Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiris, Thai Chicken Skewer Wraps, Tropical Strawberry Ice Cream Pie

In a previous post, I mentioned a “cooking weekend” which I hosted at our lake house with my friends Nancy and Jenni, and I posted the recipe for the delectable Thai Summer Stew which we made for a dinner.

This time, I would like to post the accoutrements of that meal.

First, from Eating Well magazine, a recipe for Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiris. Usually when you see a coconut daiquiri recipe it included the very high fat cream of coconut, but this one used coconut rum. I subbed unflavored rum and coconut liquer, and it turned out to be a repeater. What more can I say—strawberries, coconut, and rum! As for an accompanying photo… I didn’t really think of taking one!

Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiri

Recipe from Eating Well

Makes 6 servings, about 3/4 cup each

Ingredients

2 ½ cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups ice cubes
¾ cup coconut-flavored rum, such as Malibu

Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiri Ingredients Cont.

Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiri Instructions

Combine strawberries, sugar and lime juice together in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice cubes and rum and blend until frothy. Transfer mixture to a pitcher and serve.

Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiri Instructions Cont.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 112 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 1 g fiber; 3 mg sodium; 113 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1/2 carbohydrate (other)

As an appetizer, I prepared Thai Chicken Skewers from Cuisine at Home .

Chicken breast is marinated, then threaded on skewers, broiled (I grilled), and served in bibb lettuce leaves with cucumber and red bell pepper, drizzled with a heavenly sauce of brown sugar, lime juice, red curry paste, peanut butter, shallots, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Delicious!!! We commented that we could be very satisfied having only these for dinner, but then that wonderful stew changed our minds… Anyway, no photo for this one, either. I should have, but we were just too busy eating.

Thai Chicken Skewer Wraps
Makes 16 skewers, about 2 cups sauce

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed
6 T. brown sugar, divided
6 T. fresh lime juice, divided
2 T. Thai red curry paste, divided
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1/4” thick strips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. fresh ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
16 Boston or bibb lettuce leaves
16 strips each red bell pepper and cucumber
Lime wedges

Blend cilantro, 4 T. brown sugar, 2 T. lime juice, 1 T. curry paste, pepper flakes, and salt in a food processor till smooth.

Pour over chicken, toss to coat, and marinate 10 min. Preheat broiler to high with rack 6” from element; coat a broiler pan with nonstick spray.

Process 2 T. brown sugar, 4 T. lime juice and 1 T. curry paste with peanut butter, water, shallots, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in the processor (no need to wash the bowl) until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish.

Thread chicken onto 32 skewers. Arrange 8 skewers on prepared pan; cover ends of skewers with foil to prevent burning. Broil chicken in batches till browned and cooked though, 6 min.

To serve wrap a lettuce leaf around 2 strips of chicken, remove skewers, then add bell pepper and cucumber. Drizzle with sauce and lime juice.

And, finally, dessert.

The previous weekend, for a larger weekend-long party, I had prepared two strawberry ice cream pies which I had planned to serve with a strawberry-black pepper sauce. However, a friend added a couple of extra courses and by the time dinner ended, everyone could barely see, much less eat dessert. Which, actually, was a good thing since I had royally screwed up the sauce earlier that evening (I need to work on my caramel-making skills).

The pie itself was a simple recipe—softened strawberry ice cream mixed with a dash of cinnamon and some chopped fresh strawberries, spooned into a graham cracker crust and refrozen.

I hoped that my friends would not mind being “re-desserted”.

This time, I went with a tropical-style sauce for the strawberry pie. It was simple as well. I reduced a can of guava nectar by almost half, added about a half teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with a teaspoon of water) to thicken it a bit further, stirred in a squeeze of lime juice and some finely chopped fresh pineapple. This was cooled to room temperature then served over each slice of ice cream pie, and sprinkled with toasted coconut. It was a hit, with both my friends and with Jack, who had a piece a couple of days later.

Note, take the pie out of the freezer for 5 minutes prior to serving.

And, in a complete turnaround from the above two menu items, no recipe, but I do have a photo! :)

Spring Roll Salad

I love fresh spring rolls, but I have yet to master the process of rolling those wonderful ingredients into the rice paper wrapper tightly enough to please me. So for dinner tonight, since we are experiencing the first over-90-degree day of the summer (in August, yet!), I decided to make a salad using the spring roll ingredients.

For some reason, I seem to have run out of the very thin rice noodles and had to make due with the wide version.

No problem, though, and I decided to chop the cooked noodles a bit in order to make the eating process easier.

