Mango Rice

To me, a mango is a complicated fruit. It has a crazy large seed inside of it. When I first buy it, it doesn't seem ripe enough but then I wait too long and it is past ripeness. When I made this recipe, I picked the perfect mango. My children ate all the mango and then they ate all of my mango garnish. I liked the mango rice which is sweet with a coconut flavoring. I did skip garnishing it with coconut cream since I liked the flavor without it. The mango is used only for a side and not to flavor the rice. It is the perfect way to end a meal.

Mango Sticky Rice
2/3 cup sticky white rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 mango, sliced

Directions:

1. Rise the rice to clean.
2. Soak the uncooked rice in water overnight. 
3. Drain the rice. 
4. Steam or cook the rise accordingly to the package.
5. In a medium pan, heat the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt. 
6. Stir consistently until the sugar is dissolved. 
7. Bring the mixture to a boil. 
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 
9. Place the sticky rice into a bowl. 
10. Slowly add the coconut mixture over the rice and stir. Do not over drench the rice since the rice should absorb the coconut mixture without a wet porridge. 
11. Serve with the sliced mango on the side. 

Recipe adapted from Thaifood.com.

One year ago....................................I made Steamed Buns.
Three years ago................................I made Orange Chicken.

Did you already know................
-The color of the mango is not an indicator of ripeness since some mangos are green.
-Some 300 old mango trees have been known to still bear fruit.
-The mango is native to India and Burma.

Thai Rice Soup Khao Tom

At the grocery store, I stood in front of the fish sauce. I knew I needed it for this recipe but I walked away. Then when I returned to the grocery store, I attempted to buy it again. I had so many thoughts going through my head like it will smell. Does my sister really eat dishes with fish sauce in it? How could it possibly make a dish better? I think I would rather buy anchovies. Then I walked away again. I couldn't do it. This dish is suppose to have fish sauce. This time I omitted it but I will keep it in the recipe just for you. See you may like fish. You may eat it on a regular basis. I avoid it. I will eat seafood just not fish. I remember my Dad taking us fishing. I remember staring at their unblinking eyes. I remember how the house smelt but most of all I remember how it tasted. So, yes I walked away.

Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom)
8 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 celery, chopped fine
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups rice
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
garnish: fresh scallions chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock, ginger, celery, shallots, lemon grass, and rice.
2. Bring to a boil and then reduce low to a simmer for 3o minutes or until the soup is a porridge like consistency.
3. In a large skillet, brown the pork. Remove from heat and set aside.  
   
4. Dischard the lemon grass. 
5. With a slotted spoon, transport the pork from the skillet into the saucepan. Mix well.
6. Add the cilantro, soy sauce, and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with the scallions.

Recipe adapted from Food.com. 

One year ago...........................I made Breakfast Cookies.
Two years ago.........................I made World Peace Cookies.

Did you already know.........................
-Fish sauce is the extraction from salted, fermented fish. 
-It takes about six months to ferment the fish.
-In several cuisines, fish sauce is used as a condiment.

Chicken Pad See Ew

This recipe called for sweet soy sauce. I had never heard of sweet soy sauce so I goggled it. Sure enough, there is a product called sweet soy sauce. Also, I found a recipe for sweet soy sauce but it had spices in it that I was unsure if it would be correct. I asked my husband about it but he had never heard of it so we went to several stores. Of course, I couldn't find it. I asked a store employee who was working the shelves about the product. She told me that she had never heard of sweet soy sauce and she even lived in Japan. I told her my husband had never heard of it too and he had lived in Japan too. The store employee or my husband didn't seem to know much about Thai cuisine but the employee told me just add sugar which I did. Hopefully, you will have better luck in finding sweet soy sauce. Since I didn't want to order it online and have to wait, I went ahead with the recipe. My youngest daughter loved this dish especially the chicken. I would make this dish again. We do have a Thai restaurant near us, I think I will have to order it and compare. Hopefully, my dish tasted close.

Chicken Pad See Ew
2 chicken breast, sliced into long thin strips
1 egg white
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
1/4 tsp ground pepper
16 oz. package Rice Noodles
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups broccoli, cooked al dente
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken breast, egg white, minced garlic, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and the ground pepper.
2. Chill the chicken mixture in the refrigerator from 30 minutes to an hour.
3. In a medium bowl, place the rice noodles.
4. Cover the noodles with hot water. 
5. Allow the noodles to soak until the noodles turn white and soft about 10 minutes.
6. Drain the noodles before mushy and set aside. 
7. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. 
8. Add one egg and whisk.
9. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce and whisk. 
10. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is partially cooked. 
11. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
12. Add the other egg and whisk. 
13. Add the noodles and combine. 
14. Return the chicken to the wok/skillet.
15. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 Tbsp soy sauce with the sugar. 
16. Add the oyster sauce and vinegar to the sweetened soy sauce.
17. Combine the sauce with the noodles and chicken . 
18. Add the broccoli and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
19. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from the Cooking Channel. 

One year ago.........................I made Baked Oatmeal.
Three years ago....................I made Banana Bread. 

Did you already know...................
-Thailand was formally known as Siam.
-Bangkok, the capital, is the largest city in Thailand.
-Buddhism is the leading religion of Thailand.