Thai that on for size :)

Hello again!! As promised, here is blog 2 of a 3 blog day lol. This one is a new one for me and one that I was a little nervous to try! On the menu was Chicken Satay and Curry Shrimp with Basil-Lime Couscous. First up, the Chicken Satay!

So this was something new for me. I've never made Thai food before but this came out well. First lets talk about the satay sauce. This was actually really simple to make. First, you microwave the apple juice.  This seemed like an odd ingredient to me, but true to form Rachael is right. The apple juice adds just the right amount of sweetness to the sauce. So anyway, microwave it until warm and then combine with the peanut butter, soy and red curry paste. To make the chicken you heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Now, I don't have a grill pan so i just used my skillet with a drizzle of EVOO and it worked fine. Whatever you are using, cook the chicken till it is browned evenly on both sides. Once done, you can serve this as an appetizer with toothpicks. This was really great. I am not really a peanut butter person but the sauce was fantastic and the chicken had a nice flavor to it with the sauce. This ended up getting eaten before i was able to take a picture of it so I apologize :( On to the curry shrimp. 

First things first, heat some vegetable oil over high heat. Add your shrimp and toss it for about 2 minutes. Be sure when you go to the seafood counter at the market to ask for peeled and deveined and make sure that the tails are off. Once the shrimp cooks for a couple minutes, toss it with you shiitakes, garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper and let it go for a few minutes more tossing it the whole time. At this point you will stir in the curry paste, roasted red pepper, and coconut milk. Rachael Tip: Depending on the curry paste you use, the heat level will vary. The thicker and heavier the paste, the more concentrated and hotter the flavor. If it looks looser you can use the whole 2 tablespoons. If it is thicker than you think it should be, use a little less and if it's not hot enough when you test it, add a little more. After you mix in the curry paste, peppers and coconut milk reduce the heat to low. Simmer it a few minutes and add the peas to heat through! While you are cooking the shrimp curry heat the chicken stock, butter and lime zest to a boil. Once it boils add the couscous and stir it in. Turn off the heat and put the lid on it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Once it is done you are ready to serve. To serve this, you can either add the couscous and top with the curried shrimp or you can do the shrimp first and top with couscous. Rachael's tip is too top the shrimp with the couscous so that it doesn't get too soggy sitting under the shrimp. Garnish with chopped peanuts and it's ready to go. Now i made this dish for one of my best friends, Anna! She had never had Thai food before so it was a new experience for her. The recipe actually calls for lettuce to be added into the dish but as i remember from High School, Anna doesn't like lettuce so i omitted that. But by all means, add the lettuce if you want!

This one was another one of those meals that shows how Rachael is great at getting you to try things you hadn't done before. Anna tried a food she had never tried before and i cooked with several ingredients that i had never used before. The meal was great and just another example of how easy it is to make a fantastic meal! Thanks again Rachael! Pics and recipes below. Enjoy!!

"Chicken Satay"

½ C. apple juice, microwaved until warm
¼ - ⅓ C. peanut butter
2 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari, your preference
2 Tsp. red curry paste
8 - 10 chicken tenders (about ¾ - 1 lb total)

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
 

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the apple juice, peanut butter, soy sauce and the red curry paste.
 

Add the chicken tenders to the heated grill and cook about 3 - 5 minutes per side.
Remove from the grill and top with the sauce.

"Thai Shrimp Curry with Chopped Lettuce and Basil-Lime Couscous"

2 Tbs. vegetable or other light oil, eyeball it
1½ Lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
6 Oz., about ⅓ lb, shitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
3 Cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1-Inch ginger root, peeled and grated or finely chopped
4 Scallions, chopped into 1-inch pieces, whites and greens
2 Tbs. mild or hot red curry paste
2 Roasted red peppers, sliced
1 C. “light” or unsweetened coconut milk
1 C. frozen peas
1½ C. chicken stock
1 Tbs. butter
1 Lime, zested and juiced
1½ C. couscous
1 C. shredded fresh basil leaves
2 C. chopped iceberg lettuce, ½ small head
½ C. chopped peanuts, for garnish

Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add shrimp and toss 2 minutes then add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper and cook 3 - 4 minutes more tossing constantly. Stir in curry paste, roasted red pepper and coconut milk and reduce heat to low. Simmer a few minutes then stir in peas to heat through.
 
In a sauce pot bring chicken stock, butter and the lime zest to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Turn off heat, cover pot and let stand. Add basil and the lime juice to the pot and fluff with fork.
 
Serve couscous topped with a layer of chopped lettuce then a few ladles of red curry shrimp. Garnish with chopped peanuts.