Poached chicken in a coconut, lime, lemongrass and ginger broth

I made this the other day, in mind I was thinking a beautiful poached chicken in a lemongrass, ginger and lime broth. After I made it I realised I had pretty much made Tom Kha Gai! lol

This is pretty easy and you don't need to make a paste or anything, its really just infusing the flavors into the coconut.

It is a sexy soup:)

In a large pot or wok ( I am using Aus-Ion wok made by solidtekniks)

Everything goes in chunky

To serve 4

Ingredients

Put in 1 x 270ml can coconut milk and 1 x cans worth of water.

1x bruised stalk of lemongrass

6 slices of ginger (or galangal)

1/2 red onion, thick slice

6 cloves of garlic cut into half

A handful of thai basil if you can get it

A few lime leaves if you have it, I didn't use any

1/2 lime, cut in half

1-2 red chillis, always optional here

Method

Simmer all this in a large pot or wok for about 20 minutes to infuse.

Then put in your chicken to poach. I have used 2 chicken breast, each cut into 3.(700g) This included chicken to have as a leftover to make salad or pulled chicken burgers etc

If you are in a hurry you can just cook the chicken the same time you start the infusing.

You can use any vegetables you like, I did some whole button mushrooms, asian leafy greens and bean sprouts.

The chicken should simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Check the flavor and use some fish sauce to taste. I serve up with noodles on the bottom, the veg and broth plus the poached chicken on top with some extra lime. You can also garnish with coriander and extra chili if you like.

Slow cooker Spanish chorizo, tomato and bean soup

Ingredients

2 carrots, small dice

2 stalks celery, small dice

1-2 zucchinis, 1 cm dice

1 red and 1 green capsicum, 1 cm dice

1 brown onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tbsp paprika and 1 tbsp smoked paprika (or use 2 tbsp of one if you don’t have both paprikas.

700g tomato passata

2 x 400g can rinsed and drained mixed beans

1-2 chorizo, small dice

Water

You can add chopped chili if you would like it spicy, add in with the onion

Method

Put your passata in a large measuring jug and make the total liquid 1200ml (1.2 litres) by adding water. You can adjust how liquidy you want your soup at the end.

Starting in a cold pan, fry off your chorizo to start rendering the fat out, after about 2-3 minutes you can add your paprika onion and garlic and cook for about 1 minute until softened.

Then add your chorizo mix plus your other veg, passata/water to your slow cooker, give it a stir and leave on low for 8 hours. Adjust consistency by adding more water at the end if you need to.

If you want stove top method cook the chorizo in a large pot instead of a pan and carry on with the rest of the recipe. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until all the veg is tender.

Curried red lentil soup

Trying to increase my legume intake and I am finding that you can eat a smaller amount of calories yet be so full. 

I have not been able to eat much of it because it's so filling, so good for managing your appetite:)
I think lentils are quite underutilised which is a shame as lentils are high fibre, packed with nutrients and dirt cheap and that's why I am loving them! Anyone else??

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup of dried red lentils

1 brown onion, finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 carrots, small dice

3 stalk celery, diced

3 bay leaves

1 x 400g can tomatoes

Enough chicken of vegetable stock to add to the tomatoes to make 1200ml liquid altogether. You can also use come coconut milk as some of the liquid.

This amount of liquid will yield a very thick casserole style soup, you can adjust the consistency when it’s cooked. I added about 200 ml of extra liquid at the end.

For the curry bit this is pretty flexible you can use any Thai or Indian style paste or I used a mild curry powder. Use as much or as little as you like anywhere from 1-2 tbsp, up to you! Just add a little, taste and add more as needed.

Method

In a large pot heat some olive oil and fry off your onion, garlic, celery, and carrot for 1-2 minutes until softened. Then add your curry powder/paste and fry a further few seconds until it smells good! Then add stock, tomatoes, bay leaves and lentils. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes covered. Check soup and make sure everything is tender. Season with salt and pepper. If you like you can blend this soup.

For the bread, using small wholemeal pita breads, brush over some garlic butter/olive oil and sprinkle with either pizza cheese or grated parmesan cheese and bake in a hot oven for 4-5 minutes.

Slow cooker Italian chicken and vegetable soup

Dinner or lunch doesn't get much cheaper than this!
This soup mix by itself is just $1.70 for 500g!
It's nutritious, delicious and very filling!!...and did I mention cheap!?!?!
Utilising nutritious legumes this soup mix contain dried peas, barley and lentils. Barley is not gluten free, you can use the italian soup mix which contains, beans, peas and lentils which is gluten free.
This mix contains 18% protein and 15% fibre which is great!
You can make this vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using vegetable stock.

Serves 6

Ingredients
3 carrots, ½ cm dice
3 stalks of celery, small dice
1 brown onion, small dice
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 bay leaves
1-2 tbsp dried basil
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes

1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock-this amount of liquid will make a souper thick soup, more like a stew. If you like it soupier you can add more liquid to taste at the end.

4 chicken lovely legs- You can find 'lovely legs' in most supermarkets. They have the skin and part of the bone removed. If unavailable, use chicken drumsticks, just be sure to remove the skin first or you will have bits of soft skin in the soup which doesn’t taste great. You could also just use 4 skinless chicken thighs, large dice.

