Hot Sauce Love

I was thinking of providing a comprehensive of “foods found in Thailand” list but decided there are just too many and listing the foods that I love most would be far easier. So… The list below provides a short list of my favorite Thai foods.

Fried Rice – I love Thai style pork fried rice for breakfast. This is basic fried rice with tomatoes, onions with Thai spices like lime and chili thrown in at the end.

Thai Omelet – The Thai omelet is simple but delicious dish made of eggs, chili, onions, pork and other things as desire. The chilies make it spicy and Thai. The omelet is served with white rice.

Som tum or papaya salad – som tum is a spicy salad consisting mostly of shredded fresh papaya with tomatoes, chilies, garlic, lime juice, and fish sauce. Thais love this dish SPICY, so be careful.

Hoi tod – hoi tod is a mixture of egg and mussels (or oysters) pan fried with spices, namely white pepper. This is served over a bed of fresh bean sprouts. This is often made on the street and I like mine cooked crispy.

La moo ma ma or Ground pork salad – this is browned ground pork with chilies, fish sauce, tomato sauce with chopped shallots mixed in before served. This is often served with instant noodles. This is another HOT dish so, again, be careful.

Wing bean salad – This very similar to the dish above but tends to have more of a tomato base and chopped fresh wing bean are added and lightly cooked at the end. Very tasty. 

Glass noodle salad – glass noodles are made of green bean, are very thin, and absorb the flavor of the accompanying foods very nicely.

Fried grouper – this a simple deep fried sea fish dish. What makes it on my favorite is the condiment they serve with it. The English name is seafood sauce and it is made with finely chopped green chilies and garlic in fish sauce. It is very spicy and delicious.

Common Condiments

Fish sauce – fishy and salty amber colored liquid

Seafood sauce – green, smooth to lumpy, chili and garlic dip

Soy sauce – tangy and salty brown liquid

Red pepper – dried chopped red chili

Vinegar – usually served with fresh chopped chili

Sugar

The longer i live in Thailand the longer this list grows. When visiting Thailand I urge you to try as many things as possible, but remember, most western people can not eat the spice level of the Thais, not without practice.

When it comes to delicious meals, you can have healthy too! Today more than ever, delicious foods are geared at providing healthy benefits in a scrumptious dish that will be a favorite for years to come. Fried chili chicken is a delicious blend of healthy chicken spiced to perfect without the unnecessary additions of added fat or sugar.

Instead of depending on additives that enhance the flavor of the meal, this is one meal that takes simple ingredients and makes them into one dish easy to fix and enjoyed by everyone. Take a closer look at why this is a favorite in my house!

Fried Chili Chicken

Ingredients:

2 tbsp flour

¼ tsp cayenne

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

4 chicken breasts, cubed

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup chili powder

1 tbsp hot New Mexico chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

20oz can pinto beans, drained

Directions:

In a plastic bag: mix the flour, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt and toss together. Add the chicken cubes and shake until evenly coated with the spice mixture.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken, turning as needed until chicken is lightly browned, set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet and sauté for 5 minutes. Put the chicken & onion mixture in a large saucepan with the chicken broth.

Add all remaining ingredients – except pinto beans – bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour (add water if needed). Add the beans, taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Tip: this is a hot temperature chili! Hard crust country bread, thick sliced, lightly sprinkled with oil and toasted or grilled is all you’ll need with this spicy chicken chili.

Dry soup: many Mexican dishes feature bread or tortillas that are soaked in a sauce until the dish resembles more a casserole or a heavy stew than a soup. In Mexico, they refer to these dishes as dry soups.

Canned or fresh peppers: with the ever growing interest in Mexican cuisine across the USA, you will likely find be able to find fresh chilies to meet the needs for your cooking. However, if you must use canned, plan to use about half as much as you would of fresh because the peppers become more packed during the canning process.

When I make this for my family, I try using more goodness by using fresh peppers toasted to perfection. In addition, you will find it is easy to make pinto beans in the Crockpot while at work. This is a great way to insure you are not getting added sodium from canned beans. Also, I can choose the herbs and spices my family loves. You can, of course, find your own!

Fried chili chicken offers an exceptional recipe that is easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious. A favorite in my house, you will find that this can be a favorite in yours too.

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