Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup - So Good!

Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup (Makes 4 – 1 cup servings)

(A modified version of a Martha Stewart Recipe)

1 ½ pounds medium shrimp (about 36) (I prefer to used cooked, peeled, deveined)
1 ½ Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
4 Cups Chicken Stock/Broth
3 stalks lemon grass, green parts and outer layers removed, halved lengthwise (optional). I subsitute lemon zest from ½ a lemon
10 cilantro stems (or more if you like cilantro)
zest from 1 lime
Red pepper flakes
¼ tsp sea salt, or more to taste
2 Tablespoons Asian Fish Sauce (aka nam pla) – Not Optional
1 – 15oz can straw mushrooms - OK to substitue any kind of mushrooms you have. I like the dried mushroom blend from Costco. Rehydrated and chopped up.
1 Tablespoon Roasted Chili Paste (found in the Asian Food section) less is ok if you want it less spicy.
3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice (not fresh ok too, I just add to taste)
¼ cup (or more-optional) coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
Cook in a large deep soup pot.

1. Pour frozen shrimp into a bowl and cover with water to thaw.
2. Add oil to soup pot and heat until hot. Add dried chilis and cook until they turn black. Remove with tongs or slotted spoon. (This gives the oil a spicy flavor, but it can also put a pepper smell in the air so sometimes I turn hood fan on.
3. Add chicken broth (IT WILL SPLATTER! Cover pot mostly with lid, wear and oven mitt and get broth in quickly. Cover until it stopped splattering.)
4. Add lemon grass (or zest), cilantro stems, and a shake or two of red pepper flakes (to taste) and lime zest. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile chop up cilantro and mushrooms
6. Remove lemon grass and cilantro stems with a slotted spoon or tongs. Add sea salt, mushrooms, fish sauce, chili paste. Bring to boil.
7. Add shrimp and coarse chopped cilantro.

We always double this recipe because it goes so fast!

Serve with a side of rice.

Homemade bread

1 1/2 c. Water

1/8 c. sugar

1 Tbs. Yeast

2c. Flour

Mix together and let rise

In a pan combine

1c. milk

1/4 c. butter

1/8 c. sugar

1 Tbs. salt

Scald and let cool. When cooled add to the flour mixture. Mix well and add 5 c. flour one cup at a time.

Place in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch down and shape into 2 loaves. Let rise.

Heat oven to 350. Cook at 350 for 10 minutes and then without opening the oven turn the oven down to 325. Cook for 20-25 more minutes.

White Turkey Chili

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 lbs boneless, skinless turkey breast or ground turkey

1 large onion finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 can (19 0z) white kidney beans (cannellini) rinsed and drained

1 can (4 oz) mild green chiles

1 1/2 cups  chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp ground corriader

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen whole kernel corn 

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (more o.k. according to taste)

With oil in the bottom of soup pot, cook turkey until golden brown.  Transfer to a large bowl.  In the same pot you cooked the turkey in saute onions, and garlic until tender (add more oil if necessary).  Add remaining ingredients and let gently simmer to combine flavors. Serve with a dallop of sour cream or grated cheese on top if desired.  Freezes well.

Quinoa and Carrot Pilaf

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup water

1 can (14 oz) chicken broth

1/4 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and carrot; saute stirring frequently until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in quinoa, water, chicken broth, thyme, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 13 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork.  Serves 4. 

As published in The Essential Food Storage Cookbook

BYU Mint Brownies

Okay folks, these are the VERY sought after BYU Brownies.  If you had to live on a deserted island...you would want these with you. 

Makes one 9x13 pan of brownies

Prep and cook: 90 min.  COOL: 1 hr (what????  It's killing me).  

1 c. margarine

1/2 c. cocoa

2 Tbsp. Honey

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. chopped walnuts

12 oz. Chocolate icing

Mint Icing

5 Tbsp. Margarine

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 1/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. mint extract

1-2 drops green food coloring

1. melt margarine and mix cocoa.  Allow to cool.  Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well.  Add nuts.  Pour batter into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool. 

2.  Prepare mint icing:  Soften margarine.  Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar.  Beat until smooth and fluffy.  Add mint extract and food coloring.  Mix.  Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than the cake frosting.

3.  Spread min icing over brownies.  Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing.  Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate frosting.  

Sweet and Sassy!!!

Tonight I made a sweet and sour Stir-fry.

Red Cabbage

Carrots

Onion

Broccoli

Green Bell Pepper

Tofu (you can use any meat)

Olive Oil

Ginger

Rice

Sweet and Sour Sauce (from better homes and garden cookbook pg. 452)

1. Start the rice cooking

2.  Slice all the vegetables and Meat of your choice.  

3.  Start with the carrots and stir-fry them until slightly tender, then add onion and green pepper.  Next add the broccoli and the cabbage.  Stir-fry until tender and then set aside.

4.  Brown you meat or Tofu with some olive oil and Ginger.  Set that aside

5.   Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 C. brown sugar

4 tsp. corn starch

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/3 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. green sweet pepper (you can omit)

2 T. chopped pimiento (you can omit)

2 T  corn syrup

2 T. Soy Sauce

2 tsp. grated ginger root

1 clove garlic, minced

1.  In a small pan combine brown sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in chicken broth, vinegar, sweet pepper, pimiento, corn syrup, soy sauce, ginger root, and garlic.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 2 min. more.  Serve warm.  Makes about 1 1/3 C. sauce.  

Everyone here loved this and even Emma ate it with this sauce.  Try it on your picky eater and let me know.  

Thai Crunch Salad

Just before christmas I was parusing the book store when I found the new California Pizza Kitchen Family cookbook. While looking throuh it I saw this recipie and knew I had to get the book as it is my husband's favorite thing on thier menu.

Thai Crunch Salad

1 Head Napa Cabbage
1 sm head red cabbage
2 large peeled carrots julienned
2 bunches green onions
1 english cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 c. edamame
2 c. roasted peanuts
Grilled garlic chicken
Lime Cilantro dressing
Fried Rice sticks
Fried Wonton strips
2 peeled avocados
Thai peanut dressing



put all the vegetables, peanuts, edamame in a bowl and mix well. Cut chicken into strips and add to salad. Pour cilantro lime dressing and mix, and add peanut dressing and mix. Top with wontons, rice sticks, and avacado.



Grilled Garlic Chicken
6 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Garlic
1 Tbs soy sauce

add to bowl, mix and add chicken. marinade for 20 minutes and grill

Lime cilantro dressing
1/4 small red pepper
1 small bunch cilantro coursly chopped
1 Tbs + 2 tsp Honey
1 Tbs + 2 tsp White Vinegar
1Tbs + 1 1/2 tsp Lime juice
2 tsp Agave nector
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/2 c evoo

add everything except the evoo and cilantro to a blender and mix well. Slowly pour in evoo and continue to mix. Pour in bowl and a add cilantro


Thai peanut sauce
2 Tbs creamy peanut butter
1 Tbs rice vingar
1 Tbs Honey
1 1/2 tsp. Water
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbs sugar, I used agave nector
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. canola oil ( I left this out and it was fine.)

This recipe makes a ton so if you have a small family consider halving it or quartering it.



Ci