Thai red curry with shrimp

I wanted to use the shrimp that I've had sitting in the freezer for a while and decided to make Thai curry. I cheated and bought the red curry paste from the store. (I don't have all the individual spices for Thai cuisine yet).  I have learned that I need to be careful about the amount of curry paste I use. The last time I made some Thai curry I used 4 tbs of paste and had to throw the whole pot of curry out because it was sooooo spicy. Jord and I could not handle it. We tried yogurt and milk but the heat was too intense. So I used 1.5 tbs of paste today and it was still pretty hot. I think I am going to add 1 tsp of curry paste next time.

So here is the recipe. It took me about 15 minutes to make the curry, including the simmering.  This recipe will yield 4 servings.

Step 1: Saute some onions and green bell pepper in a non stick pan for about 1 minute on high-medium heat. I used 1/4 of an onion and 1 whole bell pepper. You don't need to add oil. Feel free to add carrots or red bell peppers or broccoli, if you had any.

Step 2: Add red curry paste and 1tsp minced garlic.

I added 1.5 tbs and the curry was spicy. So if you want a milder curry add about 1 tsp of paste. Stir the paste for about 30 seconds or so until you can smell the aroma of the spices.

Step 3: Stir in 1 tsp of brown sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds.

Step 4: Add 1 entire can of lite coconut milk and let the curry come to a boil.

Step 5: Add the cooked shrimp (I used 1.5 cups of cooked shrimp) and let the curry boil for about a minute more. Then, turn the heat down to low setting and let simmer for as long as you want. I let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cilantro now, if you have any, and serve with jasmine rice.

Fish fry

Jord and I love fish. I used tilapia fillets to make some delicious fish fry. You can use any fish with this recipe. This is only a really quick version of fish fry. It does not take more than 5 minutes to prepare and takes 10 minutes to cook.

Step 1: Make a paste with 1/2 lemon (juice), 1 tsp of coriander powder, 1/4 tsp of chilli powder, 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp of salt.

Step 2: Apply the paste thoroughly on both sides of 2 tilapia fish fillets, (I cut the fillets lengthwise in two)

Step 3: Spray some olive oil on a fry pan and place the fillets on it and cook on medium heat until done.You can also use just about a tbs of oil instead of spraying the pan.

Step 4: The fish fry is now ready!

10-minute egg curry

I had boiled eggs in the refrigerator and used them today to make a simple and fast curry. The curry itself should not take more than 10 minutes. If you don't have boiled eggs in hand already, then make sure you have eggs cooking on the side while you are preparing the curry sauce. This recipe can also be used to make other quick curries. For example, you can substitute the eggs for a can of chicken or tuna or vegetables. Jord and I ate today's egg curry on rice and chapathi. We had left-over chapathi from last night. This curry will make 2-4 generous servings.

Step 1: Toss in 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds and 1/4 tsp of black mustard in 1 tbs olive oil, and fry until the mustard seeds pop and the fenugreek seeds turn slightly brown. Note: Don't let the fenugreek seeds get black or they will impart a bitter taste to your curry! If you don't have mustard or fenugreek, simply pour 1 tbs of oil in a pan and wait for it to heat.

Step 2: Saute 1 generous cup of thinly sliced onions until they become translucent.

Step 3: Stir in 1.5 cups of chopped tomatoes, and salt to taste. Let the tomatoes cook.

Step 4: When the tomatoes are mostly done, as seen in picture, add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tbs coriander, 1/4 tsp chilli powder and 1/4 tsp garam masala. Mix well.

Step 5: Finally, add 1 cup of lukewarm water and 4 boiled eggs, and let the curry boil. Serve over hot rice or with chapathi. Note: I like to score my boiled eggs as seen in the picture. Use a knife and cut into the white part of the egg without cutting through the yolk. This helps the masala seep into the egg so the eggs don't taste too bland.

Yogurt-marinated chicken curry

Jord and I had friends over for dinner last night, and I made chicken curry. It was a very yummy curry. We also had basmati rice, chapathi and Mango lassi. This curry recipe will yield about 6-8 servings.

Step 1: Make a marinade with 2 tbs low-fat plain yogurt, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp chilli powder. Stir in  2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces, and let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours covered in the refrigerator.(I know, the picture kind of looks gross but it tastes good when cooked!)

Step 2: Fry 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds, and cinnamon sticks in 3 tbs of olive oil.

Step 3: Let the spices slightly brown and add two cups of finely chopped onions and saute until the onions become golden brown. (Note: The picture only shows 1 cup of onions as the next cup was still being chopped).

Step 4: Add in the marinated chicken and keep stirring until the chicken gets half-cooked.

Step 5: Stir in 2 cups of finely sliced tomatoes and 1/2 tsp of salt and mix until the tomatoes are well cooked.

Step 6: Add 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 2 tbs of coriander powder, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp of garam masala. (Sorry about the blurry picture. My lens was fogged).

 Step 7: Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk lite.

Step 8: In this next step let your imagination work its magic. Add any vegetable(s) if you want. I added 1/2 cup of carrots, 1 whole green bell pepper cubed, 1/4 cup of green peas, 1/4 cup of cilantro. The curry will still be good if you did not have any of these ingredients.  Let the curry simmer on medium heat until the chicken and the vegetables are cooked. Serve with chapathi or rice.

(Note: Potatoes go really well with chicken. If you choose to add potatoes, then make sure you cook them and cut them into bite-sized pieces before you add them in the curry).

Left-over turkey breast with spinach curry

We brought back left-over turkey breast from grandma Shirley's after Thanksgiving dinner and I decided to make some curry out of it today. It took me about 20 minutes to make the curry and the wheatoojice bread (recipe is posted). The amount of curry is probably good for 6 people and the bread for 2. Jord loved it!

So here we go!

Step 1: Fry 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1 clove and 2 cardomon pods in 1 tbs olive oil.

Step 2: Add 1 cup onions and fry till golden brown.

Step 3: Add 1/2 tsp minced garlic and 1/4 tsp ginger. Mix well.

Step 4: Now we are ready to add the spices: 1/4 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Step 5: Add 2 ripe tomatoes. I use medium sized Romas.

Step 6: When the tomatoes are well done, as seen in the picture, add 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt.

Step 7: Add 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves.

Step 8: Add 1.5 cups of water and then you are ready to add the turkey.

Step 9: Add 1.5 cups of left-over turkey and let the curry simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with wheatoojice bread and enjoy!