Healthy Thai Recipes

Thai genius Su-Mei Yu shares energizing stews, salads, stir-fries and more to get anyone through a cool, damp spring.

Roasted Mushrooms and Shallots with Fresh Herbs

Warm Escarole Salad with Snow Peas and Sausage

Grapefruit-and-Fennel Salad with Lemon-Wasabi Dressing

Stir-Fried Red Rice with Sliced Sirloin Steak and Peas

Spicy Endive Salsa

Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp and Cilantro

Cornish Hen Stew with Lemongrass and Chiles

Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower

In the search for balance, some people practice yoga, others time management, but Su-Mei Yu checks the weather, then heads to the kitchen. Yu—chef-owner of San Diego's Saffron and author of the recent cookbook The Elements of Life—was raised according to Thai traditions; influenced by Buddhism, these hold that the key to balance, and physical health, lies in cooking and eating the right ingredients for the weather.

These traditions rival the Physicians' Desk Reference for complexity, but briefly summarized, they start with the idea that the world is made up of four elements: water, fire earth and wind. A little like astrological signs, or God, the elements influence everything from our personalities to the seasons and the time of day. They're even associated with different tastes—and Thais count nine tastes, from buttery to sour to sweet. Thai medicine emphasizes keeping the elements and tastes in balance.

It all boils down to a practical and delicious notion: It's important to eat the most nourishing foods, particularly when it's not very nice outside. And for anyone not lucky enough to live in San Diego, March weather is often not nice at all. For these six dishes, Yu has chosen ingredient combinations that protect the body during the transition from cold, dry winter to cool, wet spring.