Thai Cooking Green - Our Daily Green

Friday, August 26, 2011

Thai Cooking Green

One of Our Daily Green's favorite topics is healthy and fresh eating. We often encourage cooking from scratch. But let's face it, we're busy people and starting from scratch for every single meal is not always feasible. It's easy to fall into the trap of take out food or fast food, which we strongly discourage, for a few reasons. First, the waste. The packaging, the styrofoam, the plastic utensils all fill our garbage cans almost faster than they fill our bellies. Two, the uncertainty of what is in the food we're eating. We prefer to know if the ingredients are healthy and sustainable, instead of factory farmed or laden with preservatives and chemicals.

To find a happy balance, in line with our 80/20 philosophy, Our Daily Green seeks out convenient products that do not compromise quality or health. To this point, we recently had the pleasure of testing the Thai Kitchen line of products after being selected to host a Thai Kitchen® Deliciously Different BBQ House Party™.

Thai KitchenIf you're unfamiliar with House Party, we highly recommend checking it out. Different companies put together party packs of their merchandise and hostess favors and send it to you. You are only obligated to share the favors and host a party. There are no sales involved. I find the parties a refreshing change from the direct sales parties that are such a popular way to socialize, especially as someone who eschews unnecessary consumerism/stuff purchasing.

Thai Kitchen saucesAfter studying the Thai Kitchen website and the ingredients used in the products, we felt comfortable with the quality of the product. We were impressed at the number of organic, gluten free, and vegan products. None of their products contained the highly processed high fructose corn syrup. We applied to host and within a few weeks we received a fabulous pack of Thai Kitchen products, as shown in the photos.

delicious thai buffetWe prepared several recipes, including Thai Broccoli Salad, Chicken Watermelon Salad, Thai Meatballs with Peanut Satay Sauce, and Coconut Milk Ice Cream.

(about the table decor? most of the decor is thrift shop finds, like the wicker and hats, while the tablecloth is actually a black bedsheet, the colorful center accent piece is a pillow sham, and the flower petals a cut up lei from another party... we even decorate in a green way)

From Thai Kitchen's website:
...Thai culture and cuisine is as diverse as Thailand itself, and there is no single dish or ingredient that truly exemplifies Thai food. ... are made up of contrasts—hot and spicy, sweet and sour, pungent and fragrant. Fresh fruits and vegetables, and seafood are the main medium to which the Thai cooks add their potpourri of flavorings—combinations such as chilies, garlic and onions, curry mixtures, coriander, coconut cream, basil, lemon grass, mint, kaffir lime, and tamarind.  Not to be forgotten are the meat and poultry. Culturally, Thais are not vegetarians. As opposed to Americans who see meat and poultry as a dietary staple, Thais see them as a garnish, placing the emphasis on the fruits, vegetables, and fish, serving smaller portions. These low fat-meals burst with flavor and are typically much more healthy than the average American diet.
From a green perspective, we appreciate that many of the products are in glass or metal containers, instead of plastic. We also are pleased to find the ingredients in the sauces are not laden with chemicals or preservatives. The food was tasty, delicious and because the sauces and seasonings were premixed and premeasured, we didn't have to buy jar upon jar of exotic spices that we would rarely use. We had an opportunity to get take out taste, without take out waste.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

I like to use Thai Kitchen coconut milk when I make curries. Really. Some other brands have disappointed me in the past, but this one has always been good quality. Don't buy the lite stuff, though. It's awful and watery. I'll also use their red curry paste when I'm feeling too lazy to make my own from scratch. You know, on those days when you look through the freezer and just can't find that lemongrass that you're sure you had or you're running short of ginger. In fact, just last night I made an almost vegan vegetable curry with bell peppers, cauliflower, red onion, tomatoes, spinach, and basil fresh from the garden (no eggplant, though!). I say almost because you absolutely can't make an honest Thai curry without fish sauce! It always reminds me of wretchedly hot days in Bangkok.

louisvillechiropractic said...

True, cooking healthy foods is not always easier, especially if we want fresh green foods. I even admit that I always end up in fast food chains, now I swear I will try my very best to eat fresh foods...Thanks for your valuable ideas and I will surely try your Thai Broccoli Salad.