Massaman Curry

For the longest time, I have thought that my husband hated Thai food. In fact, that is what he told me when we were first married. So I never pressed the matter. We never went to any Thai restaurants and I never attempted to make a Thai dish. A few months ago, our neighbors had us over for dinner and served the most amazing Massaman curry and now he is obsessed with it. We have eaten this curry three times already in the past month. 

There are a few things for this recipe that need to be purchased at an Asian market, although if you have a good international section in your grocery store, you may find them there. I have marked these things with an asterisk. Although you will probably be able to find coconut milk in your local grocery store, you may opt to buy it at an Asian market if you want a more authentic brand. Mae Ploy and Chaokah are some of the best. 

Another great tip that my friend gave me was to make this curry and refrigerate it overnight before serving it. That allows the flavors to more fully penetrate the meat and potatoes - kind of like a marinate. Reheat over the stove or in the oven. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes active, 45-60 minutes passive

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp canola oil

3 Tbsp massaman curry paste* (more, if you want it spicier) 

1 can coconut milk* 

1 - 11/2 lb chicken or beef, cut into chunks

3 Tbsp fish sauce*

3 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate*

1/3 cup roasted peanuts or cashews

2-3 medium potatoes, cut into chunks

2 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces

Directions:

Preheat canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add Massaman curry paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/3 can of coconut milk and continue to cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes. Add meat and cook, stirring, until it is cooked through, then add the rest of the coconut milk and 3/4 can of water.

If using chicken, you can add potatoes and carrots now. If using beef, simmer for 30 minutes or until beef is tender, then add potatoes and carrots.

Add fish sauce, sugar, tamarind concentrate, and nuts. Stir to combine and simmer for 30-45 minutes. If curry sauce is too thick, add a little water. If it is too thin, simmer longer.

Split Pea Soup

This year, I was the proud host of Christmas dinner for my side of the family. We had an awesome spiral ham, potatoes, green beans, and rainbow jello. As is our tradition, I made split pea soup for dinner the next day. My mom makes the most amazing split pea soup. I used her recipe with only a slight change here and there. I froze some of the leftover ham and am making the soup again today (per request of my husband).

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 carrots, diced

3-4 red potatoes, cut into chunks

1 lb dried split peas

Ham bone leftover from spiral ham

8 cups chicken broth

Directions:

In a large pot, preheat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic, and oregano. When the onion becomes translucent, add carrots, potatoes, split peas, ham bone, and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the ham is falling off of the bone. Stir soup occasionally to avoid having vegetables stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove ham bone from pot and cut remaining meat into chunks, returning the meat to the pot. 

Before serving, remove soup from heat and allow it to thicken. Re-season with salt and pepper and serve.