Sweet Potato Chili

Good Morning! It's Secret Recipe Time! I'm so thankful for this club this month.  As you can see, it's the only thing keeping my blog going right now. But more on that later...

Right now let me introduce Judee from Gluten Free A-Z Blog! Judee has great recipes, and it was really hard to pick just one. Then, she posted this chili. The somewhat odd combinations of ingredients intrigued me. Especially since I could make it in my crockpot. An easy, but extremely flavorful dish? One that cooks without any supervision? I'll take it!

The only change I would make next time is to add 1-2 teas. Cayenne or Chili powder. This chili is on the sweet side.

Sweet Potato Chili

Adapted from Gluten Free A-Z

1 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 28 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes (find the fire-roasted, they are so good!)
16 oz black beans
16 oz kidney beans, drained
1 large sweet potato (I actually used 1 1/2), cubed
1-2 teas cayenne pepper
1 Tb ground cumin
2 teas unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teas ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and stir well.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4 until potatoes are cooked through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheese.

Enjoy!

Amazing, Creamy, Tasty Broccoli Chedder Soup

I couldn't just call this "Broccoli Soup".  That would not begin to describe the creamy tastiness of this dish. I used to have a favorite broccoli soup. Used to. Now, it's this one.

I found this recipe on Vintage Mixer. It's from a local cooking school. I used WHITE Cheddar and fresh broccoli. Amazing.

Amazing, Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Vintage Mixer from The Viking Cooking School

3 TB unsalted butter, plus 2 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
1/2 teas salt
1/4 teas freshly ground black pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teas minced garlic
1/2 teas each chopped fresh thyme and rosemary leaves  (I used dried)
3 TB all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock or canned, low- sodium chicken broth
1 (16-oz) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated  (I used fresh)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded White Cheddar Cheese

In a medium pot, melt the 3 TB butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand- held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)

Add the cream and bring to light simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 TB cold butter, stirring to blend.

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.

Enjoy! 



 

Carrot Coriander Soup - Secret Recipe Club

Good Morning! Today is one of my favorite days of the month. Secret Recipe Club time! I was assigned a fabulous blog this month; The Gorgeous Gourmet! She is from South Africa, and has a wonderful variety of recipes. Her blog is clean and very attractive. If you click on the link, and it doesn't connect, try again on another computer. My computer at work doesn't allow me to go there, but I get to spend hours on her site at home! 

I had a hard time, as usual, picking my recipe.  The Pumpkin Fritters sounded really good...but I was out of pumpkin.  A lot of her recipes were similar to mine, and I was tempted to try hers to see which recipe I liked better, but ultimately I decided to try something new. I picked the Carrot Coriander Soup! 

I only made a change of adding more ground coriander.  Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant, and this recipe uses both coriander and cilantro. The soup really needed more flavor, so I doubled the coriander.  I also added some heavy cream when serving.  The Gorgeous Gourmet mentioned doing this. This soup is light, and would be great with a grilled cheese sandwich!

Carrot Coriander Soup

The Gorgeous Gourmet

1 Tb oil

3 cups chopped carrots (they don't have to be cut too small because everything will be pureed)

1 onion, chopped

2 teas ground coriander

salt and pepper

1 liter (4 cups) vegetable stock 

1 cup fresh cilantro 

Heavy Cream to serve 

Heat oil in a large soup pan.  Add in carrots and onion, and cook until onion is translucent. Add in the coriander, salt and pepper, and the vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil, and simmer until the carrots are cooked through. Add in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. 

Cool the soup slightly, and use a hand immersion blender or a stand blender to blend the soup. 

Serve warm, with the extra cilantro on top as a garnish.  Add cream to soup if desired.

Enjoy!

Turkey Dill Chowder

Did you have lots of turkey left over from Thanksgiving? I cooked my own turkey on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and had tons leftovers!  I decided to use some of it to make a chowder.  This chowder is thick and hearty. It's somewhat similar to my Chicken and Rice soup, but the dill adds a little tanginess to it.

Turkey Dill Chowder
The Double Dipped Life

2 Tb butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tb dill
1/2 teas garlic (or 1 clove fresh garlic)
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup diced cooked turkey
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup corn (I use frozen)

Additional add-in possibilites:
carrots
wild rice

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add in the onion, dill and garlic and cook until the onions are soft.  Whisk in the flour, and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes or until soup is thickened.

