Pretty Much Authentic Thai

I'm telling you right now, this stuff is good. And if you ask me, it really tasted like authentic Thai (which was really exciting!!!).

I was pretty apprehensive to try this out to be honest, being a lover of Thai food and doubting my personal ability to match the distinct taste of Thai, but after successfully executing the last couple of new recipes I tried, I figured, why not? Now the only con with this dish that I can think of is that some of the ingredients required are not ones you would typically purchase. So if you're a cheap-o like I usually am, you may want to save this dish for a special occasion when you feel like splurging (it wasn't that much though, and at least with a few of the ingredients, they should last you a while once you buy a bottle or jar.)

The recipe I was looking at came from Pinterest (of course) and suggested making it in a slow cooker. While I had originally intended to do that, after reading the comments, I decided I wasn't going to be able to wait four hours. So, as per usual, I improvised. And either I got really lucky or I'm just a decent chef because it turned out stupendous! I am only saying this because I was very surprised that it was as good as it was. Also, I cut the recipe in half possibly because I did not expect it to live up to my high expectations of Thai food but I'm giving you the full recipe because you will most likely want to have more. Anyway--no time to waste--here it is: 

Ingredients*

Chicken. I bought just regular old sliced chicken in a package. I think normal people slice up raw chicken meat before cooking it but well, frankly I hate touching raw chicken so I wait until it's cooked mostly and then sever it into pieces (which is way harder, but at least I'm salmonella-free). Also, I would probably have liked to have more chicken next time because it was really good, but any amount will suffice if you cut it up enough. 
2 cups chicken broth. The original recipe said chicken stock. I didn't know what that was, but chicken broth worked like a charm so I don't see the problem.

1 onion, chopped

1 heaping Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 red or orange bell pepper, sliced

2 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 12oz. cans of coconut milk

2 Tablespoons red curry paste (with a sprinkle of regular curry--at least, that's what I did)

2 Tablespoons peanut butter (or peanut oil works I've heard, but hey, I wasn't buying that when I already have 4 containers of peanut butter here)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 fresh limes (for juice)

Fresh cilantro

Salted cashews, chopped

White rice OR Maifun rice sticks (which are noodles)

*Truthfully, I was a mad woman with this recipe and didn't measure anything except the brown sugar (as shown in the picture). I completely estimated, which is kind of dumb and risky for a first-time attempt at a new recipe, but, like I said, it turned out so I probably got lucky. I felt like a real chef though just tossing junk in so that must be worth something. 

Instructions

I cooked this recipe in a skillet (awesome wedding present--thanks Jared and Maren!) because it has a lot more space than a frying pan and I don't like dirtying up multiple pans or dishes unnecessarily (well, who truly does when you are the dishwasher...). 

Add the chicken (sliced) to your pan or skillet and cook, flipping it over to cook it through. Then mix in the chicken broth, chopped onions, minced ginger, sliced bell pepper, and let cook for a little while. Next, mix in the fish sauce (which smelled horrible at first--I thought, Oh no! The dish is ruined!), the brown sugar, the coconut milk (which was part liquid, part condensed stuff, which worried me that I got the wrong thing, but I think that's how it's supposed to be), the red curry paste, and the peanut butter. Stir things around quite a bit. (I read that the coconut milk can curdle if you don't stir it well). You're sauce should be a creamy orangey color and will start to smell amazing if you're doing it right. 

Meanwhile, in another pot, cook up some white rice or if you want to perpetuate the Thai theme, use rice sticks, which are inexpensive and very good with the meal. Rice or rice sticks take about ten minutes to cook so plan accordingly. 

Once you feel that things back in the pan or skillet are cooked through well, stir in the frozen peas and cook for a while longer. I tasted a pea to decide when they were done. Just make sure that they're squishy to the touch at least. 

The last ingredients may seem like they are just for appearances, but I would not skip out on them because I think in some ways, they make the dish. They can, however, be added after the sauce is complete. I did squeeze lime juice in while cooking and also after I dished it. The fresh cilantro on top was awesome, as were the salty cashew pieces. And the lime juice definitely creates noticeable zest. 

The flavors of this dish are incredible. If you like pad Thai, I'm fairly certain you will love this. It made it into our top ten favorite dishes that I make. That's a pretty impressive feat in itself. 

