Thai Red Curry Chicken Soup

This simple recipe came from "Men's Health" March 2016 magazine and it is a keeper!!  Not only is it fast to assemble, but requires minimal ingredients and is incredibly flavourful.  The recipe only made enough for one serving so I have provided a recipe which makes 4 servings!

THAI RED CURRY CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Thai red curry paste

8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 tsp fish sauce

1 can of coconut milk

Juice of 2 limes

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (I used a pre-cooked BBQ chicken from the grocery store)

Thinly sliced Thai red chilies (optional)

Torn mint leaves (optional)

• In a large pot, combine the Thai red curry paste with the chicken stock, fish sauce, coconut milk and lime juice.  Stir to dissolve the curry paste.
• Bring to a boil and reduce head to medium low.
• Add chicken and stir.  Heat until chicken is warm (2 to 3 mins)  Taste and season if necessary, with salt,
• Serve with sliced red chilies and mint leaves sprinkled on top - you could even garnish with a squiggle of sriracha sauce if you like it really hot!
• ENJOY!

Split Pea and Ham Soup

As we have been experiencing some sub-Arctic temperatures lately, and we had a pork shoulder we turned into pulled pork, I decided a good old-fashioned pot of split pea and ham soup was in order!!  This is one of those rib-stickingly good dishes that is great for lunch or dinner (or an after school snack according to my children!!)

EASY PEASY SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

Ingredients:

  1 ham bone with some meat still on it

 1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 each carrots and stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
4 cups sodium-reduced chicken stock
2 cups  dry green or yellow split peas (I used green obviously!)

•  In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-low heat; fry onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper and ham bone, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. 
• Add stock, peas and 2 cups of water; bring to boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until peas break down and meat is tender enough to fall off bone, about 1 3/4 hours. 
•  Remove ham bone; pull off and shred meat. Discard ham bone and bay leaves. In blender, puree half of the soup; return to pot.
• Ladle into bowls and ENJOY!!!!

*After removing the ham bone, you can also use an immersion blender to blend soup to half chunky stage while still in the pot.

Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Fettuccini

I made this dish for my friend Anne who sent me a less-than-subtle message on Facebook asking for this dish (in fact she sent me the recipe and said "Make this for me")...so I did!  Here is a fantastic dish that I served at a dinner party and disappeared in no time!!!

CAJUN SHRIMP & SAUSAGE FETTUCCINE

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 lb cooked fresh fettuccine

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb peeled, deveined raw large shrimp

1 tbsp plus 2 tsp Essence Seasoning (recipe below)

1 1/2 hot or smoked turkey sausages (I used turkey/chicken ones from Costco), diced into 1/2" pieces

1/2 cup diced green bell peppers

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano or Peccorino Reggiano

 Essence Seasoning:

2 1/2 tbsp Hungarian paprika

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Season the shrimp with 2 tsp of the Essence.  Place the shrimp in the pan and saute until almost done.  Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
• Place the remaining oil in the saute pan along with the onion and bell peppers.  Saute, stirring until the onions are translucent (about 3 mintues).  Add the sausage and cook another minute.
•  Add the garlic to the pan and saute, stirring quickly to avoid garlic burning, for another 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the thyme, 1 tbsp of Essence and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Return the shrimp and pasta to the pan.  Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally to combine.  Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan.
• ENJOY!

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Almonds & Saffron

A friend of ours has an annual "Groundhog Day" dinner party with a different theme each year...this year it was Moroccan food!!! YUMMY!  This is a mild and flavourful dish ~ and don't omit the cilantro as it does more than merely garnish the dish; it makes a vital contribution to the flavour and character of the dish!  As this was prepared for a large number of people, I shredded the chicken rather than leave it in large pieces, but it didn't affect the presentation or flavour at all!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE WITH ALMONDS & SAFFRON

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large chicken breasts

2 onions, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 small carrots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2/3 cup chicken stock

A large pinch of saffron threads

1/3 cup almonds, freshly ground (or almond meal)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup of roughly chopped cilantro leaves

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid.  Add the chicken and brown evenly.  Transfer chicken to a paper towels to drain.
• Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and cook gently for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly coloured.  Add the stock and saffron.  Stir in the almonds, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Return the chicken to the pot and add enough water to almost cover the chicken.
• Heat to a simmer, then cover the pot tightly and cook gently for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with a knife.
• Remove the chicken to a warmed serving platter, cover and keep warm.  Boil the cooking liquid to reduce it to a thicker consistency and intensify the flavours.  
• Scatter the cilantro leaves over top and serve.
• ENJOY!             

Quick Vietnamese - Style Chicken Pho

My husband, kids and I have been into the spicy Vietnamese soups (pho) lately in a BIG way.  I am suffering with a lousy head cold today so I thought a chicken pho was in order for dinner tonight!  This is super simple and while you can go more elaborate and make your own stock, using a low-sodium chicken stock is perfectly acceptable.  I had chicken thighs which Greg browned for me and then I thinly sliced, and I had my own stock in the fridge already...this made the pho really quick to make!

