Larb Gai Lettuce Wraps

Larb Gai is such a tasty and healthy option for a quick and easy meal. In Thailand, Larb Gai is enjoyed with fresh veggies like lettuce, cucumbers and green beans and frequently paired with sticky rice. Traditionally, ground chicken is used and is prepared via boiling but it's a little more time consuming so I prefer to cook the chicken with a little oil in a wok instead. It tastes just as good and cuts the cooking time almost in half. If you're a fan of spicy, salty, and sour then this popular Thai appetizer is for you!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

- 1 lb Ground Chicken or Chicken Breast (if you use chicken breast, it will need to be sliced into small, thin pieces)
- 1/3 cup of Shallots, thinly sliced (1 massive shallot or 2 smaller ones)
- 1/4 cup of fresh Mint, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup of fresh Cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 5 Thai Bird's Eye Chilies (or less, if you don't like spicy)
- 1 tbs of fresh Lemon Grass, diced
- 4 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 2 tbs Fish Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Roasted Glutinous Rice (you can buy this in an Asian store but if you can't find it, you can also make it yourself by frying up some uncooked rice - without oil - until it gets crispy and brown and then throw it in a blender until it becomes more grainy/powdery)
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper, to taste



For the wrap:
- 1 head of Lettuce (I prefer Red Leaf Lettuce or any kind of the Butterhead Lettuces)



Directions:

Chop and slice up the above ingredients prior to the start of cooking.

1. On high heat, drizzle some olive oil into a skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and cook until garlic has slightly browned

2. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until chicken is well done

3. Once the chicken is done, turn off the heat and transfer the chicken into a large mixing or serving bowl

4. Add in all the remaining fresh ingredients into the mixing bowl with the cooked chicken, mix well, then add all the sauces with the lime juice last

5. Spoon the Larb Chicken into each lettuce piece and BOOM!...Enjoy!!!

<<Main Picture Photo Credit: www.GrillingOutdoorRecipes.com>>

Zucchini Pesto Pasta with Spicy Cajun Shrimp

This is an amazing dish that is surprisingly REALLY easy to make. However, it will require you to purchase a vegetable spiral slicer. THIS is the one that I have and I love it; It's compact, only costs $10 and is so easy to use. 

I'm not going to lie, I most definitely had my doubts about substituting real pasta with zucchini noodles but once I tried it, I just fell in love with the taste and also how much better I'd feel after eating a massive bowl of zucchini noodles versus a massive bowl of pasta. While the sauce itself isn't 100% healthy in the sense that there's butter and heavy cream, it is still a much healthier option to replace the pasta with zucchini - and the fact that it tastes great too is seriously a win, win for me. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the Shrimp Rub:

- 14 Shrimp

- 1/4 tsp Salt, Cayenne, and Paprika

- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper and Sugar

- Pinch of Oregano 

For the Pasta Sauce:

- 2 Zucchinis, roughly peeled and spiralized 

- 5-6 mushrooms (I used white mushrooms, but Cremini or Shitake would be fine too), sliced

- 8-10 mini Heirloom Tomatoes, halved 

- 2 cups of fresh Arugula

- 1 tbs salted Butter

- 2 tbs Pesto (I love Trader Joe's "Pesto alla Genovese Basil Pesto")

- 1/2 cup of Heavy Cream 

- 1/4 of a Lemon, juiced 

- 6-8 cloves of Garlic, minced

- Trader Joe's Garlic Salt & Pepper, to taste

- Freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

Directions:

1. Put the rub on the shrimp and let it marinade for about 15-20 minutes in the fridge prior to cooking

2. In a large skillet, heat up 1 TBS of olive oil and then throw in the shrimp. Cook shrimp on high heat for a few minutes, or until done and nicely seared. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside. DO NOT DISCARD REMAINING OIL!

3. Throw in the garlic and cook for a few minutes until the edges have browned then toss in the mushrooms and butter. Cook mushrooms until they've browned and then toss in the tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to soften before adding the Pesto paste followed by the Heavy Cream. Stir well, or until the sauce is nice and smooth

4. Bring the sauce to a boil then quickly reduce the heat until it's just simmering on low heat before adding the Zucchini noodles and Arugula. Like Spinach, Arugula doesn't take long to cook and you're also not really trying to "cook" the Zucchini noodles but rather just heat them up (you want the noodles firm and not mushy) so this part doesn't take long. Once you see that the Arugula has begun to wilt down, throw in the shrimp, turn off the heat, mix it all together, and squeeze some lemon over it

5. Serve with some freshly cracked black pepper and topped with some freshly grated Parmesan...Now THIS is Double Yummy Too Much!!!

