A Taste of Thailand

For some reason, I was actually craving curry earlier this week. I don't know if that's ever happened to me before. Anyway, I decided to try a bit of Thai curry because I loved almost all the food I ate when I was there. This recipe is from www.eatingwell.com. It originally called for sweet potato, not zucchini, but I ate sweet potatoes last week, so I thought I'd switch it up — when I took a cooking class in Thailand, we used mini eggplants in our curry, which are more similar to zucchini. Also, the recipe called for cilantro and lime juice, neither of which were readily available at Marshall Walmart, so I did without. They would give just a little extra flavor to the dish, though, I think. Even so, it was quite a tasty dinner.

Red Curry with Vegetables

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons red Thai curry paste
1/2 pound green beans
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring every 2 or 3 minutes, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

2. Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, water and curry paste to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is just tender, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the tofu, green beans and brown sugar; return to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the green beans are tender-crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve over brown rice.