thai Archives - Ari's Menu

Creamy Thai Ginger Skillet Chicken

December 15, 2014 · by Ari ·

This post is sponsored by Swanson®. All opinions are my own.

Creamy Thai ginger skillet chicken with perfectly browned, juicy chicken thighs and a creamy Thai ginger sauce. One pan, tons of flavor.

This chicken.

Me: What do you think I should say about the chicken?

Steve: (in a weird, high, sing-song voice) La da da da da chicken is goooood! I like chicken!

Ummmm, yeah. But, I have to tell you that he was super excited about it when he came home for dinner the other night. You see, using chicken thighs is a pretty rare treat in this house. I just honestly prefer white meat 95% of the time, but when I was at the store grabbing my ingredients, the chicken thighs just spoke to me, so I went with it.

My mom always complains about cooking chicken. She says that, no matter what she does, it turns out dry. Usually I just make Steve grill up all the meat because I’m not super into cooking meat. I love to eat it, but I don’t necessarily feel like it’s my forte, so I was really pleasantly surprised when this chicken turned out just as I had imagined it in my head; better even!

The bold and creamy sauce is to.die.for. I kept trying to spoon more out over my chicken, and I wished I had a big plate o’ carbs to soak it up with. I hardly had to use any seasonings because the Swanson® Thai Ginger Flavor Infused Broth was so flavorful, and brought so much to the table!

The chicken is first browned on the stovetop in a little coconut oil, then transferred to the oven to cook throughout. Browning on the stove, and then baking allows the best browned outside while still keeping the inside soft and juicy. Then you just add in your sauce ingredients right into your skillet, and scrape up some of the extra flavor from the bottom of the skillet, and boom! You’ve got a new, amazing, and unique dish to serve to your friends and family this holiday season. You won’t regret trying something new, and your family will appreciate this unique dish year round!

Creamy Thai Ginger Skillet Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 3 servings

Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh

Creamy Thai Ginger Skillet Chicken

Creamy Thai ginger skillet chicken with perfectly browned, juicy chicken thighs and a creamy Thai ginger sauce. One pan, tons of flavor.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed (about 3 medium)
pinch pepper
1/4 cup Swanson® Thai Ginger Flavor Infused Broth
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
pinch turmeric
dash cumin
Sriracha for drizzling (optional)
fresh cilantro for serving (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Heat coconut oil over medium heat in an oven-proof skillet, preferably cast iron. Season chicken breasts with pepper only (I found that salting them made the entire dish taste like salt) and brown in your skillet, about 3-5 minutes per side. You will know chicken is ready to be turned when it easily releases from the pan. If you're having trouble, let it continue to cook. It will release when it's browned and ready.
Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 15 minutes.
Return to stove and, over medium low heat, pour in broth, coconut milk, turmeric and cumin. Use a wooden spoon to stir, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and incorporating them into your sauce. Serve with a drizzle of sriracha and fresh cilantro. Make sure you spoon extra sauce onto that chicken for serving--it's the best part! Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

https://arismenu.com/creamy-thai-ginger-skillet-chicken/

This blog post is sponsored by Swanson®.

Crockpot Curry Soup with Sweet Potato, Chicken & Kale

September 28, 2014 · by Ari ·

Rich, creamy, warm and comforting curry soup with sweet potatoes, chicken & kale is incredibly easy to make in your slow cooker with NO prep time! Healthy, paleo, gluten-free & dairy-free.

Can we talk for a second about trying to make curry soup look pretty? I mean, it’s YELLOW and the sweet potatoes I used were yellow. Side note: I totally prefer the lighter colored sweet potatoes, you? The first time I used them I thought they were mislabeled because for most of my life I knew nothing about vegetables. Anyway, I love them, and I think they are sweeter and softer than the orange ones.

Oh, and ummm cooked kale? The ugliest. If this soup weren’t so freaking delicious, I would have said F it, called it quits, and just pouted while sadly eating straight from the crockpot. Seriously, it’s super fun to live with a food blogger who gets super grouchy when things don’t go her way. The other night I had a melt down because I took like 5 zillion pictures of steam coming off my mac & cheese only to realize the wine glass I had set in the background was still empty. Life is hard sometimes.

