You are the best Thai chef in town

How, you say? Simply by heading over the Thai Chilli on Briarcliff! Go have lunch, and before you leave, buy several packets of frozen Curry in a Hurry. Yep, they sell their crack in pre-mixed, frozen baggies. Flavors include green curry, masaman curry, and panang curry. I haven’t tried the green yet, but the masaman and panang are exceptional.

Just take leftover chicken, beef, or pork, or maybe saute boneless, skinless breasts, add veggies, then dump in the sauce. Serve over pasta or rice. It could not possibly be easier. And, as much of a carnivore as I am, I actuall caught myself thinking “this would be even better without the meat” one night while eating a Thai Chilli-assisted melange of snow peas, red pepper, and broccoli.

Maybe I’ll eventually find the courage to attempt from-scratch Thai cooking one day…or maybe not! Maybe I’ll just keep heading over to Thai Chilli.

Spinach, Red Pepper, and Leek Ravioli

I have been enjoying inventing some vegetaran dishes for a very health-conscious friend who has temporarily displaced from his home. I try to minimize dairy and anything artificial (but it’s not easy!).

1/3 cup finely chopped red pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

3/4 cup chopped leeks

2 cups coarsely chopped spinach

1 tsp butter or olive oil

2 TB tzaziki dip (or 1 tb yogurt, 1 tb sour cream, 1 scant tsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp chopped cucumber…work with whatever you have)

2 Tb parmesan cheese (grated)

1 egg, divided

dash of salt, pepper, fennel seed (thanks Thomas for the suggestion), and honey

2 Tb chopped fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley

Store bought wonton wrappers

Heat a pan to medium high, add the butter or oil, then the carrots. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the leeks and peppers for a minute or two, then the spinach for another minute. Your goal here is to get a little carmelization but to retain the fresh, crisp quality of the raw veggies.

In a food processor, combine the egg yolk, tzaziki, vegetable mixture, parmesan cheese, herbs, and spices. Pulse to create a puree that has a lot of small chunks of vegetables (not a true puree).

Have a seat and turn on something interesting on TV (unless you have a buddy over for a leisurly conversation). Assembing the ravioli is not hard, but it can be tedious.

Take the egg white and combine it with a couple of teaspoons of water. If you have  cooking brush (or clean tiny paintbrush) use it; if not, use a finger. Lay a single wonton wrapper on a clean surface and paint all four edges with the egg dip. Place a teaspon of the filling in the center, then pick up two opposite corners. You want the filling to stay in the middle while you close the edges (making a triangular ravioli), using the egg wash as adhesive.

Your goals are: no air bubbles, no filling escaping along the sides (if you are using too much filling, it will escape and the ravioli will pop during cooking; ratchet that back), thorougly connected edges.

I lay these on a Pam-coated piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. This makes a couple dozen ravioli. You can freeze these flat on the cookie sheet, then bag ‘em in ziplocs for future use. If you want to use them fresh, cover them carefully in plastic wrap or they’ll dry out.

Cooking:

Bring salted water to a rapid boil, then add the ravioli (gently!). The water should stop boiling as a result of adding the ravioli. Decrease the heat to medium and very gently simmer the ravioli until the pasta is al dente (a couple of minutes).

Coat the ravioli with the sauce of your choice. Let the veggies be the star! Maybe combine a little heavy cream with some high-quality parmesano-reggiano, or briefly saute fresh chopped tomatoes, basil, and garlic.

New Foodie Blog in the ’sphere

My friend Thomas has launched a cool new blog, http://thecookinghusband.com/

This looks fun. Check it out!