Shopping List- Here is a list of ingredients and locations to help you shop:

I bought the Thai ingredients at Wal-Mart in the Raman Noodles aisle and they were all in the same location (the can of coconut milk, fish sauce bottle, jar of red curry paste, and rice sticks--which cost about the same as regular spaghetti but seems to make a lot more). The fish sauce and red curry paste should last a while and were less than $3 each. If you wanted to make the dish again, you would probably just need to get coconut milk, possibly more rice sticks (though next time I won't cook the whole package), and the fresh stuff.
I bought the ginger root, onion, bell pepper, cilantro and 2 limes in the produce section. 

I bought the sliced chicken breast in the meat department. 

And don't forget the chicken broth and cashews! 

I already had brown sugar, peanut butter, and frozen peas (and the chicken broth, bell pepper, and lime, but that was just by chance). 

Picture of all the ingredients together

And one more pic of the final dish for good measure. 

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions about this recipe in the comments below! 

Also, I would love to hear if you try it out or make any changes. (You won't regret it!)

Turning 30 and Easy Green Bean & Tomato Side Dish

I realized something kind of depressing a while ago but just got reminded of it again today.

I turn 23 this year, my daughter turns one, and next Wednesday, my husband turns 24. 

That means in seven years, I turn 30. SEVEN YEARS. Maybe it's just me, but that is no time at all. And 30 sounds ancient (no offense to my family members and older readers...). So after thinking this, then I start to think, "Gee, I want to have seven kids...how am I going to do that in seven years?" I think the answer is clear--I can't. It's not possible. I'd have to have twins to make up some time, but after being pregnant with one regular eight-pound+ baby, I can't even imagine carrying twins (even though we do have the fraternal twin gene in my family, yikes!). So I'm thinking I'm going to have to re-think my Ultimate Life Plan (which is not an official document or anything, but it is an official idea...in my head). It looks as though I will have to have a kid or two after 30. Which honestly, is not that big a deal, I just wanted to be done by then. Also I'm scared of turning 30 because then I'm a real adult. Yeah, apparently I'm an adult right now at 22 but it doesn't really feel like it--even married with a baby--because I am still in love with Disney movies and Harry Potter and pretty much love all the same things I did when I was 16.

But let's put that aside for now because I have other important completely random things to discuss.

Two weeks ago (was it that long?!) Dalin, Tenley, and I went to a little get-together with three other married couples and had some delicious pumpkin chili/soup for dinner and then played a fun game and chatted afterward. We were asked to bring a side and so naturally I googled "side dish" and got
89 million results. Literally 89 million. So then I decided to narrow it down a little and typed in "green bean side dish." (Green beans seemed easy-ish to cook and also I wanted them.) That search got me 10 million results and that seemed manageable. I clicked on the first result and this came up. Well, actually a homepage came up, but after browsing just a tiny bit I saw the picture with those juicy cherry tomatoes in it and I was sold (I love cherry tomatoes. And regular tomatoes). So I ran to Macey's and filled a bag with green beans (Dalin was like, "Why can't you just used canned ones?" and I was like "Ha! YEAH RIGHT!" Good one, honey...), grabbed some cherry tomatoes, and a lemon (because I love adding lemon to stuff). I already had basil leftover from making my yummy bruschetta.

When I got home, the gathering was going to start in 25 minutes so I kind of panicked and forgot the original recipe--I just made it my own. I grabbed my biggest frying pan and hurriedly put some water in--about halfway. I turned the stove on and set the pan of water on it. I grabbed a cutting board and as efficiently as I could, chopped the stem ends off and then cut the green beans in half and tossed them in the pan. It took a while to chop them all so I figure the first in and the last ones were cooked quite differently though it did not seem to effect the dish. Once they were all in, I covered them with a lid to let them steam in the pan. I sliced a yellow onion next and chopped up a few garlic cloves and tossed them into a smaller frying pan with a little butter. Then I started slicing cherry tomatoes in half. I also started cutting up basil leaves (which was basically just slicing them into strips and calling it good). I grabbed my garlic salt and sprinkled it over the tomatoes to let it soak in to the juices. The green beans seemed done and I tossed them into a large serving bowl. I only wanted the tomatoes to be lightly cooked, so I saved them for the end. When the onion and garlic were about cooked, I dumped the cherry tomatoes and chopped basil in with them for just a minute and I put a little bit of sugar in with them. I think I read that a tablespoon would be good, but I was in a hurry and just scooped a little into my hand and sprinkled it on top and mixed it in. After a minute, I dumped everything in with the green beans and mixed it around. I peppered everything heavily and mixed it in, then, in last-minute inspiration, squeezed some lemon juice over it all. I had no idea if my dish was going to be a hit or a disaster. So we went to the dinner and all I can say is I got lucky because everyone loved the side dish. Everyone complimented me on it, especially the lemon taste. It was gone before I knew it (and I had filled a pretty large serving bowl). I was very pleased that it had been so well received and that it was so dang easy to make, which is why I decided to share it with everyone.

