While we're in the doldrums of a long, harsh winter let's consider spicing things up with some Thai chicken and a refreshing mango salad using arugula and jicama.
There's a myriad of chicken dishes out there (Lemongrass Chicken, Green Chili Chicken, Quick Chicken Korma) and terrific Asian salads (Holiday Salads, Bean Sprout & Green Bean Salad, Green Papaya Salad). Here are two more recipes to add to your collection.
The Thai recipe is adapted to make it easier to put together. If you're curious about Thai food, check out my introduction to Thai ingredients as well as the cuisine of the countries that neighbour Thailand: Laos and Cambodia.
The salad recipe uses jicama, also known as bangkuang in Asia. This crisp tuber sometimes referred to in China as "turnip " because of its shape. The younger jicama is often sweeter in flavour. Taste is potatoe-like with a texture like water chestnuts. Buy the smallest ones and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Wash and pull off the skin with a knife. Slice, shred or grate and use raw or cooked.
MANGO SALAD WITH ARUGULA
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 6 to 7 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt and Pepper
- Dash of soy sauce
- 2 bunches arugula
- 1 mango, peeled and sliced
- 1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into sticks
Directions:
- The Dressing: Pour some oil into a small pan over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds when oil is hot and cook until puffed and starting to brown, about one minute (beware of the seeds popping). Remove the seeds and drain on paper towels.
- Grind 1 tbsp of the seeds with 2 tbsp until the seeds are in small pieces, or use a food processor. Mix with lime juice in a bowl, toss with salt, pepper and two dashes of soy sauce. Whisk in 4 tbsp of the olive oil.
- Put arugula in a serving bowl, place the mango and jicama on top and drizzle with dressing and top with remaining seeds. Serves six.
EASY THAI CHICKEN
Ingredients:
- Peanut oil
- 1 Spanish onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp red curry poweder
- 6 to 8 chicken thighs
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 15 baby new potatoes
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 – 2 tbsp fish sauce and lime juice
- Basil
- 1 can bamboo shoots
Directions:
- Heat the oil, add onion and curry. Cook until the onion is soft.
- Add chicken until it's browned.
- Add stock, potatoes and bamboo. Simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Stir in coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce (to your taste) and basil. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
- Serve with rice.
If you're in Oslo, you can always check out Yaya's Thai Beach Bungalow for great food.