Anyway, this soup was totally worth it, pretty or not. With the bold curry flavor, the creamy coconut milk and my very favorite food (sweet potatoes, in case you’re new here), you really can’t go wrong. The chicken cooks up perfectly in the crockpot with extra work involved, and the kale adds a little nutrient + flavor bonus. I love kale. I’m such a cliche.

This soup is perfect for the busy fall months when you want something delicious and warm waiting for you when you come home–it makes weeknight dinners a breeze, and it tastes way more indulgent than it actually is, so it’s a win-win!

Crockpot Curry Soup with Sweet Potato, Chicken & Kale

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours, 5 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Crockpot Curry Soup with Sweet Potato, Chicken & Kale

Rich, creamy, warm and comforting curry soup with sweet potatoes, chicken & kale is incredibly easy to make in your slow cooker with NO prep time! Healthy, paleo, gluten-free & dairy-free.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 large chicken breasts
2 small onions, diced
2 big handfuls kale
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 x 13.5 ounce cans coconut milk
32 ounces chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons curry paste
pinch ground ginger
sliced green onions and Sriracha for topping, optional

Instructions

Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Microwave for 2 minutes, (peel if desired, I didn't) then slice into 1" cubes.
Place all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Stir all ingredients together and serve. Top with green onions and Sriracha if desired. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/crockpot-curry-soup-sweet-potato-chicken-kale/

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Peanut Dipping Sauce

June 10, 2014 · by Ari ·

All the delicious flavor of pad Thai in fun, healthy and delicious meatballs! These Thai turkey meatballs are so good, they stand alone without pasta, and are even more fantastic dipped in the creamy peanut sauce.

I have so much to tell you! I just got back from the most incredible weekend at Blend (incredible hosted by Lindsay, Janetha & Lauren)! I’ve been dying to go after reading about the last two years, and I was pee-my-pants-excited to meet some of my favorite people from the internet. That makes me sound like a total nerd, but it’s cool. I am a total nerd.

I shared a room with Nicole & Katie (because…duh) and I was so stoked that Ashley ended up in our room too. It was the perfect energy and we stayed up both nights chatting and laughing until I literally fell asleep mid sentence. I wish that was every night. Although, Steve might be a little annoyed.

I was so excited to finally meet Lindsay and Brittany. I feel like I’ve known them for years, and they are two of the kindest, most supportive people I have ever met. In fact, for a long time I felt like I was blogging to no one, and I don’t even remember who found who, but I can say that both of them have given me a huge sense of community, and it was even better to get to play in real life!

Gahhhh, I feel like I could go on for YEARS about every cool person I met, but how about we get talk about some meatballs, and I’ll make you a lovely little list at the end of new blogs you absolutely must check out because the humans behind them are incredible. Sound good?

Okay, so….these meatballs. They are seriously so so easy. And they involve mixing with your hands, which is always my favorite. Whisk together a little peanut sauce, then mixing and rolling your meatballs will only take you a matter of minutes. While they cook, you catch up on Netflix…or if you’re a better person than me, you get ahead on cleaning. I’m not sure I can say I’ve ever gotten ahead on cleaning…

I use the “cooling rack inside the baking sheet” method (very technical term) + a little olive oil to ensure even cooking and a perfectly textured meatball. Ya know, when it has the browned outside, but still super tender and juicy on the inside? The.best. Not to mention, these meatballs are super healthy–lean, packed with protein, and with some veggies inside for good measure! It will only take a few of them to fill you up, and the sweet and spicy peanut sauce makes you feel like you’re going to town on your favorite Thai take out. Literally the best of every world, and a dinner you will want to make over and over again!

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: approximately 20 meatballs

Serving Size: 4 meatballs

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

20 ounces lean ground turkey (I suggest 93-96%)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quick cooking oats (use gf if necessary)*
2 tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped bean sprouts
generous pinch salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons peanut sauce (recipe below)
1 tablespoon olive oil, optional

For the peanut sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or gf soy sauce, or regular soy sauce)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce (or Sriracha)
water, as needed for thinning

Optional for serving:

fresh cilantro
fresh lime
Sriracha

Instructions

To make the peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, coconut aminos, honey and chili. Add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until sauce has reached desired consistency.
To make the meatballs, preheat oven to 400. Place a cooling rack inside of a large baking sheet** and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. Combine all ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl until incorporated. Roll into approximately 2 inch (about 1 ounce) balls and place onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil if desired***.
Bake until browned and cooked throughout, about 25 minutes. Serve with prepared peanut sauce**** a squeeze of fresh lime, a pinch of cilantro and a drizzle of Sriracha if desired. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Store peanut sauce separately.