This does not belong to me but I had no time (or thought) to take a pic of my own until it was too late.

Easy Green Bean & Tomato Side Dish Recipe

Ingredients: 
fresh green beans (lots! depending on how many people you are feeding)
cherry tomatoes - one container will do
fresh basil leaves
1 yellow onion
a few garlic cloves
tsp. butter
garlic salt
pepper
1 Tbsp sugar*
1 lemon

Instructions:
1. Fill a large pan halfway and put on stove (which should be on medium to medium-high heat).
2. Chop stem ends off of green beans and slice in halves.
3. Put green beans in the pan with water on the stove and cover to let simmer (reduce heat).
4. Chop onion and garlic cloves and sauté in butter in a separate pan.
5. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and shred basil leaves.
6. Lightly sprinkle garlic salt over tomatoes.
7. When green beans are done (they should simmer about 10 minutes), scoop into a serving bowl.
8. Add cherry tomatoes and basil leaves to the onion and garlic mixture in the pan.
9. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of sugar and mix pan ingredients.
10. Dump pan ingredients in with green beans and stir.
11. Pepper to taste, then squeeze lemon well over the entire dish.
12. Serve warm preferably.

*I eat pretty healthy (not because I really try, I just happen to like fresh foods more) and don't usually cook with sugar (I bake with sugar of course) but I truly believe this step was crucial to the dish's flavor.

Also not my photo, but still looks good! 

What is your easy go-to side dish for dinners or parties? 

Will you be trying this recipe with dinner or otherwise?

Do you feel like 30 is kind of old?

Food for Thought (Corny Title That is Literally About Food)

I love food. If there is one thing I think humans should be able to indulge in in this life without consequences, it's good food. (Unfortunately, too much food, like all things in excess, is not good for anyone but that's not something I trouble myself with). That's why I am not as careful as I should be when I go grocery shopping. It's like the one thing I think it's okay to splurge on. (Also, since I'm not buying clothes or pretty much anything at all apart from food and necessities right now, it's the one thing I get to have fun buying). And if nothing else--if we're poor and living in a little shack somewhere one day--the one thing I really care about my family having is good food to eat.

In the last two or three weeks, I've received several compliments on my cooking causing me to feel like I'm a pretty good chef. This is a big deal, guys. I have always wanted to be a good chef. Something about wanting to have a big family has made me feel like I have to be a good cook or I'll be screwed in big trouble. So those compliments have really meant a lot to me and I'm also talking about that nice comment someone left me recently about loving my recipes and wanting me to post like a week of dinner ideas I would use. I was thinking about that and wondering why someone might like my recipes and the main thing I realized is that I am picky. I'm not a picky eater per se--I'll eat anything--but I'm a picky chef. I just am not going to put effort into meals that aren't going to be delicious. No joke, I'd rather not eat than eat something that doesn't appeal to me (just ask Dalin).

I believe I'm the good kind of picky though. I love eating, like a lot, and I only want to eat things that are delicious. I am somewhat of a choosy dessert eater because I don't want to eat sweets that are just decent. I would rather save my appetite for the most delectable dish. For example, between brownies and a sundae or a strawberry cheesecake, I'd take one of the latter. Brownies are good, but I just don't love them. It's a weird thing about me, and I'm not sure when it came about but I only realized it about myself recently. If you look at my Cravings board on Pinterest, you'll notice that I hardly have anything on there (at least compared to some people) because I only like to include recipes that A) I'll actually use, and B) That sound delicious enough to be worth putting in the effort. If you check out my board, you'll also probably notice that I love meals that have a healthy look to them. I love vegetables in dishes. I'm really into fresh produce and I'm not even sure it's for the sake of being healthy or more because I just love fruits and veggies. Probably the latter.

