thai

Thai Quinoa Salad

This easy Thai quinoa salad combines protein-rich grains with healthy nutrients from fresh veggies, for a lime-infused flavor bomb with crunch in each bite.

This easy Thai quinoa salad combines protein-rich grains with healthy nutrients from fresh veggies, for a lime-infused flavor bomb with crunch in each bite. It’s great as a side for potlucks and as a main when you add chopped chicken. It’s also an easy and complete weekday lunch too.

I remember being at a Weight Watchers meeting where a woman emphatically stated that she did. NOT. like. quinoa. There was no changing her mind. But in my head I couldn’t figure out why she was putting up the quinoa roadblock.

Quinoa is one of my favorite protein sources, probably because it’s so unassuming. Like a seventh grade girl, it takes on the flavors it’s paired with.

For this quinoa salad, that means the salty flavors of a limey Thai dressing with plenty of veggie crunch. It’s the perfect side dish or main meal if you’re feeling the hug of your waistline just a little too much.

Quinoa is a bona fide super food. It’s gluten-free, packed with protein, fiber and flavonoids with studies showing it as an anti-inflammatory. It’s also loaded with antioxidants to keep those free radicals at bay.

continue to the recipe… about Thai Quinoa Salad

Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

This easy spicy Thai Basil Chicken recipe infuses authentic Thai flavors into a coconut sauce that’s dynamite over rice or noodles for a fast dinner you will literally find yourself craving.

When my stock of summer’s sweet basil is ready for harvest, I make a mad dash for caprese salads and homemade pesto. But my love of basil roots don’t stop there.

Each spring I go beyond the bounds of planting traditional sweet basil. In my garden, I always make room for at least 3-4 Thai basil plants, just so I can have them to make this Thai basil chicken recipe. It’s creamy, spicy, and when using rice noodles, it’s gluten-free.

In high school, my sister Holly spent a year in Thailand as a foreign exchange student, and our family’s taste buds haven’t been the same since. Holly originally introduced me to the traditional recipe of Pad Krapow Ga. Then my mom found a variation to this Thai Basil Chicken recipe in an old issue of Sunset magazine.

Over the years I’ve added this and that to make the recipe my own, and come late summer, it shows up nearly every week on our dinner table, taking full advantage of that sweet but savory, homegrown Thai basil.

continue to the recipe… about Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

Sweet and Sour Asian Pickled Cucumbers

These tangy and oh-so-simple-to-make sweet and sour Asian pickled cucumbers take only about 5 minutes to make, and are one of our favorite snacks. They’re also so good served as a cooling side or a crunchy, puckery salad all on their own.

I’ve never met a pickle I didn’t like. And when a quick pickle recipe does double duty as a tangy salad or a puckery snack, I look like that little emoji girl with my hand held high 🙋. Actually, my hand is more likely IN the pickle jar instead of being raised even though my mom ALWAYS told me, “USE A FORK!”

When will I ever learn to listen? Asking for my mom, because, you know, she’s still wondering.

This quick pickled cucumber recipe is exactly one of those recipes I will disregard all of my mom’s Emily Post etiquette teachings for. It’s the perfect topping on a sandwich or burger (like my Korean BBQ Burgers), or served alongside my Grilled Chicken Satay, or for simply snagging from the fridge for a little afternoon cure-all snack. Fork, or no fork, it’s totally your choice, but I bet you know how I’ll be digging for them.continue to the recipe… about Sweet and Sour Asian Pickled Cucumbers

Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

This easy Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice dinner has just the right amount of spice from jalapeño and ginger to flavor this creamy coconut sauce for a simple all-in-on meal.

Thai Comfort Food: Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

“Make it with extra sauce!” my husband always says.

Those are the words I hear ringing in my ears every time I cook any of my Thai recipes made with coconut milk like Shrimp in Thai Coconut Sauce or Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup. He’s a saucy kind of guy and simply can’t get enough of the Thai flavor-infused coconut flavors. And since every month those two recipes are in the top 10 recipes readers make from my site, it’s obvious you love them too.

