Recipe: Spicy Coconut Soup

I was inspired in the ‘international aisle’ at the grocery store the other day and bought a few new ingredients for my pantry. I tried a couple of them today in this soup I made for lunch. These measurements are approximate, as always… adjust to your liking.

Ingredients:
2 Tsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lemongrass, sliced [fresh or jarred]
2 Tsp Coriander, toasted and ground
2 Tbsp Thai Hot Chili Sauce
1 Tbsp Ginger, minced or grated
2-3 Tbsp Scallions, white ends, sliced thinly
2 Chicken Thighs, pre-cooked, cut into chunks or shredded
1 Can Water Chestuts, cut into chunks
2 Cups Chicken Stock, low sodium
1/2 Can Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Scallions, Green ends sliced
2 Cups Sugar Snap Peas, steams or blanched ahead of time 

Method:
– Heat a medium sized pot and add olive oil
– Add lemon grass, chili sauce, ginger, coriander, sliced white ends of scallions and chicken, stir to coat and warm through, season with a little salt at this point
– When chili paste thickens and starts to turn darker, add the chicken stock to deglaze, bring to a simmer
– Add coconut milk and most of the green sliced scallions [reserve some for garnish] and bring back to a simmer, taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary
– Plate and serve – drop in handful of sugar snap peas per serving, garnish with dots of chili sauce and more green sliced scallions. Enjoy!

Notes:
– When I was making this, I was tasting along the way and I could have stopped before adding any liquid because the chicken tasted so good with the chili sauce, coriander, scallions and ginger – this could be used as part of a stir fry as-is…
– You can substitute shrimp, scallops, mussells or all of the above for the chicken, or leave it out for a vegetarian option
– If you don’t like spicy food, you can leave out the hot sauce or replace it with red pepper paste made from sweet bell peppers for the added color and sweetness, without all the bite
– I tried the jarred lemon grass for the first time today and have to say it was just okay – if you can get fresh, it’s worth it for the extra fresh flavor, but the jarred is great if you want to whip something up in a pinch…

Recipe: Chicken Salad

I was tempted to call this, “Everything But The Kitchen Sink Chicken Salad,” but as you can see, that name is WAY too long. lol… I came up with this recipe this morning, basing it off others I’ve made before, but changing it up a bit and it was so delicious, so I have to write it down [or… type it out]. I’m only going to include the ingredients and method for the chicken salad itself. I ate it over a regular green salad with a light oil & red wine vinegar dressing. I’ll have a picture uploaded when I eat the rest of it – this made 2 servings for me. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Chicken Breast, shredded into chunks
1 Tbsp Miracle Whip [use whatever mayo you prefer]
1-2 Tbsp Greek-Style Yogurt [to your desired creaminess…]
2 Tsp Whole Grain Mustard
1 Tsp Frank’s Hot Sauce
1 Med Celery Stalk, diced small
2 Mini Kosher Dill Pickles [or use one regular sized pickle], diced
1 handful Red Seedless Grapes, diced [8-10 grapes]
1 Tbsp Fresh Italian [Flat Leaf] Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Feta Cheese, finely crumbled
1 Handful Roasted Hazelnuts, coarsely chopped 
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Method:
– Shred up some pre-roasted chicken breast into bite-sized pieces [room temp to cold]
– Add mayo, yogurt, mustard, hot sauce and mix until incorporated
– Chop up the rest of the ingredients and add them in, folding in as you go
– Sprinkle feta and freshly ground black pepper over the top and serve 

 Notes:
– You can sub out anything you don’t like – leave out the hot sauce and/or mustard if you just like a creamy chicken salad
– I usually use walnuts in chicken salad, but didn’t have any on hand – substitute your favorite roasted nut for hazelnuts, or leave them out if you don’t like added crunch to your chicken salad
– I like parsley for that added freshness, but it can be left out if you’re not a fan…
– You can sub out the grapes for granny smith apples – which is what I normally use, or any semi-crunchy fruit – pears would work, too…
– this makes for a great sandwich, or as part of a salad, or it can be eaten as-is
– I didn’t add salt because I had the pickles and the feta cheese in there… but if you leave the feta out, you may want to add a little salt to taste – you could use blue cheese or gorgonzola in here, too, or goat cheese – this is a versatile recipe that takes well to changing things up so you can have it fairly often and not get bored with it…

Recipe: Chicken Basil Stirfry

I’ve been posting recipes lately as I’ve been making them, so you may notice a lot of similar ingredients week by week as I try to find ways to use all the fresh produce I buy on a weekly basis. This recipe was my tasty dinner last night. Very quick and easy if you have some leftover chicken breast kicking around, some veggies and some Asian staple ingredients in the pantry. This is for 2 servings…

Ingredients:
1 Roasted Chicken Breast, sliced into strips 
1 Small Package Sliced Button Mushrooms
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Dry Chili [optional]
1 Tbsp Ginger, jarred paste or freshly grated
1/2 Cup Red Cabbage, sliced fine
2 Med Celery Stalks, sliced on the diagonal
1 Med Carrot, sliced into long semi-circles
1/4 Cup Red Pepper, sliced into sticks
1/2 Cup Fresh Pineapple, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
Olive Oil
Sesmae Oil
Toasted Sesame seeds
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, cut into ribbons [chiffonade if you want to be fancy…] 
Chicken Stock – optional if stirfry is too dry