Add in the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Coconut Tropical Soup

I ran to Zupas cafe for lunch in October and they were featuring a pumpkin coconut soup. Two of my favorite flavors! How could I resist?  Let me just say... yum! I would eat this a few times a week if I could.  Sadly, Zupas had in on their menu only for October.  But... I could recreate it, right? Right!

With just a list of main ingredients and my tastebuds, I recreated this soup.  Now, my personal opinion is that mine is slightly better. More flavor, and a little bit richer. This soup is easy to make, and full of flavor!


Pumpkin Coconut Tropical Soup
The Double Dipped Life

2 Tb butter
1/2 onion, diced finely
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/2 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas chile powder
salt and pepper
 2 cans (12 oz each) coconut milk (I used one regular and one light)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 12 oz can of vegetable broth
1 12 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tomato, chopped
6 oz chopped pineapple
green onions, chopped, for garnish 
chopped macadamia nuts for garnish

Melt the butter in a large soup pan. Add chopped onions, and cook until soft. Add in the spices, and cook until fragrant.

Pour in the coconut milk, pumpkin, and broth, and stir well.  Heat to boiling and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and warm through. Serve warm with chopped green onions and macadamia nuts.

Enjoy!

Savory Beef Stew

It's getting cold outside, and we've already had a few snow showers. Really, the only thing I love about this time of year is the food. Apples, pumpkin, cider, hot chocolate, and mostly, soups and stews. I crave warmth. Stew provides it!

This beef stew started from a need to use leftover beef. The flavors on the roasted beef were perfect in the stew. In the recipe below, I've added the seasonings to regular stew beef instead of making an entire roast like I did. Stew Beef can be found in grocery stores in the meat department. It's pre-cut chunks, ready to go!  The stew can be slow cooked in a heavy stock pot in the oven, or in your crockpot.

Savory Beef Stew
The Double Dipped Life

For the meat:
1 1/2 lb beef stew meat
2 teas sea salt
1 Tb olive oil
1 teas ground pepper
1 1/2 teas oregano
2 teas dried basil
1/2 teas crushed red pepper
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tb Olive Oil

Season the stew meat with sea salt, cover, and place in refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight.

Remove meat from the refrigerator, and use paper towels to dry the excess moisture from the meat. In a large bowl, mix the meat and all the above seasonings.

In a large stockpot, heat 1 Tb olive oil. Add the meat, and sear on all sides, until nicely browned, but not cooked through.

Add in the soup ingredients:

2 cups beef broth
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes, undrained
8 oz baby carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
12 small red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bay leaf
2 Tb Worcestershire sauce
4 Tb hot sauce 
water pr stock as needed if stew is too thick

Mix all the ingredients together.  Place in a 300 degree oven for 5 hours, keep on the stove top for 2 hours, or throw everything into a crockpot and cook low for 6 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Serve with warm, crusty bread and Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

 

EDITED on 10/20/11

Great news! I entered this soup into LDSLiving.com soup contest and won 3rd place! It has been featured in their newsletter, and will be appearing in the print edition in January!

ALSO... tune in to Channel 2 news on Monday, November 7th at NOON to see me make this soup live!

Thanks to all of my readers for their great support! 

********

I don't know what it is, but the mixture of chicken, ham, and melting cheese just does a happy dance for my taste buds. Chicken Cordon Bleu is an old masterpiece. Lately, I've been seeing it in cookbooks and online in soup form. None of the recipes caught my imagination though, even though I started craving this wonderful combo.  Some recipes called for pre-made soups, some for way too many ingredients or time. Now, I don't have a problem using pre-made soups or products, but I'm not a fan of cream soup from a can. So, I decided to start with a soup base that I love, and go from there. I was more than pleased on how it turned out. This is a wonderful, thick, creamy soup, perfect for cold nights. 

