Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

No complaints from my little ones, Hurray!

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 of a medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish

1 tablespoons lime juice

2 cups cooked jasmine rice

Toasted coconut

Chopped peanuts

Heat olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions to the pot and sauté until softened.  Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.

Next, add the chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder, brown sugar, jalapeno and chicken to the soup pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for at least 15 minutes.

Next, add the diced bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro to the soup and simmer for 3 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.  Spoon rice into bowls and top with a ladle or two of soup.  Garnish with toasted coconut, chopped peanuts, and cilantro.  Serve immediately (the green onions and cilantro lose their bright green color as the soup sits).  Serve with pita bread.

*Next time I may try using red curry paste for additional heat.

Recipe adapted from good life eats 

Butternut Soup with Pear, Cider, and Vanilla Bean

I love this soup and I love seeing the little flecks of vanilla bean in each bite.  My little ones were not super thrilled about my choice for dinner, but it was okay because it left more yummy soup for me (it made a great lunch)!

 

Butternut Soup with Pear, Cider, and Vanilla Bean

3 tablespoons olive oil

One 2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into

 1-inch cubes (about 4 generous cups)

2 firm-ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes

(About 2 cups)

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 cup apple cider or unfiltered apple juice

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup half-and-half or cream

1 vanilla bean

Buttered Cinnamon-Sugar Croutons, for garnish

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or small stockpot over medium-low heat.  Add the squash, pears, and onion and stir to coat with oil.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and transparent and the pears are starting to fall apart.

Add the cider and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the broth, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the mixture, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, until squash is tender.

Using a blender or food processor and working in small batches-don't fill your blender jar more than one-third full; hot liquids expand-puree until very smooth.  Return the soup to the stockpot and add the salt.  Continue to cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat, until the soup has reduced to about one-half to one-third of its original volume.  Stir occasionally.  The final consistency is up to you; when it reaches a thickness that seems right-not too thin, not too thick-it's ready.

While the soup is reducing, put the half-and-half in a small saucepan.  Using a sharp knife split the vanilla bean in half from tip to tip.  Using the back of your knife, scrape the tiny black seeds out of the pod.  Scoop the seeds and the pod into the saucepan with the half-and-half, and warm it over low heat, swirling occasionally, until it steams.  Do not allow it to boil.  Pull it from the heat, remove and discard the pod, and whisk to break up any clumps of seeds.  Set aside.

When the soup has reduced to your desired thickness, stir in the infused half-and-half.  Taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.  Serve, garnish with cinnamon-sugar croutons.

*The flavor of this soup is even better the next day!

Recipe from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenburg

Buttered Cinnamon-Sugar Croutons

6 slices French bread, cubed

1/4 cup butter, melted and browned

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty.  Stir frequently, scraping up any bits form the bottom as you do.  Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns.

Toss cubes of bread with browned butter.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon, and toss with bread cubes.  Spread bread cubes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp; stir bread cubes halfway through baking.

Mom's Apple Cider

Every time that I make this cider, I am reminded of my mama.  This is her cider and the one that I grew up sipping.  I love when I walk into her house and can smell the warmth of the spices; it is a familiar smell during this time of year.  I now make her cider for my family and with each sip taken; I hope that I am passing on to my little ones a little bit of my mom and her warmth.

Mom's Apple Cider

1 quart of water

1/2 cup Williams-Sonoma mulling spices

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 1/4 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 cups orange juice (fresh or from a concentrate)

1/2 gallon unfiltered apple juice (I buy mine at Allred's Orchard, but Simply Apple juice works too)

In a large pot, bring 1 quart of water and mulling spices to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.  Add sugars to water and mulling spices and simmer 30 minutes to an hour.  Place a fine strainer over a large pot and pour the water sugar mixture through the strainer into the pot, discard the mulling spices.  Add the lemon juice, orange juice, and apple juice to the pot and stir to combine.  Heat and serve.

Caramelized Onion Burger

I really do enjoy a good burger and I think this one ranks near the top as one of my favorites.

 

Caramelized Onion Burger

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons stone ground mustard

Swiss cheese

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean)

Salt and pepper

4 hamburger buns split, buttered and toasted

Heat oil in a medium skillet over low heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are a deep golden brown, about 25 minutes.  Set aside.  Mix the mustard and mayonnaise together and set aside.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each).  Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.  Cook the burgers on the grill.  In the last minute of cooking top each burger with a slice of Swiss cheese and close the grill to allow the cheese to melt.  Spread a layer of the mustard sauce on both sides of the toasted (and buttered if you are like me) bun.  Places grilled burger on bottom bun and top with caramelized onions.  Place top bun on burger and eat!

Light Brioche Burger Buns

I had always bought hamburger buns until these things came along.  My sister Stephanie had invited me over for lunch and made me a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw, sandwiched between a butter toasted bun.  It was so nice not having to make my own lunch and even more awesome because it was sooo good!  With a little planning these buns are easy to make and are sooooo worth it.  Beware; you may never want to buy store bought hamburger buns again!

Light Brioche Burger Buns

3 tablespoons warm milk

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups bread flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
Sesame seeds (optional)

In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar.  Let stand until foamy, about five minutes.  Meanwhile, beat one egg.

In a large bowl, whisk flours and salt.  Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs.  Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms.  Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.  The dough will be one the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get.  Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.

Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, one to two hours.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts.  Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for one to two hours.

Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center.  Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on tops of buns.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.  Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*I always use my kitchen aid when I am making the dough.

Recipe adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ratatouille Pesto Sandwich

I had a sandwich the other day while eating lunch out with a friend.  I liked the sandwich enough that I thought I would do a little recreating at home and make my own version.  I had high hopes that this sandwich would be great and was looking forward to eating it all day.  I knew after one bite that it was everything I hoped it would be!

Ratatouille Pesto Sandwich

Ciabatta rolls
Ratatouille
Pesto sauce, store bought or homemade
Fresh mozzarella, sliced

Preheat broiler to high.  Cut ciabatta roll in half.  Spread a layer of pesto over both cut sides of bread.  On the bottom half of the ciabatta roll, layer the ratatouille and then the fresh mozzarella cheese.  Place on a baking sheet cut sides up and place under broiler until cheese is melted.  Part way through broiling; turn the top part of the roll over so that it can get a little bit of crunch.  Eat and enjoy (it can be a bit messy)!

Pesto Sauce

Pesto

3 medium garlic cloves, threaded on a skewer

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Bring water to a boil in a pot.  Lower skewered garlic into water; boil for 45 seconds.  Immediately run garlic under cold water.  Remove from skewer; peel and mince.

Meanwhile, toast nuts in small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Place basil in heavy-duty, quart-size, zipper-lock bag.  With a rolling pin roll over zip-lock bag until all leaves are bruised.

Place all ingredients except cheese in work bowl of food processor; process until smooth, stopping s necessary to scrape down sides of bowl.  Transfer mixture to small bowl, stir in cheese, and add salt to taste.  (Cover surface of pesto with sheet of plastic wrap or thin film of oil and refrigerate for up to 5 days.)

Recipe from The Best Recipe by the Editors of Cooks Illustrated magazine