Spicy Basil Beef

(this was the dish Matt and I made, and it was delicious!!)

Spicy Basil Beef
2 lbs sliced beef (top sirloin or flank steak)
2 T. cooking wine
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch

Marinade the beef with all the ingredients above and set aside for later use. Add 2 T. oil to the meat mixture just before cooking, to prevent it from sticking together during cooking.

Sauce:
2 T. oyster sauce
2 T. sugar
3 T. fish sauce
1/2 t. black pepper
To make the sauce, mix all the above ingredients in a bowl together and set aside.

4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Thai chilies, chopped
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 C. fresh Thai basil
2 T. canola oil

Heat the wok and add 2 T. oil to the pan. Be sure the oil is hot enough and then carefully add the marinated meat to the hot oil. Cook until the meat is brown on both sides. Remove the cooked beef to the plate.
Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons of oil to it, then add the onions and garlic to the oil. Stir-fry for 3 minutes on medium high heat; add the Thai chili pepper to the pan and mix all together. Add the cooked meat and fresh basil to the wok, and then pour the sauce over the top. Quickly mix them all together. Then place in a serving dish. Serve warm with rice.

Shrimp Pad Thai

Shrimp Pad Thai

8 oz dried rice stick noodles
4 T. canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb raw shrimp
3 eggs, beaten
2 green onions, cut into 2" lengths
1 C. bean sprouts

Sauce:
1/4 C. fish sauce
1/4 C. sugar
1 T. paprika
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 C. water

1/4 C. roasted peanuts, chopped
cilantro
shredded carrots
lime sliced

Soak dry rice noodles in warm water for an hour or until soft. Heat the wok until hot: add the oil, garlic, shrimp; cook until shrimp are turning pink - about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the drained noodles and beaten eggs to the shrimp mixture. Stir fry until noodles are soft, then add sauce, bean sprouts, and green onions. Combine thoroughly and transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle top with chopped peanuts. Serve noodles on the side with cilantro, lime sliced and shredded carrots is desired. So good!!

Coconut Custard

Coconut Custard

4 eggs
6 T. brown sugar
1 C. coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
powder sugar
fresh fruit - we used fresh mango (sprinkled with a little sugar)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add the coconut milk and vanilla extract and whisk well.
Strain the mixture into a jug or pitcher; then pour it into lightly greased four individual heat proof glasses, ramekins or an oven proof dish.
Stand individual dishes in a roasting pan. Fill the pan with hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the dishes.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until the custards are set. Test with a fine skewer or toothpick.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven, lift out the dishes to cool.
If you like, turn the custards on to serving plates. Decorate the custard with a dusting of powder sugar, and serve with fresh fruit. 

Green Lemon Grass Chicken Curry

Matt and I took a Thai cooking class back in March and I never posted the recipes. . . 

well here they are

Green Lemon Grass Chicken Curry

4 green onions, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 Thai green chili, seeded and coarsely chopped or use whole chili for spicy curry
3/4" thick fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tender part lemon grass, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
large bunch fresh cilantro, washed
2 t. fish sauce
3 T. water

Put the green onion, green chilies, ginger, lemon grass, garlic, cilantro, fish sauce and water in a food processor, process to a smooth paste.

4 T. canola oil, divided
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 can (19 oz) coconut milk
salt and pepper

Heat 2 T. oil in a large frying pan. Cook the diced chicken until evenly browned.
Transfer to a plate.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the green peppers and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes; then add the chili and ginger paste. Stir fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and bring to gentle boil. Reduce the heat, half cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to half.

Brazillian Lemonade

This is SO good!! Its off of Our Best Bites

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.
Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.
Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.
Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn’t test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Cowboy Cookies

*Note: I’ve made these with both rolled oats and quick oats and we slightly prefer the quick oats so that the oats meld together with the cookies a little more but you can use whichever you have on hand.
*Makes 2-3 dozen cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup crushed corn flakes
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla and eggs and beat well. Stir in cornflake crumbs and oatmeal. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix. Stir in the coconut, walnuts, if using, and chocolate chips.
Place tablespoon-sized balls of dough on a lightly greased or lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-
12 minutes until lightly golden around the edges.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

*I realize that I accidentally posted this recipe on my regular blog - oops!

I got this recipe from Weight Watchers and I made it this Thanksgiving. It is actually really good, and is totally worth saving the amount of calories by eating this instead of traditional pumpkin pie. Matt's dad and uncle even enjoyed eating it and left the traditional pie for leftovers (that no one ate).

1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 1/2 cup ff milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup bisquick (I just used regular pancake mix)
2 Tbsp reduced calorie margarine
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves)
2 tsp vanilla
4 egg whites

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, whisk for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a 9" pie pan that has been sprayed with pam. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Cool, serve with spoonful of ff cool whip on top.

Serves 8
2 Points per slice (compared to about 9 points per regular pumpkin pie slice - minus the whip cream)