Food on the Go Series with Chitra

Hi Guys, I have been thinking a lot to start this new series on my food blog for long, finally I am beginning this series from my Birthday. This series was inspired by all those people who have travelling job and love to try out new and different cuisines. My husband and I have a travelling job, we have travelled a lot since we got married. We are big foodie and whenever we went to a new places, always on weekends we wanted to try out new things, new restaurants and new cuisines, although Yelp and Google helped a lot, but somehow there was some personal touch which we always looked into like reviews from some local people, pictures or recommendations. So this series is all about that. In this series I will be posting all about those places I visit and food I ordered in those restaurants or food joints. I will try to post about the restaurant, along with pictures of food.  It will be really fun series, where we all can communicate with each other, and if you decide to try that food or place, you can share your experience too in the comments section. I know everyone is searching for some different kind of food everywhere. Also everyone wants to know which food was best and which was worse, I will share my experience with you guys. I hope you like this series and let me know if you want me to update some more information about any post. If you have come across my blog first time and you like it, please follow my blog and share with your friends and family too. New Blog post for this series coming soon. Are you ready Foodie’s Cheers Chitra Social Media:- Twitter and Instagram:- cateyesdamsel Facebook :- Chitra A Pal

Veggie Thai Red Curry

Ingredients 1. 1 bottle of Thai Red Curry Paste from Traders Joe’s 2. 1 can of light coconut milk 3. 2 tbsp of olive oil 4. 1 lemon grass chopped 5. 2 tbsp of garlic and ginger paste 6. 2 tbsp of fresh chopped green onions/scallions for garnish 7. 2 cup of stir fried veggies (snap peas, mushroom, baby corn, broccoli and tri color bell peppers) 8. 1 cup of boiled rice Method 1. In a wok add oil and ginger and garlic. 2. When it turns golden, add chopped vegetables. 3. Sauté it for few minutes till light crispy and then add lemon grass 4. In a bowl whisk Thai red curry paste and can of coconut milk together. 5. Add the mixture to vegetables. Stir occasionally. 6. Cook till it reduces little bit. 7. In a serving plate add rice and pour the curry all over it. 8. Serve hot garnish with green onions. You can also do the non- vegetarian version by adding fish or any meat of your choice. Just sauté the meat before vegetables so that it cooked. Take it out and then sauté the vegetables, later on mix veggies and meat together with sauce. -Chitra

Grilled Thai Chicken over Brown Rice Medley and Rosemary Roasted Vegetables

 
Ingredients

Grilled Thai Chicken
1. 1 chicken breast halved
2. 1 tsp of peanut butter
3. 1 tbsp of soy sauce
4. 2 tsp of red hot sauce
5. 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
6. 1 tsp of grilled seasoning
7. 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
Rosemary Roasted Vegetables
1. 1 Zucchini
2. 1 yellow squash
3. 2 big red potato
4. 2 cups of diced yellow, red and orange bell pepper
5. 2 tbsp of fresh rosemary
6. 3 cloves of garlic
7. Salt and pepper to taste
8. 1 tsp of grilled seasoning
9. 2 tbsp of olive oil
Brown Rice Medley
1. ½ cup of brown rice medley
2. 1 tbsp of olive oil
3. ¾ cup of yellow and red bell pepper
4. Salt to taste


Directions

Grilled Thai Chicken
1. In a mixing bowl add all ingredients except chicken and whisk it well.
2. After washing your chicken, pat it dry.
3. Now poke chicken and put the chicken in zip lock bag or marinating bowl/tray. Pour the marinating mixture over the chicken.
4. Shake it well and let it sit for at least 2-4 hours.
5. Heat the grilled pan and grilled the chicken till golden brown on each side. Do not flip in between otherwise the meat will tear.
6. Whenever it is ready cool down before cutting into slices so that juices can run over and chicken will remain moist.
Rosemary Roasted Vegetables
1. Dice all the vegetables in bite size pieces, not to small as they need to be roasted.
2. Preheat the oven at 400 F.
3. Mix all ingredients with garlic cloves and chopped rosemary, salt and pepper, grilled seasoning, olive oil.
4. In a roasting pan add these vegetables and roast them until golden brown.
Brown Rice Medley
1. In rice cooker add 1 tbsp of olive oil and add those vegetables.
2. Now add rice and roast them for 2 minutes before adding water.
3. Then add 1 cup of water and salt to taste to cook the rice.
For serving the whole dish make a bed of rice and lay the grilled chicken slices on top. On the side serve roasted vegetables.
-Chitra

