Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

When we got married, there were a number of foods that Phil didn't really like. Nuts, avocado, coconut, to name a few. (The coconut was because it had "nut" in it). And he had only very recently decided that tomatoes were edible. It's a good thing, because that might have been a deal-breaker. I was raised to LOVE tomatoes.

Anyway, over the years, he was a good sport and started trying some of these things, and the amazing thing is, he loves them now...especially nuts, avocado and coconut. They're some of his favorites. Funny.

Anyway, when I saw this recipe, I thought it might be one Phil would like. He loves anything with coconut milk. And CJ would like it too, since he's a big fan of curry. So, we gave it a shot. It was easy and pretty tasty. Next time, I'll add more fresh ginger, probably some fresh garlic and maybe a little fish sauce (seems like it would fit). And maybe in place of the curry powder, I would try either a red or green curry paste. All that to say, this recipe is a great starting place. Give it a try.

I used this recipe and this one (an adaptation of the first) to come up with mine (very few changes).

1 TB oil

2 large chicken breasts, diced

1/2 medium onion, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 jalapeño, diced (I left half the seeds in, would leave them all next time)

Fresh ginger (I would say 1-2 tsp grated)

Garlic (didn't use any this first time, but at least a clove next time)

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk (the full fat kind is best)

2 TB lime juice

1/4 c. green onion, sliced

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

Salt, pepper

Hot, cooked jasmine rice

Cook chicken in oil until golden (do this in batches...or it won't get golden. I didn't and mine didn't). Remove to plate. Add more oil if needed, and sauté the onion until slightly softened. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, ginger and garlic (if using) and sauté briefly. Add the curry powder, chicken broth, coconut milk and cooked chicken. Bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are desired tenderness. Add lime juice, green onion, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked rice.

Enjoy!

Real Simple, Real Delicious

I get a lot of cooking magazines...a lot. My husband would say perhaps a few too many. There is no way I will ever make all the recipes that I read about each month. But, reading recipes is entertainment for me. (And, almost all of my subscriptions have been gifts...can't beat that). The only non-cooking magazine I receive is Real Simple, also a gift from a good friend. Of course, it has recipes in it, and that's the first thing I read when a new one arrives in my mailbox. This past week I was flipping through April's issue and checking out the "Five Easy Meals" that's a regular feature. They had a recipe for "Spiced Mini-Burgers and Couscous Salad." It didn't require many ingredients, and I already had a few of them (cucumber, green onions, feta cheese) that I was looking for a way to use before they went bad. So, I thought I would give it a try.
It tasted great, but more importantly, it was SUPER easy and fast. I love that, especially now when our evenings have been packed full with campaigning and baseball games. (It was also a great opportunity to introduce our foster son to couscous. Surprisingly, he did pretty well with it. It helped that it was chock-full of tomatoes and cucumbers, which he loves.)

Here's the recipe as written. (One note: I have some Pampered Chef Greek Seasoning, so we used that on the burgers instead of the cumin and oregano, and we probably could have used more than what we did.)

1 10-oz box couscous
1 lb. ground beef
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 TB dried oregano
4 TB extra-virgin olive oil
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 cucumber, sliced into half-moons
3 TB fresh lemon juice
Feta cheese, optional

Place the couscous in a medium bowl and pour 1 1/2 cups hot tap water over the top. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Form the beef into 12 small 1/2-inch-thick patties. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt, `1/4 tsp. pepper, the cumin, and oregano.
Heat 1 TB of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook to desired doneness.
Combine the couscous, scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, 1 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and the remaining oil in a large bowl.

We added the feta cheese to our individual portions, and it was a great addition, just not perhaps as child-friendly. Also, while this says it makes four servings, we probably had close to 8 servings of salad.

Obsessive Cooking

So, every once in a while, I get on a kick where I just want to eat the same thing over and over. This is not normal for me. Usually the key to our meals is variety. I have recently discovered a couple of food blogs that have amazing photography, witty script and, often, challenging recipes. One of the blogs encouraged readers to make popcorn on the stove top instead of in the microwave. (This is obviously not a "challenging" recipe and probably not so novel to most people). After one attempt, I was in love. We have had popcorn nearly every night since. The method is quite simple. I use my non-stick wok, add 3 TB oil and a few popcorn kernels. I heat this on medium high heat until the 3-4 kernels pop. Then I add 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer on the bottom, sprinkle it with some coarse salt and take it off the burner for 30 seconds. Then, back to the burner it goes with vigorous shaking until the kernels have stopped popping. Dump this in a bowl, add some butter to the hot pan and then pour it over the popcorn. Yum. Unfortunately, we're out of popcorn tonight or I would be headed to the kitchen right now.

My other new favorite thing is a simple salad we've been eating with great regularity. We take some spring greens, a sliced pear, some dried cranberries and toss it all with a creamy balsamic vinaigrette. I could eat this for every meal. (We just had it for dinner, thus prompting this post.) It would be great with some toasted almonds added, too....sweet, salty, juicy, chewy, crunchy, crisp. Enjoy these simple pleasures.

Easy Thanksgiving Side

Here is a fool-proof recipe for you. I told someone a couple months ago that I would post this recipe and have subsequently forgot...until now. This corn casserole is so simple yet is always popular. The key to this dish is sauteing the onions in butter before adding them to the other ingredients. It gives it more flavor than many traditional corn casseroles/corn puddings. Try it for Thanksgiving!

Corn Casserole

1 onion, chopped
1/4 c. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
2 eggs, well beaten
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Saute the onion in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper. Combine the sauteed onions and the remaining ingredients. Mix together and bake in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish/3 qt dish at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.