Yummy Low Fat Thai Tonight!

We were blown away to read in a newspaper article that pad thai, which we thought was a healthier alternative when we dined out, is laden with about 35 grams of fat. That's my whole day's worth right there!

So last night, we ate at home on a full flavoured vegetarian Thai feast for only 12 grams of fat per serving.

Coconut-Mango Rice
One of the best new kitchen helpers is my rice cooker I inherited from my late brother-in-law. I've been feeding my family for 3 decades now and always dismissed a rice cooker as just another gadget that would clog my limited cupboard space. Boy, was I wrong! Not only does the rice come out near perfect every time, I love the convenience of being able to organize the recipe and then leave someone else in the house to push the button an hour before dinner. Very helpful with my teaching schedule! The traditional recipe is first, followed by the much easier rice cooker version. Start the rice first, then do the stir fry while the rice cooks.

In a traditional 4 quart pot, saute one chopped red pepper for one minute. Add one chopped, peeled mango, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, a veggie boullion cube, 1 cup hot water and 1 398 ml can of lite coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse 1 1/4 cups brown basmati rice. Add rice to boiling liquid, cover, reduce heat, and cook until fluffy (about 40 minutes).

If using a rice cooker: Assemble ingredients in cooking pan and push button. Go do your nails.

Peanut-Green Curry Stir Fry
To increase protein, I add baked tofu to this stirfry along with the sauce at the end. I like to use organic, non-gmo, extra firm (like Sol or Liberte) and cube into one inch chunks. Cover the cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with an organic high heat canola oil (President's Choice makes one now). Alternatively, you can toss the tofu in oil but that does raise the fat content more. Bake tofu on cookie sheet at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, tossing a few times. The chunks are almost meaty and chewy. Another enhancement, if you have the time, is to take the block of tofu and set it on a dinner plate. Place another plate over top and weight the second plate with a heavy soup can (or similar object). Let sit for 30 - 60 minutes and watch how much water drains. The tofu chunks can also be marinated in the stir fry sauce for up to an hour prior to baking for extra flavour.

Saute one chopped onion in 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (can handle high saute temperatures without molecular breakdown therefore oil does not go to transfats). Add 2 chopped carrots, and 1 cup cauliflowerettes. As veggies start to soften, add 1 cup chopped broccoli, 1 chopped zucchini and 1 chopped & seeded red pepper. Saute about another 5 minutes until crisp & tender.

Whisk the following ingredients together for the stir fry sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter (I like chunky, organic, peanuts only)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon green curry paste
and add in the last few minutes of cooking. Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for a huge punch of flavour.