Warming Up with Tom Ka

I should have known that the mere mention of Tom Ka Gai would make me crave the delicious Thai soup, especially with the current cold snap that's taken over nearly the entire nation. The blend of sweet and sour combined with the curry and red pepper flakes warms me to the bone, and the Authentic Thai Coconut Soup recipe that I always use from All Recipes is easily adaptable to whatever I happen to have in my fridge.

Although previously I always used the shrimp called for in the recipe, I've since learned that shrimp are not the most environmentally friendly seafood to eat (although there are better options, according to Seafood Watch). This time, I instead used a couple of shredded chicken breasts from a roasted chicken &emdash; whose carcass was also used to make the chicken stock I substituted for the water called for in the recipe.

And instead of shiitake mushrooms, I sauteed in coconut oil 8 ounces each of enoki and king oyster mushrooms and added that to the soup instead. One of the important tips I learned in my aforementioned "Food and Medicinal Mushrooms" class is that mushrooms should always be eaten cooked because our bodies are unable to break down their cell walls. And when I say cooked, I mean cooked. That means after they release all of their liquids, keep on cooking them until they start to brown and dry. You will notice a much more potent flavor and a meatier texture &emdash; please give it a try and let me know what you think!

I also added a few fried tofu cubes sliced in 1/4-inch slices to each bowl, and garnished the soup with both green onions and fresh chopped basil. End result? Delicious!

Coconut Couscous with Prawns inspires

I realize that including recipes in Ruining Mom's Recipes that I found in the coupon section of the local paper has absolutely nothing to do with ruining mom's recipes, and for that I apologize. But honestly, since I started working full time again, it's been a bit difficult for me to find the inspiration to make new dishes as frequently as when my workload was a little more flexible (hence the slowdown in blog activity, again, I apologize).

My cooking magazines are stacking up, untried recipes marked and patiently waiting for a second glance. Meanwhile, the recipe I cut out from the Near East coupon page just a few day has been sitting on the counter, calling out to me: "You want Bangkok Prawns With Coconut-Infused Couscous." They are sneaky like that.

So finally, after weeks of tried and true recipes, I gave this newbie a try, and I will definitely be making it again. This is adapted from the Near East website (you have to find the recipe yourself because there's no permalink):

Bangkok Prawns With Coconut-Infused Couscous
For the couscous:
3/4 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 T. soy sauce
1/8 t. turmeric
1-1/4 c. couscous

For the prawns:
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 t. ginger, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds removed if you're a wussy like me)
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 lb. large shrimp, deveined and shelled
3/4 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. lime juice
1/2 t. turmeric
1 T. cornstarch mixed with 2 T. chicken broth

Make the couscous: Bring the coconut milk, chicken broth, scallions, soy sauce and turmeric to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the couscous, stir, then remove from heat and cover. Let set for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.

Meanwhile, make the prawns: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno, and stir for about 1 minute. Add the prawns and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the coconut milk, chicken broth, lime juice, turmeric and cornstarch slurry. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until thick, then serve over the couscous.

(The asparagus was coated with about 1 T. olive oil, 1/8 t. garlic salt, 1/8 t. kosher salt, 1/4 t. Mrs. Dash Garlic Seasoning and a dash of pepper, then roasted for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees F. It's a no-fail dish!)

And Thanksgiving planning has begun

I might have had a bit too much fun at Oktoberfest because last week I got hit with my first major cold of the season. For most of the week, I was pretty much worthless in the kitchen, although I did manage to make my favorite Big Apple Pancake with hash browns and bacon when my appetite finally began to return.

But even without an appetite, I still wanted to cook so badly that I spent possibly hours scouring November's edition of Food & Wine, and I even woke up early one morning to plan Thanksgiving. I know it's a bit early, but I thought a little forward thinking would give me time to give a few of the dishes a test drive this year.

I was particularly intrigued by the Asian-American Thanksgiving feast from chef Joanne Chang, whose Pan-Asian flavors might appeal a bit more to my Asian relatives than the more traditional Thanksgiving recipes. But one look (it was actually more like six) at the Soy-Sauce-and-Honey-Glazed Turkey and I knew that I would have to be a much more advanced cook to pull that off with a home full of people.

Instead, I think we're going to stick with the brining theme with this Pimenton-Brined Turkey, because it both shortens the cooking time and diminishes the need for frequent basting, which is just more realistic for me. The accompanying side dishes: Smoky Chorizo Stuffing; and Creamed Haricot Vert and Corn Casserole.

Not that I've completely ruled out the Asian-American Thanksgiving, especially after my delicious success last night with its Thai Red-Curry Squash Soup (pictured above with Creamy Chicken-and-Mushroom Fricassee). Considering how much my family loved the last Roasted Butternut Squash soup I made them, this curry-coconut soup that's smooth like butter would definitely be just as much of a hit.

And, of course, there's always next year.

Halibut with Thai curry passes the test

Mom's the kind of person you simply avoid cooking for. Everything's too greasy, too creamy, too cheesy, etc. But there are a few dishes that actually pass the Mom test, and very few of them are easy to make.

However, I can share one dish that is relatively simple, and it also happens to be one of the first that made me actually feel like a success in the kitchen. It might have still been too creamy for her taste, but it had to have been good enough, or everyone at the table would have known.

I first found the recipe in Bon Appetit back in October 2004 in the "Readers' Favorite Restaurant Recipes" section. I looked up the restaurant, Eartha's in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., but its Web site is down and there's very little new info. Guess I'll just assume the worst in this economy. But thank you, Eartha, for this delicious dish! Anyhoo, I seem to be unable to now locate the recipe on Epicurious, so I guess I'll just have to type out my cellophane-covered recipe (how geeky but yet intelligent is that?).

A few notes about the recipe. I am now channeling Mom when I say, "4 tablespoons of butter?!" One or two tablespoons are more than enough, really. I mean, who ever heard of bok choy and butter anyway (it's actually quite tasty, which I can admit since Mom doesn't read my blog because she can't stand to look at "the box")? And also, I had a hard time finding yellow curry paste until I found a huge tub of it at Uwajimaya. So let me know if you'd like to borrow some! Oh yeah, and as you may have noticed from the picture, I forgot the green onion tops. I always forget the garnish! And lastly, if you're looking for nice halibut but don't want to pay Whole Food prices, I got my cut at Costco and it was quite perfect.

And here's what you've been waiting for:

Roasted Halibut With Shitake and Bok Choy in Thai Curry Sauce
1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 c. low-salt chicken broth
1 T. yellow curry paste
1 T. curry powder
1 T. (or more) fresh lemon juice (optional)
2 T. vegetable oil
4 6- to 8-ounce halibut fillets (about 1-inch thick)
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1-1/2 pounds shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 pound baby bok choy, leaves separated from core
1 cup chopped green onion tops

Preheat oven to 450 F. Bring coconut milk, chicken broth, curry paste and curry powder to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice to taste.

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large nonstick ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle halibut with salt and pepper. Add fish to skillet and sear until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn fish over and place skillet in oven. Roast fish until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add bok choy; saute until leaves begin to wilt and stems soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Season vegetable mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1 tablespoon curry sauce onto each of 4 plates. Top with vegetable mixture, then fish. Spoon remaining sauce over fish, sprinkle with green onions and serve.