Tag Archives: Thai

Cold Brew Thai Iced Coffee

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking

Cold brew coffee is all the rage these days. This method brings out the delicious coffee flavor while leaving behind most of the acidity and bitterness. This recipe takes advantage of certain properties of cold brew to make a deliciously non-traditional version of Thai iced coffee that is smooth, rich, dairy-free, and sweet while using much less sugar.

If you’re making this for yourself, make one batch, drink one serving, then save the other serving in a jar for the next day. Or you can scale up the recipe and make several day’s worth! Cold brew will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Simply brew the coffee as directed, strain into a large container, keep refrigerated, and use the coffee as needed!

Cold Brew Thai Iced Coffee

Serves 2
Prep time 10 minutes
Dietary Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type Beverage
Misc Serve Cold
Traditional Thai iced coffee is often very sweet - this recipe uses only 1/2 teaspoon sugar per serving because the cold brew process brings out the natural sweetness of the coffee, and makes it less bitter so less sugar is needed to counteract the bitterness. You can also leave out the sugar completely! Coconut milk is used in place of sweetened condensed milk to make this recipe lower in sugar, dairy-free, and vegan.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Note

Cold brew coffee can have a lot of caffeine. Try using 1/4 cup regular coffee and 1/4 cup decaf to reduce the caffeine.

Use light or regular coconut milk, not the thinner coconut beverage found in the milk alternative section of the refrigerated case. Light coconut milk works just fine, but use regular coconut milk to make it extra creamy. You can also make this drink more traditional and use sweetened condensed milk.

Directions

Step 1
Combine all ingredients except coconut milk in a French press or other container with a lid. Add 2 cups water and stir.
Step 2
Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
Step 3
If using a French press, push down the filter. If using any other container, lay a cheesecloth, thin cloth towel, or a coffee filter over a bowl or large (2 cups or more) liquid measuring cup. Pour the coffee mixture over the cloth to strain.
Step 4
Pour the strained coffee into 2 glasses with ice. Top with about 1/4 cup coconut milk, give or take a little bit to reach desired creaminess.

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking

 

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking
Smooth, sweet and low in acidity, even without the coconut milk!

Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking Cold Brew Thai Coffee | Smooth, creamy and sweet without milk and little added sugar. Easy, vegan, and lightly sweetened. Guess Who's Cooking

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a very popular Thai dish traditionally made with rice noodles. This recipe replaces the rice noodles with spaghetti squash, replacing refined grains with a nutritious vegetable. Spaghetti squash also has about 5 times less calories than most noodles or pasta! This recipe is based off of an authentic Pad Thai recipe from Basil Cookery School in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

 

Here are some possible substitutions. You can use more authentic ingredients if you can find them – check international markets:

  • Use rice noodles instead of spaghetti squash – but it won’t be as healthy! Or replace 1/2 of the spaghetti squash with rice noodles
  • Use oyster sauce instead of tamari/soy sauce
  • Use 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste instead of lime juice and brown sugar. This is a very unique flavor that is critical to authentic pad Thai.
  • To make this dish vegetarian, substitute the fish sauce for tamari/soy sauce or another fish sauce alternative and do not substitute oyster sauce for tamari/soy sauce.
  • To make this dish vegan, make it vegetarian (above) and omit the eggs.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 50 minutes
Total time 1 hour
Dietary Diabetic
Meal type Main Dish
Adapted from an authentic Pad Thai recipe from Thailand, this recipe replaces rice noodles with spaghetti squash, which has about 5 times less calories!

Ingredients

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 14oz firm or extra firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1/4 cup reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Optional

  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
  • crushed peanuts
  • lime wedges

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil and roast on a baking sheet, cut side down, for 35-45 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool.
Step 2
Meanwhile, drain tofu and cut in half lengthwise. Place slices between towels and place a heavy item such as a cast iron pan on top to press out excess moisture. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Step 3
Once spaghetti squash has cooled, use a fork to shred the flesh into strands. Set aside.
Step 4
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining oil, then shallots and garlic. Cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Step 5
Add tofu to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until most sides are browned, about 8 minutes.
Step 6
Push tofu to one side of the pan and crack eggs into the open space. Stir until cooked, then add spaghetti squash, carrots, and bean sprouts. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes or until sprouts start to wilt.
Step 7
Mix tamari or soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar. Add to pan and stir to coat everything. Remove from heat and add optional garnishes.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Thai Stuffed Peppers

Thai Stuffed Peppers
Change up the standard old stuffed peppers with this Thai-flavored recipe that loads up the veggies, turns up the flavor, and skips the cheese. To make this a vegan/vegetarian dish, use precooked whole grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, or brown rice instead of turkey.

