Recipe(tried): Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, Thai Noodles w/ Chicken & Vegetables, Fresh Fruit Tart

Hello Everyone!

Whenever I go out for Thai food, I start my meal with a bowl of Tom Khaa Gai, which is an incredibly delicious and smooth Thai Coconut Chicken soup. It doesn't look like much - a creamy, thick, pale broth laced with chicken slices, mushrooms, bits of fragrant lemongrass, bok choy and cilantro - but what it lacks in looks, it makes up in flavor. Sweet and sour components balance the richness of lemongrass and lime-infused coconut milk, which, in turn, tempers a slow-building chili burn. No a bad one, mind you, depending on how much heat you add to the soup.

So, why run all over town looking for authentic Thai ingredients like galangal, bird's eye chili's, and kaffir lime leaves when a jar of Dynasty's brand Thai red Garlic Chili paste delivers all those flavors in a super concentrated form. Oh, and if you can find CHAOKOH brand coconut milk, that is the cream of the crop. Stay away from KAME (too sweet). A TASTE OF THAI is good.

A little bowl of that delicious soup and then some Thai Chicken & Noodles with Vegetables followed by a tempting, cool and satisfying Fruit Tart rounds out tonight's meal. This fruit tart is filled with homemade Bavarian Cream and then topped with an assortment of summer fruits that are available in stores right now...the fun for me is arranging the fresh fruit on the tart! Who says cooking isn't fun? Bring it on!

Here are the recipes for tonight's Thai-style meal:

THAI-STYLE CHICKEN SOUP
Makes 4 servings

SAUTE FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped lemongrass
3 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 to 1 tsp. Red Thai Garlic Chili paste

ADD AND COOK FOR 5 MINUTES:
1 sliced raw chicken breast
1 Vidalia onion, sliced

ADD AND SIMMER FOR 8 MINUTES:
1 cup shredded bok choy
4 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or more
2 Tbsp. fish sauce

GARNISHES:
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 lime, cut into wedges

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THAI PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES
Makes 6 servings

Peanut sauce (recipe follows)
1 pound uncooked linguine
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
6 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
3/4 cup julienne (matchstick-sliced) carrots
3/4 cup julienne zucchini
3/4 cup julienne summer squash
1/2 cup white wine
2 bunches cilantro leaves, snipped (for garnish)
Chopped peanuts (for garnish)

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Grill chicken breast. Cut into thin slices and set aside.

Heat the oil in a saute pan or wok over medium-high. Stir-fry the carrots, zucchini and squash until tender-crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Add chicken, peanut sauce and wine to the pan, and cook until liquid is reduced by about half and chicken is done.

Add linguine and toss to coat. Serve in shallow soup bowls and garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

THAI PEANUT SAUCE
Makes about 1 1/4 cups

This could be fairly hot. Adjust the flavor for a milder version. I use the concentrated form of Thai Red Chili Garlic Paste made by Dynasty so I don't have to handle chili peppers.

4 tablespoons pureed fresh ginger
6 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
Dash of hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon Thai red Garlic Chili Paste (more or less depending on your taste)

Process ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

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FRESH FRUIT TART WITH PASTRY CREAM
Source: Victoria Magazine; August 2000
Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 (10-inch) baked tart shell (recipe follows)
1 cup pastry cream, (recipe follows)
raspberries
blueberries
strawberries, cut in half, stems attached
nectarines, sliced thin
kiwis, peeled and sliced

Spread the baked tart shell with the pastry cream, smoothing filling into an even layer. Group each fruit to make a casual arrangement.

TART SHELL
Makes 1 (10-inch) tart shell

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
1 cup walnuts, crushed fine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until just combined, then beat in the vanilla.

In another bowl sift the flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients, including the cup of fine crushed walnuts a little at a time to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until the dough starts to come together.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch round tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm,

Butter one side of a square of aluminum foil; fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. To weigh it down, spread a handful of dried beans or rice on the foil.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil (and beans or rice), prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

PASTRY CREAM
Makes about 1 cup

3 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 teaspoon cognac or brandy

In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture is light yellow and falls back into the bowl in a ribbon. On low speed, beat in the cornstarch.

Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan and, with the mixer on low, slowly pour it into the egg mixture. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Bring to a boil and cook on moderately low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste to be sure the cornstarch is cooked.

Remove from the heat, mix in the butter, vanilla, cream, and cognac, and strain into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.