Thanks so much for checking out this recipe and I hope whoever tries to make it enjoys it as much as Allen and I did.

Thanks and Happy Friday!

Cheers,

Stevie

Mommy's Sweet & Spicy Baked Beans

If you're not normally a fan of Baked Beans then this recipe will change your mind and if you're normally a fan of Baked Beans then this dish will instantly become a newfound favorite.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

- 1 28 oz can of Bush's "Original" Baked Beans
- 1 regular package of Bacon
- 1 large Tomato, diced
- 1 White Onion, diced
- 1 cup of Ketchup
- 1 tsp of Sriracha
- 1/2 tsp of Paprika
- 1/2 tsp of Ground Cayenne Pepper
- Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Fry up the bacon until crispy. Discard bacon fat (without cleaning or wiping down the skillet) and set aside the cooked and crispy bacon

3. Using the same skillet in which the bacon was cooked (so there's still remnants of the bacon fat), throw in the onions and cook on medium-high heat until soft and translucent. Throw in the tomatoes and cook until the the tomatoes are also soft, about 5 more minutes

4. Add the large can of Bush's "Original" Baked Beans and mix well. Let the mixture boil and then set it to simmer on medium-low heat

5. Stir in the Ketchup, Sriracha, Paprika, and Ground Cayenne Pepper. Let it simmer

6. While the beans are simmering in the skillet, coarsely chop up the bacon then add it to the mixture (set aside about 2 slices for the topping)

7. Transfer the beans from the skillet to an 8x8 inch pan and place in the oven for 30 minutes

8. Remove from oven, sprinkle the remaining pieces of bacon on top, serve, and enjoy!

Grilled Corn & Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
(Serves 8-10)

- 8 Ears of Corn, grilled
- 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large Tomato, diced
- 1 bunch of Asparagus, grilled
- 1/2 lime, squeezed
- 1/4 cup of Creme Fraiche
- 1/2 cup of Goat Cheese Crumbles
- 1/3 cup of fresh Cilantro, coarsely chopped
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. De-husk corn and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper prior to cooking it directly on the grill at around 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until corn is cooked all around

2. Wash and discard bottom half of the asparagus. Drizzle some olive oil, salt, and pepper on the asparagus and then throw them on the grill until they, too, are cooked with a nice crunch, about 10 minutes as well

3. While the corn and asparagus are cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients - slicing the red onion, tomato, cilantro, and measuring out the creme fraiche and goat cheese

4. When the corn is done and slightly cooled, carefully remove the corn from the cob with a knife into a large serving bowl then place the rest of the ingredients into the same bowl, folding in the creme fraiche, goat cheese, and lime juice






5. Mix well, serve, and enjoy immediately or chilled!



Now that's Summer in a bowl! Yum!

Chokh Dee!

Stevie

Pan-Seared Tilapia with a Spicy Cajun Rub

If you're into making your own rubs and you like it hella spicy then you should give this a go. It's an easy rub made of ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and ideal for fish and chicken.

This time I put the rub on tilapia filets which I then pan-fried with a couple cloves of minced garlic and olive oil. Tilapia cooks relatively quickly, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side - or until the edges are nicely browned and its meat white and flaky. You can serve this particular tilapia dish over rice with steamed veg or use the filets for homemade fish tacos, which is what I did (I'll do a separate post for the fish tacos).

This recipe is for 1.5lbs - 2lbs of fish/meat. If you have more fish/meat then you'll need to adjust the ingredients accordingly and if you're not sure, just double it so you'll have a decent amount with leftover rub that you can save in a jar for later use. Oh and it's got a pretty good kick so if you can't handle spicy food then this rub is not for you!

Spicy Cajun Rub:
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cuman
- 1/2 tsp of McCormick's Perfect Pinch "Caribbean Jerk"
- 1/4 tsp Oregano

Thanks and enjoy!

Stevie

Spicy Tuscan Kale & Sausage Soup

I honestly hate eating raw kale - the texture sucks and there's basically no flavor (do not try to convince me otherwise) but when thrown into a soup like this, it's amazing and if you're looking for a quick and easy meal that's pretty healthy and packed with flavor this week, give this recipe a shot. I think you'll really like it.

