Gai Hor Bai Toey (Fried Chicken in wrapped Pandan Leaves)

Fragrant screwpine or pandan leaves add their subtle fragrance to this fried chicken. Pandan leaves can be bought in the Asian Grocery store. Look in the frozen section.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs of chicken thighs (breast meat will work too)
• 20 Pandan Leaves
• Oil for deep frying

Marinade

• 2 tbsp of Light soya sauce
  
• 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 2 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tsp of each of garlic and coriander root pounded together into a paste

Sauce

• 1 cup of distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp black soya sauce
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds, fried
• 1/4 tsp of salt

1. Debone chicken and cut thighs inro 4 pieces. Mix marinade and marinate the chicken meat for 3 hours. Mix sauce ingredients and set aside
2. Wrap 2 or 3 pieces of chicken with pandan leaves to form a bundle (see photo). Deep fry until fragrant.
   
3. Serve with dipping sauce and steamed rice. ( Omit pandan leaves if not available.
   

Pad Thai Goong Sod (Fried Rice Noodles with Shrimps)

Dried rice-flour vermicelli is used for this dish, one of the dozens of noodle creation found in Thailand or in Asian grocery stores. The pickled white radish is available in cans. You can also replace the shrimp with chicken strips.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 10oz dried rice flour vermicelli, soaked in warm water to soften
• 1 tbsp of chopped pickled white radish
• 1 cake of hard soya beancurd
• 1 tsp of dried chillies
• 4tbsp of sugar
• 3 tbsp of fish sauce
• 4 tbsp of tamarind juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 lb of bean sprout bunch of Chinese chives (cut into an inch)
  
• 1/2 cup of roasted peanuts
• 10 oz of shrimps ( or chicken strips)

1. Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in a wok and saute garlic and shallots. Add the noodles and fry, turning constantly to prevent sticking. Remove noodles and set aside
2. Put another 3 tbsp pf oil into pan and when hot added pickled radish, beancurd and dried chillies. Stir fry for another 2 to 3 minutes and then return the noodles into the pan. Add sugar, shrimps, fish sauce and tamarind juice, mixed thoroughly and set aside on a plate
3. Put another 2 tbsp of oil into pan and when hot, break 3 eggs into the pan and scramble, spreading a think layer over the pan. When set, return the noodles and mix together. Add half the beansprout and Chinese flat chive. Mix together thoroughly then sprinkle with ground peanuts. Seasoned with sugar, fish sauce and tamarind juice
4. Serve garnished with the remaining beansprout and Chinese chives.

Helpful Hints: Fried noodles require a lot of oil; however, it is possible to use a minimum amount by adding small amounts from time to time to keep the noodles from drying out instead of oil all the oil at once

Tom Yam Goong(Shrimp) Spicy Shrimp Soup with Lemon Grass

One of the best known Thai dishes abroad, this tangy soup is hot, sour and fragrant, an ideal accompaniment to othe Thai dishes and rice.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 2 inches galangal, sliced
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 3 stalks lemon grass, brusied
• 10 medium to large shrimps
• 5 oz straw mushrooms
• 5 green and red bird's eye chillies
• 3 tablespoon of kaffir lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 3 brunches fresh cilantro

Bring the stock to boil, add galangal, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add shrimps, mushrooms and chillies, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add lime juice and fish sauce (which is very salty) to taste. The soup should be spicy sour and a little salty. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

Helpful hint. Do not overcooked the shrimp or they will become tough. Any variety of seafood can be substituted for shrimps.

Parmesan Baked Fish

Cod, Salmon and Orange Roughy are good choices for this tasty, low cholesterol easy to fix recipe.
Preparation Time: 5 mins. It takes about 12 mins to cook. It is 176 calories, 22 g of proteins, 1g carbohydrate, 9g fat, 59 mg Cholesterol, 238g sodium and 477mg potassium.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 4oz fresh or frozen fish fillets
• non-stick spray coating
• 1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablesp0on of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 table spoon snipped fresh chives or sliced green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon white wine Worcestershire sauce

1. Thaw fish, if frozen and pat dry with paper towels. Spray a 10x6x2 inch baking pan with non-stick spray coating and set aside
2. in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, chives or green onions and Worcestershire sauce. Spread mayonnaise mixture over fish fillets
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 degrees oven for 12 to 15 mins or till fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Makes 4 servings

Enjoy

Laksa Lemak (Noodles in Spicy Coconut Gravy)

This is a favorite Singapore dish. Laksa is a meeting of Chinese and Malay styles of cooking, with a remarkably happy result: rice flour noodles bathed in a spicy coconut milk, with chucks of seafood and deep-fried beancurd. A very satisfying snack or luncheon dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoon of oil
• 2 cups of coconut milk
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 3 1/2 oz shrimps
• 3 1/2 oz squid (cleaned, skinned and sliced)
• 6 fresh scallop (optional)
• 6 cakes dried deep-fried beancurd
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 oz vermicelli (soaked in hot water to soften)
• 1 cup of beansprout
• 1 egg (hard-boiled, peeled and sliced)
• 2 tablespoon fried shallots
• 2 sprigs laksa leaf, chopped roughly

Spice Paste

• 12 shallots
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 6 candle nuts
• 2 inch ginger root
• 4 red chillies
• 2 tablespoon of dried prawns, soaked to soften
• 2 tablespoons fish curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (belacan)
• 2 lemon grass, bruised

Prepare the spice paste first. Chopped the shallots, garlic, candle nuts, ginger root and chillies coarsely and blend or process with the dried shrimps and add a little oil until fine. Mix in the curry powder and dried shrimp paste, blend for a fe seconds longer, then set aside with lemon grass.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok or heavy pan. Add the spice paste and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until paste is fragrant. Add coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to boil, stirring. Put all seafood and the beancurd and simmer until cooked. Season to taste.

To serve, divide the noodles and beansprouts into 4 bowls. Top with the coconut milk gravy, eggs and sprinkle lasksa leaves and fried shallots.

Helpful hints
The coconut milk gravy can be prepared several hours in advance and reheated just before serving. Although lasksa leaves adds a distinctive touch, omit if not available as nothing else taste remotely like this pungent herb.