Larb (salad for the carnivorous)

2lbs ground chicken
1c chicken broth
A few shallots, sliced thin
a few Thai chiles, sliced (you can probably substitute serranos, but I think jalapenos would throw off the flavor)
the white and pale-green parts of a bunch of scallions, sliced thin
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
lemongrass, if you have it, if not it's no big deal

heat the broth in a skillet, add the other ingredients, cook until the chicken is cooked through and there's very little liquid left in the pan. Be sure to break up the meat into small bits.

add any combination of the following to a bowl:

cashews or peanuts, about 1/2c
fresh ginger root, julienned, about 1/2c
cilantro, roughly chopped, about 1c
fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 red onion, sliced fairly thick
the dark green parts of the bunch of scallions
a few more sliced Thai chiles

I would never make it without the cilantro, onion and chiles, but that's largely personal preference.

in a separate container combine

1c lime juice
about 1/3c fish sauce
1Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar
about 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp Thai red chile paste.

add meat mixture to the bowl of raw ingredients and stir. pour dressing over the salad and stir again to make sure everything is coated.

This should serve about 4 as a main course although my husband and I often eat it all in a sitting if I don't make side dishes. It also makes an excellent appetizer before curry (see next recipe).

Thai Red Curry

(this recipe makes a ton, because I like to have leftovers.)

3-4 Tbsp red curry paste
4-6 cloves garlic
2 cans low fat coconut milk
1 can full-fat coconut milk (I find using all full-fat makes it too creamy)
3 bouillon cubes (adding broth makes it too watery, so this adds flavor)
2-3 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 handful chopped cilantro
2 chicken breasts sliced, the smallest you can find -- usually, this is about 0.75-0.8 lbs. if you want to use other meat
1 c sliced yellow onion
sliced or chopped vegetables (I use mushrooms, bamboo, zucchini, snow peas, green beans, and red bell pepper, but almost anything will taste good.)

add a little oil to a saute pan, then add the curry paste and garlic. and cook for a while on medium-high.

add the coconut milk, bouillon cubes, and fish sauce and heat at medium until bubbling. You can add lemongrass as well if you have it

add the chicken and cilantro and simmer until chicken is cooked through

if you're making extra, this is where I usually ladle out some of the broth, since re-heating the finished curry overcooks the vegetables.

add the onions and vegetables. Onions and anything else that requires longer to cook like bamboo should go in first. I usually add things in three stages, finishing with the pepper which I only let get barely warm.

Serve with rice

Feed 2 hungry people for two days, probably three if they're more moderate eaters than my husband and I.