So anyhow, having had that ambition to become a great cook ever since I knew I wanted to have a lot of children (which was like, middle school, people), I have always paid attention to how people cook. It's maybe the one thing I'm great at observing (and kind of sneakily, I think). I'm kind of a backseat Food Network watcher, meaning I don't put it on that station, but whenever it's on I can't help but listen and sneak peeks at the techniques being used. Basically, one thing I've learned from watching Chopped (which Dalin used to watch all the time) is that you can make something good with almost nothing. You may feel like you have no ingredients, but you probably could make an amazing meal with what you do have if you knew how to mix them.

I only really started cooking a lot (and "well") since I married Dalin. It's a lot easier to try cooking when you have someone you want to cook for I've discovered. And since the beginning of time of me trying to cook well, I have taken photos of my meals in case they came out so well that I wanted to try and duplicate them. As you could imagine, I have taken a lot of food pictures over the last two and a half years that Dalin and I have been married. So many in fact that I have a "Food" album in iPhoto. Here are a ton (like, a ton) of photos of meals I've made. And it's not even half of the photos I have, but anyway... If you want to ask me about a photo, go for it! And I'll try to write a post about it (or at least give you my recipe) if you would like. Also, notice how I am in love with vegetables (especially colored peppers...) in like every pic.

Enjoy. Oh! And consider drinking a glass of water to fill yourself up before you start, because these pics will probably make you hungry (they did me).

The makings of fancy meat and veggie tomato sauce for spaghetti

Really delicious spaghetti sauce (better than the plain canned/jarred stuff)

Fish and "chips" (kale chips!) with summer squash and zucchini, yum! 

Back when I made over-achiever meals....
This is white cheddar shells, corn, fresh salad (and fresh veggie sticks), fresh berries, with juice. 

Steak and veggies 

Spaghetti with chunky sauce and a side salad

Orange-juice pork chop (the only way we like it), peppers and spinach (my favorite!)

Chocolate covered strawberries. A dessert I actually love.

Chicken and asparagus stir fry

Close up

Fruit smoothie (back when I made them frequently)

Orange-juice pork chop, baked potato and cucumbers

Fish, asparagus, and summer squash

Orange-juice rosemary pork chop with mixed peppers

Made from scratch pancakes

Peanut butter chocolate chip bars

Broccoli pasta with summer squash, zucchini, and fresh tomatoes

OJ rosemary pork chops with spinach and rice

Grandpa French's french toast

Beef stroganoff on egg noodles (first time I ever made it)

Spicy sausage and fresh tomato spaghetti sauce

OJ pork chops (we used to have this a lot--it's one of Dalin's favorites) with buttery mashed potatoes and spinach

Beef stroganoff, another time (I think it got even better)

Taco stuff

Make your own tacos

Fresh tomato spaghetti sauce with canned green beans and bread

Homemade buttery sweet rolls! 

horrible picture-- AMAZING fresh salsa recipe for a party. Seriously, we ate it all. 

Chicken salad sandwiches with grapes, cucumbers, spinach, etc.

Pork chops, spinach, rice, peppers, corn

Rice and veggie stir fry

Crock pot ribs, potato, and carrots 

Chicken, rice, and veggie stir fry

Steak and veggies over rice

Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, squash and bread 

Mexican buñuelos (fried cookies) - love them.

Spicy sausage penne

Fresh tomato, basil and Queso fresco bruschetta

Scrambled omelette with tomatoes and peppers, crispy bacon, and toast with homemade jelly and fresh pomegranate seeds

Are there any recipes/pictures you want to know more about? 
What is your personal favorite recipe?
Have you tried any of mine? (Or are you going to?)

In other news, Tenley just nailed me with her spit up which landed perfectly (or imperfectly) down the gap between my chest and my shirt. Ah, the joys of motherhood. I knew I shouldn't have showered today...