Spicy Thai Beef with Lime Coconut Rice

I hope everyone had a good Thursday.  We are only 4 days out from the big Christmas Day.....I can hardly wait.  What is on your list?  Anything great for the kitchen I should ask Santa Bill for?

Today I have one of Bill's top 10 favorite dinners for you.  This recipe is requested about once a month since i discover it 2 years ago in Martha Stewart's Every Day Food magazine.  This magazine was a great little guide for me in my early years of cooking - it gave me great meal ideas with minimal ingredients and great flavors.  I recommend it to any new cook!

Spicy Thai Beef with Coconut Rice
Modified from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food
This recipe is easy and impressive you will feel like you just ordered take out in your kitchen.

Prep time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Servings - 4

Ingredient List: 

Rice-

• 1 1/2 cup dry jasmine rice

• 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk ( light or regular)

• Coarse salt

• Beef-

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 2 teaspoon sugar

• 2-3 dry chili peppers or serrano peppers 

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 3 long hot peppers or red jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced into 2-inch matchsticks  ( you can use red bell peppers if you want low spice) 

• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin

• 1 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves

• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:
1. In a rice cooker or sauce pan, combine rice, coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cookuntil rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Please enjoy the picture of Bill playing with the cat and giant bag of jasmine rice - 

 

2.  When rice is almost done, combine
fish sauce, soy sauce,hot peppers, 2 cloves of garlic and sugar in a
small bowl; set aside. 

3. Heat a cast-iron
skillet or wok over high. Add oil and
heat; add garlic and half the chiles. Cook,
stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Add
beef and cook, breaking up meat with
a wooden spoon, until completely
browned, about 4 minutes. Add soy
mixture and cook 30 seconds. Add
basil and remaining chiles and stir to
combine. 

Serve beef over coconut
rice with lime wedges.

p.s. I used dried basil because I forgot fresh.  Still amazing! 

Spicy Orange Chicken with Rice

I love Asian food and so does Bill (and Hannah).   This is a repeat for sure and hopefully you can add it to your list. I first saw this recipe on Pinterest last week and I have made this recipe twice.  Modified from Sweet Pea's Kitchen Blog  I added green beans the first time and red bell pepper the second.  

Recipe and Tutorial 

Cook time: 30 mins   Prep Time:20 mins  Marinate time:40-60 mins

Ingredients:

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
6 tablespoons white vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup  brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts ( I used 3 breasts)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoon cold water

8 small whole dried red chiles (optional)

8 thin strips orange peel
1 tablespoon any kind of oil
Optional : 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper or 2 cup fresh green beans 

Directions:

1.                   Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne until the sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup of the mixture and pour into the bag with the chicken. Refrigerate 60 minutes. 

I doubled the recipe and froze one but made
two bags like above

2.                  While the chicken is marinading, in a large saucepan, bring the remaining orange juice mixture to a boil over high heat. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until combined and add to the sauce. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the orange peel and chiles; set aside.  This takes about 20 mins on high to reduce. I started in my dutch oven but it my fry pan got hotter so I would suggest using a fry pa

Reduction (not effective)

Reduction Effective - 20-25 mins on high heat should be thick 

I added in the vegetable here to the sauce after i turned the heat off. 

3.                 

3. Heat  oil in a wok or large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chicken until browned and cooked through; remove from heat and set aside. Reheat the sauce over medium heat until simmer, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve over rice.

Prior to cooking 

Dinner last night with red bell peppers

Dinner last week with green beans

Enjoy!

Modified from: I have been in love with http://sweetpeaskitchen.com  blog and that is where I found this recipe. I found her on Pinterest and have been obsessed with the fun recipe she cooks and finds.  This recipe I modified for 

Red Asian Chicken with Broccoli

Today I need to admit I spent 5 hrs watching The Food Network.   I will usually go to the website and find the recipe and print or add it to my online recipe box to try for later.  While watching Diners Drive-Ins and Dives , Guy went to this restaurant in Indiana with the largest menu in the state.  The owner was making a "Red Asian Chicken" and the recipe was not online.  Thank goodness for DVR and  2 hrs of rewind to re-watch her make the dish and scribble down what she was doing.......Here is what Bill and I had for dinner tonight.  I need to say pretty amazing and gluten free too ( My mother would approve)

Asian Chicken Tutorial and Recipe

3 chicken breasts ( aprox 1 lb  or 1 lb boneless thighs)
2 egg whites
1 cup pure corn starch
1/2 cup oil
1 can tomato sauce
1 small yellow onion chopped
5 cloves chopped garlic
1 bunch chopped green onions
1/2 cup powered sugar
4 tbls sesame oil
1 tbls chili oil ( more if you like it spicy)
1 1/2 cups broccoli

Directions:

2 pie pans one with egg whites the other with corn starch.  Take pounded thin chicken pieces and dip in egg whites then corn starch and let sit on plate until ready to cook.

Close up of raw chicken.  I added some salt and pepper here to increase depth of flavor.

 Non-stick fry pan heat 1/2 cup oil at a med-high heat.  Cook chicken in batch and brown on all sides ( about 4 mins a batch)  Remove and have chicken rest on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

Heat sesame oil and chili oil in pan add in chopped onion simmer for 3-4 mins on med-high heat in your wok. Add in whole can of tomatoes sauce- heat until bubbles.  Add in 1/2 powder sugar and stir - allow to reduce and thicken.  Taste and add salt to taste or more chili oil if wanted more heat.

Add in raw broccoli - It was getting late and I wanted to get the dinner on the table so I didn't pre-cook broccoli. I am sure frozen would work too but I allowed it to cook for about 5 mins to slightly soften. If you cooked ahead of time you could add just in and then add in chicken.

Add chicken and toss in red sauce with broccoli.

Add green onions and and garlic - toss and turn off heat.

Final product -  Served with a bed of jasmine rice and  garnished with toasted sesame seeds!

Enjoy -Love Lydia