The sauce is one reason why this creamy ginger and coconut chicken recipe has been a favorite of ours literally for years. I originally tore it out of a 2006 issue of Real Simple magazine, and like any magazine addict who also has a penchant for ~~saving~~ hoarding, I’ve kept it all these years.

The recipe page is now a little kitchen war-torn and splattered so it was high time to add it to the blog so I could refer to it more easily. See, this blog isn’t just a place for me to make recipes for you, it’s a place for me to keep track of my many favorites.

And hopefully like this Thai chicken recipe, you’ll love ’em and make them all as much too.continue to the recipe… about Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

Chicken and Mango Rainbow Veggie Wraps

If you’re still debating whether a wrap is really a sandwich or not, you can use this one as proof that either which way the vote comes in, we all agree that healthy, crunchy rainbow wrap lunches are what make the world go ’round.

This post is brought to you by Almond Breeze

My daughter is mildly amused with the return to my teenage fascination with rainbows.

Chalk it up to reliving the memories of my eighth grade year as she makes her way through hers. Or it may be thanks to my continuing countdown of the quickly fading days of this age of innocence for my lil’ baby. Or maybe it’s thanks to the ’80s boomerang of denim overalls, scrunchies, boom boxes, Polaroid cameras, casseroles, mom jeans and new remakes of Full House, CHiPs and Roseanne.

🌈 Either/or/and/alloftheabove…ahhh, 8th grade. Best year ever. 🌈

This easy, veg-heavy Thai-flavored lunch wrap represents all the things right with eating the rainbow. You’ve heard it a hundred times. At least I hope you have: Eating the rainbow is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting all the right nutrients in one fell swoop. And it’s just one more reason that eating a healthy wrap for an easy lunch or quick dinner is a good idea.

continue to the recipe… about Chicken and Mango Rainbow Veggie Wraps

How to Make an Easy Asian Hot Pot

If there’s one simple cooking method that crosses over nearly every Asian cuisine, the hot pot may be it. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolian and more. And with cooks of every level still making it every single day, that’s proof in the pot that it is indeed totally easy to crave, and to make.

This post is brought to you by McCormick

I like to think of hot pot cooking like the Asian fondue. It’s communal. It’s active. It’s social. And that’s what makes the hot pot just as perfect for entertaining as it is for a simple but fun dinner at home with the family where everyone gathers around the simmering brothy pot and jockeys for position and that perfectly cooked shrimp. Everyone gets to eat exactly what and how much of whatever they want, so long as it fits in the pot :).

Our family has a serious affair with Asian cooking and after our recent travels to Vietnam, Cambodia and Korea, we returned with even MORE passion for Southeast Asian food than before. If that’s even possible. So it’s no surprise to me then that when I checked out this year’s McCormick Spices Flavor Forecast report that identifies the top upcoming trends in food I wasn’t too surprised to see what topped the forecast for 2018: a love affair of worldwide flavors of Hot Pot cooking.

Back home here in Salt Lake City, we have a favorite hot pot restaurant where every customer heads to the back of the restaurant to a wall of self-serve refrigerated coolers stacked with racks of color coded plates to choose from nearly every hot pot ingredient you can imagine. It’s like a frigging hot pot gold mine.

To say I have some serious hot pot inspiration and aspiration is an understatement. But as usual, my cravings have set me to the task!

What Is an Asian Hot Pot?

Since this is a communal cooking affair like the classic fondue, there are a few essentials you’ll need to acquire to get your hot pot on.continue to the recipe… about How to Make an Easy Asian Hot Pot

How to Make an Asian-Inspired Cheese Board

Whether you call it a cheese board or a cheese plate, all that matters for this twist on the loaded appetizer platter is that it’s piled high with a variety of Asian-inspired bites.

This recipe is brought to you by Kettle Brand®.

