Oh February

Shingo and I headed to Joshua Tree National Park last week- the weather looked iffy for a day and then 60's-70's for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, that wasn't the most accurate forcast as it rained for a day, then SNOWED for a day, then was foggy for a day and finally sunny and warm for the last two days of our trip. Shingo got sick for the first half, and I got sick for the second half. Needless to say, it was not the best trip ever, but I guess it was good to spend some quality time with my sweetheart.

This was our campsite behind the huge boulder.



Basking in the sunlight.






Me checking out a joshua tree.


My wine, and homemade pasta with homemade bolognese sauce (took 3 hours to cook!)


Spicy Thai Chicken with Basil
This is the best, most authentic, thai dish I have ever made.
2 cups basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
6 green or red thai chilis
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 lb chicken breast (about 2)
3 shallots
oil
-Food process the following: 1 cup basil, 3 garlic cloves, 4-6 thai chilis (stems removed).
-Place one tablespoon of the above mix to the side, and put the rest in a saute pan with 2 tablespoons oil and 3 shallots finely sliced.
-Heat on LOW heat (important it's not on high!) for 10-15 minutes.
-While the basil mixture is cooking, food process 2 chicken breasts without cleaning the food processor. Put in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce.
-Once the basil mixture is cooked, turn the heat up to MEDIUM, add the chicken, stirring frequently.
-Once there is almost no pink left in the chicken, add the remaining 1 tbl basil mix, 1 tsp. white vinegar, 1 tblsp oyster sauce, 1 tblsp sugar, 1 tblsp fish sauce.
-Once all the chicken is cooked through, add one more cup of tightly packed basil leaves. Cook and stir for a minute or two and take off the heat. VOILA!

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated


Coconut-Mango Frozen Yogurt
This was the dessert that accompanied my thai chicken. SOOOO GOOD!!

Ingredients

1. 1 cup plain coconut water
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 1 small mango (about 10 ounces), peeled and diced
4. 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
5. 1 cup light coconut milk
6. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
7. 2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut water and sugar and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Let the sugar syrup cool.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree the diced mango with 2 tablespoons of the sugar syrup. Transfer 1/4 cup of the puree to a bowl and whisk in the Greek yogurt, coconut milk, lemon juice and the remaining sugar syrup. Pour the mixture into a glass baking dish and freeze for 1 hour, until frozen around the edges. Whisk the mixture to break up the clumps and return to the freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours longer, whisking frequently, until the mixture is nearly frozen. Spread the remaining mango puree on top and, using a butter knife, swirl it into the yogurt. Freeze until nearly solid.
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the shredded coconut over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until it's golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the coconut to a plate and let it cool. To serve, scoop the frozen yogurt into bowls and top with the toasted coconut. Alternatively, in a tall glass, layer the coconut between small scoops of the frozen yogurt, like a parfait.

Recipe from Sophie Dahl (Food & Wine)