Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Thai Stir-Fry w/Rice Noodles

Thai Stir-fry w/Rice Noodles by annbumbly
Thai Stir-Fry with Rice Noodles
(First and foremost, I do apologize for my photographic skills - well, actually, lack thereof! Most of my pictures are taken around dinner time and, as anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of photography is aware of, unless you have good camera lighting equipment, natural dayligh,t and not just the camera's flash, is most definitely the only way to go! However, I will guarantee you that tho the pictures leave a lot to be desired, the food does not! What's found here is not only tried & true, but scrumptious - and much better tasting than any stinkin' photo looks like!)

Though our youngest daughter Brynnly has been in the food industry, both front and back of the house for, well, forever - and can she ever create one mean skillet of food - she's not the only good cook in our family. Eldest daughter Remy is turning out to be one mean cook as well. And it doesn't hurt that she spent the last year in Missouri cooking with her grandmother - who is one of the finest amateur chefs we've every known. Mom/Grandma Mary has always cooked healthfully, seasonally and innovatively long long before it became the only way to cook. I think the only processed food (if you can call it that) we ever had as children was orange-flavored Hi-C drink. Wonder if it's still made...
Now that Rem is home for the few weeks before she's off to her next adventure teaching in Haiti, she's more or less taken over my kitchen on the nights she's home. I thought I'd be bothered by this as I love to cook as well. Surprisingly, I'm not missin' cookin' one little bit! Rem's dad, on the other hand, isn't as keen on her cooking as she makes lots and lots of veggies, beans and whole grains. I've spoiled the man. Yes...there are Kraft Macaroni & Cheese boxes in our pantry (sigh). 
Remy threw the following together the other night using what she found in the pantry and fridge, and, yes, I really did happen to have rice noodles and canned unsweetened coconut milk in the pantry. I'm sure I was going to try some fancy-schmancy new recipe and then promptly talked myself out of it.  
We served it with chicken breasts that were pounded to be the same thickness, marinated for and hour and then char-grilled. 

~This one's a throw 'n go from start to finish!~


The Sauce: 
1 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (not the one in the dairy case)
3 tablespoons+/- soy sauce
3 tablespoons+/- rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Whole Foods brand Thai curry peanut dry mix*

*if you can't get to Whole Foods, use a mixture of curry and cayenne pepper. I'm sure there is also garlic powder and tumeric in there as well. It is very spicy!

Mix all in bowl and set aside.

The noodles: 
1 package rice noodles - we used the "A Taste of Thai" brand thin flat noodles - cooked almost to package directions, but undercook just a bit. When done, drain and cover; set aside.

The veggie stir-fry:
While you can use any veggie combination that suits your fancy, below is what Rem used as it's what was in the fridge. Just remember to put your veggies in the pan from what needs to saute the longest to what cooks in the shortest amount of time. The first group of ingredients, the stir-fry base are a must; the second group, up to you.

The stir-fry base:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat the skillet plus extra if needed
4 - 8 cloves garlic, minced (amount to your taste - we love garlic!)
1" - 2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (amount to your taste - we love ginger, too!)
juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
large onion, halved across, the each sliced in half again. Slice in slivers from top to bottom

Saute in the olive oil all of the above for 5 or so minutes over medium high heat. Then add your other veggies in the order of what will cook longest to shortest. Below is what Rem used:

The whatever you want veggie combo:
red pepper, sliced into strips
broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
sugar snap and snow peas, stemmed
frozen peas

Add the veggies in order of the cooking time needed. Toward the end, add the sauce and cook until all is well blended, about 5 - 9 minutes. Add the pasta and stir again till all is blended. Taste and correct seasonings - a splash of soy sauce, a dash of Kosher salt, a touch more ginger, a splash of lemon juice; stir...then serve and enjoy!


~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again!
xoabb

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