One note on this recipe: some of the quantities of ingredients can be changed. The ham, chicken, and cheese can be customized. Also, you can add more or less liquid to get your perfect consistency. I microwaved my potatoes for a faster meal. You are welcome to bake them as well.  Also, do yourself a favor and do NOT use pre-shredded cheese in this.  Not only does it not melt as well, take a look at the ingredients and see how much "other" ingredients they add to keep the cheese from clumping.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

The Double Dipped Life

Serves approx. 4. Makes approx. 3 quarts of soup. This recipe can be doubled easily.

2 Tb butter

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 chopped onion

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups milk (I used skim and it was fine!)

14 oz chicken broth 

Salt and pepper to taste 

4 medium baking potatoes, baked

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1 cup shredded chicken, cooked (I think a rotisserie would be fabulous)

1 cup diced cooked ham

Wash and dry your potatoes.  Pierce the skin with a fork, and microwave for 5 minutes. Rotate them, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until done. 

In the meantime: In a large stock pot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and onion, and let cook until browned, stirring frequently. Do not let the garlic burn, or it will get bitter! 

Add the flour to the pan and whisk together. Let the mixture cook for 1 minute.  Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly. The only lumps you want are the onions. Add the chicken broth, and whisk well.  Bring soup to a simmer, and heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. 

While your soup is thickening, cut the potatoes in half length-wise and either scoop the flesh out, or peel the skin off. Cut or mash into small pieces.  Get your chicken and ham ready, and shred your cheese. 

Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the potatoes. Sprinkle the soup with salt and pepper. Remember that potatoes absorb salt, so you might want to add a little more than you think you need. Taste as you go! 

Add the Swiss cheese, chicken, and ham.  Warm through and serve hot! 

To eat leftovers, you might have to add some more milk or chicken broth to reheat.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

I hope it's not too late for soups, because I just have to share this one. It's rich and creamy, and you would never guess that it's cauliflower! This is a popular soup at a local restaurant- Zupas, and I was determined to find a copycat recipe. I found this one at Amy's Yummy Food.  Don't be afraid to try it- it's yummy!


Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
http://amysyummyfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/zupas-copy-cat-wisconsin-cauliflower.html

2 Tb Butter
1 med Onion, chopped
1/4 C Flour
1/2 teas Salt
2 Cups Milk
3 1/2 Cups Water
5 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 Head Fresh Cauliflower or 1 Bag Frozen Cauliflower
1 teas Dijon Mustard
1 Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 Cups Pepper Jack Cheese or Provolone or Mozzarella, shredded/ whatever you like (I used ½ cup pepper jack, and ½ cup mozzarella)
Cheese and Bacon for toppings

In a large pan saute onion in butter until soft and golden brown. Whisk in flour and salt.
Gradually stir in milk, and water.
Add bouillon cubes and cauliflower.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
In a blender, (with center, top part removed, so the steam can vent) blend cauliflower at low speed in small batches until very smooth.
Return cauliflower mixture to pot and heat on medium until hot.
Stir in mustard and cheese, mix until cheese is melted and smooth.
Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and bacon.

Enjoy!

Need more Soup?

Try this copycat recipe from Real Mom Kitchen! 

Rumbi's Bahama Mama Tortilla Soup

Photo taken by Laura of Real Mom Kitchen and used by permission

Full of flavor, this soup has Coconut Milk, Ginger, Grilled Chicken and other amazing spices! It's a good brothy soup.

 Next time I'll cut down on the chicken broth by 2 cups, and add an entire can of coconut milk (I did that this time). I also added a garnish of cilantro! Yum! The tomatoes in the bowl are essential!!

Enjoy!

UPDATE: I finally went to Rimbi's and tried this soup. Let me just say... Laura's recipe is better! I did like the fact that Rumbi's was less "brothy", but Laura's had SOOOO much more flavor!

A Baptism and Bean and Ham Soup

McKenzie, Mark (dad), Tanner- the special boy of the night, and Michael.

 Last week my oldest was Baptized. In my church, we are baptized when we turn 8. We are so proud of Tanner for making this decision. It was an amazing night. I was blown away by the number of family and friends that came to witness this special event.  My younger brothers were able to be "witnesses". My youngest brother is leaving on a mission in February, and so he had the authority to stand in the Priesthood circle to ordain Tanner a member of the church.  