Thai Chicken in Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1. 3 chicken tenders (skinless) chopped in thin slices

2. 1 red chili chopped

3. 2 scallions / green onion chopped finely

4. 1 cup of vertically sliced red and yellow bell peppers

5. ½ cup of shredded cabbage

6. 1 onion (vertically) finely chopped

7. 2 tbsp of garlic minced and ginger minced

8. Salt and pepper to taste

9. 3 tbsp. smooth natural peanut butter

10. 2 tbsp. "light” coconut milk

11. 1 tbsp. lime juice

12. 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

13. 1tbsp of brown sugar

Directions

1. In a heated wok add 1 tbsp of oil, and coat it well.

2. Add chicken tenders allow them to cook 4 minutes each side. Just browning, don’t burn them otherwise it will loosen their juices, now take out the chicken.

3. Deglaze the pan with 1 tsp of vinegar and add then 2 tbsp of oil again.

4. Now add the ginger garlic paste, onions, bell peppers, cabbage.

5. Satay them on medium heat. In the mean time in a bowl whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce and sugar until smooth.

6. When the vegetables are cooked add back the chicken.

7. Now add the peanut butter sauce you prepared. Let it simmer for 5 minutes till sauce is reduced.

8. Add red chili to the cooked chicken and stir.

9. Serve hot with steamed rice. Eat with chopsticks, you will love it.

Peppers and Broccoli Thai Stir Fry

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of yellow, green and red bell peppers sliced

2. 2 cups of broccoli florets

3. Salt and Pepper to taste

4. 1 tbsp of soy sauce

5. 1 tsp of sesame oil

6. 1 tbsp of thai red sauce

7. ½ cup of mix vegetable ( peas, carrots, beans and corn)

8. 1 cup of almonds and peanuts roasted

9. 2 tbsp of pickled vegetables

10. 2 tbsp of olive oil

Directions

1. In a non stick pan add peppers and broccoli and mix vegetables.

2. Stir fry them until they turn little crispy golden.

3. Now sprinkle, sesame oil, soy sauce and thai red sauce.

4. Sprinkle salt and black pepper.

5. Cook for 5 minutes.

6. Serve hot stir fry. Garnish with almonds, peanuts and pickled vegetables.

-Chitra

Shrimp Curry Penne Pasta

 

Ingredients

1. 1 big onion chopped

2. 1 large apple, peeled and cubed

3. 30 g of butter

4. 3 garlic cloves minced

5. 2 tsp of thai curry powder

6. 100 ml of dry marsala

7. 100 ml low sodium chicken stock

8. 2 tsp of fish sauce

9. 2 tsp of thai red curry paste

10. 300 ml canned unsweetened coconut milk

11. 500 gms of whole wheat penne pasta

12. 500 gms shrimp deveined

13. 3 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. In a non stick pan melt butter with one tsp of olive oil ( so that butter does not burn).

2. Add onion and garlic, when they turn little pink add apples.

3. Sauté until they turn little soft about 4-5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile boil 5-6 glass of water for pasta, add 1 tsp of salt. When water starts boiling add pasta.

5. Stir in curry powder and add marsala.

6. Boil until liquid is slightly reduced and thickened.

7. Add stock, fish sauce and red curry paste.

8. Simmer until liquid is slightly reduced about 5 minutes.

9. Add coconut milk. Simmer until slightly thickened and add shrimps, cook about 3 minutes.

10. Drain the pasta and add in into the sauce pan.

11. Add salt and pepper to taste.

12. Transfer into the serving tray and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

-Chitra

Sweet and Saucy Stir Fry

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of zuchinni chopped in 1-2 inch cubes

2. 1 cup of brocolli florets

3. ½ cup of chopped carrots

4. 1 cup each of yellow, green, red bell peppers chopped

5. 1 small can of water chestnuts / singhara or ½ cup of chopped in 1 inch cubes

6. 1 tsp of sesame oil

7. 2 tsp of soy sauce

8. 1 tsp of conrstarch with 1 cup of water

9. 1 tsp of honey

10. 2 tbsp of vinegar

11. ½ cup of pineapple juice with crushed pineapple pieces

12. 2 teaspoon of fresh minced ginger and garlic

13. Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. For vegetables. Boil 3-4 cups of water and add salt.

