Thai Eggplant Kumara Curry With Barley Low Gi Food

THAI EGGPLANT & KUMARA CURRY WITH BARLEY (LOW GI)

Steps:

• Rinse & drain the barley. Fill a large saucepan with 5 cups water and add barley. Bring to the boil then reduce heat. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
• While barley is cooking, heat oil in large wok (or frying pan) then add curry paste and onion. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 3 minutes.
• Add eggplant and cook for a further 4 minutes, or until softened.
• Pour in stock and coconut milk. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lime leaves and kumara and cook for 10 minutes, or until the kumara is very tender.
• Finally, mix in the sugar, lime juice and lime zest. Combine well. Season with salt & pepper, to taste, then serve over barley.

THAI STYLE CURRY WITH CHICKEN THIGHS AND CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Start by prepping all your veggies while your skillet comes to temperature on low, with a drop of oil or butter just enough to coat the pan.
• Add the chicken and keep turning over. If your chicken browns your pan is too hot. Bring to temperature and add your chopped garlic when most of the raw pink is no longer visible. Simmer together until the pink is completely gone.
• Use 1 tbs of curry and sprinkle in over the chicken with your other spices, minus sugar. Add the other tbs to the cauliflower which is still off to the side.
• Add your coconut milk, sugar, and and other veggies minus the cauliflower and pineapple. Bring to a simmer.
• Now you can add the cauliflower and pineapple. Simmer covered until the cauliflower breaks down and looks almost like rice; this will take 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT CURRY

Steps:

• This is written to chop as you go, but if that makes you nervous or you don't think you can work quickly enough, just chop everything first. I'll bet you can do it the second time you make this, though. Again, this makes a LOT of food so you'll need a big wok or cook pot, or cut the quantities in half.
• Put your rice on so it's cooking while you work. Follow the directions on the bag and set a timer if you have one because you'll be distracted. It'll be done before the food is ready but will stay plenty hot enough to serve.
• Start with the carrots and potatoes; slice them fairly thin and saute them in the oil and 1/3 tin of curry paste on medium-high heat for five minutes. Cover and go to the next step.
• Cut the eggplant into bite-sized cubes. You can peel the eggplant if you want but I think both texture and flavor is better if you leave the skin on. Add to the pan; saute, stirring occasionally, another five minutes. Cover and go on to the next step.
• Slice the onion and bell pepper into fairly thin strips and add them to the pan; saute, stirring occasionally, another five minutes. Cover and go to the next step.
• Cut the zucchini into bite-size pieces and add to the pan. Strip the basil leaves off their stems and add them too. Stir and cover. Just one more step and you're done.
• Get a blender out and blend the can of coconut milk with one can full of chicken broth and the second 1/3 of red curry paste. Take a good long whiff of it. WOW! Remember to sneeze away from the food. Call one of your family in to smell it and laugh as they experience the same thing you just did, but not in a mean way so they won't get mad when you then ask them to set the table for you while you finish up. Get excited about how awesome this is going to be.
• Add the coconut/chicken/curry liquid to the pan and let it come to a simmer. Once it's simmering you can check a potato or a carrot for doneness; they should be tender. Dinner's ready!
• Serve in a bowl over steaming white rice and a box of Kleenex on the table because you're probably going to need it. Jasmine rice really is preferable for this. If you serve this worthy food over instant rice I swear I'll drive over there and whup you myself. Instant rice is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH TUNA

Steps:

• Wash tomatoes and cut off tops, scoop out the pulp and seeds.
• Sprinkle the insides lightly with salt and turn upside down on a board. Chop up the pulp.
• In a medium bowl, add the tomato pulp, tuna, capers, celery, parsley and basil. Mix well, making sure to break up the tuna chunks.
• Add the mayonaise and lemon juice and mix well.
• Add salt & pepper to tase, if desired.
• Fill the tomato cavities with the tuna mixture and refrigerate about 1 hour before serving.