Kari's Red Curry

After many tries, I finally figured out how to make a Thai red curry that we love. Be sure to check out an Asian import store for the ingredients, they are so much cheaper there than at a normal grocery store. ($.99 for coconut milk vs. $2.39 at haggens) I like the one attached to Hong Kong Garden on Meridian in Bellingham.

Kari's Tropical Red Chicken Curry

Aprox 4 Tbs Thai red curry paste - to taste (I like the Maesri brand - less than $1 a can)
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 sweet potato
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, sliced in 1/4" thick strips
1 tsp sugar
3 kaffir lime leaves torn into thirds (optional - find them frozen in import stores)
2 Tbs fish sauce
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 red bell pepper cut into thin (1/4 inch) slices
Fresh basil (optional)
Cooked Rice for serving

Peel & chop sweet potato into 1/2 inch cubes. Pour 1/2 of the coconut milk, the chicken broth, 2 Tbs of the red curry paste and the sweet potato into a saucepan or wok over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft, smooth & creamy. (it will soften & be the texture of a regular potato at first - keep cooking it) If the liquid gets too thick, add some extra chicken broth.

Add chicken, sugar, lime leaves, fish sauce, and the remainder of the coconut milk & curry paste. Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the pineapple, red pepper and basil, stir & let them warm for a minute or so. Serve over rice.

Shrimp Tacos

Not super inspired, but this is the way I came up with and how I like to make mine. Unfortunately cooking this tends to give me an itchy puffy face (I think its the spices??), so who knows if I'll make it again. : (

Shrimp Tacos w/ Mango Salsa

Serves 2-3 (just add more meat for more people)

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed (rock shrimp works well if you can find it, or try a white fish or even bay scallops)
2 Tb butter
2 tsp chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika, or maybe even plain chili powder
3 cloves pressed or finely minced garlic
Corn Tortillas, heated
1 very small head of green cabbage
Mango Salsa (recipe follows)
Sliced avacado (optional)

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the shrimp, garlic and chili powder. Stirfry until the shrimp are cooked through, remove from heat and serve in corn tortillas w/ shredded cabbage (shave off with a knife), mango salsa and avacado slices.

Mango Salsa
1-2 mangos cubed
1/4 - 1/3 of a sweet onion, chopped very fine
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Chopped Cliantro to taste

Peel the mango & chop into 1/2 inch cubes. If the mango is not very juicy, mash part of it up with a fork to make the salsa more saucy. Add the rest of the ingredients & let the salsa rest in the fridge until dinner is ready. One mango is usually enough for 2 people, but two would be great if you love mango & have some chips to polish it off.