Thai Yellow Curry with Pineapple

Prep Time:  40 minutes

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into small strips
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb. chicken, pork, or shrimp
20 oz. can of pineapple slices, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional, but oh, so good!)
2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut milk
2 tsp. salt
steamed Jasmine rice

1.  Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Cook onion and bell pepper until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add spices, garlic, and meat, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add coconut milk, pineapple, and salt; simmer 10 minutes.

2.  Spoon curry over rice, you can garnish with cilantro leaves if you would like.

Makes 6 servings.

(I found this recipe in Sunset magazine and have only tweaked it slightly.  This is my oldest son's favorite food!  I take about 1/3 of the curry during the last 10 minutes of cooking and simmer it in a separate pan with a couple diced Thai chilis because my husband loves the heat, he really likes this.)

Cashew Chicken

Prep Time:  1 hour

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 lbs. snow peas, carrots, asparagus, or green onion
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce (I love the Lee Kum Kee brand)
3/4 cup raw cashew, toasted
Steamed Jasmine rice

1.  Cook the cashews in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350 degrees until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes.  (Do not toast them too long, if they get too dark they don't taste very good.)

2.  In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with the salt and pepper.

3.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken until browned, transfer to a plate.

4.  Add the remaining oil and vegetables to the skillet.  Cook for 2 - 4 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender.  Return the chicken to the pan.  Add vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.

5.  Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water; cook for about 1 minute, remove from the heat, add the cashews, mix, and serve over hot steamed rice.

Serves 4-6

The bones of this recipe comes from a cashew chicken recipe from Everyday Foods.  I've tweaked it a bit, and my family really likes it.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Prep Time:  1 hour

6 Tbsp. hoisin sauce (I highly recommend the Lee Kum Kee brand)
6 Tbsp. soy sauce (Reduced Sodium is great to use)
2 Tbsp. oil
3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced in strips
16 green onions, cut into 2" pieces
1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into strips
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger (this makes the whole dish!)
2 - 14.5 oz. cans of pineapple chunks, or fresh pineapple

Steamed Jasmine rice

In a bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and 4 Tbsp. water, set aside.  Heat nonstick pan or wok over medium to high heat and add the oil.  Then add the bell peppers, green onions, pork, garlic, and ginger.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork browns, about 5 minutes.  Add the pineapple chunks and the hoisin sauce mixture, stirring to coat.  Cook until warm.  Serve over rice.

Makes 6 servings.

(This recipe is from Sunset magazine.  I have hardly changed this recipe at all--it is fantastic!)