Ingredients (serves 6):

- 1 lbish or 5 links of Spicy Hot Italian Sausage, casings removed
- 5-6 cups of Kale, torn and stems removed
- 2 medium-sized Carrots, chopped
- 1/2 White Onion, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 stalks Celery, chopped
- 3 Tomatoes, diced (don't de-seed)
- 1/2 can of Cannellini beans (White Kidney Beans)
- 1/2 can of Whole Kernel Corn (optional, but I like the sweetness it gives the soup)
- 4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil
- 1 QT. Chicken Stock

Directions:

1. Put a little olive oil in a skillet and when hot, throw in the sausage. Lower the temperature to medium-high heat and cook until done. Be sure to break up the links so the result is more like cooked ground sausage. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, drizzle some olive oil and when hot, throw in the garlic. Once the garlic is brown, lower to medium-high heat and throw in the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Once it looks like the celery and carrots have softened a bit, throw in the diced tomatoes, beans, and corn. Cook for another minute or so and then transfer the ground sausage from the skillet into the pot. Make sure the ingredients are well mixed.

3. Throw in the kale and cook until kale changes color and softens. Approximately 1-2 minutes.



4. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil then simmer. While the soup is simmering, add the crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and a bit of pepper. Stir well then finish it up by adding the chopped basil.

And...that's it! So easy, right??? I made this in probably 45 minutes and there are tons of leftovers, which we love. Try it out and let me know what you think!




Chokh Dee!

Stevie

Easy Chicken Thighs in Thai(ish) Peanut Sauce

Hi & Happy Tuesday!

Apologies for the serious delay in posting this recipe but I assure you that it's worth the wait. Before I begin, full disclosure, I actually came across this recipe on Pinterest by author Karina of Cafe Delights so I really can't take credit for this. While I did pretty much follow her recipe, which you can find HERE as a reference, I did make some changes to better suit my own taste and also based on the ingredients I already had at home.

It's a Thai-ish dish because even though the flavors are there, the method for making the Peanut Sauce (aka Satay Sauce) is so NOT authentic. Instead of sitting around pounding fresh peanuts, which is what my mom would do, this recipe suggests peanut butter as a quick and easy alternative. I think my mom would be horrified but honestly, I think it's genius because I mean, who the hell has time to sit around and make peanut sauce from scratch - NOT ME! Also, since this blog is all about quick and easy with big flavors, I had to give it a shot and I'm so glad that I did because it turned out wonderfully and I made it in less than an hour (including prep and 15 minutes of marinating time).

This, my friends, is such an easy and delicious meal to make. I don't think words can do it justice so you're just going to have to trust me, make it, and see for yourselves!

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Chicken Marinade:
- 4 tbs Coconut Milk (from a 400ml tin, preferably Chao Koh brand)
- 1.5 tbs Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1.5 tbs Thai Red Curry Paste
- 1 tbs Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 tbs Sweet Soy Sauce
- 1 tbs Fish Sauce
- Pinch of Salt
- 2-3 tsp of Coconut Oil for frying

Peanut Sauce:
- Remaining Coconut Milk from tin
- 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs sweet soy sauce
- 1 tbs Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 tbs Thai Red Curry Paste
- 1 tbs Tamarind Concentrate
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/8 cup of freshly chopped Cilantro
- 3 Thai Birds Eye Chilies, sliced
- Pinch of Salt
- Freshly squeezed lime juice from half a lime
- Lime wedges to garnish

Directions:

- Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs then set aside. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade until it's nice and smooth (no major peanut butter clumps). Completely drench the chicken thighs in this mixture allowing it to marinade in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.







2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Heat up the coconut oil in an oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin down first onto the skillet and cook until both sides are nice and brown and the skin is a little crispy (but not burnt!). Feel free to adjust/lower the heat if necessary. Approximately 5 minutes on each side depending on the size of the chicken thighs.

4. Transfer skillet to the oven and allow it to cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (You can use a meat thermometer for this if you're not sure).

5. While the chicken continues to cook in the oven, grab a saucepan and combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it's smooth and thick. Right before you turn off the heat, throw in the chillies and allow it to cook for about 30 seconds. Then turn off the heat and mix in the lime juice and cilantro.

6. Once the chicken is done, remove from the oven and pour the peanut sauce over the chicken. Let it simmer in the sauce for about a minute prior to serving.



7. Garnish with some more cilantro and lime wedges, and serve over white jasmine rice.

 

And there you have it! An easy, Double Yummy Too Much meal in under an hour.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Chokh Dee!

Stevie