highly recommended)
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1-2 Teaspoons of Light Brown Sugar



Preparation

• Heat the wok over medium-high heat
• Add Oil
• Add Garlic, Black Pepper & Coriander Roots paste, stir constantly till aromatic
• Add the Squid, stir for a few mins, then remove and keep one side
• Add Flat Glass Noodle into the wok with remaining oil
• Add Oyster Sauce, Sri Racha Sauce and a pinch of Light Brown Sugar
• Stir fry for 2-3 mins
• Add back the Squid
• Add Spring onion
• Turn off the heat, remove into a serving plate

Serve: 2

phad phew waan gung

Phad Phrew Waan Guug : Thai Sweet & Sour White Sea Prawns

This is one of our most favourite dishes when it comes to cooking Prawns.

Comparing between “Thai Sweet & Sour” and “Chinese Sweet & Sour”, I much prefer the Thai version. Not that because I am Thai but it’s because in Chinese version: they use corn four – I always try to avoid using flour in my sauces. The Sour taste comes from using vinegar. Therefore, it tastes too strong and too sharp for me.
In Thai Version, the Sour taste comes naturally & solely from using tomatoes and pineapple. Pineapple, which is naturally fragrant, very much helps to balance the sweet & sour taste. The Thai version is simply & naturally balanced



Thai Sweet & Sour, in general, should always have “Cucumbers” but in my very own recipe, you will find none in it. Nothing against Cucumbers, I love them to bits but I love them fresh not cooked.

In Thailand, there are many kind of Prawns, I personally like “White Sea Prawns". If they are too expensive for you (almost 1,000 Baht per 1 Kilo – only one dish for 2 people might cost you a thousand baht.) then you can always change to “Tiger” Prawns or any kind of cheaper Prawns that you fancy. Pork or Chicken is also popular and as good.

Find below my very own recipe of “Thai Sweet & Sour White Sea Prawns”



2 Cups of Prawns, cleaned and peeled
1 Cup of Pineapple, diced (into chunks)
1 Cup of Tomato, halved and then quartered
1 Cup of Onion, roughly sliced
1 Cup of Cucumber, roughly cut (Optional)
1 Cup of Bell Pepper, roughly cut (Optional)
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (Extra mild & light)
2-4 Tablespoons of Tomato Puree (or ketchub)
2-4 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Garlic, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon of Sugar

Spring Onion for Garnish



Preparation

• heat a wok/cooking pan
• add olive oil
• add garlic
• add Prawns, stir constantly, wait till cooked through
• remove the fried Prawns, keep aside
• in the wok, add onion, fry till becoming soft
• add tomato and pineapple
• add tomato puree, soy sauce and sugar
• add a bit of water (1/4 cup) if you like lots of sauce
• keep stirring to mix everything well for 3-5 mins
• add back the fried Prawns
• remove into the serving plate
• garnish with spring onion
• serve with streamed rice

stir-fried squid with thai sweet chilli paste

Stir-Fried Squid with Thai Sweet Chilli Paste

* 1 of (medium)squid cut in bite-sized pieces
* 1 of onion, chopped
* 4 of spring onions, cut into 1/2 inch long
* 4 of red chillies, sliced
* 2 tablespoons of sweet chillies paste
* 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
* 2 tablespoons of extra light olive oil
* a pinch of sugar

Preparation

heat oil in a wok
add onion, stir fry till it goes soft
add squid (becareful to not over cook the squid - you may lift the wok from the stove to stir in the squid)
add sweet chillis paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce and a pinch of sugar
add red chillis and sprin onions and remove to the serving plate.
serve with whole grain rice or streamed rice

pad thai

Pad Thai Gung Sod : Stir-Fried Noodles with Prawns

find below my very own recipe of pad thai

3 tablespoons of olive oil (extra light)
1 cup of ready-fried hard bean curd (or more), diced/cut into ½ cubes
2 of eggs
3-5 of fresh prawns
2 cups of flat (rice) noodles, soaked
1 tablespoon of "chi poh" (preserved turnip), finely chopped
2 spring onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons of roasted peanuts, chopped
2 cups of beansprouts
1 teaspoon of chillies powder
1 teaspoon of palm sugar
2 tablepoons of tamarind paste
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of lemon juice

for garnish

lime wedges
fresh coriander
spring onion

preparation

-in a wok of frying pan, heat oil.
-add garlic and fry till golden brown.
-add ready-fried diced beancurd and shrimps, keep stirring.
-break egg into wok, cook for a moment, then keep stirring.
-add soaked noodles, stir to mix everything well, then add turnip, and spring onions and half of peanuts and half of beansprouts. Stir well; add chillies powder, sugar, tamarind paste, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
-stir well and remove onto a serving plate.

-sprinkle with remaining roasted peanuts and chopped coriander leaf.
-arrange remaining beansprouts and lime wedges, spring onion on side of the plate.

spicy sphagetti with scallop - thai style

Spicy Sphagetti with Scallop : Thai Style

9 of scallops
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
4-6 of chillies, roughly crushed
5-6 leaves of sweet basil, roughly chopped

sphagetti - as much as you like

2 teaspoons of abalone sauce ( or oyster sauce)
1 teaspoon of seasoning sauce
2 tablespoons of extra olive oil
1 teaspoon of rock salt
a pinch of sugar


preparation

One of the great things about Thai food is its flexibility. Most people associate pasta with Italian food, yet here we have an authentic Thai dish made with spaghetti. Many Thai people would cook this dish with noodles but many of my farang friends don’t much care for noodles. So here we have a great compromise, Thai taste with Italian pasta. Call it Thai fusion if you want. I just like the look and the taste and it is so easy to prepare.

First task. Cook the spaghetti. Not your most complicated task. Heat some olive oil in a wok or frying pan and add garlic and chillis. I use red chillis for color but green chillis are just as good. Cook the garlic and chilli until you start to feel the chillis aroma. Add onion and continue frying until about half cooked. The onions should be soft but not browned. Add your scallops. Remember that the cardinal sin with any fish or seafood is over cooking. Keep your heat at medium and stir a lot, but gently. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, together with oyster and seasoning sauce. Stir until the scallops are cooked. It should not take more than 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the spaghetti and fresh Thai basil. Be generous with the basil. It really does make the dish. Garnish with some un-chopped basil leaves and there you have it.

Spicy spaghetti with scallops, Thai style. Delicious and easy. You can be eating in less than twenty minutes. You could make the same dish with chicken breast, pork loin and just about any white fish.

A couple of tips. I have provided quantities but feel free to alter them to your taste. Thai food is not exact in its quantities. In fact, most classical Thai recipes don’t include quantities at all. Also, it is worth grinding the chilli and garlic a little in a pestle before you fry. It does improve the aroma.

prawn, carrot, green bean, mushroom with mirin

Prawn, Carrot, Green Bean, Mushroom with Mirin