Thai Dinner For Two

Do you have an anniversary, birthday, or other special day with your significant other coming up? Try a romantic Thai dinner, either dining out or cooking and dining in. There are many delicious and interesting meals to enjoy! Sometimes it is quite a challenge to come up with great menu selections. One might spend lots of time looking up or researching all the Thai dishes. There are really more than enough to choose from, and many great combinations, so don't beat yourself up trying to plan. This article outlines some choices for each part of the dinner.

Appetizers


Choosing a start up dish sometimes can be challenging. Try to choose a dish that is not too heavy. Choose a light dish but yet one that teases you to want more. My first choice would be "Kra Thong Thong", golden pastry cups with minced chicken and chopped vegetables. This appetizer is a cute little cup that will definitely impress him or her. The next choice is "Miang Kam", leaf-wrapped tidbits. This can be a fun thing to do and create nice start up conversations. It involves wrapping several kinds of little tiny items in a leaf, along with a sweet-and-salty sauce. The items include shredded roasted coconut, peanuts, diced lime, diced ginger, diced shallots and chilies. Third choice is "Po Pia Tod", deep-fried spring rolls.

Main course

Whether you are vegetarian or a seafood or chicken lover, don't worry, there is always plenty to choose from. Let's start with how many dishes to order or make. For 2 people, I would say 2-4 dishes. If you are dining out, two dishes are enough for two but might not have variety. Three to four dishes will definitely leave some leftovers for later days. However, if you are planning to cook them yourself, you can make a smaller amount of each dish. This way you can have more dishes for variety. Here are some different combinations of dishes.

* Combination 1: for those who like things just a little bit spicy

- Khao Ob Subparod: fried rice with meat, pineapple, onions and cashew nuts, baked in a pineapple
- Kaeng Kiaw Waan: a slightly sweet green curry with meat and vegetables
- Gai Pad Med Ma Muang Him Ma Paan: stir-fried chicken and cashew nuts
- Chu Chi: stir-fried fish (or shrimp) with kaffir lime leaves, Thai sweet basil (Bai Ho Ra Pha) and chu chi chili paste

* Combination 2: for those who like medium spicy food

- Khao Pad Poo: fried rice with crab meat, eggs, tomatoes, onion and cilantro
- Phanaeng: Thai southern style dry curry with meat, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk
- Gai Ho Bai Toey: fried chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf
- Ho Mok Ta Le: steamed seafood custard

* Combination 3: for those who love spicy food

- Tom Yum Moo Pa: hot and sour soup with wild boar, mushrooms, cilantro, lemongrass, nam prik pao paste and chilies
- Kaeng Leung: a hot yellow curry, most common meat used is fish. Other ingredients are winter melon, chilies, garlic, turmeric, lemon grass, shallots and shrimp paste
- Poo Jaa: steamed crab with pork
- Pad Ped Tua Fak Yao Moo: stir-fried long beans and pork with red curry paste

* Combination 4: for seafood lovers

- Goong Pad Yod Ma Proaw: stir-fried prawns with heart of palm
- Poo Kan Chiang Nueng: steamed crab sculls
- Hoi Lai Pad Ped: stir-fried clams with Thai sweet basil (Bai Ho Ra Pha) and roasted chili paste
- Hoi Nang Rom Sod: fresh oysters with chilies and garlic dipping sauce

Desserts

To end your meal, it is great to aim for the right dessert that will perfect the dinner. After a non-spicy or spicy main course, something light is always a good choice. Some may already have an idea for dessert, Khao Niaw Ma Muang (mango with sticky rice). For a romantic dinner, I personally would choose something else. This is because sticky rice can be a bit too heavy as a dessert choice. You can be too full to eat but feel you should eat. So I would go with something nice and cold like Thai coconut Ice cream with ground peanuts sprinkled on top. Just a scoop or two would be enough. My second choice would be "Nam Kang Sai." This dessert is a combination of 2-3 items of assorted fruits, beans or sticky rice with shaved ice on top.

As you choose your dishes, consider how the taste, color and presentation go together. In doing so, you might find ways to improve the combinations. For example, to get you started, it is generally better not to choose food all of one color, or all chicken dishes or all spicy dishes. Try to balance one dish with another and create a harmony of dishes. This can help give you different tastes of sweet, salty, sour, bitter or spicy, and make the experience all the more enjoyable. Take these recommendations and run with them! The best part comes from your familiarity with what you and your significant other like, so have fun customizing. Bon appetit and have a nice dinner!

By: Napatr Lindsley

Thai Food

Thailand have many famous food that being known all around the world such as Tomyumgoong, Pad Tai and etc. Thai Foods have its own characteristic. They are hot, spicy and delicious.

Thai Herb are often used in Thai food such as Chili (Prik), Mint (Saranae), Shallot (Hom Daeng), Galanga (Kha), Lemon Grass (Ta Krai), Lime (Ma Now), Garlic (KraTieam), Ginger (Khing), Basil (Kraprao and Horapa) and etc. Thai food is also the food that control six balance fundamental flavors in every dishes. The six fundamental flavors in Thai food are salty, sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and oily

Salty – Salty in thai food mostly used fish sauce (Nam Pla in Thai). Fish sauce in one of important ingredient in Thai food. Moreover in every meal of Thai people. There is a small bowl of fish sauce included. Anyway Thai food use the other souce for salty, too such as salt or soy sauce.

Sweet – In cooking the sweet in thai food. Mostly sweet in thai food come from sugar (Namtal in thai). There are also many kind of sugar in Thai food, such as brown sugar, coconut palm sugar, jaggery and palm sugar in the form of cakes.