 

Thai Stuffed Peppers

Serves 6
Prep time 25 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Total time 50 minutes
Tired of plain old stuffed peppers? Add some international flair with these healthy Thai stuffed peppers.

Ingredients

  • 6 medium bell peppers
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil, such as canola, coconut, or olive
  • 1lb lean ground turkey (organic preferred, or at least no antibiotics used)
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion (diced)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
  • 2 cups Chinese or Japanese eggplant (chopped)
  • 2 cups white mushrooms (diced)
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (organic preferred)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sambal oelek or other hot/chili sauce to taste

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Cut tops off bell peppers and set aside. Remove rind and seeds from the inside and discard. Remove bell pepper stems and chop, then set aside.
Step 2
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and turkey and stir occasionally until meat is mostly cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, eggplant, and mushrooms, until vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally. Add chopped bell pepper tops and cook for about 1 minute.
Step 3
Combine peanut butter, tamari, and sambal oelek in a small bowl, blender, or food processor. Stir into turkey mixture and remove from heat. Place bell pepper bottoms into a baking dish such as an 8x8" pan or cake pan. Fill with turkey mixture, then bake for 20-25 minutes until tops start to brown and bell peppers become tender and look a little shriveled on top. Serve warm.

 

Thai Stuffed Peppers

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com   

Ingredients

For dressing:

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons tamari

juice of 1 lime (1 1/2 Tablespoons) (or rice vinegar if you don’t have a lime)

2 teaspoons sambal oelek (or Thai sweet chili sauce)

1/4 cup water

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad Dressing - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com

1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped

1 cup carrots, sliced

2 cups red and yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1/2 medium avocado, diced

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Garnish: 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Optional: Baked tofu*

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com

Directions

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender, food processor, or by stirring in a bowl. Combine all salad ingredients and top with dressing. Top with peanuts or other nuts (optional) as a garnish and serve.

 

*For baked tofu: slice 2 packages of firm tofu (non-GMO and/or organic) into blocks and press between 2 towels to squeeze out some of the water. Cut into cubes, toss with olive oil, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until golden, stirring once or twice.

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup - low carb, gluten free, dairy free. Follow GuessWhosCooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin

Ingredients

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

2 shallots, minced

2 carrots, diced (or more)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (about 2 medium-large), organic and free-range preferred

1 quart (4 cups) low sodium broth (chicken or vegetable) + 2 cups water (or more broth)

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

3-4 pieces baby bok choy, sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons red curry paste

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons sriracha

1 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk

1 lime, sliced into wedges

 

Directions

In a large stock pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, shallots, and carrots, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the chicken breasts and brown both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Be sure to stir the vegetables to prevent them from burning.

Add broth and water, bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes (longer for more tender chicken).

Add mushrooms and bok choy and cook until they are almost tender. Add all remaining ingredients except sriracha and lime wedges, and heat thoroughly. Remove the chicken breasts from the soup and shred with two forks, then add back to the pot.

Serve with a squirt of sriracha and 1-2 lime wedges.

 

Notes

  • You can add whatever vegetables you like. In Thai food, carrots, mushrooms, and greens are great. However, you could add broccoli, bell peppers, celery, or other vegetables you like.
  • In this recipe, shallots and leeks were used, but onion and garlic would be fine too.
  • You can use different combinations of seasoning. For example, you can use extra curry powder and omit the curry paste if you don’t have it. You can also leave out the fish sauce and add tamari instead. Make this soup according to your tastes and what ingredients you are willing to buy.