Asian Influenced Dinner

I found a fantastic Asian market in a shopping center near my work and try to keep my pantry stocked with all of the ingredients I would need if I decided one night that I wanted to make something different. Usually I just need to plan for the fresh ingredients - basil, cucumbers, mango or shrimp. I have wanted to make mango with sticky rice for some time now, so that was my goal for Sunday's dinner.

Sometimes I get a little crazy with my ideas of "what's for dinner." For example. On Sunday, I decided I would make sushi. I also wanted to make a noodle dish I found in an Asian foods cookbook I had never used. On top of all of that, I wanted to make Mango Sticky Rice. I did end up making all three items but only the sushi and Mango Sticky Rice got on the table in time for dinner. The Drunken Noodles dish sat patiently in the refrigerator for lunches the next day.

I took a pretty simple approach to the sushi this time around. I made big fat California Rolls. Cucumber, avocado and fake crab meat. I rolled it up in Nori and sushi rice. It was much more difficult to make the roll with the rice on the outside, thus the two rolls with seaweed out and rice in. I have no picture of me making this dish because it's messy and I probably would have dropped my camera during the process. I do have one of the end result, though.

 After we had eaten our fill of sushi, I moved on to making the Mango Sticky Rice. This is something I have wanted to try since I first had this at a Thai restaurant in Raleigh. I was in love. I have never been a huge chocolate for dessert fan, I prefer something a little sweeter. This hit the spot.

Mango Sticky Rice
Serves: 4
1 ripe mango
1 cup Thai sweet or sticky rice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 can coconut milk
1 2/3 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
Salt

• Soak the rice in 1 cup of rice for up to one hour.
• Add the rice and water it has been soaking in to a large saucepan. Add the rest of the water, plus 1/4 of the can of coconut milk, a big pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Bring to a boil and turn down to medium low. Place the lid on top, angled to allow steam to escape.
• Simmer rice for 20 minutes, place lid on tight and cook for 10 minutes more.  Remove from heat.
• In a separate sauce pan over medium-low heat, add the rest of the coconut milk, the rest of the brown sugar, a pinch of salt and the vanilla extract.
• Add in the corn starch and stir until the sauce has thickened. Keep the temperature regulated so the mixture does not boil.
• Place the rice on a plate or bowl and cover with 1/4 of the sauce. Top with mango.