Tha One ANNABEL COHEN Special to the Jewish News T hai foods are more popular than ever. For good reason. The aromas and flavors are fresh, light and a change of pace from the usual Chinese-style foods omnipresent for so many years. There's also a mystique about these combination plates that may use ingredients we, until recently, would have never known exist- . ed, yet alone tossed together. Additionally, the use of white, almost transparent rice noodles add another dimension to the usual dark fried rice and flour noodles we're so familiar with. Like other Asian cuisines, flavorings and seasonings take a front seat in recipes where small amounts of animal proteins are more garnishes than main events. Fresh and dried vegetables paired with easy cooking techniques make these dishes very quick and simple to prepare once the ingredients have been prepped. Many of the ingredients can now be readily found in supermarkets. What's more, many excellent short-cut mixes are also available. Since many non-meat ingredients are fresh, such as vegetables, or pure (not mixed with other ingredi- ents), such as spices or rice noodles, they often do not need kosher supervision. Many common Asian ingredients, such as soy sauce and hoisin sauce, are manufactured by companies that have kosher certification. The following recipes are simplified, shortcuts to Thai flavor. The zesty flavors of Thailand are more easily accessible. Where blatantly non-kosher ingredi- ents are often traditional in some recipes — shrimp or fish sauce — substitutions have been made. You'll find that these recipes still have authentic flavor that will satisfy your taste for something a lit- tle more exotic. CHICKEN STIR-FRY WITH BELL PEPPERS AND HOLY BASIL 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, partially frozen 2 T. vegetable oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 t. minced garlic 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin 2 small fresh red or green Thai chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves) 1/4 cup chicken broth or water 1 T. minced gingerroot 2 t. sugar 2 t. soy sauce kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh holy basil leaves or Asian basil leaves, washed and dried 1 lime, cut into wedges Using a thin, sharp knife, slice chicken lengthwise into thin slices. Stack or line these slices up so you can cut them in half, horizontally, into shorter pieces. Set aside. Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat until hot. Add the oil and heat until very hot. Add onions and gar- lic and stir-fry until lightly colored, about 30-60 seconds. Add chicken and cook, tossing the chicken with a wooden spoon until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Add red pepper, chili, broth, ginger-. root, sugar and soy sauce and continue cookinab stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add salt, ground pepper and basil and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds more. Serve hot, over cooked brown rice, jasmine rice or basmati rice with lime wedges as garnish. Makes 4 servings. ' PAD THAI 8 oz. thin dried Thai rice sticks or noodles 3 T. vegetable oil 1 t. minced garlic 8 oz. boneless and skinless chicken breasts, partially frozen 1 t. paprika 2 large eggs, lighdy beaten 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 T. sugar 1/4 cup water 1 cup scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces 1-2 t. chili oil or hot red pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), optional 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts 1 lime, cut into wedges 1/4 cup cilantro leaves Place noodles in a lage bowl. Pour very warm or hot (not boiling) water over noodles. Soak dried rice sticks until just tender, about 30-40 min- utes. Drain rice sticks well. Using a thin, sharp knife, slice chicken lengthwise into thin slices. Stack or line these slices up to you can cut them in half, horizontally, into shorter pieces. Heat oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add garlic, chicken and paprika and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add egg, swirling the pan slowly to make a pancake. Cook for one minute 3/29 2002 93