Tom Yum Soup with Coconut Milk

This is a shot (distant mind you - but look at the pretty table Elisabeth!) of the Tom Yum soup we also cooked up for New Years Eve (see post below). Delicious and it felt really warming and healthy. Couldn't find lime leaves so I just squished in a dose of juice, and the Superstore actually carries lemongrass (I guess people brew tea from it). We used a whole can of coconut milk, pre-cooked shrimp, no sugar and put broccoli in as well. This recipe is from Darlene Schmidt. You can view the original post here.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock

1 stalk lemongrass, lower 1/3 minced (for instructions on how to prepare lemongrass, see link below)

3 kaffir lime leaves (available fresh or frozen at Asian food stores)

12-14 medium or large raw shrimp, shelled

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1-2 small red chilies, minced OR 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili (to taste)

3 cloves garlic, minced

a handful of cherry tomatoes

generous handful fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 green and/or red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 can coconut milk (or more to taste)

1/3 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

optional: additional red chilies, OR Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce (1-2 tsp.)

optional: 1 tsp. brown sugar, and a sqeeze of lime juice

Preparation: For instructions on how to buy, prepare, and cook with lemongrass, see: All About Lemongrass.

Pour stock into a deep cooking pot and turn heat to medium-high.

Add processed lemongrass to the pot, including the parts of the lemongrass stalk you didn't slice. Boil for 5 minutes, or until fragrant.

Add garlic, chili, lime leaves, and mushrooms to broth. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Add shrimp, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Cook 5-6 minutes, or until shrimp is pink and plump.

Turn down the heat to low and add 1/2 can coconut milk plus fish sauce.

Taste-test the soup for spice and salt, adding more chili and/or fish sauce (instead of salt) as desired. If too sour for your taste, add 1 tsp. brown sugar; if too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more coconut milk if you want your soup richer/creamier, or if it's too spicy for your taste.

Serve in bowls with fresh coriander sprinkled over. Enjoy!!

Easy Crockpot Thai Pork

We cooked Thai food for New Years Eve. I went online and found some easy recipes. This was the favourite (posted by Marky90), and I don't even like meat. It makes the house smell insanely delicious. Serve over rice, rice noodles or whatever you prefer. Also shown is the homemade pineapple fried rice.

Ingredients

1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat and cut into 4 pieces
2 large red bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into strips
1/3 cup prepared teriyaki sauce
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
For serving:
Cooked rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions (white part and half of dark-green stalks)
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
2 limes, cut into 8 to 12 wedges

Directions

Place pork, bell peppers, broth, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and garlic in cooker. Cover and cook on low setting until pork is fork tender, 8 to 9 hours.

Remove pork from cooker and coarsely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in cooker; stir well to dissolve peanut butter and blend with liquid to make the sauce. Return pork to sauce and toss to coat the meat.
Serve in shallow bowls over hot rice. Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts. Pass lime wedges, to serve with this wonderful dish.
P.S I like to steam Snap Peas and add to this......!!

Porcupine Cookies

Submitted by Shelly

Also known as "haystacks", Porcupine Cookies are my FAV cookie EVER! And every time I eat them, I feel like a 10 year old standing at my Mom's elbow wanting to eat them right out of the pot!

Porcupine Cookies are a perennial favourite at bazaars & bake sales and a super treat to send to school on birthdays and party days. They are a quick cookie that doesn't require turning on the oven at all. Here's my mom's recipe - but you'll want to double or quadruple it... trust me, you'll have no trouble getting rid of them!

Ingredients:
1 c. coconut
3 c. dry oatmeal (Quick cooking)
2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. milk1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Mix coconut and oats in large bowl and set aside.
• Mix sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in heavy saucepan.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.
• Bring to boiling point and boil for about 3 or 4 minutes (until soft ball stage).
• Remove from burner and add vanilla.
• Immediately add to bowl of coconut and oats; mix until blended.
• Drop from teaspoon onto wax paper and let stand until cool. These set up rather fast, so work quickly.
• Eat until you feel queasy while making a second batch to share with friends. Enjoy!
  

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

From one of the 6 Hungry Chicks to all the others (and to all our "honourary chick" contributors & readers), may you have a blessed and beautiful feast this weekend, and may bounty and grace be your companions this winter!

Shel, Rick, Bob & Sarah

PS - Just thought I'd mention - before you all go gaga over the photo above - its a stock photo... my free-range gobbler is still awaiting the flame! I may have a way with words, but not with a camera... lol! ; )

Teriyaki Chicken (Barb B.)

OK Chicks - Here is one from an old (or is that "really experienced") chick! So quick and so tasty.

