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I’m currently having a love affair with Thai food. It’s one of my favourite cuisines out there. It’s not only incredibly tasty but also very, very healthy. It is one of the few cuisines that takes most of its flavour influences from pastes made from all natural ingredients; usually spices and herbs mixed with shallots, garlic, and ginger. Couple that with a coconut base and you have food that is as good for you as it is tasty, a perfect mix in my book!
Thai One On Tonight: Perfect Pad Thai
I’ve had the great fortune to spend some time in Thailand studying cooking and ingredients and have been experimenting in my kitchen ever since. Most of these ingredients can be found in any supermarket these days. I use chicken breast here, which makes this quick to get on the table and pair it with a mango salsa, which adds a sweet kick and a bit of heat. This is one of my favourite go-to recipes; quick, easy and healthy which puts it in my recipe book of ‘keepers’. Try it out, your family will inhale it!
Thai Style Chicken Breast with Zesty Mango Salad
Ingredients
For chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp crushed coriander seed
2 cloves garlic
1 large piece ginger
2 tbsp minced lemongrass
1 lime
1 tbsp fish sauce
salt to taste
For mango salad
1 mango, slightly soft but not yet ripe
1/2 Bermuda onion
1/2 bell red pepper
2 tbsp cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 lime
1 tbsp cane sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
For chicken
Butterfly the chicken breast. This will help you to cook your chicken breast quickly and evenly while keeping it moist.
Season with salt, pepper, and about 1/3 of the coriander, turmeric and curry powder.
Mince the garlic, ginger and lemon grass and set aside. I find a rasper works best to mince the ginger while a garlic press is my choice for the garlic. For the lemongrass, I usually look for containers of minced lemongrass in the frozen section of my local Thai or Asian supermarkets and keep it on hand in the freezer. It usually has a lot more flavour than buying the stalks.
Toast the rest of the spices in a hot frying pan.
Add the coconut milk and mix with the spices.
Add the garlic, lemongrass, ginger, lime and fish sauce.
Add the chicken breast and reduce the heat to medium. Cook on one side for about 5 minutes and then turn and cook for another 7 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve immediately. Sauce should thicken up, pour over the chicken and serve with the mango salad.
For mango salad
Chop mango into approximately 1 square centimeter pieces.
Dice pepper and onion.
Mince cilantro and garlic. Combine.
Mix dressing: salt and pepper, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, cane sugar and cayenne pepper.
Pour over salad and let sit for about 5-10 minutes until flavours combine.
Here are a few of my other favourite recipes for you to try:
Pan Seared Crispy Pasta with Sweet Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Spinach, Sweet Potato and Walnut Salad
This salad has been on my dinner table a lot in the past couple of weeks. The variety of vegetables we typically use in salads tend to run a little scarce in the winter, so I am always trying to come up with new salad combinations to make those veggies a little more enticing. This particular combo has been getting rave reviews so I decided I needed to share!
Summer Love Salad: Sunshine In A Bowl
I love using 'baby' versions of the greens. You can find them on the shelves of your local supermarket these days and the baby kale in particular is a lot softer and has a more delicate flavor than its adult version. Toss in some arugula for a peppery kick, nuts for a lot of crunch, and a handful of dried cranberries for a sweet touch. Top with an assortment of sprouts and you've got yourself a salad packed with superfoods. If your looking for a complete meal, I love to toss in some leftover chicken, tuna or a couple of hardboiled eggs.
Ingredients
2 cups baby kale
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup mixed sprouts
1/2 a small Bermuda onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
Directions
Wash and spin the kale, arugula and sprouts.
Thinly slice the Bermuda onion.
Place the kale, arugula and sprouts in a salad bowl. Top with onion, cranberries, almonds and pumpkin seeds.
Toss with your favourite salad dressing and serve. I love to serve this with one of my favourite dressing: 2 Minute Mason Jar Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.
Enjoy!
Here are a few of my other favorite recipes:
5 Minute Tasty BBQ'd Jalapeno Appetizers
Decadent Chocolate Cranberry Scones
I have to say I am not a big fan of store bought salad dressings. They tend to be filled with a ton of additives, sugar, and preservatives, and while they may be a quick and tasty way to top your weeknight salads, I've often thought there must be a better way. Well, here it is!
The Best BLT Salad Ever
This is my go-to weeknight 2-minute salad dressing. With so little effort, it is over the top delicious and helps make those salad greens disappear. It’s super quick, and the mason jar mixing technique gives you a wonderful thick and creamy dressing with no more effort than about 30 seconds of vigorous shaking. Here's your insider tip: Dijon mustard is one of those ingredients that acts as an emulsifier, and when mixed with oil, it becomes creamy and thick.
My other trick is a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 of liquid ingredients for the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
This is one of those perfect opportunities to get your kids involved. Just pour all the ingredients into a mason jar and watch them shake it up while you rest easy. I have given you the basic recipe here, but feel free to experiment with some new flavours. Here a few suggestions to inspire you to change it up:
Add a clove of crushed garlic and substitute half of the oil with sesame oil for an Asian honey garlic twist
Add in a tablespoon each of finely chopped sundried tomatoes and parsley for a Mediterranean spin
Add in a tablespoon each of grated ginger and lemon zest and substitute half of the oil with orange juice for a citrus ginger dressing
Try your own version and share it with us!
2 Minute Mason Jar Honey Mustard Dressing
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
2 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsps good quality Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a mason jar.
Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds, until all ingredients are combined and emulsified.
Serve immediately. Dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Note: If you use fresh garlic in your dressing, make sure to discard any unused dressing. Fresh garlic in oil may be susceptible to developing harmful bacteria if stored.
Looking for some more of my favorite recipes? Try one of these: