Thai Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

There is nothing like a spicy bowl of hot soup to warm you up in the middle of winter! Out of the need to use up leftovers and make fridge space, I created this recipe... and I am really happy I did. This recipe came out so good! Even picky eaters like my husband enjoyed it. 

I think this soup would be good with any vegetable--eggplant, squash, etc.

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

by Anna Theoktisto

Serves 8 portions

1 large onion, 1/2 inch dice

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, 1/2 inch dice

1 green bell pepper, 1/2 inch dice

3 medium sized gold potatoes, 1/2 inch dice

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1-2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 can or 2 oz Maesri brand red curry paste

3 quarts chicken or turkey broth

1 can coconut milk

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

salt and pepper, to taste

cilantro, to garnish

1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add diced onions and sweat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and grated ginger. Stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, continue cooking for about 1 minute. Add carrot and cook 3 minutes. Add remaining vegetables, red and green bell pepper and potatoes. Stir in the curry paste and cook until vegetables are almost tender and curry paste in aromatic. 

2. Add chicken broth, making sure to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure nothing sticks. Add the can of coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and the shredded chicken. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Season the soup with salt and pepper to desired taste.

3. If there is any foam or extra oil that forms on the surface of the soup, simply skim it off with a ladle and discard.

4. When soup is ready to serve, garnish each bowl with fresh cilantro leaves.

**I served my soup over a 1/4 cup of steamed brown rice because that is what I had leftover in the fridge. However, this soup would be wonderful served over rice noodles or by itself. 

Always remember to season and taste as you cook! This helps creates layers to your dish and in the end a well seasoned balanced product.

Sourdough Waffles

I've made sourdough waffles twice now. The first time, I don't think my sourdough starter was ready because the batter yielded an incredibly dense and chewy waffle. I don't know about you, but I like crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside waffles. The following recipe has awesome flavor and the texture was much better than my first attempt. The waffles have a nice crunchy exterior and soft interior. However, I think, based on my preference for a specific kind of waffle, sourdough waffles are just not for me. As my husband said, "These aren't the best waffles you've made." Gotta love the brutal honesty that comes with marriage.. although in this case, I actually agree. 

I did use this batter to make pancakes and my husband actually liked them. Personally, I think I'll stick with my buttermilk pancake recipe from America's Test Kitchen. 

Recipe from King Arthur Flour's Old-fashioned Maine sourdough waffles.

The Sponge
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (4 ounces) King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour, Premium or White Whole Wheat
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups (16 ounces) buttermilk
1 cup (8 ounces) sourdough starter

The Batter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (2 ounces) butter, melted (or vegetable oil)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

*I added 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Sponge: Mix together the flours and sugar in a medium-sized ceramic mixing bowl. Stir in the buttermilk. (If you're doing this at the last minute, take the chill off it; a microwave does this nicely. Don't worry if it separates a bit.) Add 1 cup (or 2, if you're doubling the recipe) of your refreshed sourdough starter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature overnight, or for whatever shorter time span is practical.

The Waffle Batter: Beat together the eggs, butter or oil, salt and baking soda until light. Blend this mixture into the sponge, and see dramatic chemistry begin to happen.

Spray your waffle iron with a bit of vegetable oil pan spray. (This is probably necessary only for the first waffle.) Pour 1/2 to 1 cup batter onto the iron, depending on its size, close, and cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until it's as done as you like. Remove gently with a fork, place on a plate, smear with butter, dowse with real maple syrup and eat!

Chinese Water Dumplings

If you love dumplings just as much as I do, and want you want to learn more about them purchase Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas and More by Andrea Ngyuen.

Ahh dumplings--warm little pockets of deliciousness that I constantly crave. I bought this book as a Christmas present for myself, and I am really happy I did. I've decided to work my way through all of the recipes in book. I'm doing this not only out of love for this delicious food but because I want to learn more about the different techniques used, the variations of the recipes depending on the geographic location and as the title states: to master the Asian dumpling. I love Asian cuisine, however being a white American the only authentic cuisine I was ever exposed to was food eaten in restaurants or food made by my friends' parents. Before culinary school, I always assumed that dumplings and Asian cuisine in general were a  foreign and complicated food. However, now I know that that is not the case.