I’m on a day date with my man, ordering lunch at one of our favorite Thai restaurants. While we’re almost always game for a killer Moochie’s Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, our go-to lunch spots are usually of the Asian variety: ramen, sushi, bulgogi, pho and bun are all invited to our table.

“Okay, G.,” I say to my husband as we look over the menu, only to order the same thing we always get because when you’ve got a craving, you’ve gotta feed the fire. “I need to come up with an appetizer idea to serve with potato chips.”

“You could do a dip,” he obviously replies. I look at him with a totally bored, blank stare. Oh, reallllly? Novel idea there Chef Jeff.continue to the recipe… about How to Make an Asian-Inspired Cheese Board

Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad

All it takes to make this super simple, totally fresh, cucumber, watermelon and red bell pepper salad is a few minutes of chopping and an easy sesame and lime-flavored Asian dressing for a totally crunchy bite.

“But wait, I was going to make my Mediterranean panzanella salad…”

My recipe making plans were foiled once again. I had my heart set, but when my husband told me he was making his favorite Asian chicken lettuce wraps to take with us for our outdoor concert picnicking with the Drive By Truckers at SLC’s Red Butte Gardens, I said, “Hey, no big deal, I can switch things out to go with that.”

So with a simple pivot and a few ingredient swaps, I created a salad the fit right into my husband’s Asian-inspired menu plans.

That’s what I love about super simple recipes like this one: it doesn’t take much to change it to fit any ethnic flavor profile, creating something totally fresh and totally new that fits into whatever you’re craving now. Plus,because it’s sturdy ingredients, this one is a great salad for potlucks or brunch, lunch, or dinners, and it holds up in the fridge, even for a few days.continue to the recipe… about Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad

5 Favorite Recipes for Flavored Compound Butters

Herbs, citrus, and even cheese flavor these 5 recipes for easy-to-make homemade compound butters to use on everything from hot veggies (roasted corn is a favorite!) to chicken, fish, pasta, and steaks, and it’s one of my secrets for jazzing up a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

More butter, more better. And when it’s of the infused-flavored variety, there’s always room for even more better butter.

Compound butters are something I like to keep on hand to effortlessly boost the flavor of meats, chicken, and burgers, or slither into pasta with a little cheese, or mix into scrambled eggs and omelets. And of course, it’s absolutely the best slathered on sweet summer corn.

While it would be easy to mix these flavor combinations together and set out in a bowl to serve from there, I like rolling them into logs and then cutting into slices to melt on just about anything for added flavor.

And because these buttery flavor bursts freeze well, it’s simple to pull them out on a whim and use to suit the tastes of everyone at the table. continue to the recipe… about 5 Favorite Recipes for Flavored Compound Butters

Chicken Satay with Lighter Almond Dipping Sauce

These flavorful skewers of thinly sliced marinated chicken need just a few minutes on the grill to absorb that wonderful smoky, charcoaled flavor, and are ready for dipping in this lightened-up, spicy coconut almond milk with almond butter dipping sauce for a true taste of Asian flavors.

This post is brought to you by Almond Breeze

One of the sights that struck me most while traveling through the streets of Bangkok and throughout Thailand was the abundance of street food and the fact that it was being cooked, right there, on the sidewalks. Men and women crouched down at makeshift grills made of bricks and grill grates, encouraging their charcoal flames and flipping skewers of meat, or chopping fresh veggies for stir fries and dishing out noodles and soups to customers who moments before were simply passing by.

But even more, it was the smells (oh the smells!) of food cooking, and bubbling, and sizzling, around each and every corner, serving snacks (and entire meals) to every walk of life, no matter how rich, or how poor. Southeast Asia isn’t necessarily unique in that respect. It seems that street food in every culture serves our most humble cravings. It just seems far more common there.

