Category Archives: Asian

Shrimp Curry with Coconut Milk

In my adventures of self-taught cookery, I’ve had my share of recipe success and epic fail. Though there are two cuisines in particular where the guess-we’ll-order-a-pizza end of the scale weighs a little heavier – Asian and Indian. Perhaps because there are so many spices and exotic ingredients involved, the final product can too easily have that Americanized taste to it or be just plain a la Larry David, ‘eh’. But if you’re craving pizza my friends, then skip this dish because this dish is not eh. This dish is spectacular.

It’s actually a blend of Asian and Indian cuisine, as the lemongrass hints at Thailand while the cumin, coriander and fenugreek are Indian ingredients. And best of all, it is not hard to do. Basically you hunt down (this may well be the hardest part depending on where you live), toast and grind a number of spices, saute some shallot, mix together and add coconut milk. And presto you have a very authentic-tasting nicely spiced curry recipe up your sleeve. If you’re not a shellfish person you could swap in chicken or pork, or spoon the sauce over steamed vegetables with rice.

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Ginger Scallion Soba Noodles

I think mother nature wins for best April Fool’s this year – with snow in April! Thankfully Connecticut didn’t get much, and what we did get didn’t stick. I’m determined to give those snow shovels some well deserved R&R. Not to mention my arms! So in keeping with my if-it’s-spring-on-the-calendar-it’s-spring-in-my-kitchen mantra for the past week, this dish makes a great springtime side, or vegetarian main course.

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Spicy Beef with Peanuts and Chiles

Photo featured on Tasteologie, 2/12/11 & Photograzing 2/18/11

Here’s a deliciously simple stir-fry that’s sure to satisfy your next craving for takeout and wake up those taste buds. Finely ground peanuts, shallots and serrano chiles come together with thinly sliced lean flank steak marinated in soy and fish sauce. Over fluffy rice with your favorite steamed Asian vegetable, dinner is served.

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Seared Duck Breasts with Roasted Pears and Peanut Sesame Noodles

This is a terrific special occasion dish not because it’s hard to cook, but because of its ‘impressibility’ factor. I made this for my husband last Valentine’s Day, and I thought I’d post it as a Valentine’s dinner option for all you plan-aheaders out there, as it’s not too far off now. The rich duck cut with the spicy peanut sesame noodles and sweet roasted pears are food matches made in heaven.

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Peanut Sesame Noodles

Photo featured on Foodgawker.com, 1/23/11 & Photograzing 2/18/11

This simple, nearly foolproof recipe yields outstanding cold sesame noodles with a nice spicy kick. You don’t have to serve them cold, I prefer mine at room temperature, which is why I’m calling these ‘peanut sesame noodles.’ ‘Room temperature sesame noodles’ doesn’t quite work.

This tasty dish is really versatile; it’s great as an appetizer for an Asian-inspired meal, it’s a delicious side dish for chicken, pork, fish, or even duck, (see forthcoming post) which is how I incorporated it.

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