soup for the soul

my good friend is SICK, so i've decided to bring her some love- SOUP! since i still have a bunch of lemongrass and coconut milk on hand from last night's din (spicy curry fried rice with coconut milk and pineapple) this recipe fits the bill. i'm sure i'll tweak it a bit depending on what's in my pantry and fridge. pictures to come.

i'm also off to my fav local thrift store to pick up a cool handled basket and dish towels. my mom taught me this trick long ago. buy a cool, large basket at any thrift store (usually about $3.) line it with interesting dish towels or cloth napkins (usually about $2 for 4) to create a serving vessel for your special meal. along with the soup i'm giving, i'll include some crackers, tea, cough drops and a flower or two from my garden. everyone needs a pick-me-up when you're under the weather. that's what friends are for!

My score from the thrift store: basket-$1.95, check tablecloth- $1.95, 2 super cute soup mugs- $0.99/ea.

Coconut Lemongrass Chicken Soup Serves 4 to 6

This is a Thai-style soup, versatile and very easy to make. You can substitute shrimp for the chicken, or use a combination of chicken and shrimp. If you don't have Kaffir lime leaves or fish sauce, the soup will still be good. The broth can be made ahead (without the chicken and garnishes), and reheated at serving time. Add the chicken at the last minute so it stays moist and tender.

3 cups chicken stock

2 cans (28 ounces) light coconut milk

1/2 cup finely minced lemongrass (about 3 stalks)

1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger (3-inch piece)

1/2 serrrano or jalapeño pepper, sliced
(or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes)

1-1/2 teaspoons Asian chile sauce

4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons fish sauce, optional

2 Kaffir lime leaves, sliced (optional)

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt, to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips (preferably Thai basil)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, pepper, chile sauce, garlic, fish sauce, and lime leaves, if using, in a medium-size pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Don't allow the mixture to boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the broth steep for 30 minutes.

Strain the liquid into a clean pan and discard the solids. At this point, the broth may be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days.

Slice the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch strips, then cut these in half lengthwise. You want all the strips to be about the same size so they cook evenly.

Reheat the broth over medium heat to the start of a simmer (don't boil). Add the chicken and gently poach the meat until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and season with salt, as needed. Divide the soup into warm bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of basil and cilantro. Serve piping hot.

**ala Earthbound Organic Farms**

Sambazon Acai for smoothies, the soup, cilantro and basil for garnish, apple cider to heat and sip, Ak-Mak crackers, cough drops and Alka-Seltzer for cold/flu.


finished product. WA-LA!

grass of the gods

LEMONGRASS!!

i try and look on the bright side of things. about twice a year i work @ different trade shows in southern california. the most recent happened to be produce specific. this can be ridiculously boring and the crowd is made up of conventional grocery store buyers...men, lots of them. and not the cool type you might find employed @ a whole foods. i'm talking corporate vons and albertsons men.

i used this time to put my cultural anthropology skills to use. basically, it's great people watching. back to the bright side of things....i always walk away with a bundle of FREE produce and flowers. right now my house is covered with bright color.

this time around i also scored one of my favs, lemongrass. i've got a lot of it so i've been hunting for tasty recipes to try. this one comes from Donna Hay magazine (think Australian Martha Stewart but cooler). this will be din din tomorrow night.

spiced coconut prawns

• 1 stalk lemongrass, very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 large mild red chillies, finly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 1kg green prawns, peeled, veins removed, tails intact
• sea salt and cracked pepper
• lemon wedges, to serve

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the lemongrass, ginger, chilli, garlic and oil and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the coconut and cook for 1 minute or until toasted. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the prawns, salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes or until cooked through. Return the coconut-spice mixture to the pan and toss with the prawns. Serve warm with the lime. Serves 6–8

and some pics of my tradeshow flower score:

notice the S?! love this vase ala mi madre








that little light bulb looking device is something that was passed down to me from mi padre. when the sun hits it, the little flags inside spin due to the heat transfer. radness i do say.