I made the mistake of saying the opening prayer. I could barely get the words out, I was so overcome with emotion. My BABY is now old enough for this! I cried that he was old enough, and I cried because this is an amazing act in his young life. Later, as I listened to those around me singing Hymns, I was overcome by the LOVE that filled the room. These people were here for MY family. To celebrate with us, and to support us. It is an overwhelming feeling.

Thank you to those who came. It was a night that we will never forget. 

********

After the baptism, we held a dinner to thank those that came, and to celebrate. We had a variety of appetizers, ham, potatoes, salad, and cheesecake for dessert. Everyone enjoyed the dinner, and some recipes will be shared here in the next few days.

As I was cleaning up, I asked my Father-In-Law if he wanted the ham bones to make soup with. He didn't, and I just couldn't throw them away. I decided to try my hand at it! After cruising a few recipes, I tweaked them into my own. Everyone I shared it with (it makes a TON) loved it. I served it with Homemade Cornbread from Mels Kitchen Cafe. This is seriously the best cornbread ever! 

I made the soup in the crockpot, but it can also be made in a large soup pan. You can also do this without a ham bone- just add more chopped ham.

The Best Bean and Ham Soup

Recipe by The Double Dipped Life

1 (20oz) package of dried beans, soaked overnight (I used Great Northern White, but you can use any kind you like!)

1 ham bone

2 1/2 cups cubed ham (or more if you don't have a ham bone)

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

5 large carrots, peeled and chopped 

1 (14.5oz) can of diced tomatoes, with liquid

10 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used 10 cups water and 10 teas. chicken granules)

2 TB Worchestershire Sauce

1 TB Chili Powder (I had to use Cayenne, and it turned out great!)

3 Bay Leaves

1 teas. ground black pepper

1 Tb dried parsley

3 Tb lemon juice

1 teas kosher salt

1. Take the beans you have soaked overnight, and drain. Place them in a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for at least 20 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  

2. Chop the veggies, and add everything to the crockpot.  Add in the beans.  The liquid should cover the ingredients. (I have a large crockpot, and it was full! I had to siphon off about 1/2 cup of liquid, and add it back in later) 

3. Set your crockpot on high for 6-8 hours. Stir every few hours- quickly.  The more time the lid is off, the longer it takes to cook! 

4. Remove the ham bone and the bay leaves.  

5. Optional step: Take a hand or immersion blender, and blend 1/4 - 1/2 of the soup. It ended up giving it a grainy-looking texture, but the taste was a lot smoother.  

Serve warm with Cornbread! 

Enjoy! 

Perfect Tomato Basil Soup

I am on a total soup kick this week.  Tomato soup and I don't get along too often, but once in awhile I get a craving for it.  When it hit this time, I wanted something smooth and creamy, and not too tomato-y. I've tried a few recipes in the last few months, and they all ended up tasting like Pasta Sauce instead of Tomato Soup.  But... drum roll please... I think this recipe is the winner!  I took the guidelines from a recipe at Allrecipes.com, and then cut out a lot of the fat, and added some more spices.  I love this soup! The kids ate it with grilled cheese, and I had a BLT. Perfect!


Perfect Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (or use veggie broth!)
1 Tb Italian seasonings (or sprinkle oregano, rosemary, garlic, etc)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 finely chopped onion
3 TB butter (I cut this down from 1/2 cup!!!)
1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
6 fresh basil leaves, or 2 TB dried basil (I used a basil paste- prepared pesto would be fantastic too.)
Fresh ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasonings, garlic, onion, and butter until boiling. Boil for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, and using a hand or immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth.  Add in cream, basil, and pepper, and put the pan back on the heat. Heat on low for 20 minutes. Do not let the soup boil! This will make the cream curdle.  Taste and add more seasonings if needed.

Serve hot with a grilled sandwich, crusty bread, or a green salad!  Enjoy!

Mulligatawny (Indian Curry Soup)

I love soup season! Warm, flavorful flavors that cook for hours, making your house smell so nice... mmm...

Today's soup does not take hours, but is super fragrant, and was really good!  Indian Curry soup, or Mulligatawny, is a traditional Eastern Indian Soup.