250g or half a packet of dried soup mix- you can get this near the soup section at the supermarket and its really cheap!
Salt and pepper at the end.


Method
Put everything in your slow cooker and put on low for at least 8 hours. Everything should be nice and tender. When done you can take the chicken legs out, take the meat off and put the meat back in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.

Laksa

Ingredients for the paste

1 stalk lemongrass, white part only

3 cm piece of ginger or galangal

1 red onion or 2 shallots

2 cloves of garlic

 2 tsp shrimp paste

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric or 3 tsp fresh turmeric

3-4 coriander roots (when I use coriander I chop the roots off and about 4 cm stalk and keep in the freezer)

1-2 red chilies- use the amount to your taste and this will depend on how hot the chillies are!

Put all this in a food processor and blitz, add some oil to form a smooth paste.

**As an option-a garnish of bean sprouts, chili, lime wedges and coriander leaves.

Plus you will need some fish sauce and palm sugar to balance the flavors. You can also use rapadura, brown sugar or coconut sugar

Method

For the laksa- take the vegetables of your choice, I have used, broccolini, baby corn, bok choy and small button mushrooms that you can leave whole.

Use prawns or tofu, chicken, salmon or whatever protein source you choose- about 80g or so per person, you can use whatever amount you want. Chop the chicken small so it cooks quickly, tofu can just be heated through at the end when you serve it. If using salmon use about 2 cm chunks as it cooks quickly.

I also made carrot noodles using a spirooli- you can also use a vegetable peeler. You can also use cooked vermicelli noodles.

This will be enough for 4 serves or if you like the strong flavour you can use this for 2 serves.

Take your paste and fry off in a large pot for 1 minutes until fragrant. Then add your stock and coconut cream.

For each serve add 250 ml chicken or fish stock and ¼ cup of coconut cream, so for 2 serves you want 500 ml stock and ½ cup of coconut cream.

Then add your vegetables and your meat/prawns and let them simmer for 4-5 minutes until the meat and vegetables are cooked, taste and add some palm sugar and fish sauce, and then taste again to make sure its ok.(start with 1tsp of each and see how you go)

Add the carrot noodles right at the end along with your bokchoy as these cook quickly (and tofu if using), if using vermicelli noodles, place the heated, cooked noodles in your bowls. Then serve up your meat and veg and ladle in the liquid left in the pot into your bowls. Garnish with bean sprouts, chili and coriander leaves, plus a wedge of lime.

For the kids take approx. 2-3 tsp of the paste and put in a small pot, fry off and add 1 tbsp of coconut cream and about 150 ml stock (per child) and add the meat and veg in to simmer.

Lentil and vegetable soup

Lentils have 9g protein per 100g cooked lentils so are a great vegetable based protein. 8g fibre, 3.3 mg iron and 1.3 mg of zinc.

They are also an excellent source of molybdenum and folate and very good source of copper, phosphorus and manganese.

Ingredients

4 cloves of garlic

1 onion

3 stalks of celery

2 carrots

1-2 zucchinis

¼ of a small cabbage

3-4 bay leaves

1300 ml vegetable or chicken broth

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

1 cup of lentils. I used ½ cup each of red lentils and French lentils. Near the soup section at the supermarket. Very cheap!

2-3 slices of bacon or pancetta, prosciutto (opt)

Method

Using a grater attachment on a food processor grate all your vegetables, or pulse with the food processor blade, until small. Or chop small by hand. I like small so my kids won’t be able to pick out bits.

If using bacon, fry off in a large pot in some olive oil, then add everything else. Simmer covered for 30-40 minutes or until the French lentils are soft. Take out the bay leaves if you can find them.

Vegetable, tomato and barley soup

Ingredients

2 carrots

2 zucchini

2 stems of celery

1 brown onion

5 cloves of garlic

4 bay leaves

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes or 400g tomato passata

¼ of a small green cabbage

½ cup of pearl barley

800-1000ml water/vegetable stock/chicken broth-800ml will be quite thick, add more liquid as needed

Optional ½ cup alphabet pasta shapes or similar

Chopped parsley and parmesan cheese for garnish

Method

I used a food processor and pulsed the vegetables to finely chop, not puree! Do the cabbage separate, this gets added later in the cooking. Or you can chop finely by hand.

In a large pot put in some olive oil and fry off your carrot, celery, zucchini, onion and garlic for 1 minute, then add your tomato, broth/water, bay leaves and barley. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the barley is tender, should be a little chewy in texture. Then add in your cabbage and pasta if using. Simmer a further 5 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Add plenty of salt and pepper. Serve with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Broccoli and kale soup with garlic and coconut

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets, keep the stalks too

1 bunch kale, washed and roughly chopped

As much garlic as you like, I used about 10 peeled cloves, leave whole

1 brown onion, roughly chopped

1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock

½ cup of coconut milk or cream

Method

Cook the onion and garlic in some olive oil for 2 minutes then add everything except the kale and coconut. Bring to the boil, turn down and simmer for 7 minutes, then add the kale and simmer for a further 3 minutes until the vegetable are tender. Blend up with a stick blender until smooth, add the coconut milk and season well with salt and pepper.