Instead of adding Thai chilies to the dressing, as is in the dipping sauce served with spring rolls, I used wasabi powder. Although it was quite good, I think that adding some Thai chili paste, or chopped chilies, to the dressing would have been better (for Jack, it was not spicy enough).

All of my favorite spring roll flavors and textures mingled pleasantly in this salad. Crunchy vegetables, soft rice noodles, and a delicious sauce (dressing). Jack said that it was so good, he won’t even consider it to be a salad. High praise, indeed, coming from a confirmed “salad-avoider”!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Spring Roll Salad

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

4 ounces rice noodles

2 teaspoons sesame oil

10 ounces shrimp -- large; shelled and deveined

1 teaspoon grated gingerroot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 large carrot -- shredded

1/2 large English cucumber -- thinly sliced into matchsticks

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder -- optional

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

2 tablespoons chopped Thai basil -- Italian basil can also be used

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Cook rice noodles, per package instructions. Drain, toss with sesame oil. Dump onto a large cutting board, chop through the noodles a few times with a large knife, transfer back to a large bowl and set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, mix ginger, garlic, and 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil into covered plastic container. Add the shrimp and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Prepare the grill.

Add the shredded cabbage, carrot, cucumber, and green onion to the noodles. In a jar, combine the soy sauce through brown sugar. Shake well, then add wasabi powder (if used) and shake again.

Skewer, then grill the shrimp (coat with cooking spray before placing on grill) for about 3 minutes per side, or until done.

Pour about 3/4 of the dressing into the noodle and vegetable bowl and toss well. Divide into 2 bowls. Arrange the shrimp on top, drizzle the remaining dressing over. Sprinkle with peanuts, Thai basil, and mint.

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Per serving: 599 Calories (kcal); 22g Total Fat (3g Saturated); (33% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 216mg Cholesterol; 850mg Sodium

Thai Summer Bean Stew with Chicken

I am in the passenger seat of our car as Jack drives us to yet another destination. I haven’t been writing on my blog much because there is always something of a higher priority which demands my attention. Having the opportunity to just sit and write has not been on my schedule lately, and when I realized that I would have a couple of hours “downtime” (without having to plan menus, go over shopping or “to do” lists, etc.), I knew what I wanted to do.

There are a huge amount of recipes which I have made in the past 2 months that I want to post and review, but I need to start with one of the most recent.

Last weekend, my good friends Jenni and Nancy joined me at the lake house for a couple of days of cooking and talking and laughing and just having fun. At Jenni’s wise suggestion, I assigned each of them a meal to be responsible for, rather than assembling the menus myself, and a great idea it turned out to be. The first evening I made a Thai stew which was served over jasmine rice. Jenni made breakfast the next morning, Greek omelets and basil-asiago biscuits. Nancy decided on a lunch of chicken-Roquefort sandwiches and fruit salad. And so on. The meals were nicely planned and, with three cooks in the kitchen (never too many cooks!), preparation was fun and easy.

I really would like to have my vary own sous chef, all of the time… :)

My first post after this lengthy absence will be for the Thai stew.

Last month we bought bedroom furniture which necessitated our moving the contents of a few rooms around. One room which had to disappear was the library (made into another guest room with the extra bedroom set). Bookcases and credenzas were moved into the basement to hold Jack’s office publications and paperwork, since he is planning to relocate from a separate building into our house. I found that I had to deal with stacks of old magazines, mostly cooking-related (surprise, surprise), and I did this by leafing through them all and tearing out the most interesting recipes and articles. I really did try to control myself, and I ended up with “just” a couple of hundred more recipes to slide into plastic sleeves and file in my binder system. Good heavens, when will I try them all?!?!?

One recipe, in particular, called to me from the moment I saw it. Taken from an old issue of Food and Wine, from back when I had barely discovered Thai food, it sounded intriguing enough to make for my cooking buddies. Plus, the day was forecast as rainy and I didn’t want to plan anything grilled since getting to the grill at the lake house necessitates a trip down to the lower patio. I’ve used the grill in the rain before, and it is not a fun experience.

The F & W description of this recipe is as follows:

This is a quintessential summer dish, with coins of corn, tender beans, and chicken in a tangy basil-and-cilantro-laced coconut curry sauce.

This. Was. INCREDIBLE. If you love Thai food like we do, do not wait to make this. This stew was so delicious that my mouth waters just thinking about it!

The recipe called for fresh fava beans and, after a few phone calls, I realized that this was simply not going to happen. Fortunately the recipe instructions also mentioned using shelled edamame as a substitute and I have plenty of those in the freezer.