Notes

*If you only have slow cooking oats on hand, simple throw them in the food processor for about 30 seconds, or even chop by hand. **Using the cooling rack inside the baking sheet helps the meatballs to bake evenly on the bottom and for any extra fat to cook off. It is not 100% necessary, but recommended. ***The extra olive oil helps the meatballs brown and get a a nice outer texture. This is also optional, but recommended. ****If peanut sauce becomes too thick, simply whisk in more water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency.

https://arismenu.com/thai-turkey-meatballs-peanut-dipping-sauce/

And because I love them, please check out some of my amazing friends that I hung out with this weekend. Tons of health tips, motivation & inspiration!

Thai Chicken Tacos

January 7, 2014 · by Ari ·

The bold flavors of chicken pad Thai in a simple, easy, healthy and gluten-free weeknight meal that comes together in minutes.

Have I ever told you about the taco shop? I mean, I guess I should call it by it’s name now that taco shops are becoming a thing, and there’s a bunch of them popping up all over the place, but I still always call it the taco shop.

Anyway, they have tons of creative tacos and everything is served a la carte, so you can get a couple different tacos, all the same, tacos with Mexican street corn (OMG…), or even try out their many varieties of salsa. It is basically a dream come true for this Mexican-food-aholic.

I actually can’t believe I have never posted tacos on here before. I mean, I guess it’s because I never actually make them. I make this all the time, and this needs to happen again because it was freaking awesome, but never just regular tacos, and ummm, that needs to change because I think this dinner took me all of 10 minutes, and it was awesome.

In addition to Mexican food, I am also obsessed with Thai food. Okay, I’m actually obsessed with peanut sauce. I mean, there are many Thai dishes that I absolutely love, but it always comes back to that peanut sauce for me. Peanut butter + spicy + just slightly sweet? How can that be bad??

Well, actually one time I made the mistake of using someone else’s pad Thai recipe that I found on the internet. It was loaded with soy sauce, and even using the lower salt soy sauce, the peanut sauce just tasted like a mouthful of salt. And I LOVE salt. One day in the middle of a long run I came back home to refill my water and ground some sea salt onto a plate and ate it. By itself. Perhaps I should add that to things I should be embarrassed to admit on the internet…

Anyway, my peanut sauce does not taste like pure salt. It’s the spicy, peanutty, slightly sweet goodness I mentioned before. And for these tacos, all you do is throw some shredded chicken and chopped veggies onto some corn tortillas, drizzle your new favorite peanut sauce on top, and then if you want to get fancy (or if you just want the best possible flavor combo) squeeze on some lime, throw in some of my favorite food (cilantro), add some crushed peanuts, and a drizzle of sriracha. You’ll find yourself looking at a dinner that seems so complicated and wondering how you made it happen in just a few minutes. Then when you taste it, you’ll want to recreate it every night forever (and ever).

Thai Chicken Tacos

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 8 tacos

Serving Size: 2 tacos

Thai Chicken Tacos

The bold flavors of chicken pad Thai in a simple, easy, healthy and gluten-free weeknight meal that comes together in minutes.

Ingredients

For the peanut sauce:

1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sriracha + more for drizzling
1 tsp honey
Water, as needed

For the tacos:

8 small corn tortillas, warmed
2 (8 oz) chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
Handful cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp crushed peanuts

Instructions

To make the peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, sriracha and honey with 2 tbsp water until well combined. Continue to add water 1 tablespoon at a time until sauce has reached desired consistency.
To assemble tacos add chicken, red pepper, scallions, cilantro and peanuts to each warmed tortilla. Top with peanut sauce and drizzle with sriracha if desired. Serve immediately.

https://arismenu.com/thai-chicken-tacos/

Thai Chicken Kabobs

July 31, 2013 · by Ari ·

Is there anything more fun than food on a stick? I mean, sure, eating it can be tricky and you run the risk of stabbing your husband while playing swords with your food (because that’s a totally normal and acceptable thing to do, yes?), but really, how many foods can you make into a sword anyway?