The key to success is having a well stocked pantry. I suggest finding the best local Asian market and stocking up on basic ingredients like: Chiangking vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar (unseasoned), rice wine, dumpling wrappers, etc. Depending on your market, you might be able to stock up on produce as well. Produce items you'll need include: ginger, garlic, cabbage, green onions/scallions, and chives. The Asian equivalent to mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) is ginger, garlic and scallions. With these three ingredients handy you can pack any dish with a ton of flavor.

Ok, so back to the book. The first recipe is Chinese Water Dumplings--which had a pork and cabbage filling. They are called water dumplings because they are boiled, just like ravioli, until they float to the surface of the water. The dumplings are then tossed in a tangy spicy sauce and eaten. Nom nom nom.

I opted out of making my own dumpling dough, and instead just bought a pack of dumpling wrappers at the Asian market. I'm sure as far as flavor and texture are concerned, I was missing that extra little oomph, but hey! I ended up saving some time and probably some frustration.

I made several different dumpling shapes for practice. But you could certainly keep it simple and just make half moon shaped dumplings. Here is a link to a site that has the recipe from the book. Happy dumpling making!

Cherry season is here!

I wrote this back in late June, but I never posted it. So, although it is not cherry season right now...it will be before you know it! Here's to reminiscing of warmer sunnier days. 

When I was younger and my grandparents were healthier, I used to spend my summer vacations at their small orchard in Monkton, Vermont. Besides the delicious Macintosh apple trees, the true star in my grandfather’s orchard were by far the sour cherries. Every cherry season my grandmother would sit on the porch for hours pitting bowls and bowls of cherries. These cherries would eventually become part of her famous sour cherry pie, a pie that has been making my family happy for well over 20 years.

This weekend, I set out on a cherry picking quest. As I reminisced on my grandparents’ orchard, I aimlessly made my way through the maze of trees picking as many cherries as I could find. When I thought I was done, I would find another variety that I just had to have. After 2 ½ hours I knew I had to be done-- I wasn’t done because I was tired of picking cherries; I was done because I had somehow managed to fill my entire bucket. I wasn’t surprised when the total weight was 12 pounds; in fact I thought it might have been more. At $3.50 per pound I think I got a pretty good deal for fresh cherries.

The remaining part of my weekend evolved entirely around my cherries. I made pie, preserves, sangria, jam, and I still have pounds to go. Cherry season doesn’t last very long, maybe 2-4 weeks—so acting quickly is the best bet to securing this delicious little fruit. To find a local farm with pick your own fruits and vegetables visit: www.pickyourown.org.

Grandma’s Sour Cherry Pie

Recipe by Thelma MacCollom

Makes one 9" pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 pie crusts (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/05/buttery-pie-crust)

4 cups sour cherries, stemmed and pitted (about 2 pounds un-pitted)
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. lemon zest

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. cream

Preheat oven to 450º. In a medium bowl, combine cherries, sugar, flour, cornstarch, almond extract, lemon juice and zest. Stir until cherries are evenly coated and set aside.

Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Roll out second dough disk to 12-inch round; cut into ¾ to 1-inch-wide strips. Spoon filling into pie dish. Arrange strips atop filling in a crisscross pattern, forming a lattice. Seal strip ends to crust edge. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream. Brush over top of pie. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temp to 400º and bake until golden brown and juices are bubbling, 40-50 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with ice cream.

Frittata

Frittata, the crust-less quiche! If you have a bunch of different vegies in the fridge that you'd like to use up, making a frittata is the perfect solution. I like them because of the convenience, their versatility, and of course their deliciousness. If omelettes frustrate you as much as they do me in the morning, this is definitely the easier, and if I may say so myself, the yummier option.




 
I have made ricotta frittata and I have made cheese frittata. You can make these as healthy as you'd like. I recently found an amazing looking recipe: zucchini frittata with chives . You can either saute or roast the vegetables you intend to put into the frittata. I have found roasting gives a much better flavor. I coat my cast iron skillet with olive oil, add vegetables, saute, and then add the egg mixture. I mix the egg and the vegetable and let cook on the stove top for about 2 minutes and then I bake it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Happy frittata making!