Penang (with pieapple and tofu) Curry

Ingredients:

· 1 small chicken, or 1/2 medium-large chicken cut up into pieces (I used tofu)

· 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges (I also cut 1 pineapple into small pieces and put it in)

· 1-2 red bell or sweet peppers, sliced

· CURRY SAUCE:

· 4 Tbsp. tomato paste

· 1 small onion, quartered

· 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced

· 3 cloves garlic

· 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

· 1 tsp. dark soy sauce

· 2 Tbsp. fish sauce

· 1 tsp. shrimp paste

· 1 Tbsp. paprika

· 2 Tbsp. chili powder

· 1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander

· 1 red chili, minced OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you want it

· 1/2 tsp. turmeric

· 1 Tbsp. cumin (cumin tastes a little weird for me in this so I just keep it out, if you like it ignore me)

· 4 kaffir lime leaves (available in the freezer section of Asian/Chinese food stores)

· 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or place a stick of cinnamon in the curry while it's cooking and take it out at the end )

· 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

· 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

· 1 can good-quality coconut milk

· juice of 1/2 lime

· optional: 1 extra can coconut milk

· GARNISH:

· 1 loose cup fresh basil leaves, left whole or roughly chopped if leaves are large

Preparation:

1. To make the curry sauce, place all sauce ingredients in a food processor. Process well. Add 1/2 to 1 additional can of coconut milk if you'd like more sauce, or if the curry is too spicy.

2. Pour sauce into a cassarole dish and add the chicken pieces (or any meat you want) and the pineapple. Mix well.

3. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and add the tomatoes and peppers. Mix well, then return to the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until meat is cooked.

5. Do a taste test before serving: add 1-2 Tbsp. more fish sauce if not salty enough. If too spicy, add more coconut milk or a little yogurt. If too salty, add more lime juice.

6. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and serve.

Thai Coconut Soup

INGREDIENTS

· 1 pound chicken (or any meat or tofu) + 1 red bell pepper

· 2 (13.5 ounce) cans canned coconut milk

· 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

· 1 (1 inch) piece ginger, thinly sliced

· 4 stalks lemon grass, bruised and chopped

· 10 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half

· 1 pound any mushrooms you want, I like to leave them whole.

· 1/4 cup lime juice (about 4-5limes)+ extra if needed

· 3 tablespoons fish sauce + extra if not salty enough

· Sugar to desired taste

· Curry powder to desired taste

· red pepper flakes added until desired hotness is achieved

DIRECTIONS

Pour the coconut milk and 2 cups of broth in a large saucepan; bring to a simmer. Add the ginger, lemon grass, and lime leaves; simmer for 10 minutes (longer is you taste it and you don't think enough of the flavor infused). Strain the coconut milk into a new pan and discard the spices. Add chicken/meat/tofy or whatever and place in an oven at 375 F for 45min, take it out and put in the mushrooms and red bell pepper. Place it back in the oven at 375F for another 15min. Take it out and add curry powder, lemon juice, sugar, and fish sauce.

Thai Green Curry

· 1-2 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying

· 1 stalk lemongrass

· 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, OR substitute 1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander

· 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian/Chinese food stores), OR substitute 3 Tbsp. soy sauce

· 1 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian/Chinese food stores)

· 1 tsp. sugar

· 1-3 green chilies (depending on desired spiciness)

· 1 onion

· 3 cloves garlic

· 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced

· 3-4 lime leaves (fresh, frozen, or dried - available at Asian/Chinese food stores)

· ½ cup fresh coriander including stems

· 1 tsp. dark soy sauce

· 1 can coconut milk

· ½ chicken chopped into pieces (I used 1 18oz pack of soft tofu)

· 2 bell peppers, red and green (I also added sugar snap peas, find that the natural sweetness of them goes will with the curry flavor)

· 1 cup fresh holy or sweet basil, chopped roughly

· Step 1: Prepare the Lemongrass.

Remove any tough outer leaves and also the bulb. Thinly slice the lower half of the stalk (the upper half can be discarded OR cut into long segments and added to the curry for extra flavor). Chop the slices with your knife to mince, or pound with pestle & mortar. Now place this prepared lemongrass in a food processor or mixing bowl.

If using whole coriander seeds, place 2 Tbsp. of the seeds in a mortar or coffee grinder. Pound or grind the seeds, then add to the food processor or mixing bowl. Tip: 1/2 Tbsp. regular ground coriander can be used instead, although I find the freshly-ground seeds to be better-tasting.

