One upside of the pandemic for me has been learning to better manage grocery shopping and varying our meals without having to run to the store all the time. A couple of trips to the grocery store got my pantry restocked with our favorite condiments, salsas, legumes and everything else we enjoy eating. And yes, there’s even some ice cream in the freezer! Now I can go for about 6 weeks in between shopping and we still always eat fresh veggies and fruit.
I rarely made a list to go shopping before, but make a detailed list and organize it by departments now. It helps me to not forget what I need and gets me in and out of the store faster. I really try to avoid going to the store as much as I can and by being more organized and using the same types of ingredients for different cuisines it helps prevent letting anything go to waste. Plus you save money by staying out of the store.
Early in the spring I also planted a small vegetable garden with lettuce, kale, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, squash, chili peppers and lots of herbs. And there were of course our new gardeners who not only liked dandelions, but also lettuce and kale. 😉
I didn’t mind, as I always plant a little extra to share.
I really, really love these stir-fried curried green beans!
It’s not only quick and easy to make, but so tasty that I could eat it until I turn silly!
This recipe comes from a tiny Thai cookbook I’ve had for probably at least 10 years. It’s called Buddha’s Table by Chat Mingkwan and features only vegetarian/vegan recipes.
Anyway, if you like Thai food give this dish a try.
The only other advise I can give is that you make enough to have some leftovers for the next day, which in our house are now called Take-in.
Pad Prik King
Put on some rice before you start gathering the ingredients for the stir-fry!
- several fresh kaffir lime leaves if available
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (Use less for a milder dish)
- about 14 oz. of extra firm tofu, pressed dry and cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 to 5 cups of green beans, cut into smallish pieces
- 1 large red or orange bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon base or a bouillon cube
- fresh Thai or regular basil for garnish
Heat a wok or heavy deep pan over medium high heat.
Add a splash of vegetable oil when the pan’s hot.
Next, add the curry paste and stir-fry until it’s fragrant and sizzling.
Add the tofu and the sliced or torn lime leaves.
Stir until the tofu is coated with the curry past and cook until it gets a little crispy.
Keep an eye on the heat and adjust it as needed.
Now add the green beans and cook until the beans start to get tender.
While the beans cook, mix the broth, sugar, soy sauce and bouillon base or cube.
Add the sliced bell pepper to the wok and mix everything gently.
Up the heat a little and pour the vegetable broth mixture over the beans and tofu.
Cook and keep stirring for a few minutes until the green beans are tender.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve with rice and enjoy!
This makes for great leftovers!
in cahoots with muddy boots 
Hey Sabine! I think I could eat my weight in green beans. They’re one of my all time favorites. I’ll need to try these. Thanks, and I hope you’re doing well!
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Missy, I think you’ll like these green beans. We just had them again a few days ago. I’m doing well but miss the things I can’t do right now. I hope you guys are healthy and happy! Be safe! 🙋♀️
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We’re doing well too. It helps that our grandkids live here. And, we did take a trip to the beach last weekend. That was wonderful. Not quite “normal,” but wonderful. Take care! 😀
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Oh the beach!! I haven’t been all year. I’m glad you got to go and had a wonderful time. That’s worth a lot these days. Stay healthy and happy! 🙋♀️
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We hadn’t been to the beach in a very long time. It was nice to breathe the salty air. Stay safe and well! 😊
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It looks so tasty.
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It is tasty, Arlene! I think you’d like it!
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that does look fantastic Sabine!
I’m afraid I would add either some beef or chicken 🙂
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The Thai place we used to go to, and really most Thai restaurants have this dish on their menu with a choice of tofu, chicken or beef. Not everyone’s a vegetarian and that’s okay. You should make this dish sometime, Wayne!
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It wouldn’t be as good Sabine as your vegetables are garden fresh. That makes a huge difference!
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Very true!
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This dish looks good Sabine and your photos have captured the sizzle! You were really successful with your garden – kudos to you and something good has come from the pandemic. I like the rabbit enjoying kale and lettuce in your garden, all tucked in the corner enjoying himself. Good thing you grew a little extra – a dandelion diet 100% of the time loses its appeal after a while. Your way of shopping is wise, especially as stats continue to climb and now stores are setting limits on certain items.
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I am going to make this again tomorrow as I still have some green beans I picked up at the store last week. The garden is mostly in hibernation now except for some lettuce and other greens I planted late in fall. I put them in a barrel to keep the bunnies and snails at bay at this point. It was a successful garden but the tomatoes were miserable. They didn’t produce much fruit and didn’t ripen until very late in the season. Not sure why this happened, but other gardeners had the same issues with tomatoes. My visits to the store are very few now. Our infection rates have tripled during the last week and more of them are closer to home. I am a bit tired of not being able to just go do what I want but it’s not worth the risk for myself, my husband and our community. Hopefully the vaccinations will work and enough people will get immunized over time to make a difference.
