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panang chicken penne…and a barilla giveaway!

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Pasta is always a go-to for anyone wanting a quick and filling meal. Barilla has found a way to get pasta done even quicker! With their new Pronto line, there is no waiting for water to boil or no need to drain the water. For someone like me who has no patience, this is a very great feature.

Basically, you cover the pasta with cold water and cook it on high heat until the water is absorbed, around 10 minutes. I was actually quite surprised at how perfect the pasta cooked.

I tried out Pronto and made this quick Panang Chicken Penne. The chicken and sauce cooked while the pasta boiled and dinner was ready in no time.

Want to try Barilla Pronto for yourself? See the ways to enter below for
a chance to win a prize pack with one box each of macaroni, spaghetti,
rotini and penne. Contest closes on Friday, October 7th at 11:59pm MST
and is open to residents of Canada. A winner will be chosen at random
and will have 48 hours to reply back. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Panang Chicken Penne

1 box Barilla Pronto Penne
1/4 cup zucchini, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 TB panang curry paste
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup + 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sugar

Cook the penne according to package directions.

Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry the curry paste with the vegetables. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and the chicken and let cook. Add the remaining coconut milk, water and sugar and heat until boiling. Add the cooked pasta and stir until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Enjoy!

green papaya and carrot salad

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It seems like everyone lately has been spiralizing their veggies. Who could blame them? Any way to make veggies a little more exciting, especially to the kiddos, is always welcomed around here.

I received the Microplane Spiral Cutter recently and was excited to play with my food.  It was like a big sharpener but for your veggies. Zucchini made nice long noodles to substitute for pasta. Long strands of carrots were more fun to eat than a big carrot stick.

This is my submission for their blogger recipe contest. This green papaya and carrot salad makes the perfect side to accompany pretty much anything. We paired it with some bbq’d beef and it was fresh and flavourful.

Green Papaya and Carrot Salad

1/2 green papaya, spiralized
3 large carrots, spiralized
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup green beans
1 1/2 TB fish sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
1 lime, juiced
2 TB palm sugar
1/4 cup peanuts

In a large bowl, combine the spiralized papaya, carrots, tomatoes and green beans. In a separate bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, lime juice and sugar. Pour over the vegetables and combine until incorporated. Top with peanuts and enjoy!

thai chicken larb

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Around here, we love our thai food! I had been to Thailand once before, when I was in junior high. I’m determined to go back and learn the secrets to their delicious food. The curries, the rice, the salads – it’s just too good!

Larb seemed like something easy to prepare and it was! I had looked at many different recipes and they were all so different. I took components of what I liked, and what I had in the house, and made this version. I left out the chilis, opting to use Sriracha on top, so that everyone in the house could enjoy it. Although, truth be told, I’m pretty sure Q can handle things spicier than me.

With lemongrass, mint and lime, this dish was screaming with flavour. Even 9 month old Z enjoyed it! Although I was hoping for leftovers, there were none in sight! This will definitely be making the rounds again next week.

Thai Chicken Larb

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 TB minced garlic
1/2 TB fish sauce 

Handful of mint
Handful of cilantro
1 2″ piece of lemongrass, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped 

1 lime, juiced
1 TB brown sugar
2 TB fish sauce 

lettuce
Sriracha sauce 

Brown the chicken with the garlic and fish sauce. Once cooked, add the mint, cilantro, lemongrass, green onion and shallot.  In a bowl, combine the lime, brown sugar and fish sauce. Once the herbs and vegetables are mixed with the chicken, add the lime mixture. Scoop into lettuce cups and top with sriracha.

panang curry

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With all my posts of various Thai restaurants we have been to, it’s no secret that we love it. Today, I had a craving for Panang but decided it would be a good thing to know how to make it from scratch. I found a simple recipe and made a few changes to make it on the mild side so we could all enjoy it.

Q and I had a fun time at the Asian market picking up the items we needed for the paste. He learned all about kumquats and guava and he picked up treats for himself. He was quite the helper, crushing up some peanuts to top the flavourful curry.

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit via Epicurious. I substituted the dried chilies with a red bell pepper and added fragrant ingredients like lemon grass and kaffir leaves.  The pungent aroma of the paste filled the kitchen and mellowed when it hit the coconut milk.

To make the curry, I adapted a recipe from Rachel Cooks Thai. I used chicken instead of beef and added the veggies we had in our fridge. Served with a bowlful of delicious coconut rice, it was a satisfying and comforting meal. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s leftovers!

Panang Curry Paste
Adapted from Bon Appetit via Epicurious

1 red pepper, cut into chunks
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced
3 TB roasted peanuts
6 dried kaffir leaves
1 large shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TB crushed ginger
1 serrano chile, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Process until a paste forms, adding a small amount of water if necessary.

Panang Curry
Adapted from Rachel Cooks Thai

1 can coconut milk
3 TB panang curry paste
3 chicken breasts, cubed
1 red pepper
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar

Scoop the top 1/3 cup of thicker coconut milk off the top of a newly opened can and into a large pan. Heat the coconut milk over medium heat until it starts to boil and separate.

Add the curry paste and stir into the coconut milk until its well incorporated. Then add your chicken and veggies and coat them with the curry paste.

Add the rest of the coconut milk and let the chicken cook.

Once the chicken and veggies are cooked, add the kaffir lime leaves and season with fish sauce and sugar.

Top with cilantro peanuts and serve with coconut rice.