Now also add to your processor the following ingredients: (If mixing by hand, be sure to mince all ingredients first)

· 1 onion, chopped

· 2 cloves garlic

· 1-3 green chilies (depending on desired spiciness)

· 1 thumb-size piece of peeled galangal OR ginger, sliced

· 3 lime leaves (fresh, frozen, or dried), central stem removed

· 1/2 cup fresh coriander (including stems) chopped

· 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (or substitute 3 Tbsp. soy sauce)

· 1 tsp. shrimp paste

· 1 tsp. sugar

· 1 tsp. dark soy sauce

Process well to make a beautifully fragrant Thai Green Curry Paste

Place 1-2 Tbsp. coconut, peanut or other vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the green curry paste plus 1 can coconut milk. Stir well together, simmering until frgrant (about 1 minute).

Add 1/2 chicken cut up into pieces. If desired, you can also add the leftover segments from the lemongrass stalk, plus a few additional lime leaves (optional).

Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low and cook (covered) for 45 minutes. Stir the curry occasionally.

Add 2 chopped red and green bell peppers (bite-size pieces). Stir well and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Chicken is fully cooked when the juices run clear .

If you're not using meat, I like to put the Tofu, sugar snap peas and bell peppers all in at once and simmer them until they are cooked through.

Taste the curry for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce (or soy sauce) if more salt is required. Add more fresh-cut chili if not spicy enough. If too spicy, add a little more coconut milk. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

The Monte Cristo

BATTER

· 2/3 cup Milk or Buttermilk

· 1 small egg

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

· 2/3 cup flour (I used buttermilk pancake mix i made... tastes so much better than plain flour)

· 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder (if you use flour.. make pancake mix and you don't need this)

SANDWICHES (Side note, this is the usual meat/cheese filling for the sandwich but that doesn't mean you can't use any meat/cheese combo you prefer!)

· 8 slices white bread

· 4 slices roasted cooked turkey (1 ounce each sandwich)

· 4 slices tillamook swiss cheese (1 ounce each sandwich)

· 4 slices smoked ham (1 ounce each sandwich)

· vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

BATTER: Place Milk/buttermilk, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl and using an electric mixer, mix well at low speed. Add flour and baking powder (or pancake mix!) and mix until batter is smooth. Chill.

Side Note: At this point I mix 1 extra egg with some milk and lightly dip the sandwich bread in it, just to coat very little and pan fry to give the bread a little more flavor. It's not necessary but sure as hell tastes better. It's kind of like making french toast but not! Be careful not to let the bread sit in the egg/milk mixture too long because it gets soggy and wont be good after deep frying.

SANDWICHES: Make 4 sandwiches, putting cheese between ham and turkey. Cut into fourths and put a toothpick through each quarter.

Heat about 6" of oil to 340 degrees in a fryer. Dip sandwiches in batter to cover all surfaces. Deep fry sandwiches until golden brown, turning as needed. An alternate way of frying it to put approximately 1/4" oil in a large pan and fry the sandwiches on both sides until crispy and brown.

Remove from oil and take out toothpicks. Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Twinkie French Toast!

Yep... exactly what the title says... I took a Twinkie and French toasted that biatch.

1 Package of twinkies

1 Egg

A little bit of Milk

AND a deep fryer!!!

Beat the egg and the milk together. Soak the twinkies in that mixture for a few seconds and let them drain on a rack. Pop those suckers into a deep fryer at 375 for a min or so.. until they are golden brown and delicious! Let them chill on a cooling rack for 5min or so and have at em!

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

Here's the original recipe by AB.. love this man and his ways. I have made it from the recipe and edited it for vegetarians. Both are tasty.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shepherds-pie-recipe2/index.html

Now for my edit....

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half (I like to use milk... less fat... still tastes great... good luck with using soy milk over regular though if you're vegan)
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk (if you're vegan or just don't have/like eggs you can omit the egg it's not that crucial)

For the meat filling:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package Ivets vegetarian ground meat (Or any vegetarian ground meat you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce (extra if you need more salt)
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Directions

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the veggie meat, salt and pepper and cook until cooked through. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, veggie broth, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. If the potatoes haven't browned enough after 25min have passed I like to turn the broiled on low for a few minutes. Make sure to watch the dish the entire time it's under the broiler or you'll end up eating burned shepherd's pie. Remove to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.