Try Thai Cuisine

Thailand is a small country in Southeast Asia, sharing a peninsula with Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Like all local and national cuisines, the food of Thailand reveals a great deal about the country. It is a palimpsest of its political history, its trade, and its geography. Thailand sits between the cultural and political powers of India and China, and its food is clearly influenced by both. Yet Thailand's food, like her people, has maintained its own distinct identity.


Americans usually don't realize that rice is the main course, not the side dish -- curries and other hot dishes are eaten by the Thai more as sauces than entrees, flavoring the cool rice. Meat is very expensive, and beef- or pork-based recipes often call for much less meat than would satisfy the average American carnivore. It is worth noting that the Thai eat with a spoon, fork and knife. In Southeast, only the Vietnamese eat with chopsticks, so next time you'll know why your waiter in the Thai restaurant coughs when you ask for chopsticks.


Thai food is either stir-fried or steamed. Some foods are grilled, but, as in the rest of the region, a lack of fuel precludes baking. Chiles and other spices are ground into powder or paste with mortar and pestle or, for the convenience-oriented cook, with a coffee grinder.



 Fish sauce (nam pla) and/or shrimp paste (kapee) appear in nearly every recipe. The other distinct flavors of Thai cooking come from the indigenous spices and produce: coconut milk, lemon grass, tamarind, ginger, black pepper,and chillies. The chile has become a central player and much Thai food is fiery hot. Try to follow the recipes below to satisfy your cravings for foods.

Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)

Gambas al Ajillo (garlic prawns) is a very easy to prepare shrimp recipe. This is a satisying dish consists of shrimp that are sauteed quickly in olive oil that has been laced with lots of garlic and some red chiles. It is usually offered as an appetizer in many restaurants, but we sometimes like to accompany it with rice or pasta along with a green salad and make a full meal of it. 

INGREDIENTS:


12 medium cloves Garlic
1 pound shrimp
1/2 cup extra virgin oil
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 bay leaf
1 whole chile or 1/4 tsp. red chile flakes
1 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves (chopped)




INSTRUCTIONS:


1. Finely mince 3 garlic cloves, or put them through a garlic press. In a medium bowl, combine minced garlic with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt. Stir in shrimp and let marinate at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.


2. Smash 3 garlic cloves. Heat smashed garlic with remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is a light golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and allow oil to cool to room temperature. Remove smashed garlic from skillet and discard.


3. Thinly slice remaining 6 cloves garlic. Return skillet to low heat and add sliced garlic, bay leaf, and chile. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender but not browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. (If garlic has not begun to sizzle after 3 minutes, increase heat to medium.) Increase heat to medium-high; add shrimp with marinade to skillet in single layer. Cook shrimp, undisturbed, until oil starts to gently bubble, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn shrimp over and continue to cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.


4.Serve with lots of warm crusty bread and accompanied by flutes of a good sparkling wine, such as a Cava, or even a fine Champagne.


Makes 4 to 6 for appetizer servings. If preparing as a main course, double the recipe.

Pork Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pound pork tenderloins
1 large onion (sliced)
3 medium bell peppers (sliced)
4 cilantro-flavored flour tortillas 


INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Mix lime juice, cumin, salt and garlic in shallow glass or plastic dish. Stir in pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes but no longer than 24 hours. 


2. Remove pork from marinade; reserve marinade. Spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook pork in skillet 3 minutes, stirring once. Stir in onion, bell peppers and marinade. Cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion and peppers are crisp-tender. 


3. Place one-fourth of the pork mixture on center of each tortilla. Fold one end of tortilla up about 1 inch over pork mixture; fold right and left sides over folded end, overlapping. Fold remaining end down.

Sweet And Spicy Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 jalapeno flavored flour tortillas warmed 


INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat oil in 12 inch skillet or wok over high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until brown. 


2. Add salsa, catsup, brown sugar and mustard; cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until chicken is no longer pink in center. 


3. Serve in tortillas. 

Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:
5 ounces chicken breast, marinated in fajita seasoning
1/2 tomato
4 ounces onion
2 ounces peppers
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
4 flour tortillas
Fresh jalapenos


INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place marinated chicken on clean lightly oiled broiler. Cook chicken until it reaches minimum temperature of 165 degrees F. 


2. Slice chicken into 32 to 40 pieces. Saute tomato, onion and peppers. Place tortillas in the microwave for 14 seconds. 


3. Serve with salsa, sour cream, Cheddar cheese and fresh jalapenos.

Fajitas History

Fajitas are a dish made up warmed flour tortillas which are filled with seasoned meat, chicken or fish and other condiments such as salsa and beans.


Texans would probably like to lay claim to the fajita, but history gives credit to Mexican ranch workers living in West Texas (along the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border) in the late 1930s or early 1940s. When a steer was butchered, the workers were given the least desirable parts to eat for partial payment of their wages. Because of this, the workers learned to make good use of a tough cut of beef known as skirt steak. In Spanish, fajita is a form of the word faja which translates to "belt" or "girdle" in English.