• As many breasts as you want (or other pieces). I have found frozen breasts thrown in frozen works best (and are the biggest time saver, they create some of their own juice and are the most moist)
• Teriyaki Sauce (the one you prefer from your local grocer or specialty store)

Put lots of teriyaki on the frozen breast and set them in the crock pot in the morning (or during your lunch "break"). Set at low if going all day. If doing a couple of hours before dinner, put on high.

I add a few cloves of garlic cut in half and a littlie soy sauce too.

It goes all-day when I start in the morning (add a sprig of thyme or whatever you want so it smells great when family/guests arrive)

Using the rice cooker with steamer I make my rice (your choice, white,brown, or gourmet) and do carrots and broccoli on top steamer of rice cooker. I do this about 20 minutes before serving the meal.

The dinner takes about 20 minutes of prep time from chicken to veggies -->(broccoli is lightly peeled on stems and separated, and carrots peeled and cut into long or nifty looking pieces).

Everyone loves it and kids think it is great. Once and a while check your chicken and make sure to brush the Teriyaki sauce on again or distribute, as needed. The darker and richer the look the better it tastes (but don't overdue - set on "warm" if you are not sure, edges should not look dry but nicely done). Serve on a platter with chicken on top and veggies around - or just dish it out!!

Ginger Carrot Soup - Dairy Free (Dawn)

My mom brought me some fresh carrots from her garden today so I decided to try making soup. I went online and found the following dairy free recipe for Ginger Carrot Soup and I really like it! We had it with dinner and then I put the rest in jars for the freezer. (Note all of the chopping!) lol

Ginger Carrot Soup

1 large white onion, chopped

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup chopped apples

1 T. minced fresh ginger

2 T. honey

1 1/2 cups plain rice milk (or soy)

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1. In a 3-quart (or larger) stockpot over medium-high heat, heat 1.5 quarts of water with the onion and celery. Bring to a boil and add the carrots. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add the apples and ginger. Simmer for 20 more minutes.

2. Working in batches, blend the soup starting at the lowest speed and work up to the highest speed until the soup is creamy. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the honey, rice milk and salt. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until soup reaches desired temperature and consistency, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary.

Fettucini Alfredo with veggies & shrimp - lite version (Shelly)

This is a recipe Rick & I enjoyed back in our "kid free" days - but in those days, everything was full fat and butter! Times have changed... sigh - but this version is almost as good and we LOVE it... so do the kids. Its really quick too, though it does dirty a few pots. ENJOY!

Serves: 4 regular portions, 3 generous portions

Ingredients:
8 ounces fettucine (we use kamut, but traditional pasta, or whole wheat is great too)
1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese if that is what you have on hand)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup 1% or skim milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup each Red Pepper & mushrooms (or any other veggie your family loves)
Shrimp (we just defrost & use a "shrimp ring", but use your favourite kind, & as much or as little as you like)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of italian spice mix
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or put through a press
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*1/2 tablespoon cornstarch* (you may or may not need this)

Directions:

• Cook the noodles according the package directions.
• Drizzle a tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and get it hot. Add garlic & italian spice to hot pan.
• Cook for a few seconds, then drop the veggies (in our case peppers and mushrooms).
• Stir-fry veggies for a few minutes, then drop shrimp in and cook just until they start to curl and turn white. Note: DO NOT OVERCOOK SHRIMP or they get tough and wierd.
• Remove from heat for now.Drain the noodles well and return them to the empty pot. Add the ricotta (or cottage) cheese, yogurt, skim milk, butter, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese to the pot.
• Turn the heat on very low and stir well until everything is combined.
• If you are using shrimp, add that now as well, making sure you get all the drippings in the saucepan too - for flavour.
• If the sauce looks a little too watery, add the cornstarch and continue to stir until it has reached the desired thickness.

That’s it!! Divide between 4 plates, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and the black pepper, serve and enjoy!!

We always eat this dish with a salad and with crusty bread, sliced, buttered and smeared with crushed garlic then lightly toasted under the broiler. Its also good if you substitute chopped chicken for the shrimp.

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole (Debra)

My friend Kate gave me a recipe and I tried it last week...turned out REALLY well so I'm making more tonight

2 cups broccoli

2 cups cauliflower

Cut into small pieces, boil for 5 min and put into a 9x13 baking dish (buttered if it's not non-stick)

2 eggs (beaten)

½ cup mayonnaise

1 onion finely chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Fresh sliced mushroom (optional) - about 1 cup

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used a strong, old white cheddar)

1 cup crushed seasoned croutons

1/4 tsp black pepper

(use low sodium/low fat options where possible)

NOTE: I added a good teaspoon of tumeric - yum! Just watch that you don't stain things with it!

Beat eggs, add mayo, soup, pepper, ½ the cheese and ½ the croutons.

Pour mixture over the vegetables in the pan (I stir to get it all coated), then top with other half cups of cheese and crushed croutons.

Bake at 350F for 35 - 40 minutes.

You could also add chicken (cooked), zucchini...