Banana Bread

I have made banana muffins many times. Today was banana bread’s turn because bananas ripen so fast. I personally love banana with chocolate. Again, I added my husband’s favourite nuts — walnuts, to the mix. I made a simple recipe for banana bread and add chocolate swirls on top. I start by making chocolate sauce. In a stand mixer, I mix butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and follow with vanilla. I fold dry ingredients in with a spatula until it’s well mixed ( don’t overmix it). Then I fold in chopped toasted walnuts and pour everything into a loaf pan that I’ve already buttered. I bake in 350 degree F for 58 minutes. My favourite part is here: I take pictures and send them to my husband at work – to tease him… haha!

Banana Bread Recipe

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs (room temperature)

3 ripe bananas (mash)

1/2 cup toast chopped walnuts

Chocolate sauce

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup milk

Put everything together and double boil it. Set it aside for the last part of the process. After pouring the chocolate sauce on top of the batter, use a toothpick to swirl the sauce.

Sauteed Chive and Pork

I happen to love chives since childhood. In Thailand, there is a snack (people here might call them dumplings) named “Gui Chai”. It literally translates to chive dumpling, but the size varies. Gui Chai has been in my experimental plans for a while, but I have yet to try it. Sauteed chives are a favourite for the Kriheli’s. Chives generally go well with chicken liver or pork liver, however since my husband and I are not a big fan of organs, we chose pork to go along with it. A quick sautee can raise the attraction to otherwise simple vegetables. This is what I prepared for our lunch today. Garlic, pork, chives, oyster sauce and soy sauce sauteed together. I sprinkle chilli flakes (optional) at the end for a Thai touch.

Rad Na

I used to eat Rad Na once a week in Thailand. There is one place in Saladang, close to my previous job, that had awesome Rad Na. Even though I don’t know their secret, this is exactly how it looks. This is basically my family version. I start by marinating sliced pork with minced garlic, soy bean paste, mushroom soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, tapioca flour and water. Tapioca flour and water will soften the meat (this is a secret from Papa Kitcharoentham). Marinate pork for at least 4-6 hours in the fridge (it could also be as long as a day). The rest of the process starts 20-30 mins before serving. Angel Hair noodle needs to be soaked (in room temperature water or cold) for 20 minutes before use. I begin by stir frying the noodles in hot oil with sweet soy sauce and put it aside. In the same pan, make simple fluffy scrambled eggs for Rad Na’s accessory and set it aside. In a hot wok, stir fry marinated pork with oil (I prefer olive oil or canola oil) and Chinese broccoli until the vegetables are cooked.  Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and a little bit of sugar mixed together. Add chicken broth (roughly 2- 2 1/2 cups) and wait for it to boil. Dissolve tapioca flour with water and add when the sauce boils, stir it quickly to prevent lumpiness of the sauce. Then it’s time to assemble it all: put noodles in a bowl and pour the sauce on top. Don’t forget to add the scrambled eggs on top. I like to add chilli flakes and lime juice (optional) before eating. In Thailand, you would be offered condiments (chilli flakes, sugar, fish sauce and vinegar), so you can create your own taste for the dish.

Sea Bass with Thai Chilli Sauce (Pla Rad Phrik)

While working in a Thai Restaurant for 3 years, I observed cooks prepare this dish. It seems to be the most popular fish dish for spice lovers. I first mash fresh tamarind in hot water and set aside. I then clean the fish (preferably sea bass or red snapper), pat it dry and gently flour it to get it ready for frying. You can choose to pan fry it or deep fry it. It depends on how you like it. In restaurants, they primarily deep fry it and pour sauce on top. I prefer pan frying the fish even though deep frying will give it a nice crispy texture. While waiting for the fish to cook, I prepare the sauce in another pan. I start from cooking shallots and garlic in olive oil until shallots become translucent. Then I add red pepper (optional; for colour), oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and tamarind juice that I’ve already prepared on the side. Taste the sauce: it should have 3 flavors (salty, sour and sweet). After tasting, I add chilli sauce (roughly 1-2 tablespoons). Lastly, I add basil into the sauce and save some for the garnish. When the fish is cooked, pour sauce over the fish and granish with the rest of basil.

