Happy New Year! I hope your celebrations were plentiful and your resolutions do-able! I know that when I return from Mexico, I will definitely be eating a little lighter than I was through the heady days of December’s party season and through our vacation (can you say “more eggs than you can poke a stick at?” LOL!). The choices I made for my RSVP Redux entries for November and December were deliberate, knowing I would be posting them at the beginning of a new year when everyone would be vowing to eat lighter.
As soon as I laid eyes on the November issue of Bon Appétit, I knew that the RSVP recipe I would make would the the Panang Curry. Around the time that issue arrived, I was extremely busy at work and with grad school (oh, you know and the blog!) and was making large batches of food ahead of time so that we would have proper food through the week for dinner and so that Neil would not have to raid the vending machine for lunch. I whipped this curry up in about 10 minutes, so fast, in fact, that Neil had no idea I had even made it so the day I sent it for lunch, he emailed me “I don’t know where that curry came from but it was GOOD!”. It’s rare that a lunch merits an email so I knew this was a winner!
This version of the favorite Thai classic is both bright and warming.
6 servings
Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
8 kaffir lime leaves
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
2 large leafy sprigs Thai basil or regular basil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/4-to 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 2×1/4-inch strips
1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained
4 teaspoons tamarind paste
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Steamed rice
Ingredient Info
Unsweetened coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, tamarind paste, and fish sauce can be found in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets. Kaffir lime leaves are sold frozen or sometimes fresh at Asian markets. If the lime leaves are unavailable, use 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel for each leaf.
Preparation
Heat 1/2 cup coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, and kaffir lime leaves in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 cups coconut milk, onion, and basil sprigs; bring to boil. Continue to boil until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken, bell pepper, bamboo shoots, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.
The December choice came about partly by choice, partly by necessity – I knew I wouldn’t be making it until the last days before leaving for vacation so I made sure to have the necessary ingredients on hand. I liked the look of the Mixed Greens with Pears, Walnuts, Gorgonzola, and Green-Tea Vinaigrette for a quick weekday lunch amidst the December chaos!
Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
4 servings
Ingredients
2 tbsp Champagne vinegar
1tbsp minced shallot
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried basil
1tsp matcha green-tea powder*
3 tbsp corn oil
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cups loosely packed mixed greens
2 pears, peeled, halved lengthways, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Method
Purée vinegar, shallow, chives, mustard, basil and matcha in processor. WIth machine running, gradually add corn oil and olive oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
Place mixed greens, pear wedges, toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese in a large bowl. Ass 1/3 cup vinaigrette to salad and toss to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad amongst plates and serve, passing remaining vinaigrette alongside.
*Matcha is a powder made from finely ground, dried green tea leaves, available in specialty or health food stores.
This was a super tasty salad – loved the tang of the vinaigrette and the green tea definitely added a lovely, unusual zing to the salad. I kept my pears with the peel on because I like the look of them but also because I happen to quite like pear skin. This would be a nice salad to start a dinner if you were entertaining friends – it’s very elegant yet so simple. Loved it!
Want to join in the fun?
Subscribe to Bon Appétit here and join RSVP Redux – we’d love to have you cook along with us!
Got plans for a curry today…and the keffir lime leaves are just the touch! Yay to 2011!
I love the zing they add!
Thank you so much for posting lighter recipes. 🙂 We’re taking a 21-day meat fee oath, so I’m looking for non-meat recipes to collect and try. Think the panang would be great with shrimp, so going to give that a go and see what happens! Happy New Year to you, and have a great time in Mexico!!
[K]
Yes the panang would be GREAT with shrimp! Enjoy!
Mmm….I like the sounds of that salad and the use of matcha. Nice!
It made a nice flavour combination!
These are indeed great suggestions for the post-holidays period! I feel I cannot eat one more cookie this season. I didn’t think I would have ever said that in my life 🙂
Happy New Year and have fun in Mexico!
No. More. Cookies!
One of the things I miss the most about traveling is my Bon Appetit subscription. When I got it each month I would fold half the pages over because I wanted to make so many recipes in it.
I can’t make curries here in Ecuador we just don’t have the ingredients. On a depressing note, I went on Epicurious.com yesterday to find the proportions for alfredo sauce and the first 3 recipes with alfredo used sauce from a jar.
How odd.
Oh that is sad both about lack of ingredients (though I am not surprised) and the pasta sauce 🙁
Oh I need this – after all that NYE food, I can really go for a detox. Thank you for sharing!
Exactly my thinking in posting them!
oh, great idea with the panang curry. that’s my favorite dish to order at Thai restaurants. thanks for posting this, i can’t wait to try it out in the new year. do you have tips on where to find some of the more obscure ingredients?
I find that in Asian supermarkets or health food stores you can find pretty much everything you need.
mmmm, both look good! panang curry is one of my favorite thai dishes and one of the standards – along with tofu pad thai – by which i judge the new thai restaurants that seem to pop up around here every few months. i figure if you can’t make this basic staple, and make it well, the rest of your menu probably isn’t all that hot either. i’ve never tried making it here at home, but this recipe looks easy enough that i just might have to change that!
Cathy this recipe is so easy and easy to customise, you won’t be sorry!
I am definitely going to have to make the curry. Easy and light is a dream combination!
Jason
Agreed! 🙂
We love Thai curries in our house. This recipe looks much easier than the one I use already. Will have to try it!
Yes I mean it’s probably not the most authentic but it’s flavourful!
Happy 2011 Mardi! Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and joyous 2011! I love both the curry and the salad – I had bookmarked both of those to try so it was great to read that they are indeed winners!
Participating in RSVP Redux is definitely on my resolution list this year!!
Oh you should Nancy – it’s so fun to see what people make each month!
I am definitely heading into lighter meals arena as well….
I think we all are 😉
You made that curry sound absolutely delicious! And so quick to make? I’m sold!
Yes it’s a winner!
Made and loved both of these; I go into a salad mode after the holidays; even those this season I didn’t feel like I overdid it, I’m just ready for lighter fare and not a cookie in site. Thanks for participating in RSVP Redux and now will hold Nancy to it!
I was so pleased with how these both came out!
I love the look of those mixed greens… That’s definitely a recipe that I would like. I’m still trying to find the courage to attempt curry.