Peanut Veggie Pasta Salad

I originally found this recipe on Tasty and tried to follow the recipe exactly. But, to make the recipe easier, I’ve provided some notes below.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. Sriracha [Jen’s Note: Omit for less spice. People can add the Sriracha on if they want it spicy.]
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. ginger /minced
3 cloves garlic /minced [Jen’s Note: This is a lot of garlic, but pasta can take a lot of garlic, just be prepared for the garlic after taste.]
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Box Whole Grain Linguine (or any pasta will do)
1 cup carrots /finely cut into matchsticks
2 cucumbers /shaved using vegetable peeler [Jen’s Note: I didn’t want long pieces of cucumber, so I cut cucumber lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, then cut into 1/4″ thick crescent shaped pieces.]
1 red bell pepper /thinly sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper /thinly sliced into strips
1/2 cup green onion /sliced
1/4 cup cilantro /chopped
1/4 cup peanuts /chopped

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to instructions on the box. Drain and run cooked pasta under cold water to cool. [Jen’s Note: Break the noodles in half so it’s easier to cook, mix and even easier to eat later. I used regular spaghetti and it worked great.]

In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha, water, minced ginger, minced garlic, and brown sugar. [Jen’s Note: Don’t try to wisk this together. It makes one heck of a mess. Instead, use a high powered blender to get the consistently creamy sauce that will incorporate the sauce ingredients better for even flavor.]

Combine pasta with sliced vegetables. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and mix well. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving. [Jen’s Note: Use a deep bowl for combining and one with a lot of space over the top otherwise you’ll find it’s hard to mix this all together.]

Garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts. [Jen’s Note: Also consider adding 2 tablespoons sesame seeds for added crunch and texture.]

I’ll see you at the table!

Recipe: Thai Coconut Chicken

I haven’t cooked this favorite recipe for years, but had a dear friend ask me for the recipe again, which I happily obliged. I love it when old friends continue to enjoy my recipes again and again… brings me much joy to my heart!

For you, sweet Lisa! xo

Thai Coconut Chicken: serves 4

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2-14 oz can coconut milk
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot julienne sliced
1 medium broccoli crown, cut into small florets
Olive oil
1 while onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Dry rub ingredients:
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t like spicy)
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish:
1 bunch of cilantro, rough chop
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
1 cup of crushed peanuts
Spicy chili sauce – my favorite is Sriracha

Directions:
Using a gallon sized Ziploc bag, add all the dry rub ingredients and shake to mix together. Add raw chicken breasts and seal, leaving some air in the bag. Shake the bag to coat the chicken breasts evenly. Rub it around from the outside, if needed. Place in bowl and put in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.

In large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the onions and garlic, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

Add the chicken and brown for 1-2 minutes per side. Be careful to not let the chicken breasts cook in one place in the pan for too long because will burn and rip off a section of the meat. Your goal is to keep the chicken breasts in one piece so that the juices will sear into the meat.

Slowly pour in the coconut milk and scrape up all the seasoning and bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over halfway through and stir the coconut milk to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan, plus helps to loosen all the yummy bits of cooked onion and spices and blend into the coconut milk. You’ll notice the milk turning a yellowish/orange color from the spices.

Add bell pepper, carrots and broccoli and stir until covered with the coconut milk. Cover and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve immediately. Best served over rice – I prefer black rice or basmati rice. For garnish, toppings of cilantro, lime, peanuts and chili sauce are the best. I love it all, but best to allow others to choose how they want to garnish, so put these in individual bowls on the table for self serving.

To my old friends and new friends, enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Pawit’s Royal Thai Cuisine – Utah

pawits-thai

Restaurant review: Finally made it to Pawit’s Royal Thai Cuisine in Holladay, Utah. Fantastic fresh Thai dishes! We enjoyed curry puffs and sticky rice with peanut sauce for appetizers. Their house green salad was huge and a whole sliced mango (I saved some for dessert). The Tom Kha soup is on the sweet side, but lots of veggies. The Spicy Tofu dish is fantastic… Plenty of veggies and the sauce has some kick! If you want the “real” Sriracha, ask for it on the side… Use sparingly, unless you like your taste buds fried. Great restaurant for date night, family meals out or business lunch. Kind and helpful wait staff. Make sure to check out the bathroom…

Product Review: Trader Joe’s Thai Vegetable Kao Soi.

trader-joes-thai

While the coconut milk soup was tasty, the vegetables offered nothing. Perhaps cooked too long or the soup was too flavorful, the veggies were soft and flavorless. There wasn’t nearly enough veggies or noodles to make this a full meal. For a quick freezer meal, I won’t be picking this one up again. Sorry, but back to the drawing board Trader Joes.

Restaurant Review: Thailand Restaurant – Utah

thailand-restaurant-draperThailand Restaurant in Draper.

Veggie spicy pad ped, Tom ka, veggie egg rolls? Yes, please! Thai House in Draper was sold and renamed to Thailand Restaurant. Same great location, food is pretty good too. My only gripe was not enough wait staff for busy lunch, otherwise great location for business lunch.

Restaurant Review: Thai Basil – Utah

thai-basil-slcDinner out with new investor friends. Fresh, crisp veggies, flavorful sauces, decent portion sizes. Great variety of veggie, vegan and meat dishes. We enjoyed pineapple curry, pad siew, egg rolls, potstickers, basil tofu stir fry. Quick, nice service. Great spot for business meal, family outings and date nights.

Restaurant Review: Tea Rose Diner – Utah

tea-rose-dinerLooking for some amazing Thai in Salt Lake County? Check out Tea Rose Diner, in Murray. Swai fish stir fry, pineapple curry, veggie pad thai, sweet thai basil with tofu… fantastic! Friendly service, reasonable prices, simple ambiance. Great spot if you have both meat and veggie eaters in your party.

Restaurant Review: Red Basil Thai Bistro – Utah

red thai1If you’re looking for a good Thai restaurant on the south-west side of Salt Lake, check out Red Basil Thai Bistro on 9000 South and 1600 West.

Their review on UrbanSpoon show that most patrons enjoy the curries… I have to agree that their curries are better than their noodle dishes. I’ve previously eaten at Red Basil Thai for a business lunch and the Pad Si Ew… it was ewwww and I won’t get it again. It was toooily and not flavorful enough.

For dinner, their Pad Thai was pretty good. I’m glad that my friend, Becki, ordered with extra veggies because it added fresh crispness to the noodles.
red thai2

The Massaman Curry with chicken was really flavorful with the perfect creaminess. (VEGAN TIP: When your dinner companion wants meat, just go with it and eat around the meat. Makes for more comfortable dining experience.)

The Tom Kha Soup was loaded with yummy veggies and tofu chunks… perfect way to keep the winter chill away. This was one of the better tom kha’s that I’ve eaten over the years.

redthai3

What I don’t like about Red Basil Thai Bistro: Their service is slow. It was great for a leisurely
paced dinner out with friends, but the slow service bugs for a quick business lunch. Apparently other people have this same problem too, according to UrbanSpoon.