QUICK VIETNAMESE-STYLE CHICKEN PHO

Ingredients:

2 cups of thinly sliced, cooked chicken

8 cups chicken stock

1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice powder

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp sugar (I used 1 tbsp agave syrup)

Thinly sliced shiitake or porcini mushrooms (optional)

1/2 lb dried rice noodles

 1/2 cup of chopped, fresh cilantro

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges 

Either sliced red chilies, or sambal oelek sauce

• Heat the stock in a large pot on medium low heat.  Add the chicken, onion, 5 spice powder, fish sauce and sugar.  If adding the mushrooms, add now.
• Once the stock is simmering, add the rice noodles and stir well.
• Serve the stock in a bowl, and top with cilantro, green onions, chilies, and lime wedge squeezed.
• ENJOY!
  

Moroccan Vegetable Soup

With all the wonderful root vegetables that are available at this time of year, and in our Winter/Spring CSA box from "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze", I have been on a crazy soup kick!!!!  Obviously I am a BIG fan of soups (hence the name of this blog!) and the main reason is that it is an easy and delicious way to include all sorts of vegetables into your diet in one sitting!  This recipe is no exception ~ give it a try!!

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped parsnips

1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded & chopped pumpkin* 

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Lemon juice, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish:

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and cilantro, mixed

A generous pinch of paprika

• Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven (or a large pot) and saute the onions for 3 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.  Add the garlic, carrots and parsnips, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the garlic doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
• Stir in the pumpkin and saute for a further 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Allow the soup to cool slightly, then pour into a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth, adding a little extra water if it becomes too thick.
• Pour back into the clean pot and reheat gently without boiling.  Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and taste.
• In a small skillet, heat 1 1/2 tsp olive oil and saute the herbs and paprika until just wilted.
• Pour the soup into bowls and swirl the garnish into the soup ~ ENJOY!

*If you don't have a small pumpkin, you can substitute hubbard , butternut, or acorn squash!

Eggplant with Lamb, Rice & Currants

I am ashamed to admit that I had two beautiful eggplants from my summer CSA box sitting in my fridge for a couple of weeks - and were needing to be used QUICKLY!  So I searched through my recipes and discovered this one from Martha Stewart Living magazine.  It was delicious and surprisingly, something that all members of the family enjoyed!!!

EGGPLANT WITH LAMB, RICE & CURRANTS

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3oz ground lamb

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 2/3 cups of chicken stock

1 cup short-grain brown rice

3 tbsp dried currants

4 small eggplants (or 2 large in my case!)

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Finely grated lemon zest of 1 lemon

• Preheat oven to 400F.  Heat 2 teaspoons of EVOO in an ovenproof pot over medium heat.  Cook the onion, stirring often to prevent sticking, until soft and slightly caramelized (approx. 10 to 12 minutes).  Add the ground lamb, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.  Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Cook until lamb is cooked through and no longer pink (3 to 4 minutes).  
• Add stock, rice, and currants.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover and transfer to the oven on the lowest rack.  Cook for 1 hr. and 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice eggplants in half lengthwise, brush each cut side with 1/4 tsp oil.  Roast, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet on top oven rack until centres are soft and tops are browned (about 40 mins).  Let cool.
• Gently scrape eggplant flesh into a large bowl, reserving skins*.  Stir in lamb-rice mixture, chopped herbs, and lemon zest.  Divide stuffing among eggplant skins.  Garnish with more herbs and lemon zest.
• Enjoy with some toasted flat breads!!

*As I didn't tell my children there was eggplant in this recipe until they finished, I threw the skins away and opted to mix everything together and serve in bowls!  

Fettuccine with Arugula, Walnuts & Lemon

I had a container of organic arugula and spinach that needed to be used, so I whipped up this tasty and light dish for dinner!!

FETTUCCINE WITH ARUGULA, WALNUTS & LEMON

Ingredients:

8 oz fettuccine

1/3 cup EVOO

1 garlic clove, chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

3 cups of fresh baby arugula and/or spinach, washed and drained

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

4 tbsp of chopped walnuts

1 tbsp unsalted butter

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine until it is al dente.
• Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, heat the EVOO in a large saute pan and gently cook the garlic, over medium-high heat, until it turns golden brown. Add 3 pinches of Kosher salt, approximately the same amount of pepper, and 2 pinches of the crushed red pepper to the oil.
• Add the arugula leaves and stir until slightly wilted. Add the stock, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the walnuts and cook for an additional minute, or until the stock has reduced by half.
• Add the lemon juice and butter and stir to incorporate. Turn off the heat
• Drop the fettuccine into the saute pan with the sauce and mix to incorporate the ingredients. Top with the Parmesan Reggiano and serve!

The pasta will appear slightly creamy, but shouldn't be swimming in the sauce.

Leek & Potato Soup

With the cooler weather rapidly approaching, my mind always turns to soups (my favourite!!!) I love to make big batches of a variety of vegetable soups and then freeze them so I will always have them on hand. Cheap and cheerful...much like the person creating them ;-)

LEEK & POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 leeks, washed thoroughly and chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cups 1" cubed potatoes

3 3/4 cups homemade stock (I use chicken)

salt and ground black pepper

• Heat 2 tbsp of the butter in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and cook gently, for approximately 7 minutes, until they are softened.
• Add the potatoes to the pot and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the stock and bring it to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 30-35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Chop up and stir in the remaining butter.
• Serve hot with fresh crusty bread - YUM!!!