Sour – In Thai food, Sour are from vinegar, lime juice. There are also the ingredient that are not in any foods like tamarine vinegar, citrus hystrix juice, sour orange juice and the sour flavor from tamarine leaf, garcina, garcina leaf and acacia leaf. All these sour flavors are in thai food only.

Hot (spicy) – The spicy flavor in Thai food is very hot, Mostly come from Capsicum frutescents.

Oily – Most curry thai food used coconut cream for oily flavor. Oily in thai foods also come from other vegetable oil or fat.

Bitter – Come from animal entrails and some leaf. Thai people believe that the bitter flavor food have the effect of medicine.

By: Kazama T.

Labor Day "Pasta" Salad with Sausage and Halloumi

I dropped off my boyfriend Brian at the airport for a business trip and prepped for a small family barbecue celebrating Labor Day. My assignments were easy - some type of hors d'oeuvres and a side. The starter is easy - a triple creme brie, hard salami, crackers and roasted and marcona almonds.
For the side, I did a take on a "pasta" salad with a mix of seeds/grains from Trader Joe's called Harvest Grains Blend with Israeli couscous, red and green orzo, split dried garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. I tossed that with some chopped sweet red peppers, sliced chicken sausage and a tangy vinaigrette - plus the salty and fantastic Halloumi cheese. Delicious and it made TONS so plenty for lunch tomorrow and to send home with my little brother John who is often broke, in college and perpetually starving.

Happy Labor Day all - hope it was a relaxing weekend!

Harvest Grains "Pasta" Salad: (serves 8-10 as a side dish)

1 bag Trader Joe's Harvest Grains (or use orzo or other pasta)

3.5 c chicken or beef broth
4 large links chicken or turkey sausage
1-2 sweet red peppers, chopped
1 block Halloumi cheese, cubed (approx 4-6 oz)
5 c chives, snipped
1 tbs Djion mustard
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or as needed)

Directions:

Bring broth to a boil. Add grain mix and bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and let stand 10 minutes (or less if using pasta). Meanwhile, saute sausage in a bit of olive oil until golden brown and cooked through. Let cool, then slice into half moon pieces.

Meanwhile, chop peppers, Halloumi and chives.

Mix chives, mustard, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar in a deep bowl. Whisk in oil until desired consistency or amount of oil. I used just 1/4 cup.

Once grain mix is done, toss and cool in a large bowl. Once room temperature, toss with dressing, then peppers and sausage. Top with cheese and a bit of reserved chives for garnish. Chill if not serving immediately. Serve at room temperature. Toss well just before serving

Superfood Recipes: 2 Healthy and Delicious Recipes

Many types of food available at grocery and health food stores today can be called "superfoods." Typical superfoods include certain types of greens (e.g., spirulina, algae, and chlorella), herbs, anti-oxidants, sea vegetables, essential fatty acids, probiotics, energy enhancements and enzymes can be correctly called superfoods. Some common superfoods that you have probably heard of include blue-green algae, spirulina, blueberries, fish oils, and probiotics (i.e., beneficial bacteria for your digestive system).

It is important to recognize that superfoods are indeed among the richest sources of nutrients for your body. Still, it is also important to constantly come up with new and delicious ways to prepare your superfoods so that they continue to delight not your body, but also your taste buds.

That is why I am always on the lookout to come up with new superfood recipes that can be made using the simplest, healthiest superfood ingredients. All of the ingredients in the following two recipes can be easily found in most grocery stores, health food stores, or online health stores.

Below are two great recipes made with spirulina-based powder. The first recipe is one that you can enjoy anytime of the day or night, either as a snack or as an accent for a healthy meal. The second recipe is a sumptuous-yet-healthy dessert that would serve as a delicious side for any dinner.

Recipe #1: Billy's Nuggets

Ingredients: Raw chocolate nibs, hemp seeds, cold-pressed coconut oil, agave nectar, spirulina-based superfood powder, herb-pharm peppermint extract. Equipment needed: mixing bowl, mixing spoon.

Mix these dry ingredients:
- 2 cups chocolate nibs
- 2 cups hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons spirulina-based superfood powder

Add:
- 3/4 cup agave nectar
- Add 3/4 cup coconut oil
- Add 20 drops herb-pharm peppermint extract

Mix well and refrigerate for at least one hour. Then, scoop mixture with spoon and shape with fingers into one-inch balls. Roll in bowl of hemp seeds (hint: add coconut oil to fingers to reduce sticking). Refrigerate nuggets for at least one hour more. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe #2: Billy's Raw Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients: Raw chocolate nibs, hemp seeds, agave nectar, spirulina-based superfood powder, water. Equipment Needed: Vita-prep (or equivalent) blender

Blend 8 ounces of raw cacao nibs in blender until the mixture turns to a powder and starts to become gummy in texture, then add 2 cups warm water and blend for one minute.

Then add:
- 3/4 cup agave nectar
- 2 cups hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon spirulina-based superfood powder to catalyze the effects of chocolate

Add more water as needed to maintain blending and blend again for one minute more. Pour into a glass bowl and place in refrigerator to set for two hours. Serve and enjoy!!!

note: if you are using a conventional blender, use approximately half the amount of ingredients indicated above and blend at least twice as long

Incorporating superfoods into your meals and snacks is a great way to feel better and more energized throughout the entire day. Try both of these delicious recipes to prepare for yourself, or plan a special dinner for a friend or loved one. You will be giving everybody present the gift of wonderful nutrition that tastes great.

By: Billy Merritt