A Stack of Dishes

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Healthy Recipes

Chicken Crusted with Wasabi Peas and Slaw with Thai Peanut Dressing

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The flavors here in Thailand are a symphony compared to a song. It is not unusual to take a bite and have so many taste sensations going on at once that it can be staggering: sweet, sour, spicy, deep umami and texture.

On my first trip to Chaing Mai everything was a delight (ok, the beans on the ice cream I could have done without), but this trip I am learning more of the nuances and quality of Thai food. There are cooks and chefs, and it’s apparent that it’s not the ingredients that separates the two, it’s the finesse, the grace and the balance.

What I can tell you is that the comparable ingredients that are available to me in NYC are not exactly the same as here. The limes I find sweeter here, and the tamarind more sour than tart- but don’t let that dissuade you.  Preparing Thai food is not difficult and the results are fantastic.

I love making this dish with the wasabi peas. The texture is fantastic and the bite of wasabi is not terrifically sharp when balanced with the chicken. My advice is the slice your chicken into thin pieces, or pound out thinly- otherwise the peas can burn before the chicken cooks through. An alternative is you can bake large pieces of chicken, such as breasts on the bone, and that would be fine.

The Thai dressing on the slaw will make you new friends. It’s so simple and so delicious that I invite you to make a batch and pour it over everything you can get your hands on. A great alternative on tomatoes and cucumbers out of the summer garden for instance.

I’ve never been a huge fan of mayonnaise rich cole slaw, nor of it’s picnic cousins potato and macaroni salad- but raw cabbage is delicious and tremendously healthy. I love this dressing on shredded cabbage. The red cabbage when mixed with the acid of the lemon juice draws out the color to a bright pretty pink. Both pretty and yummy- make more than you think- it goes fast.

Chicken Crusted with Wasabi Peas
serves 4
 
2# skinless chicken breasts sliced very thin
2c wasabi peas, roughly crushed
1c buttermilk
1 clove garlic crushed
grand pinch of salt
oil for frying pan
 
Note on frying: get our that honkin’ heavy cast iron frying pan and use it. As time goes by I am less and less a fan of nonstick pans. A well seasoned and loved cast iron pan can be a girl’s best friend. I used little oil for this recipe-less than I would in a nonstick- and my chicken cooked beautifully. Buffed biceps are a bonus.
 
combine garlic, salt and buttermilk in a bowl and allow to sit for a few minutes to flavor the buttermilk.
 
Meanwhile prepare the peas and place on a flat plate or low shallow bowl.
 
Preheat cast iron pan over medium heat with just enough oil to cover the bottom.
 
slip all the chicken into the buttermilk to coat and soak.
 
Press each fillet into the peas, pressing hard to get good adherence.
 
Cook the chicken on each side about 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.
 
serve immediately.
 
 
Cabbage Slaw with Thai Peanut Dressing
serves 4
 
4-6c finely shredded cabbage
 
1T toasted sesame oil
2T sugar
2T brown sugar
2T fresh lemon juice
2T fresh lime juice
2T chopped fresh mint
1 small thai chili finely chopped, or 2t jalapeno (optional)
3/4 c roasted, chopped, unsalted peanuts
 
Combine dressing ingredients into large bowl and stir to combine and melt sugars.
 
Toss in the slaw and allow to sit for 15 mins before serving.
 
 
 
 
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My partner and I are planning on organizing Thai Food cooking trips in the future. We have connections to some of the best Thai chefs. My partner is fluent in Thai and lived here for many years. The next trip will probably be in January to Northern Thailand. I would love to know if there is interest. Drop me a note if you would like to be placed on the mailing list for more information.
 
Sawaadii Khaa!
 

Smokey Cockles with Spaghetti

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There are sounds of the summer that I really love, like the tinkling of ice in a cocktail glass, or the plinky tune of the ice cream truck through the screened window- and the money sound of cockle shells in a bowl.
It was the sound of this dish that had me standing eagerly at the fishmongers counter. Crazy eh? but why not? I love making this dish. It takes no time at all and the result is so satisfying. For those that are carb phobic I use Barilla’s Plus pasta. It’s a dried pasta with extra protein. I highly recommend it. The tooth on the pasta is closer to typical pasta and not the mealy bite of whole wheat varieties. If you don’t have it in your local market you can order it here. For those who need to keep their glycemic index low this is a way to have your pasta and maintain your balance.
But I digress…smokey bacon widens the depth of these flavors. Into the base broth, along with a hearty splash of Sauvignon Blanc, I slipped in two bay leaves from the plant my Mother gave me earlier this season. She has a bay plant that resembles Jack’s beanstalk in her living room. I was in such awe of it that Mom got me one of my own. My baby is working it’s way up, already gaining about 3 inches since I set it into my “garden window” and is now about 8″ tall. Fresh bay leaves are a real treat. Go get a bay plant for yourself and get one for a friend, you’ll both be all smiles.

