Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Well, it is quite apparent old man winter is here in Pittsburgh. The temperatures are in the low 30s and ice and several inches of snow cover the ground. Quite a beautiful sight if one does not need to drive anywhere. So the family and I are spending a much needed snow day in the comfort of our home. Fire place is lit and nice cozy pj's are staying on for the entire day. What better way to warm yourself up than a bowl of steaming hot soup!

One of my favorite types of soup are Thai. Thai soups are wonderfully flavored as well as being extremely healthy and nourishing. Perfect for chasing away those nasty cold or flu bugs, or simply for lifting your spirits and brightening your mood! In Thailand, pumpkin and coconut milk are commonly paired up to make a variety of both savory and sweet entrees. Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with chicken. I found a wonderful recipe on the cooking light website. I hope you enjoy! Stay warm and nourish your body and mind today!

Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (3-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
3 cups Chicken Stock or fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup green onion strips
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and the next 4 ingredients (through lemongrass); cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chile paste; cook 1 minute. Add Chicken Stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard lemongrass. Top with onions, cilantro, and juice.


http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/chicken-soup-recipes-00412000073917/page2.html

It's Grilling Time!!!!!

Wow, it's July 4th already! Fire up the grill, it's time to dine out in the great outdoors. Invite some friends over and enjoy the longer summer days and warmer nights.

Few things spell s-u-m-m-e-r like the smell of hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. For Americans, grilling could easily be described as a national pastime -- nearly 70 percent of the population grills outdoors, and 41 percent do so year-round.

Time to get out of the kitchen and outside on to my deck with my brand new grill!! With grilling the options are only as limitless as your imagination! From veggies, steaks, hamburgers, BBQ chicken, pork chops seafood, pizza, and many more!!!!!

Grilled Ribs....The easiest way is to cook them ahead low and slow. Choose your favorite Rub. I prefer cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, minced garlic, brown sugar, and some kosher salt and pepper. You can choose how much to your taste. Mix these together and rub all over the ribs. Preheat the oven to 225. Cover the ribs completely in foil and allow to cook for 7-8 hours. Once the ribs are almost falling off the bone, preheat your grill to medium. Coat your ribs with you favorite BBQ sauce. I like to cut my ribs into sections so they will be easy to turn on the grill. Close the lid, but keep a close eye on the ribs so they do not burn. About 5-6 minutes per side.

Grilled steaks are amazing! If you are on a tight budget you can use a braising steak but you will needed to marinade the steaks for at least 6 hours. You can use italian dressing, teriyaki sauce, or be creative. I used this one last time.

1 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tsp. salt and pepper

Place you steaks in a large zip lock bag. Add the marinade and make sure all the meat is covered. Try to lay the bag flat in your refrigerator. Turning several time to be sure the meat is all coated. Pre-heat your grill to Medium High. About 5 minutes per side depending on the thickness and how you would like your steak done.

Resist the urge to cut into your steak, as you will lose all their precious juices. If you have a meat thermometer, of course this would be a great choice. If not these tips will help:

Touch your thumb and your index finger together in the "OK" sign, and then press the fleshy part of your palm right below the thumb with your other hand. Feel how soft and malleable that is? That's the way rare steak feels when you press it!

Now touch your other fingers to your thumb, one at a time. As you move from your index finger to your pinky, the pad of your thumb will get progressively more firm and resistant. This feels similar to steak as it cooks, moving from rare (index finger) to medium-rare (middle finger) to medium (ring finger) to well-done (pinky).

As your steak is cooking, occasionally press its center and then compare it against this finger test, taking the steak off the heat as soon as it feels as done as you like it. Try it for yourself!

Touch your thumb and your index finger together in the "OK" sign, and then press the fleshy part of your palm right below the thumb with your other hand. Feel how soft and malleable that is? That's the way rare steak feels when you press it!

Now touch your other fingers to your thumb, one at a time. As you move from your index finger to your pinky, the pad of your thumb will get progressively more firm and resistant. This feels similar to steak as it cooks, moving from rare (index finger) to medium-rare (middle finger) to medium (ring finger) to well-done (pinky).

As your steak is cooking, occasionally press its center and then compare it against this finger test, taking the steak off the heat as soon as it feels as done as you like it. Try it for yourself!
Tip Courtesy of :
ttp://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/quick-tip-how-to-tell-when-your-steak-is-done-044839

Potato Tot-Topped Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie recipes were first developed in England in the mid-19th century. Recipes differ from traditional meat pies because they do not involve meat enclosed in a pastry crust. Instead, shepherd’s pie consists of a layer of ground meat and a few vegetables topped with a creamy layer of mashed potatoes. The dish is baked until the top of the potatoes forms a golden-brown crust.

The first shepherd’s pie recipes included ground lamb, a bit of onion, and perhaps some peas and carrots. The lamb produced some gravy as it was cooking. The result was almost an upside down version of potatoes with gravy. Shepherd’s pie had more substance than simple mashed potatoes, though, because of the quantity of meat in the recipe.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-shepherds-pie.htm

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 pounds coarse ground sirloin, pat very dry with paper towels
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
Salt and pepper
About 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons butter
2 rounded tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cloudy apple cider or amber beer
2 cups beef stock in a box
1 cup chopped watercress leaves (I omitted this, my family would not have eaten it)
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 bag frozen tater tots

For a quicker version, I omitted the fresh vegetables and substituted a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high to high heat with oil, 2 turns of the pan. When oil ripples, add meat and brown well, stirring occasionally. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Cook to soften vegetables, 10-12 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and reduce heat to simmer.

