Mountains! Beach! or Both!…

If you know me, then you know that I love to go out and eat Thai food for lunch.  I first was introduced to Thai food during an office lunch about 3 years ago…and I was hooked.  Since then I have eaten at most of the Thai restaurants in the Tampa Bay area and have talked Brandie, Debbie, Amanda, Kelly, and Andy in to joining me.  Thanks to Courtney, my latest favorite dining spot is Ban Thai in Safety Harbor…Yum Yum.

This year for mother’s day Brandie gave me this cookbook, World Kitchens – Thai.  She decided that it was time for me to venture out and to start cooking my own Thai food.  I have read this cookbook from front to back and it is without hesitation that I say it is intimidating.  There is a wonderful Oriental market in south Tampa and soon I will begin experimenting with different curry’s….so keep your fingers crossed.

As I was preparing this dish Andy began to circle the kitchen, so I knew that the smell must have been drawing him in.  As you’ll read in the instructions, the biggest problem that I had was not being able to use spring roll sheets, but the egg roll sheets worked out just fine.  I also had the oil just a little too hot, so I went ahead and cooked the filler in a skillet to make sure that the shrimp weren’t left raw in the middle of each bag. 

Andy loved them and he even gave me a wonderful unsolicited comment.  He said, “You know what I love about your cooking…you always try things that are different to you”…oh sigh…love him!  :O) 

Gold Bags

• 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped or 1/2 pound of chicken or pork, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped canned water chesnuts
• 3-4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbl oyster sauce
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• about 10 scallions for ties
• 2 Tbl all-purpose flour
• 40 spring roll sheets, 5 inch squares (I used egg roll sheets)
• peanut oil, for deep-frying
• a chili sauce to serve

Using a food processor or blender, chop the shrimp, chicken, or pork to a fine paste.  I used shrimp.  Transfer to a bowl and combine with the chopped water chesnuts, garlic, scallions, oyster sauce, white pepper, and salt.

To make scallion ties, cut each into 2-3 strips, using only the longest green parts, then soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes, or until soft.  Drain, then dry on kitchen towels.

Mix the flour and 6 fl oz cold water in a small saucepan until smooth.  Stir and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until thick.

Place 3 spring roll sheets in front of you and keep the remaining sheets in the plastic bad to prevent them drying out.  (Now, I looked all over Publix for spring roll sheets and couldn’t find them…eventually, I asked for help and ended up in the produce section looking at wonton sheets and egg roll sheets.  My guess is in order to get spring roll sheets you would need to go to an oriental market or maybe even a specialty grocery store such as Whole Foods.  I picked the egg roll sheets).  Spoon 2 teaspoons of filling into the middle of each sheet.  Brush around the filling with flour paste, then pull up into a bag and pinch together to enclose the filling.  Place on a tray that is lightly dusted with all-purpose flour.  Repeat until you have used all the filling and sheets.  Tie a piece of scallion twice around each bag and tie in a knot.  Use chives if you prefer.  (I was a little nervous handling all of these little bags so I really only did one or two at a time).

Heat 3 inches oil in a wok or deep-frying pan over medium heat.  When the oil seems hot, drop a small pice of spring roll sheet into it.  If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.  It is important not to have the oil too hot or the gold bags will cook too quickly and brown.  Lower four bags into the oil and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes until they start to go hard.  Lower another three or four bags into the oil and deep-fry them all together.  To help cook the tops, splash the oil over the tops and deep-fry for 7-10 minutes, or until golden and crispy.  As each batch is cooked, lift the bags out with a slotted spoon and add another batch.  Drain on paper towels.  Keep the gold bags warm while deep-frying the rest.  Serve with a chili sauce.

Should your gold bags not turn out the way you would want them too…you can always make egg rolls….  :O)

This is the Chili Sauce that I used.  You can’t go wrong with any of the “Taste of Asia” products…

This recipe comes from Cuisine Soups Stews and Chilies.  I picked up the magazine at Fresh Market last week and I am in love with the recipes.  So over the next couple of weeks if you are wondering why I am making so many stews…this is why.  Here’s the magazines description of this dish and I couldn’t agree more…

Creamy, cheesy, and as “corny as the midwest in August,” this chowder is so good, it’s worth steaming up the kitchen in order to take advantage of one of summer’s finest foods.  But don’t worry – the soup is still fantastic with frozen or canned corn.

Cheese and Corn Chowder

• 5 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
• 2 Tlb unsalted butter
• 2 Tlb olive oil
• 2 cups diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 8 ears fresh corn, shucked, trimmed (4-5 cups kernels; frozen or canned)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 oz cream cheese
• minced fresh chives

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon until later.  Pour off drippings, wipe out pot with a paper towel, and return to burner.

Melt butter with oil in same pot, add onion and celery, and sweat until soft, 7-8 minutes.  Stir in flour, thyme, salt, cayenne, and turmeric; cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, potatoes, and corn kernels.  Bring chowder to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.

Stir in cream, Cheddar, cream cheese, and reserved bacon; simmer until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.  Do not let chowder boil, or it will curdle.  Garnish each serving of chowder with chives.

Crab Cakes

• 1 cup panko crumbs
• 1 1/4 cups lump crabmeat (1/2 lb)
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle with 1/4 cup panko.

Combine crabmeat, 1/2 cup panko, bell pepper, chives, Old Bay, pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl, then gently fold into crab mixture.

Form cakes on prepared baking sheet using generous tablespoons of crab mixture.  Press cakes into crumbs to flatten, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup panko; chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Fry half the cakes in 2 Tbl oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until golden, 1-2 minutes per side.  Drain cakes on a paper-towel-lined plate.  Repeat frying with remaining crab cakes and oil.

Grilled Ratatouille Salad

• 1 small eggplant
• Kosher salt
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 small red onion
• 3 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbl plus 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds.  Soak in a bowl of lightly salted water, 15 to 20 minutes; drain and squeeze out the excess moisture.

Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and zucchini into 1/2 inch thick rounds.  Stem and seed the bell pepper; slice the pepper and onion into 1/2 inch thick rings.

Heat a grill or a grill pan to medium high.  Brush the vegetables with the olive oil on both sides and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.  Grill the vegetables (in batches if necessary), turning, until soft and marked, about 6 minutes for the tomatoes, 7 to 8 minutes for the bell pepper, onion and zucchini, and about 10 minutes for the eggplant.  Let cool.

Drizzle the vegetables with the vinegar.  Divide the zucchini and eggplant among plates and arrange ina circle, overlapping slightly.  Top with the bell pepper, tomato and onion.  Sprinkle with the basil.