As we have mentioned, January is not our favorite time of year. Mostly, the month leaves us wanting to take vacation. Often this is not possible. Then you have two choices: while away the winter waiting for a vacation to arrive on a silver platter, or make your own vacation. I recommend the latter (unless you normally get your vacations on silver platters).
Faced with this common dilemma last weekend, I decided it was high time I treated the family to a trip to Thailand. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen, but with all the snow and cold here and all the not snow and cold there, the timing seemed perfect. My brain needed at least some semblance of Thailand, and it definitely wasn’t going to be the weather. So, I did the thing I normally do when I’m frustrated, I decided to cook dinner. Then, it hit me like a snowball from the punk middle-schoolers across the street, food was the key to Thailand — to anywhere, really. A quick trip to the grocery store brought Thailand so close I could taste it. I launched my voyage with a pot of soup and a couple of stovetop flatbreads. Even though I only actually traveled from the stove to my own kitchen table, I felt a little like I’d arrived in Thailand as I saw the curry soup sitting joyfully on the table and the flatbread perched against it.
One night in Bankok and the world’s your oyster, it wasn’t Thailand but the trip was free. You’ll find a god in every golden sipful. It was just my kitchen but enough for me.
Thai Curry Soup
1 tbs. olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tbs. red curry paste
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cans reduced fat coconut milk
2 tbs. brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cups peeled/deveined shrimp (fully cooked)
1 lime, juiced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped kale (or spinach)
1. Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat with garlic, carrots, and onions. Add curry paste after about a minute
2. Add broth, coconut milk and brown sugar and stir until the curry past dissolves. Add mushrooms. Allow to simmer while you prepare your other ingredients.
3. After 10-20 min add shrimp, lime juice, cilantro and kale. Allow to simmer until the kale is softened.
Stovetop Flatbread
1 pkg. dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
4 1/2 flour
1/4 butter
1. Dissolve the brown sugar and yeast into the water and let sit for about ten minutes.
2. Mix together salt and flour in a large mixing bowl, and slowly add the yeast mixture and the beaten egg. Mix thoroughly.
3. On a floured surface knead the dough for about five minutes, or until its elastic. Let rise in a warm place for about any hour.
4. Divide dough into 6 portions and flatten each portion until its thin
5. Brown about a tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium high heat and place one portion of flatten bread on the pan and cook each side until it’s blistered brown (replace butter with each portion of bread). Enjoy with soup or alone!
http://backpackerlee.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/thai-foodporn