Main Course – June

His Favorite Thai

By Chef Arturo Vargas

You’ve all heard the saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” right?  Well if you’re looking for a simple, quick dish to whip up for the man you love, try this tasty Thai Vegetable Prawns recipe.  It’s guaranteed to please and is filling enough for even the heartiest of eaters.  Best of all, this meal is infused with ginger and wonderful fresh vegetables so that, instead of falling into a food coma after dinner, you will be completely energized to indulge in, shall we say, dessert?

Life is short and beautiful.  Eat well, and enjoy!

Chef Arturo Vargas

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons of cornstarch

1 cup of coconut milk

1/2 cup of reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons of rice vinegar

5 teaspoons of Thai chili sauce

1 tablespoon of fresh gingerroot (minced)

4 ounces of uncooked thick rice noodles

1 pound of raw and peeled tiger prawns

1 pound of fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups of fresh snow peas

1 cup of sweet red pepper (chopped)

1 cup of carrots (shredded)

1 can (8 ounces) of sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/4 cup of shallots (chopped)

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 cup of dry roasted peanuts (chopped)

PREPARATION

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, coconut milk, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, vinegar, chili sauce and ginger until blended. Set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté the asparagus, snow peas, red pepper, carrots, water chestnuts and shallots in olive oil mixed with sesame oil for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Sauté prawns separate, on a hot-medium skillet using only olive oil. Sauté prawns for 2 minutes and set aside.

Stir soy-sauce mixture and stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain noodles, add them to vegetable and prawns mixture, and stir to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Yield:  Makes 6 servings

[learn_more caption=”About The Chef” state=”open”]  A native of Acapulco, Mexico, Chef Arturo Vargas is a respected health educator and owner of Northern California’s Taste for the Senses Catering.  Arturo was formally trained in the culinary arts in Mexico.  Prior to opening his catering company, he served as chef in some of San Francisco, California’s finest restaurants, and facilitated healthy cooking classes and workshops for organizations such as the University of California, Davis, the American Heart Association, and Whole Foods Market.  His culinary expertise has been featured in several publications, including Sacramento Magazine, Luxe Life magazine and on SimplyRecipies.com.[/learn_more]

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