Recipe: Thai Lime Ginger Seafood Chowder

Thai food is my absolute favorite cuisine! I love all the fresh and zesty flavors, and how well all the fresh ingredients go together to make something amazing.

This recipe may look like it has a lot of ingredients, but most of them are herbs and spices, so it's actually pretty easy to make. You should be able to find fresh ginger, lemongrass, and fish stock at any Asian store.

Oh, and for an interesting flavor twist, use 2 kaffir lime leaves, cut in thin strips, instead of lime zest - if you can find them at the store, or if you have your own kaffir lime tree like I do!  :-)

Thai Lime Ginger Seafood Chowder
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Thai seafood soup. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3 Tbsp peanut oil
1 yellow onion, minced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated lime zest
2 tsp minced lemongrass
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups fish stock
2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, pureed with 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt to taste
2 small cucumbers, peeled and quartered lengthwise, seeded, then cut into small chunks
1 lb fish fillets, use white fish that is firm, cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 lb medium size shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 lb small sea scallops
1/2 lb lump crab meat
1/2 lb clam strips

Directions:

• In a large soup pot over medium heat, add peanut oil and onion, and cook stirring about 4 to 5 minutes or until just getting translucent.
• To soup pot add garlic, lime zest, lemongrass, ginger, coriander, cumin, and black pepper, cooking and stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant.
• Add fish stock, coconut milk, pureed cilantro, lime juice, and brown sugar and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer slowly for about 4 to 5 minutes, then season with salt to taste.
• Add to the soup pot the cucumbers and the fish and simmer slowly for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is opaque, then add the remaining seafood and simmer an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until the shrimp have turned pink.  Serve hot with salad on the side and crusty bread.

Recipe: Red Thai Curried Fish - A Low-Carb Flavor Treat

If you're looking to eat healthier this year, you may want to incorporate Thai food into your diet. Thai is one of my favorite cuisines - it features lots of bright, fresh flavors that come alive on your palate, without having to add much fat or sugar to your meals, and it's typically made with just a few, fresh, healthy ingredients, which are increasingly easy to find at just about any grocery store these days. Many Thai dishes include rice or noodles, but you can omit these, or choose from the plenty that don't, if you are following a lower carb diet.

This recipe uses Thai red curry (a distinctive flavor all on its own), coupled with fresh cilantro and tangy lime juice, which marry well with the light flavors of white fish (use sole, tilapia, cod, or other mild-flavored white fish for this recipe). Coconut oil and curry paste can be found in most supermarkets, in the Asian aisle. (Thai Kitchen is a major brand found just about everywhere, and it has a great flavor - but beware if you use this brand - it is VERY spicy! I would start with about half what it calls for in the recipe below, then add more if needed. If you make your own curry paste it's usually less potent, so you can use more. It's not that hard to make your own curry paste - check back Friday for a video showing how!) Fish sauce can be found in some supermarkets, and most Asian grocery stores. (The Squid brand is probably the most easy to find, but unfortunately doesn't have a great flavor, so I'd suggest a different one if you can find it.)

Thai Red Curry Fish
(Serves 4.)

A pack of red curry paste (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp red curry paste (or less)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp Asian fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
4 filets white fish
salt and pepper to taste
coconut oil for sauteing

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix together the red curry paste, vinegar, oil, cilantro, fish sauce, and lime juice; set aside.
• Put an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, add enough oil to saute fish - about 1 TB if using coconut oil.
• Season the fish filets with salt and pepper to taste, then put in skillet when the oil is hot and cook until fish is browned lightly, then flip and cook until second side is browned; this will take about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake fish until thoroughly cooked and fish is flaky, about 8 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of the fish.
• Remove the skillet from the oven, and pour the curry sauce over the fish in the skillet; let sit 1 minute.

Some of My Favorite Thai Cookbooks: