Thai Inspired Soup

I am working once again on very little sleep. I called in this morning to see if I could take a personal day and the girl who answered the phone clearly didn't know what she was talking about.

"Hello"

"Hi, Mommy"

"Hi, I was just calling in because my kids kept me up all night, and seeing as I've worked nonstop for the past four years I was wondering if it was ok if I took the day off to get some rest"

"Mommy do you know what sound a bagpipe makes? It goes...beeeeeeeeeeaaawwaaaarrrrraaaaaaaaaaaahhh. It's pretty much my favorite sound"

this is where I started suspecting that she may have no authority to give me the day off

"Do you have a manager I could speak too"

"Bagpipe starts with B...buh buh Beee"

*crickets*
At this point I noticed the girl in question was talking into a plastic banana instead of a phone, clearly this conversation was going nowhere.

We reached a compromise though. I get to wear my pj's all day, and we are going to have canned soup and sandwiches for dinner because they require minimal effort. Also there will be much time cuddling on the couch with a story book. This job has it's perks.

What does that have to do with this soup....nothing. Thanks for putting up with it. I guess what I'm saying is if you notice extra typos, grammatical errors and confusing steps, it's only because my editor** has taken a leave of absence due to lack of sleep. :)

Here's that recipe you have all been waiting for.....right? It's a mild flavored soup that is full of summery ingredients like corn, yellow pepper, lemon and cilantro. It has almost no heat, you can surely up the amount of curry paste if you want a spicy soup. This recipe makes a lot, but I think it tastes even better the next day. It's excellent over cilantro rice. There are a lot of ingredients in here, don't be alarmed, you may be surprised just how many you have on hand.

served over cilantro rice. Yum!

1tbs oil
6 cloves of pressed garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tbs vegetarian oyster sauce*
1 1/2 tbs brown sugar
3 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs Thai green curry paste
1 yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
1 potato scrubbed and diced
8oz extra firm organic pre-diced tofu...It will be packed in water, drain it thoroughly
1 cup frozen corn
4 cups of veggie stock
1 can of coconut milk
1 handful of baby spinach
1 handful of cilantro chopped
2 Meyer lemons
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the next six ingredients (from garlic to curry paste) and stir.

Add the pepper, tofu, and potato. Cook for five minutes. Then flip and cook for five more minutes. The potatoes should be tender.

Add the corn and veggie stock. Bring it to a boil.

Boil until the potatoes are done.

Lower the heat and add the coconut milk, spinach, cilantro and the juice of the two lemons. Heat through and add salt to taste.

Serve over cilantro rice if desired. I made this recipe and switched the white rice for brown, so the cooking times and proportions were different, but the flavors were still the same. It was fantastic, use whatever type of stock you desire. I think I may have also doubled the garlic....I do that.

*This is vegetarian oyster sauce, I believe I have also seen it called mushroom stirfry sauce. I'm not thrilled with all of the ingredients. Definitely a sometimes food. It adds a depth of flavor to Thai dishes that I have not been able to duplicate without using it. Find it Asian grocery stores.



** Editor, being my brain....she isn't really that great of an editor to begin with, but she's better than nothing.

Sorry about the funky font sizes, I was having trouble editing this. All the computer's fault I'm sure. In no way has to do with my lack of sleep. :)

Easy Peasy Mac and Cheesy

I was going to call this "easy as box mac and cheese".....but I over think things....I'm not sure if it really is as easy as box...It takes about the same amount of time as the box mac and cheese.However, instead of waiting around for the water to boil and the noodles to cook you need to be grating cheese. So really it's only "takes the same amount of time as box mac and cheese", not quite the same ring to it.....

I told you I over think things.

It worked out well though, because I got to use rhyming words. I like rhyming words, they make me giggle.


Anyhoo, this is the only mac and cheese my kids will eat, and I have to thank my friend Stefanie for giving me the idea. She served something very similar for Easter one year and when she told me how simple it was (1lb noodles, 1lb cheese, butter, garlic salt, and pepper) I had to try it out. Of course I added a 16oz bag of frozen organic veggies, and sometimes I add other things*.

What you need:

1lb dried noodles
4 cups of shredded cheese (shred mine while I'm waiting for the water to boil)
16oz frozen organic veggies of any kind. (I have used broccoli, peas, mixed veggies, and even a bag of stir fry veggies.)
3tbs butter
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Here's the tricky part. Depending on the type of noodles you use and the type of veggies you use your cooking times/when you add the veggies will vary. I am calculating this for the cook times on the organic penne I bought, and the pea/carrot/corn mixture I bought. Please do your own math to adjust for different types of noodles and veggies. The penne had a 12 minute cook time and the veggies had a 6 minute cook time, so I just dumped the veggies in half way through. Twelve minutes might be too long for regular elbow macaroni noodles.

Boil the water and shred the cheese.

Add the noodles and cook for six minutes.

Add the veggies and boil for six more minutes.

Drain and return to pot.

Add the butter one tbs at a time and stir in the cheese a little at a time so it melts and doesn't turn into one big clump o' cheese.

Add garlic salt and pepper to taste.


My kids love this. I've even given it to their veggie hating friends with success. My kids won't eat box mac and cheese, so when I'm tired this is a great go to meal. It's easy, fast, cheap, and I usually have everything on hand. Make sure to use garlic salt instead of plain old salt, I believe that's what gives it flavor and turns it from noodles and melted cheese into a real dish.



*Variations include "chili mac", where I stir in leftover chili after I add the cheese, and "baked bean mac"....you get the picture.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

When life hands you stale tortilla chips....make this soup. I thought this soup was fun. You can set out all sorts of different toppings to dress it up, sour cream, avocado, olives, Tabasco, cheese....like a taco bar, but with soup..how fun is that?!?!...Ok so you probably shouldn't take advice on what is fun by someone who once aspired to be an ornithologist. But if nothing else this was a break from the norm, and a great way to use up some left over tortilla chips that were past their prime. This is a pantry meal, so go ahead and play with it to suit your pantries ingredients.

Ingredients
Olive oil about 1tbs
1 onion diced
1 tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
cayenne to taste
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 cups of chickpeas
1 cup frozen spinach
2/3 cups salsa
4 cups of broth
stale (or not) tortilla chips

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and spices and cook for about five minutes or until tender.

Add the garlic and salsa, cook one more minute.

Add the chickpeas and spinach and cook for five more minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a simmer, simmer for about ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with cilantro, tortilla chips, hot sauce, sour cream, avocado...or whatever else you would like.

My son picked out all of the spinach.....and ate that first. Then he proceeded to finish his entire bowl, and half of mine. I can't blame him, I really like the way the spinach came through in this soup. My daughter decided she doesn't like lunch, so I offered it to her as a snack......she seemed okay with that.

P.S. Pictures will be up when I figure out how to get them off of my new (squeeeeeeeeee) camera.

Saffron Rice with Lentils and Garlic Butter

The good news is I found my camera...the bad news is that it wasn't before I took this picture.
This was yummy. I'd like to say we all enjoyed heaping bowls of this round the dinner table, but that would be a lie. The truth is that my darling son woke up early from nap time, and he woke up hungry. And consequently he ate 3 adult size bowls of this, the result being that there was little left for the rest of us to eat. So I will definitely be using this as a side dish next time. Maybe along side some grilled veggies. If you don't have saffron, I'm not going to say you should go out and buy some just for this recipe, as it is very expensive. However, should you happen to have a bit left over from another recipe, or if you just love saffron rice as much as I do I think this is a good place to use it. I made this in my rice cooker......what's that, you don't have a rice cooker? Well go get one, no seriously, they are awesome.

What you need for the rice
1 1/2 rice cooker cups of rice
1 1/2 rice cooker cups of lentils rinsed and sorted
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pinches of saffron
1 tbs butter
3 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
Broth

What you need for the garlic butter
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
Pressed garlic (I used 4 cloves) and salt (I used about 1/4 tsp) to taste.

Add the rice, lentils,salt, pepper, chopped garlic, butter, and saffron to your rice cooker. Add broth to the fill line required by your rice cooker for 3 rice cooker cups of rice. Cook. :)

Mix together the remaining garlic, butter, and salt to taste. Top your saffron rice with this mixture as desired. I think this would have been outstanding with a few tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs. Maybe next time.

To veganize simply replace butter with vegan "butter".

A Celebratory Pantry Meal

We got our tax rebate today, and despite the fact that about 80% of our money is going to road trip 2010, I felt it was important to celebrate. If nothing else to be thankful that we have the money to drive 60 hours across the country stopping only to rest for a few hours in budget hotels, all so we can spend a few days in various places around the west coast.....wait....why are we doing this again?...I must really love my friends and family*. I however didn't feel like spending any of the money not already allocated to the trip on groceries, so I whipped up an Indian spiced dish that is one of the hubsters favorites and only requires things we normally have on hand.
As far as the picture goes....well...whenever I try to photograph Indian food it always comes out looking like dog food...sigh. So even though this isn't the prettiest of dishes, I used all of my limited photographic skillz** to make it look like....well...dog food.

Indian Spiced Black Beans in a Creamy Tomato Sauce

What you will need

Olive oil to coat the pan
6 cloves of minced garlic
1tbs minced ginger
3tsp garam masala
3tsp ground cumin
1tsp chili powder
1 or 2 dashes of cayenne
1/4 tsp salt (more to taste)
3 cups black beans
2 cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (omit for vegan option)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the ginger and garlic. Stir and heat for one minute. Add the spices and heat for one more minute or until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add the black beans and stir to coat with spices. Add the tomato sauce and heat thoroughly. Take off of heat and add the heavy whipping cream and the cilantro. Serve over brown rice.


*I really really do love my friends and family, I hope you know that. I also love sourdough....which may have had some impact on my decision.

** I made it small and used an odd angle to distract you from how bad the food looks.

Pantry cooking....really mostly lentils

The dishwasher, and bathtub broke.....so we didn't go grocery shopping this week. I love that I live in a place and time where even when we "don't have anything to eat", we still have food. And I feel incredibly blessed to have a dishwasher in the first place so I am not going to complain if it doesn't work for a week or so.
I love a challenge, if they cooked with lentils, and artichokes on Chopped, instead of eel and scallops I would totally go on that show. I may bomb, but I think I would have fun. Now I don't have measurements, because I wasn't paying attention, because I was really absorbed in the fact that I felt like poo....but if I make these again (which I totally will because they were the bomb diggity) I will come back and amend this blog.
The first dish, I have decided to call "citrusy lentils and Thai lime pilaf salad". I sauteed some garlic, ginger, and a healthy dose of cayenne in olive oil and soy sauce. Then I added about a cup of lentils (rinsed...always rinsed) and enough water to cover, a bay leaf, and about 1/4 cup of orange juice. I simmered it until the lentils were done, adding more water and O.J. as needed. Then I tossed this mixture (minus bay leaf) with some Thai style lime pilaf from T.J's...it was fantastic, I could totally see myself serving this in lettuce cups on a hot day. DH loved it.

The second dish is a lentil curry I make quite frequently in my rice cooker, it's just two parts lentils, one part rice, an onion, crushed garlic, cayenne, curry powder, turmeric, salt, and a couple handfuls of raisins, it comes out delish, and DD loves it!

mmmm....leftovers

Is a casserole a one pot meal??? Kind of....right? Except that instead of a pot it cooks in an oven safe dish...I guess since it's my blog, and I'm the one making the rules I can call it whatever I want. I will probably cook it in an oven safe pot next time to ease my conscience.

Rice and Bean Casserole

2 cups black beans
2 cups rice
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 cups mixture of yogurt and sour cream (whatever ratio tastes right to you, you can also use all yogurt)
1 can diced green chilis
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp pepper
dash or two cayenne

Mix together the yogurt, sour cream, chilis, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in the beans, rice, and corn and dump the whole mixture into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake at 350 until the cheese is golden and bubbly. I topped mine with salsa, and served it with salad. DS ate three servings plain, and DD ate hers with tortilla chips.

Those are Nacho Beans Fool

get it???.....
not your beans...nacho beans

You have no idea how hard I laughed when I thought of this title, and to think it was just one of many equally hilarious puns I thought of while making this dish. If there is anything I love though, it's a good pun. I dare say, one of the best things about owning a home was buying a hoe for the backyard. That hoe provided hours of entertainment for the hubster and I...
"where's the hoe?"
"Hey how much did you pay for that hoe?"
etc etc...until the day my husband broke the hoe...he can be a little rough (Hi Grandma).
So before things get any more awkward, this (with a few minor adjustments of course) is the recipe I use for black beans. I don't use the vinegar or sugar, and I double the spices. To make refried beans I just send it for a spin in my food processor. Tonight we used these beans for nachos, or rather the kids and hubster ate nachos with salsa, sour cream, avocado, cheese, onion, and bell pepper. I ate pretty much the same thing, but I replaced the chips with brown rice, since I can get 3/4 of a cup of brown rice for 150 calories, but only about 14 tortilla chips.

Quick Chickpea and Potato Curry

I recently bought some Masala simmering sauce from Trader Joe's. I wanted to be blown away and I was not. Super sad face goes here--->, because I love TJ's and wanted a super quick curry for lunches.
Well with a wee bit of adjustment, adding things like fresh garlic and ginger I was able to give it a more homemade taste.

What you need
1 tbs olive oil
5 cloves garlic smashed and minced
1 onion diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 dash cayenne (or more to taste)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Jar of masala simmer sauce
1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 potato diced
2-3 handfuls of spinach (optional)
yogurt and chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large pot heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, potatoes, and salt, cook for two minutes. Add the spices and cook for one more minute. Add the diced tomatoes, simmer sauce and chickpeas. Simmer covered until potatoes are cooked. Add the spinach and cook for a few more minutes. Serve topped with yogurt and cilantro....or not. This is also yummy on top of rice, but then it really isn't a one pot dish.

One Pot Wonder Week

We just got back from a vacation, which means laundry, and catching up on housework, and errands, throw in a teething baby and the fact that it is tax season and you've got my life. Needless to say, I'm looking for things to make this week a little easier. Instead of relying on eating out, I like to use my crock-pot, OAMC, and one pot meals. The beauty of the one pot meal is that there is very little clean up, not a lot of multitasking, and often leftovers. In an attempt to catch up on house work I will be making one pot meals this week.

Garlicky Tortellini Soup

What you need:
1 tbs olive oil
1 box veggie broth (about four cups)
1 cup butternut squash puree (re purposing baby food is a new hobby of mine)
1 bulb of garlic, peeled, and put through a press
1 cup frozen spinach (totally optional if you are a spinichaphob)
1 pkg frozen peas
1 pkg of whatever filled pasta you desire, I accidentally bought regular tortellini, but this would be super yummy with a nice portabella mushroom ravioli
salt and garlic salt to taste

Are you ready for this......because this is very difficult....pour everything into a large pot, stir together, and cook following the directions on the back of the pasta......voila.

Behind the scenes.........
me: I don't know hunny, do you think I can fix this picture
hunny: Well it doesn't really do it justice
me: Well what about...
hunny: eeeeeesh, ya ok, go with the first one.
me: I'll just make it small then.