Hot Pork Curry with Pumpkin

1 tablespoon oil

1 - 2 tablespoons red curry paste

1 pound lean pork, cut into thick strips or chunks

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup water

12 ounces pumpkin or butternut squash peeled and cut into small chunks

6 lime leaves

1/4 cup coconut cream

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon soft brown sugar

2 red chilis, thinly sliced (optional)

Heat the oil in a wok orheavy based pan. Add the curry paste and stir for 1 minute.

Add the pork to the wok and stir fry over medium high heat until golden brown. Add coconut milk, water, pumpkin and lime leaves to wok. Reduce heat and simmer for 18 minutes or until the pork is tender.

Add coconut cream, fish sauce and brown sugar to the wok and stir to combine. Scatter sliced chili over the top. Serve with steamed rice.

Chicken and Ginger Soup

I like this one because of my love of ginger and coconut milk!

2 inch piece of ginger peeled and very thinly sliced (can use a vegetable peeler to slice thin)

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup chicken stock

3 chicken breasts cut into thin strips

1 - 2 teaspoons finely chopped red chilis

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon soft brown sugar

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Combine the ginger, coconut milk and stock in a medium pan. Bring to boil and simmer, uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the chicken and chilis to the pan and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the fish sauce and brown sugar and toss together.

Add the cilantro leaves and serve immediately garnished with extra sprigs of the cilantro.

Hot and Sour Prawn Soup

This soup is otherwise known as Tom Yum Goong on Thai food menus.

1 pound raw shrimp (prawns)

1 tablespoon oil

8 cups water

2 tablespoons red curry paste (commercially available in Asian food sections)

2 tablespoons tamarind puree

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon chopped red chilis

4-6 lime leaves

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Remove the shrimp heads. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Using a sharp knife, slit each prawn down the back and devein. Set the shrimp aside. Heat the oil in a large pan.

Add the shrimp shells and heads to the pan and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat, tossing frequently until shells and heads are deep orange.

Add 1 cup of water and the curry paste to pan. Boil for 5 minutes until reduced slightly. Add remaining water and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the stock. Discard heads and shells.  Return stock to pan.

Add the tamarind, turmeric, chilies and lime leaves to pan. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add shrimp to pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar to the pan and toss together. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Meat Balls on Skewers

Thai style cooking for summer!

12 oz ground beef

3 shallots, finely chopped

1 1/4 inch piece ginger, grated

1 tablespoon peppercorns, crushed

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

lime wedges

1 cucumber, chopped fine

3 sliced red or green chilies

Chop the ground beef with a cleaver or large knife until it is very fine. Place the beef, shallots, ginger, peppercorns, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until well combined.

Using 2 teaspoons of mixture at a time, form nto balls.  Thread the balls onto the bamboo skewers, using three balls for each skewer.

Cook on an oiled grill plate or barbecue. Turn frequently for about 8 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges, cucumber and chilies.

Lighter Than Air Decadent Hotcakes

This recipe is not for the squeamish or socially correct.  It is for people who LOVE rich, fluffy and satisfying hotcakes without regret!  If you've ever had Dupar's hotcakes, you'll love these!

1 cup sifted all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking SODA (do not substitute baking powder for soda)

1 - 1/3 cups buttermilk

Preheat lightly oiled griddle. Sift and measure flour, sift again with sugar, salt and baking SODA. Beat egg in medium bowl. Blend in buttermilk. Add dry ingredients, beating until smooth, blend in butter. Add up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk (but no more than this) for thinner cake.  Cook each cake over medium-high heat for 1.5 minutes before flipping.