Naturally, the food memory of one of my favorite snacks during my two visits to Thailand came home with me. Chicken Satay, or Chicken Saté, because depending on the region depends on your spelling of the snack. Either way, this favorite appetizer on a stick is all good. And in this recipe, it’s also lightened up with a bit of an almond-y twist. continue to the recipe… about Chicken Satay with Lighter Almond Dipping Sauce

Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

My favorite Thai flavors are lightened up in this chicken and cucumber salad with almond coconut blend almond milk subbing in for full-fat coconut milk.

This post is in partnership with Almond Breeze

When my sister was in high school she spent her season year on a year-long foreign exchange school program with a host family in Thailand. She was just 17. And ready to expand her horizons. That’s only five years from how old Smudge is right now. Looking back I wonder if I could let Smudge go to a foreign land like my mom did with my sister?

My mom made it through that year (barely) and since then we’ve all been back to Thailand with my sister Holly, and thus the whole family has become enamored with Thai food. So this year when my sister and her family came home to spend the holidays with all of us, it was far from shocking that one very important item on the agenda was going out for Thai food.

My mom has a favorite restaurant she frequents for her favorite Thai chicken salad. After “borrowing” just one bite, I was a fan too. And I knew my version of that chicken salad was destined for you here on le bloggity blog.continue to the recipe… about Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Thai Zucchini Noodle and Quinoa Salad

Spiralized zucchini is the base of this crunchy raw vegetable salad that features a creamy, flavorful Thai peanut dressing for a healthy lunch or dinner.

I’ve been on a bit of a Thai kick lately, as witnessed by last week’s Shrimp in Thai Coconut Sauce.

Okay, I’ve been on a Thai kick, for, like, forever, as witnessed by this lengthy list of recipes here on le bloggity blog.

And after I ate the original version of this spiralized zucchini noodle aka zoodle recipe, I knew I had to add one more to the lineup.

Most likely, it won’t be the last. continue to the recipe… about Thai Zucchini Noodle and Quinoa Salad

Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce

Coconut milk flavored with peanut butter makes a classic Thai-inspired, creamy sauce for bell peppers and sautéed shrimp for an easy dinner any night of the week.

I feel that I’ve led you astray. That I didn’t deliver. That I was just a being a big tease.

Actually, there were a plethora of you who said that’s exactly what I was, when you e-mailed me in droves asking where the recipe was for the photo of this dish in my Friday Faves without sharing the recipe.

You’re right. I owe you this recipe. And I’m delivering it in two different versions, one that was the original from a cereal cooking challenge I was part of and the other version minus the cereal for those of you looking for a simpler version.

continue to the recipe… about Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce

Thai Coconut Noodle Salad

Almond Breeze Almondmilk Coconutmilk is my secret to a lower calorie instead of canned coconut milk for dressing this flavorful, Thai-inspired noodle salad.

This year I’m partnering with Almond Breeze to create and share recipes using almond milk. This noodle salad recipe takes full advantage of this flavored almond milk’s ability to infuse the distinctive Thai taste of coconut milk, but is a lighter alternative that cuts the calories and keeps the taste.

I’m sure I’ve shared here on the blog that during my sister’s senior year of high school she spent the year as a foreign exchange student in Thailand. Growing up in Utah, the geography, culture and certainly the food was worlds away from what she was used to. And she loved every single minute of her year-long immersion there.

When it was time for her to come home, my parents and I traveled to her adopted land to explore her new world. We quickly became fans, too. The beaches. The kindness of the Thai people. The vibrant heart of the culture. And for a food lover like me, the sumptuous and exotic dishes simply sealed the deal.

Ever since, when I’m craving dishes with a balance of spicy and sweet, Thai flavors are at my cooking epicenter. When you search my recipe archives it’s proof in the pudding, the Thai pudding so to speak. Hey, now! There’s a recipe idea I haven’t tried out yet…

continue to the recipe… about Thai Coconut Noodle Salad

Baked Chicken Wings with Thai Peanut Sauce

These chicken wings may be skinless but they still bake up nice and crispy in the oven, and are served with a creamy Thai peanut sauce that’s to die for.