This is also a great soup for beginner Thai cooks or eaters!  It isn't very strong in flavors. You get just an introduction to curry.  Now, I know it's called "soup", but mine turned out pretty thick. I ended up making some brown rice, and eating the soup on top of that.  Also, this is a Weight Watcher's recipe, and it's full of fruit and veggies! It includes chicken, but that can easily be taken out, and you would still have a hearty meal.

I would also recommend eating this with Naan Bread! Yum! 


Mulligatawny (Indian Curry Soup)
Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook


2 teas canola oil
1 onion, chopped finely
2 carrots, diced
2 celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tart apples, peeled and diced
1/4 cup flour
2 teas curry powder
1/8 teas nutmeg
1 whole clove (Next time I would use powder)
2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1 tomato, peeled, and chopped
1 teas lemon juice 
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
1/4 teas. salt

Place oil in a medium saucepan, and heat.  Add diced onion, carrots, celery, green bell pepper, and the apples.  Cook for 5 minutes, until the veggies are soft.  Stir in the flour, curry, nutmeg, and clove; stirring, 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock.

Add the tomato and lemon juice; bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. 

In the meantime, cook your chicken. Add the chicken and the salt to the soup, and stir well.

Serve over brown rice, or alongside Naan Bread! Enjoy!

Weight Watchers points: 1/4 of soup= 4 points (Does not include rice or bread) 

Smokey Black-Bean Soup

It's starting to look, and feel, a little like Fall! I love soups, and this is one that is great all year round! This smokey, spicy soup is a Weight Watcher's recipe! So, make some up and enjoy the rich taste of this healthy soup!

Smokey Black-Bean Soup
Weight Watchers

4 cans black beans
1/4 lb canadian bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teas ground cumin
1/2 teas ground chipotle chile pepper
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 teas salt

1. Place 2 cans of the black beans in a colander; rinse and drain. Transfer the beans to a bowl and stir in the remaining cans of beans.

2. Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray, and set over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Add in the Cumin and Chipotle Chile Pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until slightly thickened; about 30 minutes.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat; allow to cool about 10 minutes. Pour 4 cups of the soup in a blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan and stir in the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

This is a hearty meal all by itself. If desired, serve with a salad, or pair with bread or even a warm tortilla!

Taco Soup

In college, I had a great friend named Cami. She made this soup, and everyone begged and pleaded for the recipe.
Years (but not too many!) later, this is still a family favorite.

*I've posted this recipe previously, but finally got a picture! Plus, this time I added Kidney beans, which are not an original ingredient. They are something that a coworker recommended. Did they add anything? Not really. So, kidney beans are optional!

Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger

1 8oz can El Pato Sauce**
2 14oz canned chopped tomatoes
1 16oz can corn (I use frozen corn for it's freshness. Just fill up the empty chili can to measure)
1 16oz can chili with beans
1 16oz can kidney beans (optional)
1/2 pkg taco seasoning mix


Toppings include:
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Cheese

**El Pato sauce is a spicy tomato sauce, and can be found in most grocery stores in the "ethnic" food section. If you can't find it, or want a milder substitute 1 8oz can Tomato Sauce and add 1/4 teas each of chili powder, cayenne, garlic, and onion.

Fry hamburger in a large sauce pan, and drain. Put hamburger back in the pan, and add the rest of the ingredients.
Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with grated cheese, corn chips, and sour cream.
Don't use a spoon! Use chips!

This soup also freezes well. Place soup in individual serving ziplock bags and freeze!

Fragrant Thai Chicken Curry

This dish takes a little more time and effort, but is well worth it. It is great to serve at a party, because the chicken and sauce can be prepared in advance and combined and heated at the last minute. This is one of my families personal favorite Thai dishes.

I actually posted this recipe once before, but I didn't have any pictures. Now, I have pictures- lots and lots of pictures!! Enjoy!

Again, see my Thai Tips post if you need help explaining the different Thai ingredients! The * indicates ingredients that are best found at an Asian grocery store.

Fragrant Thai Chicken Curry

3 TB oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 TB Thai red curry paste * (I would put 2TB in)
4 cups coconut milk (roughly 2-3 cans)
2 lemon grass stalks, coarsely chopped*
6 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped*
2/3 cup Greek or Plain yogurt
2 TB apricot jam (I've made this w/out the jam, as no one eats the rest of the jar!)
3 lb cooked chicken breasts
2 TB cilantro
salt and ground black pepper
Kaffir lime leaves, shredded, toasted coconut, and fresh cilantro to garnish
Cooked Jasmine Rice to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic, and cook over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.