I’ve actually never made kabobs before this one, and let me tell you, I am in love. I loved having my chicken on my veggies all on one stick. I loved how fun they were to eat and dip in the peanut sauce, and I also loved how food on a stick meant there were next to no dishes to clean up. Seriously, I hate cleaning almost as much as I love cooking.

The chicken marinates in the peanut sauce to soak up all that delicious Thai peanut flavor, then gets grilled up with your veggies and dunked in lots more peanut-y deliciousness as you eat. You end up eating a lot less of the calorie-dense peanut sauce than if you were to eat traditional Pad Thai. Not to mention getting rid of the noodles and adding a bunch of veggies gives you all the flavors of classic Pad Thai with a fraction of the calories, and sticking it all on kabob skewers to grill up gives them an awesome summery touch!

They are topped off with fresh cilantro (my favorite food–I don’t care if you say it’s an “herb”, it’s still my favorite) and drizzles with sriracha for an extra spicy kick. Of course, those are option if you’re one of those weirdos who doesn’t like spicy food, or worse, you have that genetic “mutation” where you don’t like cilantro. Have you heard about that? Apparently it’s a genetic thing where to some people it tastes like soap. So glad I pulled the long straw on that one. 😉

Thai Chicken Kabobs

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Yield: 9 kabobs

Serving Size: 3 kabobs

Thai Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha + extra for drizzling
approx 1/2 cup water, divided
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
approx 1 cup sugar snap peas
1/2 red onion, cut into 1" chunks
fresh cilantro, optional

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, coconut aminos, sriracha and 1/4 cup water. Remove half the mixture (eyeball it), cover and set aside.
Add 1/4 cup water to remaining mixture. Whisk to combine. Continue to slowly add water until it has reached the consistency of a marinade. I used about 1/4-1/3 cup. Place chicken and marinade in a large freezer bag or medium tupperware and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour (alternately, feel free to do this step up to 24 hours ahead of time).
If using wooden skewers, soak skewers for 30 minutes before cooking (if you use metal, this is not necessary). Alternately place chicken, bell pepper, onion, and snap peas onto your skewers (you will most likely have room for about 2 of each) close together, but not crowding.
Grill on medium-high heat until chicken is cooked throughout, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and drizzle with srirach. Serve immediately with remaining peanut dipping sauce.

Notes

You may wish to heat the peanut sauce before serving. It can get quite thick while it sits, so microwaving for about 15 seconds and adding a tablespoon of water should get it back to your ideal consistency.

https://arismenu.com/thai-chicken-kabobs/

Noodleless Chicken “Pad” Thai

January 7, 2013 · by Ari ·

My vacation is over. Wahhhhh. It’s been so incredibly nice having the last two weeks almost completely off. I’ve actually been cooking dinner again! You may have noticed that I actually post recipes of “real food” instead of just cookies lately (although, if you ask me, cookies are totally a suitable dinner). This is because I finally have time to cook dinner, and I haven’t been living off Chipotle and those Trader Joe’s frozen black bean and corn enchiladas. It’s been awesome.

I think Steve has been enjoying it too. In fact, I’ve been all kinds of domestic. Last week, I took out the entire contents of my kitchen and pantry, and then reorganized and cleaned ALL OF IT. If you haven’t been to my house, it’s possible you don’t understand what I project that was. Also, if you don’t know me, and know how much I HATE cleaning, this may not seem that odd, but it was completely out of character.

Steve came into the kitchen and the first words out of his mouth were “Where are you hiding the crack?” If by crack you mean coffee, then it’s on the counter….

So I cracked out on my kitchen, and I cooked things. It was a pretty productive two weeks for me. Also, there’s something else you need to know about me: I almost never make a meal twice. If I do, it’s either super ridiculously easy, or one of my very favorites, or both. I make this one a lot. In fact, the recipe has been up here for a while, but it’s an oldie that needed a serious update.

