Coconut Rice

A Variation of stemaed jasmine rice, the rice is enriched with coconut milk, sugar and salt, resulting in a creamy texture, sweet and fragrant with coconut.

Recipe Courtesy "The Spirit House" Cooking School

Ingredients

For 4 Servings

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

3/4 cup of water

1 tsp sugar

pinch salt

Directions

1. Rinse the rice.

2. Put the coconut milk, water sugar and salt in saucepan, stir until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is well blended.

3. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Simmer for 18 minutes. Lift the lid to check that it is cooked, cook for 1 -2 minutes longer if necessary.

4. The rice is done when the grains are soft enough to crush between your thumb and forefinger. 5. Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 8-10 minutes before serving.

Lime and Chili Dressing

Recipe Courtesy "the Spirit House" Cooking School

Ingredients

4 red chilis
8 cloves garlic, chopped
one half of small red onion, finely chopped
4 tbsp fish sauce, to taste
8 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 tsp palm sugar, to taste

Pound the chopped chillies and garlic together until forming a paste texture. Transfer to a bowl, add the chopped onion, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar to taste. Stir well to mix. Adjust the flavors so that the sauce is equally salty and sour with a light touch of sweetness.

Stir Fry of Pork with Chili Jam and Lime

Recipe Courtesy "The Spirit House" Cooking School

Ingredients

400 gms (.88 lbs) Pork loin or fillet, cut into stir fry strips (the thinner you slice the quicker and more tender it cooks)
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
*2 tbsp of chili jam
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tbsp lime juice
200 gms (0.44 lbs) green beans, topped and tailed , then blanched
2 tbsp Vegetable oil

Heat oil in wok to medium heat. Stir fry garlic until just starting to colour. Add pork and stir fry until nearly cooked. Add chili jam, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice and stir fry over high heat until the sauce has reduced to a thick coating consistency. Add beans, toss through to warm.
Serve with Jasmine rice or see recipe coconut rice.

* Chili Jam/paste is used in Tom Yum soups and many salad dressings. Don't confuse this product with Sambel Olek or ground chilis. Look for "Chili Paste with Soya Bean Oil" in your asian supermarket, some local supermarkets do carry it in the asian section as well.

Stir fry of Chicken, Basil and Kaffir Lime Leaves

Recipe courtesy "Spirit House" cooking school.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Vegie Oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
4 golden or red shallots, finely sliced
500 gms (1.10lbs) Boneless chicken thigh, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 red chilies finely chopped (remove seeds and veins for less to no heat)
2 green chilis, finely finely chopped (remove seeds and veins for less to no heat)
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded (these are available at your local asian market )
2 tbsp kecap manis
1 cup sweet basil leaves
2 tbsp fish sauce
freshly ground white pepper to season

Heat oil in wok until smoking. Add shallots, stirfry briefly, add garlic, stir fry until golden. Add chicken, stirfry a minute or two until it is coloured. Toss in chilis, kaffir lime leaf, kecap manis, fish sauce and stirfry until chicken is cooked. Add basil and stir fry until wilted.
Sprinkle on white pepper and serve immediately with Jasmine rice

Stir Fry of Chicken, Ginger, Asparagus and Cashews

Recipe Courtesy of "Spirit House" cooking school

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegie oil
500 gms (1.10lbs) of Chicken thighly, thinly sliced ( not not cubed)
1 small red onion, finely sliced
6 cloves of garlic, VERY finley chopped
1/2 tsp ground white pepper (freshly ground is best)
2 tbsp finely sliced.. then chopped ginger
2 tbsp kecap manis
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 bunch of asparagus, cut in half
1 red capsicum (red pepper) cut into strips
spring onion sliced
half a cup of roasted cashews

In a wok, heat vegie oil until hot. Add onion and chicken, stir fry one minute. Add garlic and ginger, stir fry one minute. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and pepper, stirfry until the chicken is just cooked. Add asparagus and red capsicum, stir fry one minute. Toss through cashews.

Transfer to serving plate, garnish with spring onion and serve with jasmine rice

Stirfry of King Prawns with Garlic, Chili and Thai Basil

Recipe courtesy of "Spirit House" cooking school.

Ingredients

500gms (1.10lbs) Green king prawns (or just your largest uncooked prawns you can find) Peeled, deveined, heads and tails left on.
8 cloves of garlic
1/8 cup chopped red and green chilis (if you want heat leave in seeds and veins.. for mild stirfry remove the insides .. wear gloves)
1/4 cupSprings onions sliced (green onions)
1/4 cup coriander stem and root if you can find some with the roots still (Cilantro)
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons palm sugar (brown sugar isn't quite the same but it will do)
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1/4 cup thai basil leaves (or regular basil leaves whatever is in season or fresh at your market)

Directions

1. Combine in food processor, the garlic, chilis, spring onions and coriander stem and root. Process to paste.
2. In a saucepan on medium heat, place 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, fry the paste gently until fragrant - about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for prawns and basil. Bring to boil, simmer for 10 minutes.
3. In a wok heat 2 tbsp of vegie oil until smoking. Stir fry prawns until just starting to turn pink. Add sauce and continue to stir frying until cooked, only a couple of minutes.
4 Serve with jasmine rice

Perfect Hamburger Patties

Ingredients

Approx. 1lb (453 grams) extra lean ground beef (Beef mince)
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs (not store bought. make your in a blender and let it sit out and dry for a bit)
salt
pepper
2 tbsp Ketchup (Tomato Sauce)
1 tbsp Worcesteshire sauce
1/3 cup of shredded cheese. I like a mix of Chedder, Monterey Jack, Parmesan. But really any of your favorites will do.

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl throw in all the ingredients, using your hands squish it all together until thoroughly mixed through.

2. Take a handful of meat and roll into a ball in your hand. push in the middle and while turning on your hand squish down the sides until it's evenly flatted to approximately 2 cm in thickness. Repeat with left over meat.

3. Cook on medium heat until cooked all the way through. Be careful your stove is not too hot or the cheese in the patties will burn.