Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork (Pad Moo sai Toor)

Make 2 servings

Stir-Fried which means "Pad" in Thai language. Stir-frying is a super way to prepare Thai food. Stir-frying requires big heat, and the best source for modern cooks is a gas stove. If you don't have a gas stove use a Heavy Dutch oven or a big cast-iron frying pan that has the mass to retain the heat you need. Preheat the pan before you add the oil so you have enough heat to get the job done, and when working with that kind of heat you need to stir often to prevent food from burning. In Thai cuisine, Stir-Fried is normally done by stir-frying the main protein with different kinds of vegetables. Stir-fried can be savory or spicy.

The first Stir-fried dish that I made is a non-spicy Stir-fried green beans with pork.

Ingredients

2 cups green bean (French bean) cut into 1-inch long
1 cup pork loin boneless thinly cut into 1-inch pieces (remove the fat before cutting the pork)
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon oil (prefer oilve oil but vegetable oil is fine)
1/4 cup chicken broth

Sauce

1/4 cup cooking wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Method

1. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the moment later adds garlic. Stir-fry until the garlic become a light brown color. Add Pork and stir-fry for a few minutes.

2. Add chicken broth, green beans and the sauce, stir-fry and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the green beans cook through but are still crispy.

3. Serve immediately with cooked rice.

The second Stir-fried dish is a "Toor Pad Nam Prik Pao Sai Moo" in Thai language. It is a spicy stir-fried green beans with pork.

Make 2 servings

Ingredients

1 cup green bean (French bean) cut into 1-inch long

1 cup pork loin boneless thinly cut into1-inch pieces (remove the fat before cutting the pork)

3 jalapeno seeded cut into small wedges

2 tablespoons roasted red chili paste (Find in Asian store or in grocery store)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2tablespoons Thai fish sauce (Find in Asian store or in grocery store)

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Method

1. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the moment later adds roasted red chili, Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and pork, Stir-fry for a few minutes.

2. Add the green beans, jalapeno, sugar and Thai fish sauce. Stir-fry and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the green beans cook through but are still crispy.

3. Serve immediately with cooked rice.

4. Hot cooked rice ( Jasmine rice is the perfect rice to eat with Thai food).

Salad Nicoise

The term " A la Nicoise" refer to dishes typical of  Nice in France and its surrounding area that contain tomatoes, olives, anchovies, and garlic.
Make 2 servings as a main dish

Ingredients
2 red potatoes
1 can (10 1/2 oz) tuna in oil
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into half or wedges
11/2 cups green beans
12 black olive, pitted
2 cups green leaf lettuce, torn
2 plum tomatoes cut into a coin shape
8 anchovies in oil

Vinaigrette
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until just tender, Drain and cut into bite size. Set aside on the serving platter.
2. Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then drain under the cold water and set aside.
3. To make vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar and lemon juice. Add the oil on a thin steady stream whisking until smooth. Put the vinaigrette in a small serving bowl.
4. Drain the tuna and set aside. Cut the tomatoes in a coin shape, drain the anchovies and pat to dry on the paper towel, cut the boil eggs in half, set aside.
5. Arrange the green beans, tuna, tomatoes, anchovies, olive and eggs together with the potatoes on the serving platter. Set the bowl of vinaigrette on the middle of the platter.
6. To serve, arrange the lettuce on a serving plate and scatter the potatoes, green beans, tuna, anchovies, tomatoes, olive and eggs drizzle some vinaigrette over the vegetables.

I just prepared food for my family on Easter's Day and I like to share some of the pictures to you guys. I will update my recipe soon.

Deviled Eggs

My thought about writing this blog

        Food is the way to bring people together on holidays and on special occasions in life. In America, the commercial stores have created on going sale during the holidays to help the economy throughout the year, starting from New Year, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Passover, Easter Sunday, Mother's Day, Memorial  Day, Father's Day, Independence Day(4th of July), Labor Day, Halloween, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, Hanukah and Christmas. It is all about eating during the holidays in America.
        My challenge of writing this blog is to cook my way through the International Cookbook in a year; I love to experience a new flavor of the different cuisines around the world. When I read a book about cooking I found out that many cuisines have their own condiments and spices to flavor the food but for the most part the ideas are the same.

Eggplant Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

I made this simple eggplant salad with lemon vinaigrette for dinner. The salad had a great flavor from chopped fresh mint and feta cheese. The salad can be main dish or just a salad depend on the proportion.

2 Servings for main dish, 3 or 4 Servings as a starter.
Time: 45 minutes

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

A freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 medium eggplants, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers, chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup plum tomatoes diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leave

Preparation


Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit

1) Cut the eggplants into 3/4-inch chunks

2) Squeezed the lemon juice into a medium bowl add salt and pepper. Slowly adding olive oil and whisk the mixtures together until well combined.

3) Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup vinaigrette, reserving the rest.

4)Arrange eggplant on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Let eggplant cool ( It can be warm but not hot enough to melt feta or wilt the mint).

5) Whisk together feta, garlic and capers into reserved vinaigrette. Toss together eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and mint leave into the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Joy of Cooking and Baking

What to begin?