I used green string beans (the store did not have the yellow wax beans which I was also counting on) so I used only those and the frozen edamame. I sprinkled a good amount of Thai basil on serving, and with the beans added a small red bell pepper, chopped, for additional color and flavor but otherwise it was prepared as directed. The chicken breasts were a bit on the thick side, and we were afraid that they may not have been cooked thoroughly all of the way through, so we added them to the stew for a final few minutes of cooking instead of assembling the dish in the way the recipe instructs.

And don’t forget the lime wedges to squeeze on the individual portions, that simple addition makes all of the difference.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/thai-summer-bean-stew-with-chicken

Grilled Coconut Curry Shrimp

Summer is flying by, faster than it ever has, I think. I have a huge backload of recipes to be entered into MasterCook, and photos to be attached to the recipes, then posted here but I just cannot find the time. So, until I do, I will have to be content with popping in here as often as I can and posting some quick, simple summertime recipes.

It is a rainy morning and, as I anticipate being able to pull weeds easily when I am able, it's nice to sit inside and write.

I was on a forum yesterday afternoon and one of the threads was about a coconut and curry grilled chicken recipe that received some great reviews. Because I do not have ready access to that particular magazine, I took the idea and played with the ingredients. I used shrimp instead of chicken and the result was delicious. Tender, grilled shrimp (marinated in coconut milk, lime, and green curry paste) served over coconut-infused whole wheat couscous. I also skewered and grilled some red and green bell pepper and red onion to serve on the side. The curry paste gave it heat, about to my tolerance level (although Jack said that it could have been spicer), and all of the exotic flavors just made this one of my new-favorite summer recipes.




* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Coconut Curry Shrimp


Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 2


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

4 ounces light coconut milk
1 large garlic clove -- crushed
1 small lime -- juiced and zested
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon green curry paste
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
12 ounces large shrimp -- peeled and deveined


4 ounces light coconut milk
4 ounces water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup couscous


1 tablespoon chopped Thai basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro


Mix coconut milk through ground pepper in a covered plastic container. Add the shrimp and marinate for 1-2 hours.


Prepare grill.


Boil water, coconut milk, and salt. Stir in coconut extract, then couscous, stir once more, cover, and steam for 5 minutes.


Thread shrimp on skewers (reserve marinade), spray with cooking spray, and grill for about 3 minutes per side, or until firm and opaque.


While shrimp cooks, place marinade (should be about 1/3 - 1/2 cup) into a glass measuring cup. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and microwave at full power for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds or so, until thickened. Add a few drops of coconut extract, if desired. Set aside.


Divide couscous between two plates, place shrimp on top (remove from skewers), drizzle sauce over, sprinkle with basil and cilantro.


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Per serving: 429 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat (4g Saturated); (19% calories from fat); 42g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 259mg Cholesterol; 525mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Grilled Ouzo Shrimp

I’m a grillin’ fiend these days. The weather is warm and I have been using the stove as little as possible lately.

One of the recipes that I have tried recently which has been transferred into my “must repeat” file for this summer is Grilled Ouzo Shrimp, found in Cuisine at Home magazine.

Because I didn’t have ouzo, I used Sambucca (an anise liquor). I bought this, oh, maybe 20 years ago and over the years have slowly used it for one thing or another. When I was getting the recipe ingredients together I was happy to note that there was only just enough liquor to make the marinade. After it was gone, I would have some more room in the cabinet. I didn’t realize how much we would like this shrimp recipe and, as a result, I now have to buy more.

Easy, easy, easy prep—mix a few ingredients together (only two require any work, and that’s mincing garlic and thyme), add the shrimp, marinate for a half hour, skewer, and grill. These turned out to be absolutely delicious, tender with a pleasantly sweetish flavor that we both enjoyed very much.

I didn’t have cherry tomatoes, and used small tomatoes which I halved and skewered separately. As a side, I made an orzo, vegetable, and feta salad which complimented the shrimp perfectly. Again, this will definitely be a repeater this summer!

Grilled Ouzo Shrimp

Don’t marinate the shrimp longer than 30 minutes. The citrus juice in the marinade will literally cook the shrimp, making them rubbery.
Makes 10 skewers.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup ouzo or anise liqueur
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cherry tomatoes (Note: Be sure the tomatoes aren’t larger than the shrimp. Otherwise, the shrimp won’t come in contact with the grill.)

Whisk together oil, ouzo, honey, lemon juice, garlic, pepper flakes, and thyme in a bowl.

Add shrimp, cover and marinate 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Thread shrimp and tomatoes onto skewers; grill until shrimp are cook through, about 15 minutes.

Cuisine at Home Issue 75

Spicy Black Bean Dip

I love making dips and spreads which can be quickly put together, chilled in the cooler for a while, and easily taken on the boat as a healthy snack.