I have the immense pleasure of a sweeping view of the Hudson River facing the setting sun. With the setting sun mellowing the colors of the day I sit in my window watching boats ease their way up and down the river. It may not be the dock on the bay that I really crave, but for city life I feel blessed to live in. More of the Sauvignon Blanc, famous for its vegetal and sprightly flavor, accompanied my meal. Nothing beats this combination- and with it came another wonderful summer sound- the slurp of sucking the cockles from their beautiful shells and the clink of the discarded shells falling into the bowl.

Smokey Cockles with Spaghetti
serves two
 
1.5# fresh cockles, scrubbed clean- discarding any that remain open
4 strips of smoked bacon
2 cloves crushed garlic
.5 c dry white wine
2 bay leaves
{optional pinch of red pepper}
 
2oz dried pasta- cooked al dente and tossed with 1T olive oil
 
 
In a large pot over medium heat gently sautee bacon, rendering the fat. 
 
Add in garlic and bay leaves and sautee until garlic have given up it’s fragrance.
 
Carefully add in the wine and gently simmer to meld the flavors and draw out the bay.
 
Toss in the scrubbed cockles and cover the pot with a lid.
 
Let the cockles steam for about 5 mins. They are done when the shells are completely open.
 
Do not add salt until after you’ve tasted the broth. The cockles give up their briny juice and usually that is more than enough salt.
 
Divide the pasta between two bowls and then the cockles, strain the broth to remove and grit and then pour over the two bowls.
 
 
Enjoy!
 
 
 
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Thank you for coming by and reading my recipes.
I would love to hear how you are sharing with your friends, or any other stories you want to share with me.
If you have any questions or just want to say Hi, just drop me a note. I look forward to it.
 
astackofdishes@gmail.com
 

Open Tuna Sandwich with Anchovy Dressing

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Because it’s Summer, because we need easy meals, because the basic ingredients are just so gorgeous on their own that they don’t need a lot of muss and fuss to make a satisfying meal. That’s why I am presenting this sandwich.
Back in the days when I was working full time in the kitchen and the kids were little I always kept stacks of tinned tuna in the cupboard for last minute tuna salad sandwiches. Trust me, they were a lifesaver and staved off many a lightheaded energy drop.
But now I’m not juggling so many plates ( only A Stack of Dishes- Ha!) and I can sit down in at my table in my sunny window and enjoy my lunch. I am truly enjoying the spoils of my free time. I have to say, a compilation of ingredients taste far better than a “throw together” somehow.
Though this is meal can be beautifully made with tuna right off the grill, a good quality canned tuna in oil is wonderful. Just go for the best you can find- spend a few shekels extra- you deserve it.
The anchovies in the dressing are not overwhelming- so fear not! please don’t shy away from giving this a try if that’s your reason. The fine fish breaks down into the dressing and you hardly know it’s there, except for it’s exquisite and delicate flavor.

In order to conserve space in my tiny (read: teeny tiny) kitchen, I have done away with my trusty toaster oven. It’s amazing to me that I can live without it when I used to turn that baby on at least twice a day. In addition to the feeling from the satisfying lack of burning unnecessary electricity, my toast and toasted things consumption has not suffered one bit.

I mostly rely on my stove top grill and toast my bread right on top. I even am known to toast bread directly over the flame with a set of long tongs, which is what I did here. Got me a nice char going there in seconds flat. Tasty too.

The best part of the simple sandwich is the vinegary, fish laced dressing that soaked into the bread. It complimented the tuna rather than competed with it, and it had enough oomph to add brightness to the tomatoes too.

The days are at their longest now. I hope you get to take some time to enjoy the sunlight and the hum and of world as it filters in through screened windows. Enjoy!

Open faced Tuna Sandwich with Anchovy Dressing
serves one hungry person
 
 
1 can high quality chunk tuna in oil
generous handful of cherry tomatoes
several leaves of fresh basil, torn
1 large slice of sourdough bread, toasted
 
3 anchovies
.33c red wine vinegar
.25 c fruity olive oil
S&P
 
Do I really need to tell you what to do here? Toast the bread, dice the tomatoes, tear the basil.
 
In a separate bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients, taking care to break up the anchovies.
 
Pile all the goodies onto the toast and drizzle generously with the dressing.
 
Now find a comfortable spot- like on your porch where you never sit, or in a sunny window, or at the table with a cloth napkin. Just a sweet calm place to relax and enjoy the simplest and best things in the world.
 
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Thank you for coming by and reading my recipes.
I would love to hear how you are sharing with your friends, or any other stories you want to share with me.
If you have any questions or just want to say Hi, Please send me a note, and I look forward to replying.
 
astackofdishes@gmail.com