2. Drop in all vegetables except water chestnuts to take the edge off but still being crunchy just for 3-4 minutes.

3. Take out the veggies and scatter them in an open tray to cool them quickly.

4. In the mean time add seasme oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and corn starch water in a small bowl. Whisk and heat the mixture till sauce turns little thick.

5. Heat oil in a non stick wok (khadiy) or deep dish pan.

6. Add ginger garlic paste.

7. When the mixture little pink add all cooled down vegetables in the wok add water chestnuts now. Keep on stirring in between.

8. Fry them little brown and then add soy sauce mixture and stir with tongs.

9. When it is incorporated add pineapple juice with chunks and stir. Let it simmer for sometime till it turns little thick sauce.

10. Plate them and garnish with chopped green onions. You can serve with steamed rice.

This will make you say yummy , saucy. I am sure. Try this.

-Chitra

Pad Thai Noodles

These quick and easy Pad Thai noodles are a spicy mix of prawns / shrimps, peanuts and garlic. Ready in just 25 minutes, you can whip this simple Thai recipe up and look like a pro!

Ingredients

1. 175g or 8oz. cooked flat rice noodles in water

2. 31/2 tbsp of any kind of oil

3. 12 large raw prawns/shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail shells left on

4. 2 sliced garlic cloves

5. ½ tsp. of dry red chili or 1 tsp of green chili paste

6. 2 medium beaten eggs without yolk

7. 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce

8. Juice of 1 lime and zest of same lemon

9. 1 tbsp Tamarind / Imli paste mixed with 3 tbsp water Optional: 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup

10. 1 tbsp light sugar or brown sugar

11. 4 tbsp roasted peanuts

12. 1 cup snow peas

13. 1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

14. 6 spring onions, sliced diagonally

15. 50g beansprouts

Directions

1. Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions. Drain and toss with 1/2 tablespoon oil with ½ teaspoon of white vinegar so that noodles do not stick.

2. Make the sauce to add into noodles afterwards. Mix Fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, tamarind paste without water.

3. Now take a large deep frying pan or wok / kadiye with the rest of the oil.

4. Add the prawns and stir-fry for one to two minutes or until they turn pink brown but do not overcook them. Add the garlic and chili paste or dried chili and cook for a further 30 seconds.

5. Pour in the beaten white of eggs and stir-fry until they look scrambled.

6. Now add Spring onions and snow peas.

7. Turn the heat to low and add the noodles and stir them with tongs now till they turn little brown fry color on them now.

8. Add the sauce and toss together for 1-2 minutes until the noodles are cooked and coated with sauce color

9. Now serve them in individual bowls or plates with roasted peanuts, spring onions and bean sprouts.

10. Enjoy the authentic pad Thai and get your children in kitchen by helping you cutting spring onions and garnishing them on top after the noodles have been cooked.

Happy New Year enjoy :)

-Chitra

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Ingredients

1. 4 chicken thigh or breast without fat thinly sliced

2. 200 gms Chopped green beans into thin vertical strips

3. 1 can of coconut milk unsweetened

Green Curry Paste:

1. 3 small fresh green chillies, chopped

2. 2 cloves garlic, chopped

3. 3 spring onions, chopped

4. 1/4 cup chopped fresh lemon grass

5. 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves

6. 2 tbsp oil

7. 1 tsp of fresh lime juice

8. 2 tbsp water

9. 1 tsp Asian fish sauce

10. 1/2 tsp ground cumin

11. 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

12. 3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately for garnishing

Directions

1. Prepare the green curry paste. Blend all ingredients into blender for smooth green curry paste.

2. Heat oil in a wok or non stick pan.

3. Add the green curry paste in pan or wok, keep on stirring for about 2-3 minutes until it is you can smell the spices and herbs.

4. Add the chicken and let it cook into the paste for 3 minutes.

5. Now add beans to the pan and cook, keep on stirring in between and cook it with a lid close.

6. Add the coconut milk now, stir in and simmer until broth or paste slightly thickens.

7. Enjoy hot with steamed rice.

-Chitra