Thai Food

On Monday, Nate and I went out to lunch with some of my oldest friends, Kristin Sanders and Michele Johnson (formerly Sorensen), their husbands, and their dad and his wife. We went to Benja's Thai and Sushi because Nate and I LOVE Thai food. Nate went on his mission to Thailand and since we've been together I've loved trying to cook authentic Thai food. Here are a couple of recipes that I love, you should try them out and see how you like them!

Spicy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (I stole this from my sis-in-law, Heidi's, blog. Nate said its the most authentic Thai dish I've made yet)

1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T. corn starch
2 T. vegetable oil, divided
1 1/4 lb. boneless beef, top sirloin steak, cut into strips
3 C. broccoli florets
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 medium red pepper, cut into this strips
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 t. peeled fresh ginger root, finely chopped
1/4 t. red pepper flakes (more for an increase in the spice)
1/2 c. beef broth
Jasmine Rice*


Whisk together soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1/2 oil. Add beef, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to marinate. (I ended up leaving it for the next day, so you can leave it for longer)

Heat 1 t. of remaining oil in skillet over med-high heat until hot. Add HALF each of beef, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, to skillet. Stir fry until surface of meat is no longer pink. Remove from skillet and repeat. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Heat remaining 1 t. oil until hot. Add broccoli, onion, and red pepper. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes until veggies are crisp and tender. Return beef to skillet; add broth. Bring to a boil one minute, stirring gently, until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve with Jasmine Rice.
(I just used frozen broccoli and used red and green peppers. It can get pretty spicy, but it is SO delicious!!)



*Coconut Rice (Recipe given to me by a friend from Rexburg, Krystal Hinkle. The sweetness of the rice evens out the spiciness of the stir fry. Thats why I love Thai food, there are so many flavors!!)

2 c. Jasmine Rice (don't try using any other kind of rice, it just won't work)
1 can coconut milk
A little more than 2 c. water
3/4 c. sugar


I use a rice cooker, but I'm sure you can do it on the stove. Just use the directions on the rice package. Since rice is a 1:2 ratio of rice and liquid, and one can of coconut milk is typically just less than 2 cups, add enough water to make it two cups, then add two MORE cups of water, so four cups of liquid total. Add the sugar. Press cook and let it do its thing. SO delicious! I could eat it every day and not get sick of it.

Delicious Coconut Sauce (my own creation, thank you very much, but it was inspired by the mangoes and sticky rice at the Thai restaurant)

1/2 can cream of coconut (The only place I've ever been able to find this stuff is at Harmon's, so sorry Rexburgians. Be on the look out though! It comes pre-sweetened so people can use it in Pina-Coladas) it is thicker than regular coconut milk, even the cream that comes in a can of the milk. You can add sugar to coconut milk, it just won't have the right consistency or flavor. Just play around if you want, but trust me, this cream of coconut works the BEST

1 cup of unsweetened whipping cream, whipped

Fold together for a delicious topping for the coconut rice or even to just put on top of strawberries. You'll hate me after you make this cuz it is SO scrumptious but SO bad for you.