Thai Spring Rolls

Since I have lived in New York (for a half of a decade now) and have worked for a while in a Thai restaurant, I noticed that spring rolls are a very popular request. I would like to thank the lovely chef (Tukky) who shared her great recipe with me. Cabbage, carrot and bean threads are the basic ingredients of vegetarian spring rolls. First, I shred cabbage and carrots and mix in bean threads that were already soaking in cold water. Then I stir-fried them together with salt, pepper and a little bit of mushroom soy sauce (for fragrance). After that, I spread the filling on a baking sheet and let it cool completely. For the wrapper, I use wonton wrap, but you can use spring roll wrap or rice paper. Finally, I fry them in medium hot oil and keep rotating them for a crispy and golden brown colour.

Spring rolls are usually served with plum sauce, so I try to stay true to tradition, even though my husband likes to add some hot sauce to it. It’s very simple and easy. Simple syrup, one preserved plum (Plum itself is already salty) and a splash of white vinegar boiled together. Break up the plum in the boiling syrup and let it reduce down to half. Let it cool and take the pits and skin out. There you have it!

Nam Phrik Ong

I seriously crave Thai food a few times a week and this time the craving was for spicy ground pork in tomato sauce. This dish originates from the northern part of Thailand and generally uses pork belly. However, I chose to use ground pork loin, and the results were comparable. I cooked chopped shallots, garlic and fresh chilli (the amount of chilli depends on the tolerance of each person) added salt to help them soften faster. I then added ground pork and grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes). I usually put the lid on and leave a small gap, so the sauce reduces to half and the tomatoes fall apart. I like to add salt at the end after I taste it. If you can find fermented soy bean (Tua Nao), it will taste the closest to the authentic version. I like to eat with rice and fresh vegetables such as dill, cucumber and string bean. It’s one way to add vegetables to your diet.

Jook (Rice Soup)

It’s time for weekend breakfast, Thai style or Chinese style (I could say). On weekends, I have more time to create this Thai breakfast for my husband. I miss this rice soup that I had often in Thailand. They were everywhere, but in New York it can be found in Chinatown. I usually marinate ground pork one day in advance with mushroom soy sauce, black pepper, grated ginger, grated garlic, tapioca flour and a little bit of water. Adding water in marinated ground pork is a trick that my father taught me that helps soften pork balls. I boil jasmin rice in water and keep adding chicken stock. When it starts boiling, it requires your full attention. You got to keep stirring and adding chicken stock until the rice becomes mushy and thick. I then add a pinch of salt and pepper. I add marinated ground pork rolled as 1 inch balls into the rice soup (jook). Let the pork balls cook through and serve hot with thinly slice ginger (optional), chopped scallion and soy sauce. This dish requires a lot of patience when stirring the rice until it falls apart.

Sauteed Brussel Sprout with Shrimp

My husband’s the least favourite vegetable is the brussel sprout. I felt compelled to challenge myself to come up with something he would eat and enjoy. The words “Brussel Sprouts” itself scared him when I told him that it will be part of our dinner. I made very simple sauteed Asian style with garlic, freshly chopped chilli, oyster sauce and soy sauce. The trick of this sauteed vegetable dish is heat, so the pan and oil MUST BE HOT enough. You want to feel the crunchiness of the vegetables, but also it must cook through. Another important part is that the shrimp needs to be cooked just done (don’t overcook). This brussel sprout dish makes me proud of myself in that I finally killed his lack of faith in brussel sprouts. This kind of sauteed dish makes him taste real vegetables.

Guacamole with Crispy Pork

Once in a while, I will crave avocado.  I buy avocado 2-3 days in advance to avoid getting rotten avocados from supermarket. I slice pork loin in quarter inch slices and make the simple frying batter. I then make spicy guacamole and top on crispy pork that I have already fried. It tastes good with rice or by itself. This dish has a good balance of protein and vegetables even without eating rice.

Balsamic Ravioli

The Balsamic Vinegar sat in the cupboard for a while after I bought it because my husband and I normally use a citrus dressing for salad. Today, I chose balsamic vinegar to be the main sauce for our dinner. First, I made crispy bacon (as mentioned before : my husband loves crunchiness). I sweetened the vinegar with honey and added salt and pepper to balance the vinegary taste. I let it simmer in the pan until the sauce reduced to half. We bought cheese ravioli from the supermarket, but you can choose or make any of your favourite ravioli. After the ravioli was cooked, I added it to the balsamic sauce and topped it with crispy bacon, toasted walnuts and parsley. Now, the balsamic vinegar won’t be as lonely in the cupboard for long stretches anymore.