I had a hunch chicken wings might fill the bill.

A hunch that these skinless, baked wings (say what? healthy-ish even?) might fit right into a round of lounging about with friends and family who are perfectly positioned with beverage in hand while the big game rambles on in the background because we’re all ignoring the commentators and waiting for the commercials anyway.

The commercials. And the food. It’s all about the food.

I say I had a hunch, but I really wanted to know, so I asked you what you craved on Facebook and here’s what you had to say.

This is a recipe that begs for the reach-in. Where there will be no penalties or unfair, uncalled for whistles, except for that holy-cow-show-me-more-low-slow-whistle that you only hear on construction sites when a hot chick ambles by.

Woot-twoo. Whistle away. These Baked Chicken Wings with Thai Peanut Sauce deserve every pursed lip.continue to the recipe… about Baked Chicken Wings with Thai Peanut Sauce

Fish Chowder With Copper River Salmon

This thick and creamy, perfectly chunky, and easy to make chowder made with the best Copper River salmon gets a Thai makeover with flavors of coconut milk, fresh lemongrass, ginger, and kaffir lime, for a unique spin on a comfort food favorite.

This fish chowder, if it could talk, would have a long story to tell about a very short trip I was on that ended in minutes with a very quick fall.

This soup and I met on a rainy Alaskan night. There were no walks on the beach but we did get caught on the rain. The piña coladas were on an entirely different continent and man oh man, how I wished I had champagne to kill the pain. But this soup from Cordova, Alaska’s local Fishwives, and it’s subtle Thai-inspired flavors saved me instead.

continue to the recipe… about Fish Chowder With Copper River Salmon

Stuffed Artichokes with Thai Shrimp Salad

Eat seasonal! Eat fresh! Eat good food! In my world that’s the mantra to live by.

While I crave ultimate comfort foods like blackened seafood pastas, the perfectly cooked steak and grilled cheese sandwiches, you’ll never find me shying away from super fresh, in-season fare that’s light on the palate but heavy on flavor.

I’ve always been a big artichoke fan. Heck, it was my second post ever on this little bloggity blog. And now…my how things have changed. I didn’t even realize I needed to post my own recipes back then, and just look at how Smudge was just a smudge!

When it comes to the green leafy orb, you could eat it the traditional route. Melted butter for tender leaf dipping. Another swath of mayo (nay to the Miracle Whip on my side of the table) and into the mouth. That’s the way most artichoke dipping begins and ends.

But we’re going lighter this time around with a rice wine vinegar seasoned Thai flavored shrimp salad to top every tender tooth-scraping artichoke leaf. We’re just going with the seasonal flow.

continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Artichokes with Thai Shrimp Salad

5 Ingredient Thai Pumpkin Soup

With just 5 simple ingredients, my Thai Pumpkin Soup delivers a curry and coconut flavor combination more often expected from a pumpkin soup recipe with far more ingredients than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Bonus: It’s ready to eat in under 10 minutes.

My Smudge has been losing her mind this year with anticipation of Halloween, dressing up herself, the house and of course, the dogs. Oh those poor dogs.

She’s carved 172 pumpkins and has even planned out what container she’ll be storing her “free” candy in after she roots through her haul (these from OXO make her feel like she has a candy store right at home.) As long as that stash is close to me, I like her plan.

I love Halloween too. But man, when Halloween is on a weeknight, the rush of getting her home from school, then getting us all into costumes, rounding out the candy and then either hosting the annual Halloween party (woo-hoo I got a pass on that this year) or sailing off to one of her friends’ house to do the trick or treat routine (yea for friends!) takes TIME.

And time is always a precious commodity since its usually a rarity.

That’s why with just 5 ingredients as the sum total of deliciousness, my Thai Pumpkin Soup is the perfect last minute fare.

