Thai Dinner party

The Thai/Vietnamese was at our house and turned out much better than I expected. I was so nervous to do something Thai or Vietnamese! I made Thai Red Chicken Curry & Fried Tofu with Garlic & Black Pepper (recipes follow) & Mai Tai's of course. They both turned out fabulously! Rachel made Chicken skewers with peanut sauce, Heidi made a noodle salad & Tara brought melon Popsicle it was ALL delicious!

Again, Thank you Tamara for putting this all together!

Thai Red Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• 1 cup sliced halved zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1 onion, quartered then halved
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces; cook and stir for about 3 minutes. Mix in the curry paste, zucchini, bell pepper, carrot and onion. Cook and stir for a few minutes.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the coconut milk, then pour into the skillet. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 1 minutes. Right before serving, stir in the cilantro.

Vegetarian Fried Tofu with Garlic and Black Pepper (Dofu Gratium Prik Thai)

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, smash gently with the side of a knife or cleaver to peel
• 2-3 shallots, peeled
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tblsp Thai soy sauce (Dragonfly brand) or Golden Mt. Seasoning sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 4 tblsp canola oil
• 8 oz firm tofu, cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 triangles(8 altogether)
• Garnish: Cucumber slices, coriander leaves, tomatoes

Preparation

1. In a mortar and pestle or electric coffee grinder (used only for spices, etc) pound or grind together garlic, shallots, and peppercorns to make a paste.
2. Remove to a small bowl. Add soy sauce and sugar and stir.
3. Lay the tofu on a flat dish, cover with the mixture and allow to marinate 30 minutes or overnight.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok, over medium heat, until hot, but do not allow to burn. Fry the tofu until golden brown. Turn on each side to brown evenly (including the cut edges). Drain and place on a serving dish. Garnish if desired.