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That’s too bad about the tomatoes Sabine. Have you ever tried or known anyone who got one of those Aerogardens that grow inside in water with a special grow-light? It might be an option – just Google Aerogarden.com and you see their official site, but you can buy the equipment at Amazon or Kohl’s too. You can have your fresh greens/veggies and eliminate the need to go to the grocery store. Our positivity rate is nearly 14% as of today and we doubled cases and deaths in a week’s time. Very scary. It is good there are two vaccines now, though it will likely be April before we can get them and the newest one is also a two-step vaccine.
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I’ve heard of those indoor gardens. Somehow they don’t quite appeal to me at the moment and I do believe that fresh air and sunshine add a lot of flavor to the veggies. And yes,the nationwide spike in infections is frightening! Our numbers are way up as well. Hopefully the vaccinations will be safe and effective. In the meantime we’ll have to just stay safe!
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I don’t know anyone who has used one and the nutrients from rain water and soil likely makes a big difference in the taste. It sure is frightening. Less hiking and photo adventures as we stick closer to home – I’ll feel safe at Council Point Park, plus the snow flurries will fly soon as well. I’m lucky to have this Park, especially now.
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I’d get one if I lived in Alaska or perhaps northern Canada. Same here, I go to my nearby park and occasionally to the college campus. But not much else. Council Point Park is a great park to live close to. Be safe Linda! 🙋♀️
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Do you ever see the ads for “Imperfect Foods” for fruits and veggies that are delivered to your home? I don’t know if those work well, but they advertise online and on the radio a lot. We have a local farm market in the City and they are usually open from mid-May to mid-October but were only open three times this Summer. They lost a lot of business. They also have a holiday fair of all the vendors in November, but it is inside – that is cancelled as well. I had a very cold walk this morning Sabine – it was in the low 20s and I put on my hiking boots with lug soles as it snowed last night. We had multiple accidents in the northern suburbs and a jacknifed semi-trailer, so I took the “touch your foot on the pavement first” before I walked … it was okay, but not taking chances with my shoes. I hope we can both stay safe through this ordeal which sounds worse every day.
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I have seen the ads for Imperfect Foods! I haven’t really checked it out but might one of these days. As to the farmers market, I didn’t go at all this year. I wasn’t sure about the rules and if people respect them. Last years there was a stand where the owner/seller was carrying a loaded gun. Not sure what he was worried about as it was in a nice area, but he did wear one of those red caps. For now I’m sticking with what I know! Your weather sounds unkind. I don’t think I could put up with it. We’ve had endless rain here. It gets old after a while, but the parched landscapes need it. You’re right to be careful when you’re out walking. I’m sure we can manage staying safe as long as we use common sense and listen to the experts. 🙋♀️
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I’ve been seeing the ads on social media, but I got a postcard in the mail a week or so ago to try it out. I imagine lots of people are using it to avoid going to the stores and nothing is perishable, so you can leave the box in a segregated area before you need to refrigerate them. There are too many worries these days … I don’t blame you for not returning. Perhaps by this time next year, we’ll resume a near-normal life again, with the freedom to shop or go to stores without fear again.
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I’ll have to check it out and it would also be interesting to know what they charge! And yes, we too hope that we’ll get back to something “more normal”! Until then we will just have to be safe.
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And check the reviews as well for these all with a dot com at the end of the name: Hungryharvest, misfitsmarket and imperfectfoods. I don’t know how long for shipping; in some cases it is hand delivery. I heard someone on the radio talking about it. What a good idea. You don’t care what it looks like, but see what the reviews say. Are you stocked for Thanksgiving Sabine?
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I went to their website and checked it out. Not quite sure about the pricing and if one has to purchase a membership. For now I think we’re okay. As for Thanksgiving, I’m ready. It’s just the two of us and we don’t eat the traditional things on that day. I’ll make some roasted butternut squash with pine nuts and a tahini sauce. Whenever I’ve gone to the store I picked up some extra stuff so we can lay low for a while longer.
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I have not looked into it either, but did get a card for 30% for one of them. It is a great idea now with so many people afraid to venture to stores. Well, I am glad you are all set … I imagine the stores will be busy this weekend for those who don’t shop during the week. I did the same with bulking up everything in the Fall … now they are saying not to double-up on food/cleaning supplies/paper products because it will tax the truckers trying to get grocery items to your store. They say to buy one week’s shopping at a time … people are not going to do that as they want as few trips to the store as possible
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I’m not about to run to the once a week at this point. We’ve set a COVID record three days in a row here! I’ve found a good balance with shopping and stocking up. I figure if I’m getting everything we need for a few weeks I won’t be buying anything else in between. I’ve never gone shopping on the weekends because that’s when everyone else goes. Some people don’t have a choice, but since I do I stay out of the way during those times. Strange times we live in for sure!
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I feel the same way Sabine – the less I have to interact with people, the better. Some people are still not on board with the idea of masks and some people believe that COVID is still like the flu. So with that mindset, we will take much longer to get back to normal. I heard someone speaking about the vaccine today and said “we could have an almost-normal world again by May 2021” but a lot has to do with how many people get the vaccine. Herd immunity would require 70% of people get the two-part shots.
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Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a more normal future!
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Yes Sabine – we can only hope for a return to the normal we ALL just took for granted.
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