It’s a savory time saver. You don’t have to pay me extra for the jokes folks.continue to the recipe… about 5 Ingredient Thai Pumpkin Soup

Thai Coconut Cauliflower

Spinach, I love. Broccoli, bring it on. But cauliflower? I can usually leave it at the kitchen door.

I’m DEFINITELY a late convert to this cruciferous’ fan club. So what made me cross the picket line? Well, it has to do with a favorite flavor addition which totally made my Thai Coconut Cauliflower a new fave.

Lately I’ve been in a Thai state of mind thanks to my Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup. But then any dish with coconut milk? Hello, lovely.

So when my husband pulled this recipe out of his…um…thin air, I was like, WHA? WHA?

Me eat cauliflower? Okay, maybe. If its coated with melted cheese.

continue to the recipe… about Thai Coconut Cauliflower

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Here’s the thing about cooking with slow cookers. It’s convenient. But only if you’re creating a recipe where you don’t have to dirty more than the slow cooker. Like this Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup.

I’m all about time management. I eat breakfast while I do the dishes, I brush my teeth while I tie on my running shoes. In other words, I’m a multi-tasker who isn’t terribly efficient at getting much of any of my laundry list of daily to-dos completed because my mind thinks I have to do more than six things at at time. Why? Oh why?

So these days, unless its a lazy day weekend, my to do list doesn’t always necessitate spending an hour and a half making dinner. I don’t mean letting it cook, I mean MAKING dinner.

Enter the genius invention that has been on every wedding registry since 1973. The slow cooker. And this Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup. continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Thai Chicken Larb Lettuce Wraps

With the release of her latest cookbook, Steamy Kitchen’s Healthy Asian Favorites, Jaden Hair once again shows us why she’s one of the top dogs in the world of food blogging with her recipe for Thai Lettuce Wraps.

Food blog author Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen is like Wonder Woman. She’s a food columnist, television chef (ABC’s Recipe Rehab, Daytime Show), cookbook author (The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, Steamy Kitchen’s Healthy Asian Favorites), and a wife and mom to two little boys, Andrew and Nathan.

If all that weren’t enough, she helps run “the homestead,”—a five-acre plot she and her family occupy. It’s fully equipped with a small fruit orchard, a pond with tilapia and blue gill, and a chicken coop with ten plucky residents. Their latest endeavor? A homemade aquaponic herb and vegetable garden (growing vegetables and plants over water).

It’s a juggling act but one that Hair seems to have managed with ease. She’s driven, but her priority is her family and she puts their health and happiness at the forefront.

I first discovered Jaden thanks to my husband. While trolloping among the www for Asian inspired recipes, he discovered Steamy Kitchen. In fact, he was a follower of her blog well before I even had a nugget of a thought of creating a food blog myself. Or a magazine that features food bloggers. You could say his discovery pretty much set us on this tract of foodie crushes.

In fact, my very first recipe on the blog? One of Jaden’s.

You could say I have a soft spot for this oh so very talented lady.continue to the recipe… about Thai Chicken Larb Lettuce Wraps

Thai Quinoa Salad

Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

continue to the recipe… about Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

Sweet and Sour Asian Pickled Cucumbers

Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

Thai Comfort Food: Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

Chicken and Mango Rainbow Veggie Wraps

How to Make an Easy Asian Hot Pot

What Is an Asian Hot Pot?

How to Make an Asian-Inspired Cheese Board

Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad

5 Favorite Recipes for Flavored Compound Butters

Chicken Satay with Lighter Almond Dipping Sauce

Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Thai Zucchini Noodle and Quinoa Salad

Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce

Thai Coconut Noodle Salad

Baked Chicken Wings with Thai Peanut Sauce

Fish Chowder With Copper River Salmon

Stuffed Artichokes with Thai Shrimp Salad

5 Ingredient Thai Pumpkin Soup

Thai Coconut Cauliflower

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Thai Chicken Larb Lettuce Wraps

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

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Thai Comfort Food: Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

What Is an Asian Hot Pot?

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