Semi-Instant Green Curry Meal

Japanese curry cube is one of the "must have" ingredients in my pantry,
Let me tell you, after so many trial and errors,
I finally found my all time favorite curry cube:
Golden curry sauce mix "extra hot" by S&B.

Japanese curry - checked.

So that's one less thing I need to worry about,
Now it's the perfect timing for me to venture out and start the whole trial and error thing again,
But this time, with green curry.

As I strolled down the aisles of my local Asian grocery store,
A wee bit overwhelmed by piles of green curry mixes...
But there is was, my little green box with colorful markings stating:
No added MSG,
No preservatives,
No artificial flavoring.

That's it, you're coming home with me!

The recipe on the package requires additional ingredients,
So I also picked up some chicken, bamboo shoots, and coconut milk on the way out,
It's gonna be one creamy and spicy lunch!

Semi-instant green curry meal -

Ingredients?

Some green curry paste
Some chicken (cubed)
Some bamboo shoots (and/or other vegetables of your liking)
Some coconut milk
Some hot water
Some olive oil
Some rice

How?

First of all, pardon me for my fairly vague ingredient measurements,
I only glanced through the recipe printed on the curry box, but didn't apply the exact amount for my lunch,
It's more of a "go with the flow/palate" cooking style.

So here's what I "vaguely" did,
Heat up some olive oil in the pan, add a couple spoonful of the green curry paste,
Cook till that spicy, pungent aroma comes out, then add the chicken.

Give it a quick stir, cook till the chicken is about 50% done,
Add the vegetables, some more curry paste, and some coconut milk,
Combine well, taste the mixture once the vegetables are cooked through,
Adjust the amount of curry paste, coconut milk, and hot water based on your preference.

Be careful though, green curry can be very spicy if not diluted enough (which I love),
When you feel the taste and consistency is right, serve with steaming hot rice.

This is my very first instant green curry paste meal,
As a result, I can't really tell if the one I used is a good brand or not,
Allow me to do some more experiments and report back to you guys!

Side note:
My green curry lunch was so spicy, but yet so satisfying,
Plus the whole thing was done in 20 minutes, bravo.

Cindy's Rating: 7

Foie Gras Volume II: with Strawberry Guava Jam and Asian Pear

After devouring two slices of foie gras with rib eye steaks,
My freezer is now left with four more liver pieces,
I have to finish everything before shipping all the kitchenware back to Taiwan,
That means...seven days for four more foie gras meals!

Is it possible to eat such fatty and oily stuff nearly everyday for one whole week?
Well, with the help of my strawberry guava jam, I believe foie gras should be gone in no time!

Ingredients?

1 piece of foie gras
1 tablespoon of fresh Asian pear (finely diced)
Some strawberry guava jam (black currant jam should do the trick too)
Some toasted sourdough slices (or simple baguette)

Toast the bread slices on both sides,
*I actually brush some extra virgin olive oil on the grill pan beforehand.

Preheat the oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sear the foie gras till both sides turn slightly brown,
Transfer to the oven till desired doneness.
This time I cook the foie gras straight from the freezer,
So I left it in the oven for about 5 minutes or so to make sure that the center is well cooked-through.

To assemble,
Transfer the bread slices onto a plate,
Spoon some jam and place the foie gras directly on it,
Serve with finely diced Asian pear.

Foie gras matches well with ingredients that carry some sort of acidity,
It balances out the oiliness from the duck fat,
I actually had this dish for breakfast,
Come on, bread and jam, of course it's good for breakfast ( > _.< )"

Believe it or not,
This will be on my table again tomorrow morning.
So good.

Cindy's Rating: 8