This black bean dip absolutely rocks in every one of those prerequisites. When you start out with a can of refried beans (lowfat, of course), it's simple!


And even though it is good with refried black beans, I have also made it with refried pinto beans. I use Bearitos brand lowfat refried beans, and am consistently pleased with the results.


* Exported from MasterCook *




Spicy Black Bean Dip

Recipe By: Vicci


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 can refried black beans -- lowfat
6 ounces salsa verde -- (salsa made with tomatillos, not green chilies, as the main ingredient)
1/3 cup chopped scallions
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 large avocado -- chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice


Break up the canned refried beans in a medium bowl, add the salsa verde, and mix well.


Add scallions through salt and combine.


In a separate bowl, toss the avocado with the lime juice.


To the bean mixture, gently fold in the avocado (with any accumulated lime juice), tomatoes, and cilantro. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with crackers of baked tortilla chips.


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Per serving: 186 Calories (kcal); 16g Total Fat; (69% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 963mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 3 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates



I never have figured out how much this recipe makes, so the nutritional info is for the whole bowlful (maybe 6 generous servings???)

If I ever have any leftover, I think that I would like to spread a nice amount in a (lowfat, whole-grain) flour tortilla, add more tomatoes, lettuce, maybe shredded zucchini, lowfat cheddar, and eat as a wrap for a quick lunch. Perhaps I should just start to make a double recipe... ;)

Grilled Curried Salmon; Curried Asparagus with Cashews

I had picked enough asparagus from the garden the other night to make a side dish, and thought of a recipe I had copied from the Taste of Thai website for Curried Asparagus with Cashews. A few tweaks would be necessary to lower the fat content and adjust the heat, but suddenly I had a craving for the taste of curry. I immediately thought of grilling chicken to go with this asparagus, but we had chicken the previous evening. Then I had an idea. Salmon is a hearty fish that goes nicely with strongly-flavored spices, so I would put together a curry-inspired rub. A step further, since Jack would like this over rice I should make an appropriate sauce to serve with it. Thai flavors… the thinking cap went on and very soon we sat down to an incredible meal.

The salmon was fantastic. The rub provided a flavorful crust, and I had concocted a quick sauce which was incredibly delicious. Served with the wonderful asparagus, this meal will have to be repeated often during the summer. If you enjoy Thai or Indian food, these recipes are for you!

A note, I rarely use coconut milk because I think that using lowfat half and half and coconut extract imparts a very similar flavor and creaminess without the saturated fat which the coconut milk has. In this recipe, as in all of mine, the lowfat half and half can be subbed with coconut milk and then the coconut extract can be eliminated.

* Exported from MasterCook *


Grilled Curried Salmon

Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
10 ounces salmon fillet
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
2 teaspoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon fish sauce
3/4 teaspoon lime juice
3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon lowfat half & half -- (or regular half and half)
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 small lime -- cut into 2 wedges
1 1/2 cups hot cooked rice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Mix the curry powder though black pepper and rub into the salmon. Set aside for 10 minutes while the grill preheats and you make the sauce.

In a 2-cup glass measuring cup (or microwave safe bowl), combine the vegetable broth through red pepper flakes. Heat in the microwave until JUST boiling and thickened (whisk halfway through the cooking time to smooth it out). Remove and whisk in lowfat half & half and coconut extract. Set aside.

Grill salmon until done. Serve over rice with sauce and garnish with chopped cilantro.


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Per serving: 405 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat (2g Saturated); (19% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 74mg Cholesterol; 541mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : One tablespoon of light or regular coconut milk can be subbed for the lowfat half & half and coconut extract.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Curried Asparagus with Cashews


Servings: 4
Preparation Time :0:10

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 teaspoon red curry paste
3/4 pound asparagus -- tough ends snapped off, cut diagonally into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons cashews
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon lime juice

Melt butter and oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir fry until fragrant.

Add asparagus, cashews, and fish sauce and stir fry until the asparagus is tender-crisp (about 4-6 minutes, depending on
the the thickness of the stalks).

Remove from heat, sprinkle with lime juice, toss to combine and serve immediately.

Source:
"adapted from ATasteOfThai.com"
Start to Finish Time:
"0:20"

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Per serving: 64 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat (1g Saturated); (69% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 3mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium



A few years ago I was talking with a new acquaintance, trying to decide on a place to meet for lunch, and I mentioned that I loved a certain Indian restaurant not too far from where she works. "I don't think so", she replied. "I don't like that kind of food and I'm not a curry girl."

Not too surprisingly, we never did meet for lunch and I don't think that we've even been in touch for a couple of years now!


I AM a curry girl!!!! :D