Guacamole

First of all, happy valentine's day. I hope it isn't too late. I hope you had a good time with your special person. I went out for lovely dinner with my husband at Thai orchid restaurant (Berwyn). The food was great and we know so many Thai friends and family. That was fun. I had a chance to visit one group of my husband's student in New Jersey on last week. There is one of student put the guacamole on the table with some corn chip. I would like to try to make it sometime and she send me a simple recipe to me and here I try to make it. Thank you Maricarmen. First recipe of Mexican food. I am so excited!

Ingredients:
1) 3 ripe avocados
2) 1/2 white onion
3) 1 jalapeno pepper (Here I used banana pepper)
4) 1 small bunch of cilantro
5) 2 limes

Preparation:
1) Wash cilantro, banana pepper and peel onion.
2) Mince onion , banana pepper, cilantro.
3) Cut avocados in half.
4) Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. Using a spoon, mash the avocado.
5) Add minced onion, cilantro and banana pepper then lime juice and some salt.
6) Mash some more.
7) Here is a very quick guacamole. 8) Enjoy guacamole with your favorite corn chips.

Thai coconut pandanus gelatin

Thai coconut pandanus gelatin or "Kha Nom Wun Kati Bai Tua: ขนมวุ้นกะทิใบเตย" in Thai. It is Thai jelly made from agar agar and pandanus leaves. The pandanus leaves gives the green colour and the agar agar gives it a firm texture. This is very easy to make and it can be served in all occasions for everybody. You can do with out pandanus leave as well but the gelatin is just white.

Ingredients for making jelly:
1) 1 Tbsp agar agar Powder
2) 5 pandanus leaves ( 1/2 cup extract of pandanus )
3) 1/2 cup sugar
4) 3 cups of water

Ingredients for making topping:
1) 1 Tbsp agar agar powder
2) 1 cup of water
3) 2 cups coconut milk
4) 1/2 cup sugar
5) 1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:
1) Agar-Agar power.
2) Wash and cut Pandanus leaves into 2" length.

3) Put cut pandanus leave into a blender with 1 cup of water.
4) And blend until smooth.
5) Then squeeze blended pandanus leaves and sift pandanus-leaf juice. Set aside.
6) Pour 3 cups of water, add 1 Tbsp agar powder. Bring to boil until the agar-agar dissolves.
7) And 1/2 cup of sugar.
8) And stir until sugar and agar-agar dissolved.
9) Then strain through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth. I don't have any of them but I used strainer to remove any undissolved sugar.
10) Put the pot back in the medium heat and pour the pandanus juice into the pot.
11) Stir for another 5 minutes then remove from the heat.
12) Pour straight into moulds and leave to cool. Agar sets very quickly and it's better to pout it into moulds when hot. Or you can pour on the tray as well.
13) Next step, we will make topping. Pour 1 cup of water and 1 Tbsp of agar-agar to boil until dissolved.
14) Add 2 cups of coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp salt.
15) Stir well until sugar dissolved then remove from the heat.
16) Pour the topping onto the jelly in moulds . Leave to cool for about 2 hours then you can take it out from moulds.
17) Leave to cool for about 2 hours then you can take it out from moulds. If you pour onto the tray you can into pieces for serving.
18) Enjoy your Thai coconut pandanus gelatin or "Kha Nom Wun Kati Bai Tua: ขนมวุ้นกะทิใบเตย.

Sweet Tapioca with Young Coconut and coconut milk

Sweet Tapioca with Young Coconut and coconut milk or " Sa Khu Ma Prow On : สาคูมะพร้าวอ่อน"in Thai. Yummy Thai dessert and very simple ingredients that I would like to share with you on valentine's month.

Ingredients:
1) 1 cup small tapioca pearls
2) 1 and 1/2 cup coconut milk
3) 1/4 tsp salt
4) 1 cup young coconut flesh, slice thinly
5) 4 cups water
6) 1/2 cup sugar

Preparation:
1) There are young coconut and tapioca pearl. Very easy to find those ingredients.
2) Add 4 cups of water in a pot, bring to boil on medium heat, transfer tapioca pearls in a pot, stir regularly.
3) Stir until it becomes transparent. Remove from the heat.
4) Transfer cooked tapioca pearls into sifter, wash thoroughly and stir to remove sticky paste.
5) Then place in a bowl.
6) Boil coconut milk and sugar on medium heat, add salt.
7) Stir together until sugar dissolve.
8) Open young coconut and take the fresh young coconut and slice thinly. Set aside.
9) Add thinly slice young coconut into the pot. Remove from the heat.
10) Spoon cooked tapioca pearls in dessert bowl.
11) Add coconut milk on top and stir together. Enjoy your !

Thai Spicy Eggplants Dip with Tilapia

Thai Spicy Eggplants Dip with Tilapia or "Soup Ma Kuea: ซุบมะเขือ" in Thai. Here is another Esarn food that I would like to share with you. I try to remember how my mother make it. This is very healthy food. I like it very much.

Ingredients:
1) 7 Thai eggplants
2) 5 Shallots
3) 6 Thai chilies
4) 6 cloves garlic
5) 2 green onions
6) 3 sprigs cilantro
7) 5 Lao cilantro (Optional )
8) 1 filet Tilapia
9) 4 cups of water
10) 3 Tbsp fish sauce
11) 1 tsp salt

Preparation:
1) Wash tilapia and set aside.
2) Peel garlic and shallots then wash dirt, pick the stems from chilies and Thai eggplants then wash them well.
3) Slice Lao cilantro, cilantro and green onions.
4) Pour 4 cups of water in the pot. Add 1/2 tsp of salt.
5) Then bring Thai eggplants, chilies, shallots and garlic to boil.
6) When the water is boiling, add filet of tilapia to cook in the pot.
7) In the mortar, add cooked shallots, garlic and chilies and use the pestle pound gently,

8) Add cooked Thai eggplants in the mortar then use the pestle pound it gently.

9) Add cooked tilapia then well pound tilapia until well blend with all ingredients.10) Add fish sauce then taste for your own favor.
11) Add sliced Lao cilantro, cilantro and green onions.
12) Mix all together well and serve with fresh vegetables such as carrots, Chinese cabbage, and cucumber.