The fajita is truly a Tex-Mex food (a blending of Texas cowboy and Mexican panchero foods). The Mexican term for grilled skirt steak is arracheras, and its American counterpart is fajitas. Today, the term fajita has completely lost its original meaning and has come to describe just about anything that is cooked and served rolled up in a soft flour tortilla. The only true fajitas, however, are made from skirt steak.

Sweet Potato Burritos

Ingredients
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
2 cups water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese


Instructions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans and mash. Gradually stir in water and heat until warm. Remove from heat and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.


Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly among the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style.


Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven and serve.


Makes 12 burritos.

Sirloin Burritos

Ingredients
1 lb. sirloin steak, diced or ground
1 T. vegetable oil
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans
3 C. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 C. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 C. fresh green chilies, chopped
6 flour tortillas
1 1/2 C. lettuce, shredded
1 1/2 C. onions, chopped 


Instructions
Brown steak in oil in large saucepan; stir in beans, 1cup tomatoes, 1 cup onion and Worcestershire sauce; cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. 


Meanwhile, bring chilies, 1 cup tomatoes and remaining onion to a boil in small saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. 


Divide meat mixture evenly among the tortillas, fold envelope-style and place in a lightly greased baking dish. Top with cooked chili mixture and cheese. 


Bake at 400°F. for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Divide lettuce and remaining tomatoes on plates. Top with tortillas. 


Makes 6 servings.

Mexican Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients


12 corn tortillas
3 cooked chicken breast halves, no bones or skin, shredded
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup minced onion
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz chopped green chilies
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying


Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat, and then fry the tortillas on 5 seconds per side until they are pliable. Do them individually and add more oil as required. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and keep them warm.


Divide the chicken, onion (not green onion) and 10 oz of the cheese between the tortillas. Roll them up and place in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until it begins to boil. Add the broth, stirring continuously.


Add the chilies and sour cream. Stir occasionally and do not let the mixture boil. Pour this mixture over the enchiladas when hot and thick. Bake the Mexican chicken enchiladas for 20 minutes then top with the rest of the cheese and bake for a further 5 minutes. Use the green onions and cilantro to garnish them.


Serves 6

Traditional Mexican Recipes

Tomatoes and chilies, along with garlic and onion are very popular flavorings in Mexican cuisine and are meld into many traditional Mexican food recipes. You will find these ingredients as a foundation in most main dishes. Popular Mexican dishes include salsas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, tostadas, and guacamole. Traditional Mexican meals are often paired with rice, beans, and fresh tortillas; they contain many fresh vegetables, and are one of the healthiest of the world’s cuisines.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.

3. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

4. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly).

5. Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.

6. Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet.

7. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

8. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients :
8-9 lasagna noodles
1 lb of lean ground beef
2 cups of water
½ cup of Parmesan cheese (shredded)
¾ cup of Romano cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups of Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 egg1 chopped onion
1 package of cottage cheese *12 oz
2 cans of tomato paste *6oz
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 tsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 Tbsp of white sugar


Instructions:
Take a large pan and put in beef, cook in over medium heat until brown. Drain the fat from the meat. Take a second pan and fried onion, until golden brown and glassy texture is visible. Combine both onion and beef and add water, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper, tomato paste. Simmer all the mixed ingredients over medium heat, until completely boiled.


Once you see bubbles on top of the mixture reduce the heat and cook it for another 1.5 hour. Next take a medium size bowl and combine cottage cheese, parmesan crushed tomatoes and egg together. Leave it on the side until ready to spread over the noodles. Cook the pasta for about 10 minutes, and drain it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Use a glass baking dish (9X13) to make our lasagna.


First, spread 1 cup of sauce, on the bottom of the dish and cover sauce with 3 noodles. Second, cover noodles with another layer of remaining sauce. Next step would be to top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Lay another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzarella and top that with the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce. Cook in the oven in 350 degrees temperature for half an hour.


 At the end take out lasagna from the oven top it with the left over mozzarella cheese and bake it for another 15 minutes. Wait at least 10 minutes, and serve lasagna when it cools off a little bit.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo has to be the quickest and most simple of all the pasta dishes to make. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 lb (225 grams) butter (should be at room temperature)
1 cup double cream, very lightly whipped
1/2 lb (225 grams) Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
salt and freshly ground pepper
parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions:

1. Start making the sauce relative to cooking time of the fettuccine pasta.

2. In a large pan, melt the butter over low heat.

3. Slowly add the lightly whipped double cream to the pan, whisking continually.

4. Stir continuously until the sauce is hot and slightly reduced.

5. Still stirring, slowly add grated cheese. The sauce should thicken.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Drain pasta and add it to the sauce. Mix well.