Chicken Pad Thai is one of my very favorite meals in the world. I know I’ve told you guys about how I used to think I hated Thai food, then discovered I loved it and someone told me that it was “healthy” so I believed them, and ate it like 4 x per week, but then I realized how calorie dense it is, and never ate it anymore. It was so sad. Don’t worry though, my story has a happy ending!

No, not that kind of happy ending. Or maybe your brain didn’t even go there? Sorry, mine did. Anyway….ever since I first made this dish, I’ve been in love. Everything you love about the bold flavors of chicken pad Thai–spicy with a slight sweetness, peanut sauce with lime and cilantro–perfection. This dish proves the true magical powers of spaghetti squash. Seriously, any meal you love that includes noodles or pasta, just sub in some spaghetti squash, and you will be hooked!

Obviously, I am.

Noodleless Chicken “Pad” Thai

1 large spaghetti squash, split length wise and seeds removed
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbs reduced sodium soy sauce (if you don’t eat gluten, use gluten-free)
1 1/2-2 tsp chili paste
1 tbsp lime juice
handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small bunch green onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Sriracha for topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle inside of spaghetti squash with 1 tsp olive oil and rub in with fingers. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer face down to a large roasting pan. Roast spaghetti squash for 45-60 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, in a large wok pan over medium heat, drizzle remaining 1 tsp olive oil and add yellow onion, garlic, zucchini, red pepper and snow peas. Cook 5-10 minutes until tender. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until all pieces of chicken are cooked throughout.
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, chili paste, and lime juice. Set aside.
Use a fork to remove the insides of cooked spaghetti squash and transfer into wok pan. Pour sauce into pan, add lime juice and cilantro and toss all ingredients together for 2-3 minutes. Serve and top with green onions and Sriracha if desired. And if you’re like me, add even more cilantro 😉

Crab Fried Quinoa with Spicy Peanut Sauce

August 17, 2012 · by Ari ·

I used to hate Thai food. Well, I thought I hated Thai food. I used to have this thing where I was sure I hated anything I’d never tried that wasn’t a type of cheese or brownie.

One day when I was just starting to branch out in my eating habits, I got coerced into going to a Thai restaurant. Someone once told me that Thai food was healthy, and at that point in my life, that was all it took to make me believe it. I just just barely begun my weight loss journey, and I just assumed everyone knew more than me. Plus they don’t use cheese, so clearly it’s healthy, right?

I tried Chicken Pad Thai and never looked back. It was love at first bite, and I’ve been totally hooked on Thai food ever since! In fact, one of my best friendships is pretty much based off of a mutual love for Thai food. And Seinfeld. Have I ever talked about my love for Seinfeld???? It’s an intense burning love bordering on obsession. I’ve seen every episode at least 10 times, and I own the entire series on DVD. I can recognize a Seinfeld quote at any time, and if I find out you share my love, I immediately consider you my best friend.

Things I love: Seinfeld, Thai food, puppies, peanut butter, cilantro, glitter, polka dots, running skirts, the color green. Now you know the way to my heart. Now if only they made polka-dotted glitter puppies that like to watch Seinfeld while eating Thai food, peanut butter, and cilantro while wearing green running skirts, my life would be made. Okay, that was weird. Let’s talk about the food.

Ohhhhhh my gosh, THE FOOD. The quinoa works as a perfect rice substitute, but you could also use brown rice. I can’t cook rice. I mess it up every.single.time. It’s so annoying. No matter what I do, it turns out crunchy. It’s like I’m missing the rice gene or something. Luckily, I CAN cook quinoa, and it’s so easy. Rice–who needs it???

Not me. Not this dish. So there.

I got the fancy dish and chopsticks in Hawaii, and I knew I needed to make something awesome to put in/eat with them. My last day at CGST, I ate quinoa with peanut sauce on top, and I was basically in heaven. My mind started racing almost immediately “WHAT CAN I MAKE??? MUST HAVE MORE QUINOA AND PEANUT SAUCE!!!!” Oh peanut sauce. I just want to put this stuff on every meal I ever eat for the rest of my life.

This dish was surprisingly easy, and as soon as I took my first bite, I started wondering where it had been all of my life. I’m not always the best about leftovers. If I’m not 100% IN LOVE with the dish, leftovers often sit around in my fridge while I make salads for lunch and try new recipes for dinner. This lasted about 48 hours. Do you ever get sad when your food is gone? Please tell me that’s not weird….

