Einstein's Monkey

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Sauce:

• 2 TB coconut cream skimmed off the top of the milk
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3 Kaffir lime leaves
• 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed & minced. equal to about 1 TB chopped
• 2 shallots, minced, or 1 very small onion
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup mixed coconut milk
• 2 tsp tamarind liquid (made by soaking a small chunk of tamarind past in 1 tb water, strain)
•  2-3 tsp fish sauce or more to taste
• 3 TB palm sugar, or maple sugar or brown sugar
• 3 TB fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky

If you're feeling lazy you can substitute everything but the coconut cream and peanut butter for Red Curry Paste (but it's not nearly as good).

Pound garlic, lemongrass and onion in Thai granite mortar or process in a mini-food processor to make a paste. Heat 2 TB coconut cream over medium until it bubbles softly;  add the paste cooking 1 minute, then kaffir lime leaves, curry powder, and red pepper, cook 1 minute, stirring

Add the cinnamon stick, mixed coconut milk, cook 1 more minute. Add tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, blend in the peanut butter. Lower heat and cook uncovered about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce will thicken slightly. Set aside and allow to mellow tasting to see if more fish sauce, limejuice, sugar or peanut butter are required to balance the flavors. Discard lime leaves and cinnamon before serving. Thin with 1-2 TB warm water at serving time if needed.

NOTE: a simple sauce can be made eliminating the garlic, kaffir limes, lemon grass, cinnamon, curry, red pepper and adding 1 - 2 TB red curry paste.

Chicken: 1 tb boneless chicken thighs cut in 1/4" strips and flattened. Marinate at least 1 hour in:

• 1 TB curry powder
• 1 TB garlic
• 1 TB grated fresh ginger
• 1 TB brown sugar
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 TB fish sauce
• 1/2 cup mixed coconut cream

Meanwhile: soak 20 bamboo skewers in water 30 minutes. Thread chicken loosely. Cover with marinade. Grill over medium high heat turning as needed, 3-4 minutes total- Serve immediately with sauce.

Pad Thai

This dish is Awesome!  Serves 2 hungry people or 4 if they don't eat like Americans!

• 8 oz Thai rice noodles soaked in warm water to cover 20-25 minutes or until

• flexible, (texture of a latex glove) 

• 3 TB fish sauce or more, to taste, plus 1 TB for sprinkling

• Either: 2 TB white vinegar OR: a chunk of tamarind soaked in 3 TB warm water to make about 2 TB thickish tamarind juice (may add a touch of vinegar anyway)

• 2- 3 TB palm sugar, brown sugar or maple syrup, to taste, use less if making tamarind

• 2 TB fresh squeezed lime juice

• 2 eggs lightly beaten

• 1/2 Ib raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined, if large cut in half OR 1/4 Ib boneless chicken breast, skinned and cut into thin strips (or both)

• 1 TB garlic minced

• 3 shallots or 1/2 medium onion thinly sliced

• 1 TB sambal, or red pepper flakes, to taste, plus extra for garnish

• 1 cup bean sprouts, plus extra 1/2 cup for garnish

• 1/2 cup or more unsalted dry roasted peanuts roughly chopped plus extra for garnish ,        

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro or chives

• 2 limes cut in wedges

• 6 TB canola oil (about)

1. Mix 3 TB fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and vinegar juice (or tamarind juice) in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

2. Heat wok, drizzle 1 TB oil around the edges. When hot, swirl in the egg to form a flat pancake. It will cook quickly and puff around, lift the edges so the runny part cooks too. When mostly dry and cooked, transfer to a cutting board, and slice into a 1/2 inch julienne (ribbons). Set aside.

3. Add 2 TB oil to the wok. Heat- Add the chicken and stir fry 1 minute. Add the shrimp; stir fry 1-2 more minutes until pink and done. Sprinkle lightly with 1 TB fish sauce. Remove food from the Wok

4. Drain the noodles. Add 2 TB oil to the wok- Add garlic, cook 15 seconds, add the shallots cook another 15 seconds Add sambal or red pepper flakes, stir

5. Add the drained noodles and cook about 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add a little water as necessary so the noodles do not stick!

6.  Add the sauce slowly; noodles should be wet but not soupy. Toss- Taste and adjust for the desired balance of flavors.

7. Add the chicken and shrimp back. Toss. Add the eggs, bean sprouts, peanuts. Toss. Cook until hot through.

8. Turn out Pad Thai onto a large platter and sprinkle generously with extra peanuts, cilantro (or chives) and extra bean sprouts. Sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes (optional) Garnish with fresh lime wedges.

Thai Red Coconut Curry with Chicken and Pineapple

• 1 pound boneless skinned chicken breasts cut into 1" chunks

• 1 - 2 TB Thai red curry paste, to taste

• 1 can of coconut milk well stirred, plus you may want to use part of another can stirred well. You can save the unused potion for up to a week for use in another recipe.

• 1 small can pineapple chunks in juice - not syrup, drained, liquid is not used in this recipe

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1-2 TB fish sauce to taste

• 1-2 TB palm sugar or brown sugar or maple syrup to taste

• 2 TB basil leaves, chiffonade

• 3 kaffir lime leaves or 1/8 tsp grated lime peel 2TB canola oil

1. Heat a medium sized sauté pan. Stir-fry the chicken briefly, 2-3 minutes or so, in 2 TB canola oil until opaque - it will NOT be cooked through. Remove from pan to a bowl with a slotted spoon to drain all excess juice. Wipe pan clean.

2. In the same pan, gently boil the mixed coconut milk over moderate heat about 3 minutes. It will become more fragrant as it thickens. Add the red curry paste and mash it well into the milk. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, lime leaves. Be careful not to boil to hard as it may curdle.

3. Add back the chicken, drained of an accumulated juices, and cook another 3-4 minutes in the sauce, add the pineapple cook 1 minute, add tomatoes and cook another few minutes until chicken is cooked through but tomatoes remain whole, being careful not to overcook the tomatoes. If you want a thinner sauce add more coconut milk. Sprinkle with basil and serve with Thai jasmine rice