8. Serve immediately.

9. Place a bowl of extra Parmesan cheese on the table so that your guests can help themselves.

Ingredients for Fettuccine:

1 packet (1lb) fettuccine, enough for 4 people)1 tablespoon salt

Instructions:

1. Lower the fettuccine into a large pan of boiling salted water.

2. Stir once or twice with a wooden spoon.

3. Cook for about 10 minutes or according to the manufacturer's packet instructions. Fettuccine should be cooked to "al dente" not soft or pulpy in texture.

4. Drain in a colander.

Easy Eggless Tiramisu

Ingredients:
1 c. whipping cream, whipped til stiff peaks form
8 oz Marscapone cheese, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp dark rum (añejo works wonderfully)
1 pkg (3 oz) ladyfingers (approx. 12)
1/2 c. cold espresso
2 tsp cocoa

Instructions. Beat cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed til smooth. Beat in rum on low. Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture just til blended.

Split each ladyfinger horizontally in half. Arrange half in the bottom of an ungreased 8-inch square pan.

Drizzle with 1/4 cup of espresso. Spread with half of cheese mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle cocoa over.

Cover, refrigerate 4 hours, til firm.  (Serves 9)

Baked Ziti with Sausages

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 lbs spicy italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
salt and pepper
1/4 c. dry red wine
1 (35 oz.) can chopped tomatoes, with juice
4 tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tbsp, dried)
1 c. ricotta cheese
3/4 to 1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/3 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 lb. dry ziti pasta, cooked to al dente
1/2 to 1 pound mozzarella cheese, diced
olive oil

Instructions: Heat oven to 425 F. In large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium. Saute onion in oil til soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sausage, sauté til sausage is browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain fat, return to heat.

Add red wine, allow to boil mostly away. Add tomatoes with juice, simmer about 10 minutes, til sauce is slightly thickened. Add oregano. Taste to correct seasonings.

In a bowl, combine ricotta, half the parmesan, and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Combine drained, cooked pasta with ricotta mixture. Add sausage and sauce. Mix. Add mozzarella.

Pour into large, shallow, greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake uncovered til bubby and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Serve. (Serves 4-6) 

Tips to discover!

If you're looking for some sensible taste of Italian cuisine and impressive but super easy, try to check recipes listed here. 

Drinks! The perfect way to start off dinner Italian style is with a classic Negroni (recipe at end), or a fiery gin Martini, or perhaps a cool glass of dry Martini vermouth on ice. After dinner, refresh yourself Italian style with a frosty shot of Limoncello. The Italians say it helps with digestion. Who knows if it's true, but… who cares? Sure is tasty.:)

Appetizers.The cool sweetness of tomatoes, the crisp freshness of basil, the bite of fresh garlic. There’s no more perfect combination of flavors and textures. Plus it's light (leaves room for a rich main dish), healthy, and fun to eat. What could be better? Combine it with a plate of insaccati (cured meats) such as prosciutto, and Italian cheeses.

Main dish. With the right main dish recipe, you can surely enjoy every moments  For the easiest preparation (and the greatest opportunity to spend time with your guests), you might want to pick a casserole style dish, such as Baked Ziti with Sausage (see recipe). Prepare, pop it in the oven, and enjoy your party. With a nice crisp salad and a loaf of crusty bread (dip it in a plate of extra virgin olive oil and fresh ground pepper), it makes for the perfect Italian dinner party menu.

Dessert. Tiramisu, of course...  While ultra authentic Tiramisu is a bit more work-intensive, below you'll find a recipe for a simple Tiramisu that tastes wonderful. 

Vegetable lasagna

Ingredients:

12 uncooked lasagna noodles 

2 jars of Pasta Sauce 

2 small red bell pepper 

1 tbsp of olive oil 

2 eggs 

2 small white onions 

1 medium zucchini 

2 packages of Ricotta cheese (15 oz) 

2 cups of shredded Mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Use a medium size nonstick skillet or pan and put olive oil, and heat it. Place thinly sliced onion, red peeper, and zucchini in the skillet and fry until vegetables are tender. Take a large bowl and mix all the cheeses together adding two eggs at the end. Mix it all together so the texture is as smooth as possible.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3. To bake lasagna use 9x13 glass baking dish. First take 1 cup of sauce and spread it in the baking sheet (this will be the first layer). Next, layer 4 uncooked noodles, then 1 cup sauce, 1/2 of the cheese mixture and 1/2 of the vegetables. Repeat until noodles are used. Top it with remaining noodles and 2 cups of sauce. Remaining sauce put aside in the refrigerator. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake it for 1.5 hour.

4. After lasagna is fully cooked, you can remove the foil and sprinkle it with remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes, so the cheese gets melted and becomes golden brown. Serve lasagna with the remaining sauce if desired.