Thai Style Basil Shrimp With Basil Coconut Rice Food

THAI BASIL BEEF WITH COCONUT RICE

Steps:

• Bring the coconut milk, 3/4 cup water and the lemongrass or ginger to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and return to a boil. Stir, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Meanwhile, whisk 1/4 cup soy sauce, the lime juice and sugar in a small bowl. Toss the cucumbers with 1 tablespoon basil and the remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium skillet over high heat.
• Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden, 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high and return the beef and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and cook until the liquid evaporates, 2 minutes. Add the remaining basil and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 1 minute. Serve the beef and cucumber salad over the rice.

THAI BASIL SHRIMP

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut the stem portion from the lime leaves to remove and discard.
• Place the lime leaves along with all other sauce ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well to form an aromatic paste. Taste-test for sweetness/sour balance, adding more sugar to taste (you will adjust the other flavors later). Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine as you go.
• Add the shrimp , stir-fry sauce and extra tablespoon of oil, if needed. Stir-fry 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and plump.
• Turn down heat to low and fold in 1/3 cup chopped basil. Add the coconut milk a little at a time, taste-testing as you go (some people like this dish with coconut milk, and others prefer the more potent version without).
• Taste-test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not flavorful or salty enough, or more lime juice if too salty. Add more coconut milk if too spicy.
• To serve it the way they do in Thailand, simply fry an egg in a little vegetable oil and lightly salt it.
• Tilt shrimp onto the plate. Add a generous topping of chopped fresh basil , and serve with Thai jasmine rice , topped with the fried eggs, if using. Often this dish is also accompanied with cucumber slices.

THAI SHRIMP STIR-FRY WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar; set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion, pepper, and chile to the skillet, and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir-fry until the sauce glazes the shrimp, about 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and stir until coated with sauce, about 15 seconds. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil, mint, and lime juice. Transfer to a serving dish, serve immediately.