September 4, 2011: Thai Red Curry Paste Recipe

I’ve been looking for Thai red curry paste at my local grocery store for some time now (it’s used in yummy curry sauces) – with no luck. I just happened to find this recipe online recently and I was ecstatic! I didn’t have exactly the ingredients as listed so I made some slight substitutions and this is what I came up with. Try it and see what you think.

Thai Red Curry Paste

3 T. red chili sauce

2 shallots, coarsely chopped

1 t. peppercorns

2 ½ t. cumin seeds

1 ½ T. coriander seeds

2 T. fresh or dehydrated cilantro

1 t. lemon balm

1 t. salt

2 t. paprika (for color)

1 t. curry powder

2 t. finely chopped lemon or lime peel

1 t. minced ginger

2 t. Asian fish sauce

1 T. vegetable oil

Using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, grind the whole spices to a fine powder. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add more oil or a little bit of water, if necessary, to make a smooth paste.

Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If desired, you can freeze any remaining paste in baggies or ice cube trays (when frozen pop the cubes into baggies or a plastic container).

June 21, 2011: Asian Spiced Pork with Sugar Snap Peas Recipe

I was looking for something new to do with pork chops the other day… Yes, I enjoy grilling them in these hot summer months but that gets old, particularly when I’m feeding a very picky husband and niece. So I decided to take four pork chops and slice them to make a Chinese main dish. But I wanted something new so I consulted my Hot, Hotter, Hottest chile cookbook. I took the basics of a Thai-style sauce and gave it my Candy spin to come up with this recipe.

Asian Spiced Pork with Sugar Snap Peas

1 ½ lbs. pork chops, trimmed of fat and bones and thinly sliced
One 2” piece of cinnamon stick
1 t. fennel seeds
1 T. coriander seeds
1 T. black peppercorns
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. minced ginger
2 t. Hunan red chili sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
One 1 lb. package sugar snap peas

Sauce:
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. sesame oil
2 T. soy sauce
2/3 cups chicken stock

Combine the cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to toast the spices until fragrant. Remove from heat and crush finely.

Combine one teaspoon of the crushed spice mixture (save the rest to use in place of Chinese five spice powder) with remaining ingredients up to soy sauce; add pork slices. Marinate for at least half an hour.

Heat a wok or large skillet to medium high heat. Coat the bottom with about one tablespoon of vegetable or peanut oil. Slowly add the pork, being careful not to splash oil on yourself. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the pork is browned on all sides. Add the sugar snap peas, stirring constantly. Cook for a couple minutes, until the peas are bright but not soft.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Reduce skillet or wok heat to medium low and slowly pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, for a couple more minutes until sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice.

Serves four.