Thai Food Adventure

I have never even tried making Thai food before last night I was intimidated by the level of complexity in the flavor of my favorite Thai dishes. I figured I'd need a bunch of hard to find ingredients and a lot of time. I was dead wrong. I found a Thai market close to my office that had everything I could ever need while cooking Thai food. Then, when researching Thai curry recipes, I discovered that cook time is quite minimal. All excellent things!

Fancypants' Thai Curry

1 can coconut milk
1 can water
3 tbsp. curry paste (I used a mix of Thai red curry paste and another one)
1 onion, chopped
1 nub ginger, peeled and chopped
1 nub ginger-like root (I can't remember the name offhand), peeled and chopped
3-4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 yam, peeled and cubed
1 Japanese eggplant, chopped
2-3 dried red chilies
dried black mushrooms
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped into quarters
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp peanut sauce
Thai Basil - a few sprigs, chopped
Lemon Basil, a few sprigs, chopped
Green onions, 3-4, chopped
dash white pepper

Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add onions, garlic, ginger and other root to pan and saute 5 minutes. Add yam and curry pastes. Stir to combine. Add the other ingredients and stir. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until yam is cooked through. Serve over brown rice or jasmine rice.

Running on the Strand and The Veggie Grill

Last night, my friend Amy and I hit the Strand in Hermosa Beach for a short (2.75 mi) jog. It was a lovely evening. I had a decent run and even passed a fat dude! The only thing that made it better was the fact that I found out that there is a Veggie Grill in El Segundo, conveniently located on my route home. I love that place. If you've never been there before, its a vegetarian chain restaurant that has some amazing and healthy food. I usually go to the one on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood. Tonight I got the All Hail Kale salad. Yum. I would have taken a photo, but I ate it too quickly!

The Veggie Grill

Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb

Since it was Easter Sunday (I'm not a believer that Christ is risen, but I do enjoy a good brunch), I decided to roast a leg of lamb for a potluck over at our friend's place. I did a take on the pesto I made earlier in the week. Things turned out quite tasty...

Roast Leg of Lamb

1 boneless leg of lamb (remove netting)
1 bunch mint
1/2-1 bunch Italian parsley
4 whole roasted garlic cloves (roast with salt, pepper and olive oil)
Good amount olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a food processor, combine mint, parsley and roasted garlic. Blend to combine. While blending, slowly drizzle in oil until you get a good consistency, like a paste, but a bit more liquid. Season with salt and pepper.

Place lamb in a shallow roasting pan (I used a large copper gratin pan). Cover lamb completely on both sides with marinade. Tie lamb with cooking string or similar item to allow lamb to retain its shape. If you have some extra garlic, cut a few slits into the roast and stuff with whole cloves. Refrigerate overnight.

Allow lamb to reach room temperature before roasting. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast lamb for 10 minutes and then reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Cook about 18 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer reaches 150 degrees (for medium rare). Allow meat to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. Serve with pan juices. You could also deglaze the roasting pan with wine and serve with that gravy.

Paul McCartney and Joan's on Third

Last night my husband and I went to the Hollywood Bowl to see Paul McCartney. All I can say was that it was truly one of the best shows I've ever seen. It's refreshing to know that when you shell out $80+ for a ticket, you will actually get your money's worth once in a while. Sir Paul rocked the house for over 2 hours straight without taking a break. Then he came back for multiple encores. Epic.

Since we were going to the show, we couldn't cook at home (if I had been well-prepared, I could have made pasta salad out of the pesto we had left over from last night...). Instead, we picked up some delicious food at Joan's on Third. Joan's is one of my favorite places to eat and get food to-go. They have a wide variety of delicious prepared salads and lots of delicious cheeses. They also make a mean sandwich and have some really good desserts. But I must say that breakfast at Joan's is my absolute favorite. They make the best omelet in the city in my humble opinion. I prefer the herb omelet. So fresh tasting. All omelets come with a side of creme fraiche, which allows you to skip the cheese.

Last night we picked up a Cobb salad (for me) and roast beef sandwich (for him), a side of grilled veggies (to share), roasted beet salad (for lunch today), and a chocolate peanut butter cupcake (for him). And with the KCRW Fringe Benefits discount, our meal was actually pretty reasonably priced. Huzzah!

Joan's On Third
8350 W. Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.655.2285