Eat Chicken Red Curry & Save at risk Children!

Image by panduh via Flickr

Cooking & Children's Charity go hand in hand.

One of the most beautiful things about food and cooking is that transcends borders. Food can literally take us to other parts of the world, even though we are in our own kitchen.

I work with a non-profit called "The Sold Project." SOLD is dedicated to raising awareness about and preventing forced child prostitution around the world. SOLD made a documentary on the issue in Thailand and the founder is currently living there. SOLD employs creative methods of raising awareness on these issues by hosting vision dinners (anyone can host one) where lovely Thai food is served and discussion on the topic is shared. Below is one of the "go to" dishes that has been a huge hit at these dinners. Enjoy & Please read more about SOLD at www.thesoldproject.org (feel free to contact us as well).

Chicken Red Curry

This authentic spicy coconut milk based red curry uses homemade red curry paste. Flavored with both fresh and dried spices, kaffir lime leaves and fresh sweet basil leaves it is a harmonious dish with chicken. Finish the cooking with the addition of fish sauce to taste and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast
• 1 can bamboo shoots, sliced
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 fresh red chili, sliced diagonally
• 1/2 cup Thai sweet basil leaves (bai horapah), torn
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
• Thai sweet basil leaves (bai horapah) for garnish

Preparation

Wash the chicken, slice diagonally into 1/2 cm thick, 3 cm wide and 3 cm long pieces. Thinly slice the bamboo shoots (if not already sliced).

Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into a wok. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the curry paste, stir until red oil comes to the surface. Add the chicken and saute until it turns white and is cooked through.

Add the remaining coconut milk, follow with the bamboo shoots. Season with fish sauce, sugar, and salt and bring back to a boil. Sprinkle with kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and sweet basil leaves. Turn off the heat. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves before serving. Serve over rice.

Serves 5.

For more information: www.thesoldproject.org

(This recipe is from templeofthai.com)

Do good things with food!

The Wilsons

Cameron's Kickin' Crispy, Cheesy, Wrap That Husbands Will Love

Cameron's Kickin' Crispy, Cheesy, Wrap That Husbands Will Love

My husband has declared on at least a dozen occasions over the past few months that he could "Whack down about 5 more of these" and that he could "Eat these at least 6 nights a week" about my Crispy, Cheesy Wrap Sandwich.

For me, the best part is that it's super easy, super fast, and it's actually pretty healthy!!!

What You'll Need:

*Wholewheat Wrap
* 1 slice of fat free American Cheese
* 1 slice, or a couple of pinches of any other favorite cheese, (shredded Mexican Cheese, Provolone, etc)
* 1 grilled chicken breast (or buy a rotisserie chicken from the market)(I usually grill up some chicken to start the week, or get it pre-grilled from the local gourmet market to save time)
*1/4 Red Onion roughly chopped
*Pinch of fresh thyme
*Pinch of fresh chopped basil
*(optional) 1/2 clove of garlic finely chopped
*Dash of organic low sodium chicken broth
*Lemon Juice
*Your favorite Salsa
*Tablespoon of Smart Balance Light
*Olive Oil drizzle for saute
*Kosher Salt & Black Pepper for taste.

To Do:

*In a large skillet on med/high heat melt your Smart Balance Light and drizzle in a bit of really good extra virgin olive oil.
*While your Smart Balance & olive oil is getting ripping hot, chop up your red onion & garlic and drop in to saute/or even caramelize if you want.
*Add a dash of Kosher salt & black pepper

Chicken Mixture:
*Meanwhile, slice up your chicken breast (previously cooked) or use a fork to shred some of the rotisserie chicken breast. Set aside.
*When your onions and garlic start looking like they are on the verge of caramelizing, toss in the thyme, basil, a squeeze of lemon, and then the chicken.
*Add a dash of the low sodium chicken broth to help bring the previously cooked chicken back to life. (I also usually add a splash of dry white wine).
*Add another dash of salt and pepper.
*Once the mixture is nice and coated and the chicken is warm (1 min) set aside the mixture in a bowl.

Wrap:
*Now, on a plate tear up your slice of fat free cheese and put it on the wrap focusing mainly on going up the middle, and a little on the sides.
*Next sprinkle or shred a little bit of a regular cheese of your choosing (Mexican flavored shredded, provolone, cheddar etc) on both sides of the wrap
*Spray the same skillet you used to make the mixture with a light coat of Pam
* Put the wrap (w/ the cheese on it) in the skillet
*Carefully place a nice layer of the chicken mixture that you had set aside down the center of the wrap
*On med/to med/ high heat, put a lid over the wrap so that the cheese can melt while the bottom of the wrap crisps up.
*Once the cheese starts looking melty (couple minutes), check the bottom of the wrap. Add a quick squeeze of lemon juice to the chicken mixture, and few dollops of your favorite salsa to the top of the chicken mixture (but not enough to soak the wrap). Once the wrap has started to get golden brown on bottom, fold the right & left side over the middle, and push down a little so the cheese helps it stay in place
*Put on plate, cut in half, and serve with a super duper chilled Guinness!!!

5 TIPS To Ensure A Yummy Wrap:
1. The thing with this sandwich is I never make it exactly the same twice. I use whatever I have on hand to mix it up, spruce it up, etc.
2. For example, I had some left over prosciutto from a dinner party so last night I chopped that up and let it crisp up with the onions & garlic. It added a nice salty crunchy texture, without overwhelming the grilled chicken.
3. If you have some inexpensive chardonnay or white Burgundy - that is also yummy - pour yourself a glass to drink while cooking, and then add a mini splash to the saute.
4. The key to this sandwich is that you should always have certain items on hand, that way, you can whip it up really quickly with whatever protein, herbs and cheeses you have on hand!
5. The trick to getting huge flavor when you are making basics like this is: fresh herbs. Experiment to figure out what your favorite fresh herbs are and try to keep them around. I love basil, thyme, cilantro, and rosemary. I also always have fresh garlic, onions, scallions, lemons, white wine and low sodium chicken broth, smart balance, and nice extra virgin olive oil. Seems like anything is possible from there.

Cheers to all things crispy & cheesy!
The Wilsons
(and dare we say kinda healthy too!)

Antipasto Salad, Fabulous for Summer, Healthy & Easy!

Image by Andrionni Ribo (in the Philippines 7/14 - 7/28) via Flickr

Antipasto Salad with Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette!

Ingredients You'll Need:

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Antipasto Salad:
1 pound whole wheat fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips
3/4 cup roasted turkey, cut into strips
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips (can use lowfat cheese)
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
3-4 tablespoons of roughly chopped artichoke hearts
4 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips (save time, buy jarred peppers!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Vinaigrette: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and
pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running,
drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta
and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally,
about 10-11 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad
ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss! (I did not use all of the dressing, I reserved some on the side & kept in the fridge to add as needed for leftovers or other snacks!)

TIP 1 Wine Pairing: Try a nice Pinot Noir with this - it goes well with the heat and smokiness of the salami & cheese!

TIP 2: Store your basil in damp papertowels in the fridge, it will last a little longer and smells fannntastic!

**The recipe above is slightly different take on Giada de Laurentis Antipasto Salad. We love Giada in this house and have ALL of her cookbooks!!

We'd love to hear what you think of this recipe, and hear about your yummy foodie experiences!

Good Food & Good Wine = a Very Good Time!
The Wilsons!