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.

Taco

Friday is usually Taco night. We celebrate the beginning of the weekend (at least, for our little family) because it’s fun to assemble them yourself. My first taco cracked because I stuffed too much of everything. After that, I learned from observations that smaller sized ingredients are less messy and easier to eat.

Dried Noodle with Ground Pork

Dried noodle is requested for lunch at least once a week from my hubby. This time, I add extra crispy wonton like they do in Thailand. I have adapted how to make this noodle in 10 minutes. I boil the water to cook noodle and I fried minced garlic and take it out for topping. In the same pan, cook ground pork and add soy sauce and fish sauce and a pinch of sugar to pork. Then mix in cooked egg noodle into pork pan. Mix in Thai chilli flake and one piece of lime to taste. Sprinkle fried garlic, scallion, pepper and bean sprout. Serve with fried wonton. It’s authentic and unbeleivably fast.

Yum Ma-Kuer Yao (Eggplant Salad)

3 Chinese Eggplants
2 Eggs
1/4 pound of ground pork
2 Shallots
Chopped scallion and cilantro

Spicy Sauce
2 cloves garlic
3-5 Thai chilli
1 lime juice
2 1/4 tablespoons fish sauce
a pinch of sugar

- Mash garlic and chilli together, then season with sugar, lime juice and fish sauce.

Eggplant Salad
- Bake Eggplant in 400F for 45 minutes and leave inside the oven for 15 minutes. Then peel the skin off and cut into bite size.
- Boil 2 eggs for 7 minutes in high heat and leave in room temperature water. Peel and quarter eggs for the end.
- Cook ground pork in pan and add 2 tablespoons of chicken stock.
- Mix the spicy sauce and sliced shallots in cooked pork.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and scallion.