It is Easy Being Green

After my disappointing experiences with Young Thailand, I had a mean craving for some Thai green curry. Luckily, I have a great Asian market near my work with a large selection of unique veggies and other hard-to-find items. When I stopped in last week, there was an abundance of fresh baby bok choy and snake beans -- two of my favourite Asian vegetables! I grabbed some, along with green curry paste and deep-fried tofu, and headed home to whip up some delicious Thai stew. This dish is very versatile and easy to throw together -- use whatever veggies you like. The end result is sweet and spicy, with a touch of sourness from the lime, and the snake beans squeak when you bite into them! Dave mentioned that the leftovers were even better the next day. Enjoy!

Green Vegetable Curry

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger root
1 can coconut milk
2 tablespoons green curry paste
1-2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup water
6 baby bok choy, sliced into quarters
1/2 lb snake beans, chopped into 3-inch lengths
10 deep-fried tofu puffs
1 carrot, peeled and thickly sliced on the diagonal
2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 fresh lime

1. Heat oil over medium in a large, deep skillet or pot. Add garlic and ginger, and cook for one minute, until fragrant. Spoon 1/2 cup of the thickened coconut cream off of the top of the coconut milk can (open it carefully, so the cream stays on top), and add it to the skillet with the green curry paste. Simmer until the coconut cream evaporates and you have a very thick paste, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the remaining coconut milk, water, carrot, beans, tofu, and honey to the skillet, and salt to taste. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the bok choy, and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the green onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste, and serve over freshly steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 3