Stir in the red curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes.


Stir in the coconut milk, then add the lemon grass, lime leaves, yogurt, and apricot jam. Stir well. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.




2. In the meantime start cooking your rice, following the directions on the package. See tips for cooking jasmine rice here.

2. Remove the pan from the heat, and allow to cool slightly. Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and process to a smooth puree. Rinse out your pan. Strain the mixture back into the pan, pressing as much of the pureed mixture as possible through the sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. Discard what is left in the sieve. Set aside while you prepare the chicken.

3. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the sauce. ( I used chicken that I had previously cooked and frozen, and shredded it.)

4. Bring the sauce back to simmering. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls; garnishing with extra lime leaves, shredded coconut, and cilantro. Serve over Rice.


Enjoy the burst of flavor that is Thai cuisine.

Veggie Omelette Thai Soup

I have to admit that I tried this recipe because it had an omelet in it. I've just recently learned how to make an omelet, and have developed a little obsession with them...

I also wanted a Thai dish that was a bit healthier. This soup is all Veggies and has amazing flavor. Well, that is, it had amazing flavor once I was done with it! I added a lot of spices and different vegetables that weren't called for in the original recipe. The nice thing about this soup is that you can change up the vegetables and use what you have in the house. Also, it doesn't really have any "hard to find" Thai ingredients. The only thing you might have to search for is the Savoy Cabbage. I found some in my regular grocery store, but you might have to visit the Oriental shop again! This is Savoy Cabbage:


So, shall we proceed? Get out your soup pan and let's make some dinner!

Veggie Omelette Thai Soup

2 cans (14oz) Vegetable stock (3 3/4 cups)
2 carrots, finely diced
4 outer leaves Savoy Cabbage, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teas ginger
14 teas cumin
1/4 teas red pepper flakes
1/4 teas salt
1 egg
1 TB peanut oil
2 TB Soy Sauce
1/2 teas white sugar
1/2 teas ground black pepper
fresh cilantro to garnish

1. Put the stock in a large pan. Add vegetables and all the spices to the salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, crack the egg in a bowl, and beat lightly with a fork. Heat the oil in a small frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Pour in the egg and swirl the pan so that it coats the base evenly. Cook over a medium heat, flipping once, until the omelet has set, and the underside is golden brown. Slide it out of the pan and roll it up. Slice into 1/4in. rounds and set aside for garnish.


When the soup has simmered for 5 minutes, add the soy sauce, sugar, and pepper.


Stir well, then pour into bowls. Top with omelette rounds and cilantro garnish.

Enjoy! This is a very light soup, but packs a punch with the crunchy cabbage, soft carrots and mushrooms, and the spices.


For desert serve fresh fruit! Thai desserts are mainly fruit, and the flavor of the fruit works well in cleansing your palette.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I love homemade chicken noodle soup. It's perfect for cold days, or for head colds!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from allrecipes.com

2 QTs (64oz) Chicken broth

1 QT water

1 store-bought rotisserie chicken

3 TB vegetable oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

2 large stalks celery, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Chicken from rotisserie

1 teas. dried thyme leaves

3 cups egg noodles

1/2 cup fresh parsley

Pepper to taste

1. Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large soup kettle. Meanwhile, separate chicken meat form skin and bones; reserve meat. Add skin and bones to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until the bones release their flavor; 20-30 minutes.

2. Strain broth through a colander into a large container, reserve broth and discard skin and bones. Return kettle to burner set on medium-high.

3. Add oil, then onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add chicken about 5 minutes into the time. Add chicken broth and thyme.

**You can stop here, and have a basic soup base that can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.

4. Bring to a slow boil. Add egg noodles, and cook according to noodle instructions.

5. Add 1/2 cup parsley, remove from heat.

6. Add Pepper to taste. (The recipe called for salt too, but I thought it was already salty enough. Add salt if needed.)

Breathe deeply of the wonderful aroma, and serve hot with bread.

I had lots of extra, so I stuck them in individual servings tupperware and froze it!