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in cider or beer. Reduce by half then whisk in stock and thicken to a loose gravy.

Place meat and vegetables in a casserole dish and stir in watercress and gravy. Top with cheddar and tots, and bake until tots are golden and crispy on top.

Recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray -http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/potato-tot-topped-shepherds-pie/

Crock Pot Orange Chicken w/ Sweet, Spicy & Tangy Broccoli

With every ones busy schedules, crock pot recipes our a lifesaver! This one I found exceptionally easy and delicious!!

Crock Pot Orange Chicken
•2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
•2/3 cup all-purpose flour
•2/3 cup orange marmalade
•1/2 cup mustard
•1/2 cup ketchup
•2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
•2 Tbsp. soy sauce
•2 Tbsp. brown sugar
•1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
•3 scallions, chopped

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Cut up chicken into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle flour over chicken and toss to coat. (I browned my chicken pieces first before putting in the crock pot, this takes a little more time, but is well worth it!) Place in crock pot. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours. I garnished mine with slivered almonds and scallions.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.crockpotchicken.net/crock-pot-orange-chicken-2.html

SWEET SPICY AND TANGY BROCCOLI

4 cups of broccoli florets
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 to 5 long strips lemon peel
1 teaspoon salt

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 2 TBSP. of sea salt. Add broccoli and cook for 3 minutes and drain. Return to pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, and chili flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon peel and cook briefly until beginning to turn golden brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the vinegar mixture and salt and simmer 2 minutes longer.
Pour dressing over half the broccoli florets and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/broccoli-dressed-2-ways-recipe/index.html

Hunter Style Chicken

As many of you know, my daughter has a passion for food and cooking as well. She takes culinary classes at Parkway. She recently came home with this fabulous dish. I just had to post it and will have to make it myself soon!!!!

HUNTER STYLE CHICKEN

2-2 1/2 lb. fryer, cut in serving pieces
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. clarified butter
1/4 cup of flour
2 eggs
1 c. sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. sliced green pepper
1 1/2 c. sliced onions
4 tomatoes
2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. sweet basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Peeling tomatoes:
Bring a medium pan 3/4's full of water to a boil on high heat. Drop tomatoes in for 30 seconds - start timing immediately. Remove tomatoes and drop into a bowl of cold water. Now peel them with a knife or your fingers - peel will come off very easily.

For the tomatoes:

Rinse and pat dry the chicken parts. Dregde the chicken in egg than flour. Shake off excesss. In a large skillet, combine butter and oil; heat. Add chicken and brown. Remove chicken from pan. Add onions, garlic and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes, celery, sugar, salt, parsley and chicken. Cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Serves 6-8.

Teryaki Chicken Legs

This is a simple, economic, and delicious recipe! I have made these several times and everyone devours them. This simple marinade (Marinade refers to the liquid foods marinate in. Marinades always contain some acidic liquid like lemon juice or vinegar to tenderize the foods, and may contain spices or herbs to add flavor) can be used on any cut of chicken or steak. In this recipe I used the oven, but in the summer I definitely like to grill.

Teryaki Marinade:

1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of soy sauce
1-2 green onions, diced
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1 TBSP. of olive oil
1/4 TSP of black pepper
1/4 TSP of salt

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Heat on medium-high (3/4) heat to a gentle boil.
When a gentle boil is achieved, stir mixture until it thickens and the brown sugar is dissolved. Let the marinade cool to room temperature. Place your chicken legs in a large bag and pour marinade over the chicken. (reserve 1/4 cup to marinade during the cooking process) Allow to marinade, in the refrigerator, for at least 4 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 375. Place chicken on a cooling rack with a pan underneath. The cooling rack will allow the chicken to cook from underneath as well, allowing the chicken to be crispy on the bottom as well as the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165. While the chicken bakes, spoon a little of the reserved sauce sauce over the meat every 15 minutes.

bon appetit

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash and Scallion Couscous

I am a fan of Moroccan cuisine. When I saw this recipe in the Cooking Light Magazine, I was surprised. The recipe was listed as a cook time of 40 minutes. Since typically, tajines in Moroccan cuisine are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. They are traditionally cooked in the tajine pot. I am a enthusiast of this magazine, so I decided to give it a whirl.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons of cinnamon
2/3 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 pound beef shoulder roast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 shallots, quartered
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth
1 14.5 can of diced tomatoes
3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1/2 cup of cilantro

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Heat in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add squash; cover, reduce heat, and simmer in 15 minutes or until squash is tender. Yields 4 servings.

Calories 284 Protein 26.6 grams

For the Scallion couscous. Bring 3/4 cup of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in 1 cup of uncooked couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in 1/3 cup of chopped green onion. Yields 4 servings.
Calories 169

Review: 5 out of 10. What a let down. This dish was bland and one dimensional. It was mediocre as best. The upside was that I was able to get my children to eat squash, which is a feat on it's own. Also, the couscous was acceptable. The consensus among the family was it was edible, but we would not want this again.