Crab Fried Quinoa with Spicy Peanut Sauce

yield 6 servings

For the Crab Fried Quinoa:

1 cup quinoa
1 tbs canola oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 tbs reduced sodium soy sauce
pinch ground ginger
1/2 lb crab meat (I used imitation–it’s super inexpensive and still delicious)
extra cilantro for topping (optional)

For the Spicy Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)
3 tbs unsweetened almond or coconut milk
2-3 tbs reduced sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free if applicable)
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs red chili paste
handful fresh cilantro,finely chopped

Directions:

Cook quinoa to package instructions.
While quinoa is cooking, prepare the sauce by warming peanut butter and milk in a medium microwave safe bowl for 10-15 seconds. Whisk in all remaining sauce ingredients and set aside.
In a large wok pan over medium heat, sautee garlic and onion in canola oil until golden and fragrant–about 5 minutes. Add eggs stirring constantly to scramble. When eggs have reached scrambled egg consistency, add remaining vegetables, soy sauce and ginger. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add cooked quinoa and crab meat. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, tossing constantly to combine.
Serve topped with spicy peanut sauce and cilantro.

Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers

May 29, 2012 · by Ari ·

So I’ve been really mad that it’s summer time. Lots of whining and complaining about the heat, and how it affects my running, and blah blah blah. But I forgot how much I LOVE some things about summer! Like burgers!

And swimming!

Tuesday evening, Jason came over with my dog niece and nephew, and we seriously had the best time playing around outside with the puppies. They got so hyped up about the pool!

Nico and Winston have a love connection. They will play for hours on end.

Every time Jason was in the pool and would make eye contact with Nico, she would immediately go crazy and start barking, and then all the other dogs would start going crazy too.

Clementine is hiding under the chair. She wants to play, but she’s scared. It’s hard to be a Clementine.

Anyway, before all the fun dog playing, there were seriously amazing, delicious burgers.

Made with extra lean ground turkey, and homemade Thai peanut sauce.

Savory and spicy, with just a hint of sweetness.

Have I ever mentioned how much I also love Thai food? Give me some take out Chicken Pad Thai with extra cilantro, and I am a happy girl. I used to eat it all the time because someone told me Thai food was healthy once. Now, I figure out my own ways to use the flavors that are actually healthy, and not 7 servings of noodles 😉

Also, if you are one of those people who loves a beef burger, and thinks turkey burger are dry and gross (ahem…Steve), try these turkey burgers. I haven’t always loved the ones I’ve made at home (why do they never seem to turn out like the one at Zin Burger??), but I absolutely freaking love these. Like I can’t wait to make them every day for the rest of ~~the summer~~ my life kind of love.

Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers

yield 5 servings

20 oz ground turkey breast
1 tbs egg substitute
1/2 cup diced onion + more for topping
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper + more for topping
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro + more for topping
1 tbs peanut butter
1 tbs Better’n Peanut Butter (or pb2, or more regular peanut butter)
1 tbs reduced sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free is applicable)
1 1/2-2 tsp chili paste
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp honey
1/2-1 tbs Sriracha
5 100% whole grain hamburger buns (whole wheat, brown rice, etc.), toasted
crushed peanuts, sliced scallions, and bean sprouts for topping

Directions:

Preheat grill. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey breast, egg substitute, onion, bell pepper, and cilantro. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, Better’n Peanut Butter, soy sauce, chili paste, lime juice, and honey. Pour 2 tsp of sauce mixture into turkey mixture, and set the rest aside.
Thoroughly combine turkey mixture and sauce (I recommend getting in there with your hands!), and form into 5 even patties. Press lightly in the center of each patty with your thumb, so they are slightly thicker on the edges to ensure even cooking.
~~Send your husband outside to~~ Grill until cooked throughout (approx 5 minutes per side). Meanwhile, add Greek yogurt and Sriracha to leftover peanut sauce, and mix until well combined.
Place cooked patties on toasted wheat buns, then top with yogurt peanut sauce, crushed peanuts, sliced scallions, bean sprouts, and extra onions, bell peppers and cilantro.