Spinach, Chick Pea Thai Curry

Spinach was the vegetable on sale today at the store so my thoughts turned to what to do with it all. It wasn't until I actually had the vegetables frying in the pan that I finally decided on having a Thai coconut curry.
serves 2-3
20 minutes

• 1 onion, cut into strips
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 carrot, cut into thin slices
• 3 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
• 3 cups of rinsed spinach
• 1/2 cup of cooked chick peas
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Thai curry paste (red, yellow or green)
• 1 can of coconut milk
  
• fish sauce
• chili pepper
  
• half a lime

1. Fry onion, red pepper and carrot in a small amount of oil in a pan at medium high until vegetables start to brown.
2. Add garlic, spinach, chick peas and a small amount of water. Cover the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the curry paste and mix with the vegetables.
4. Add the can of coconut milk and mix in well with the vegetables.
5. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
   
6. Serve with juice from a quarter lime, fish sauce and cayenne into individual bowls.
7. I didn't have cilantro but this would have been added had I had some.
   

And for the grownups...

Nothing beats turning left over rice from the night before into a fried rice and eggs breakfast the next morning.
serves 1-2
10 minutes

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• half a red pepper, diced
• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
• salted black beans
• hot sauce
• fish sauce
• olive oil

1. In a non-stick pan, at medium high heat, cook the red peppers in a little olive oil.
2. When slightly browned add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the rice and the black beans.
4. Crack the two eggs into the pan next to the rice and cook to your liking (mine is over easy).
   
5. Add the cilantro to the rice while the eggs are cooking.
   
6. When the eggs are done to your liking, remove and serve.
   
7. Add some fish sauce to the rice and some hot sauce to the eggs. My favorite hot sauce for eggs is Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, widely available in most places.
   

Again, you can do what ever you want with a breakfast like this. Much depends on what you have in your fridge and what you may have a hankering for. For me the main ingredients are the fish sauce and the cilantro in the rice and the hot sauce on the eggs. Breakfast heaven.

Broccoli, Red Pepper Redux

I still had lots of broccoli and red pepper so here is a heartier version for tonight.
serves 2
15 minutes

• 1 onion, cut in strips
• 1 red pepper, cut in strips
• 1 cup of diced yam
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into stalks
  
• 4 cloves garlic
• olive oil
  
• juice from half a lime
• good handful of chopped cilantro
• thai fish sauce
• cayenne

1. Fry the onion, red pepper and yam in olive oil until slightly browned.
2. Add garlic and broccoli, put a lid on the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Serve vegetables in large bowl.
   
4. Add lime juice, fish sauce and cayenne to taste.
5. Top with cilantro and serve.
6. Add your favorite seeds or nuts in top.
   

From Broth to Soup

Here are the left over vegetables from my broth of the last two nights turned into a very nice soup.

serves 2-3
5 minutes

1. Add 3 cups of water to the left over vegetables from the broth.
2. Put 3/4 of soup into a blender and puree. Return to pot.
3. Heat and serve with a quarter lime and some Thai fish sauce.
   

Recipe - A Tangy Broth

I made this simple soup broth last night and it tasted amazing, so I figured that I might as well make it again while I exit my cleanse. Perhaps it tasted so good because I haven't eaten in 15 days.

Serves 2-3
40 minutes

• 1 cup diced yam
  
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• pinch of cayenne
• 1 Tbsp dried Wakame seaweed
• 1 tsp Yellow (or Red or Green) Thai Curry paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp olive oil
• half a small lime
• 1 tsp Thai Fish Sauce (optional but recommended)
  

1. Sautee the first 3 ingredients at medium high in a heavy pot with the olive oil, curry paste and turmeric until onions turn slightly brown.
2. Add a bit of water, the cayenne, and seaweed. Turn to low, cover the pot and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
3. Add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for a further 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the stove and pour soup though a strainer.
5. Add 1 tsp fish sauce per serving. (optional)
   
6. Serve with a slice of lime to squeeze in
   

Eat this wonderful broth as is (very filling on it's own!) or use it as a base for any soup recipe calling for vegetable broth. Keep the vegetables to have a soup instead of a broth or mix them in with rice, pasta, scrambled eggs, or anything else you can think up.