recipe of the week: (slow cooker) thai red curry beef

i'm having quite the blossoming relationship lately with my slow cooker.
wednesdays are SLAMMED for both my husband and me, so wednesday has become "crock pot night" at our place
sometimes that's tossing everything together wednesday morning, but more often than not i prepare it tuesday night and plug it in as i head out the door.


i made this recipe for the second time this week.  the first time, i followed it nearly exactly (from the williams-sonoma website).  but i felt that while the sauce had great flavor, the meat itself just tasted like lumps of beef.  well, they were after all!


so i've revamped the recipe a bit, and we had it for dinner again this week.  this time was a little more to my liking, so here's my adaptation of the recipe!


thai red curry beef

marinade for the meat:
2 - 3 tbsp red curry paste
salt & pepper
garlic powder
juice of 1/2 lime
mint flakes


2.5 pounds lean stew meat
olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup (or more to taste) red curry paste
2 cans coconut milk
salt, pepper, cumin, a smidge of cayenne, crushed coriander seeds, mint leaves (to taste) - i use a mortar & pestle to combine
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 can bamboo shoots
fresh mint and cilantro


begin by combining the stew meat with the marinade ingredients.  mix well, and then refrigerate for at least an hour.

heat 2 tbsp (ish) of olive oil in a large pot.  in batches if necessary, brown the meat a bit on all sides.  you're not cooking through, just getting a little color on the meat.

transfer the meat to the crockpot.

add the onion and garlic to the pan, as well as the spice combo.

cook for five minutes, and then add the red curry paste.

stir the paste into the onion/garlic mixture and cook through for another minute or so.

pour in the coconut milk and stir well, scraping any reside off the pan while you're doing so.  add the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar.

bring mixture to a boil, then transfer to the crockpot as well.

cook on low for 6-8 hours, and 5 minutes before serving stir in the bamboo and a second round of that spice combo.  i also added another tablespoon or two of the red curry paste.

serve over rice and garnish with the mint and cilantro.

this is not a low-fat recipe.  after all, it has two cans of coconut milk in it.  however, fat (especially good fat) is not the problem, at least not for me.  i try to stay low-sugar, and this recipe fits the bill.  here's the screenshot from myfitnesspal of the breakdown (including rice...we use brown basatmi).

(lots of fun recipes linked up if you click on this button!  yummy!)

recipe of the week: thai chicken pizza

i'm into easy food.
don't get me wrong.  i'm also into cook for hours but it's totally worth every moment food.
but this particular recipe falls into the first category.  easy.  cheap.  quick.


thai chicken pizza


1 pound of chicken breasts, cooked through and shredded
1 jar of peanut satay sauce (you'll find it in the asian section of most groceries. i got mine at trader joe's.)
1 ball of pizza dough
mozzarella cheese (i use about a cup)
1 carrot, shredded
3 or so green onions, chopped (green part only)
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
however much cilantro you want
thai basil if it's in season (it wasn't here :-( )


begin by combining your shredded chicken and satay sauce

 then roll out your dough on a floured surface.

 (this is a good time to play with the dough if you dare)

then roll the dough into a shape. i chose the rectangle this particular evening because it's waaaay easier than a circle for me.

 top with the chicken satay mixture

  and the cheese

 and veggies (i didn't have red onion this night...oops!)

  bake at 375 for about 12 minutes (depending on your oven of course)

 and enjoy!  

i cut 12 pieces of this pizza.  assuming a serving size of 2 pieces (which is what i usually have) here's what you're looking at according to myfitnesspal.com