Red Thai Curry (Gaeng Peht Gai)

2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk, unshaken
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon red curry paste, or to taste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken*, cut into chunks
1 small onion, cut into chunks
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
Ginger (optional)**
Garlic (optional)**
Lemon grass (optional)**
Bamboo Shoots (optional)***
Eggplant (optional)***
Potato (optional)***
Sweet potato (optional)***
Green beans (optional)***
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (garnish)
Fresh lime juice (garnish)
Jasmine or sticky rice

Carefully open cans of coconut milk, spoon thick coconut cream from top and put into wok, frying pan or medium saucepan.
Heat over medium-high heat until bubbly.
Add curry paste and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until an oily sheen comes to the surface.
Optional additions: If adding garlic, ginger, and lemon grass to enhance the curry, add with curry paste.

Add chicken, stir to coat with curry paste, and fry 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add remaining coconut milk from cans, along with onion.
Optional additions: If adding other vegetables, add with coconut milk.

Simmer gently 15 minutes or until chicken and onion are cooked. Add fish sauce and palm sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Stir in fresh basil leaves and lime juice to taste.
Serve with jasmine rice or sticky rice.
Yields 4 servings.

* To substitute for chicken use: 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, or 1 pound pork or beef, cut into thin slices; or 1 pound firm white fish, cut into serving-size pieces.

** Add one or more of the following herbs to curry paste and stir-fry: 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 slices ginger, crushed; 1 stalk lemon grass, peeled and sliced diagonally, using lower third of stalk only.
Remove whole spices before serving.

*** Add one or more vegetables to curry with coconut milk just before simmering: One 8-ounce can drained, sliced bamboo shoots; 1 small eggplant, diced; one potato or sweet potato, parboiled and cut into chunks; fresh green beans.

Thai Pork and Pineapple (Ma Ho)

“Ma Ho” means “galloping horses.”

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground pork
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1 small pineapple, pared, cored and
cut into slices
Snipped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in wok or 10-inch skillet until hot.
Stir-fry garlic until light brown.
Add pork; stir-fry until brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon off fat.
Add peppers, sugar and fish sauce; stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add peanuts and 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir-fry 1 minute. Spoon pork mixture onto pineapple slices.
Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with hot cooked rice.

Yields 4 servings.

Thai Chile Beef

1 round steak (or stew meat)
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon hot pepper
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup young baby corn
1 onion
1/2 cup water or beef broth
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Slice the steak into paper thin slices (if it is frozen partly or very cold this is easier.) Cut into slices 2 x 1-inch thick. Marinate for 1 hour in the ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder and flour.

Stir-fry in the oil for 2 minutes the hot pepper, bell pepper, mushrooms, corn and onion.

Add the water and cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add the sauces.
Toss lightly and serve over rice.

Makes 2 servings.