Carrot-Coconut-Curry Soup – Instant Pot Version

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I had some large, farm fresh carrots and onions that I needed to do something with because froze in my fridge! So I mixed together a couple soup recipes I found and added my own touches – it was delicious. Freezing some for my friend who’s having surgery this week.

Carrot-Curry-Coconut Soup
-2 lbs peeled carrots, cut into chunks
-1 large white or yellow onion, cut into chunks and layers separated a bit
-3 c. chicken or veggie broth
-2 T. curry powder
-2 tsp. ginger paste
-2 tsp. salt
-2 tsp. smoked paprika
-1 tsp. ground coriander
-1 tsp. turmeric
-1 tsp. cumin
-Ground pepper
-1 can of lite coconut milk

Combine everything except coconut milk in Instant Pot. Cook on manual high 12 minutes , natural release 1 hour (note: my veggies were a bit on frozen side and I was watching a movie so the NR probably could have been a bit less but I wouldn’t have necessarily adjusted the cook time). Remove lid and puree soup with 1 can of lite coconut milk. Add more milk or broth if you want more flavor or thinner texture. Serve by itself or top off with lime/chopped peanuts/cilantro for more of a Thai flavor.

Coconut Curry Hummus

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Hello! Absentee Kristy here. I’m still around and cooking, although nothing notable in the past busy year! When I started this site, it was with the intention of “I can make that!” If I found something I loved at restaurants or elsewhere, I wanted to be able to make something similar at home and share with everyone. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with coconut curry hummus – so much more interesting than just plain hummus! At $4.99 a pop for a small container, I’m also obsessed with saving money.

I set off to replicate this delicious snack so here’s my take on it.

Coconut Curry Hummus

1 15.5oz can of garbanzo beans, drained

1/4 c. tahini

2 T. olive oil

1 T. agave syrup

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed

3 T. dried, shredded coconut

1 t. kosher salt

juice from 2 limes

1/2 t. turmeric

3 t. curry powder

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. cumin

1/4 t. ground ginger

Crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne

Directions; In food processor, blend tahini and lime juice for 1 minute or until fluffy. Drizzle in olive oil and agave syrup. Drain beans and heat in microwave for 1.5 minutes on high, stirring once or twice. Add them to the tahini mixture along with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth and fluffy. Taste test and add more salt, curry or lime juice until it’s to your desired taste and texture. Add pinch of cayenne or pepper flakes if you like it spicier. Refrigerate then enjoy with pita chips, carrots, or spread on sandwich wraps.

Matzo Ball Soup

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I don’t know why it took me so long to try making this – it’s very easy! I recommend making the broth and the matzo ball dough the night before and refrigerating. The baking powder makes the matzo balls lighter and fluffier. Leave it out if you prefer dense dumplings! I don’t have a photo because the last two times I made it, I was so excited to serve it that I forgot to take one!

Matzo Ball Soup

1 batch of Easy Chicken Broth (recipe here)

optional: 1 c. chopped carrots

1 c. matzo meal

4 large eggs

1/4 c. cooking oil

1/4 c. water

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Dash of ground pepper

Mix all of the above ingredients (except chicken broth) until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate overnight or at least 1/2 hour so that the dry ingredients absorb the liquids. When ready to make the soup, bring the chicken broth to boil on high heat in a large stockpot with the optional carrots added. Wet your hands with cold water, then take some of the matzo dough and form into balls approximately 1-2″ wide. Slowly drop each into the boiling stock then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1/2 hour or until done. Ladle the matzo balls and broth into bowls and serve hot. Note: taste test the broth as the matzo balls are cooking – you may want to add more salt and pepper at this point. You may also want to double the quantities and cook in two batches so you have extras to share.

Easy Chicken Broth

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I admit it – I’m a big fan of those yummy rotisserie chickens at the deli. We have a rule at our house: no one comes home from Costco without a chicken for dinner (and lunch the next day, and the next…). It always seemed like a waste to throw out the leftovers, so I finally took the time to save it and make homemade broth from it. It was easy, delicious, and I’m not sure why I haven’t done it before! Please know that this is a loose recipe and there is no right or wrong – add more of the ingredients you like, substitute herbs you favor more, or eliminate ones you don’t have on hand. If you don’t have time right now, throw the carcass in a plastic bag in the freezer until you are ready. Here are the basics:

Easy Chicken Broth

1-2 leftovers carcasses from a rotisserie chicken (remove the string from the legs)

1 lb. baby carrots

1/2 bunch of celery, roughly chopped (including the green tops)

1 T. chopped thyme

3-4 bay leaves

3-4 chicken bouillon cubes for extra flavor

16 c. water

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 onion, roughly chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped

optional: chopped fennel greens or dill

In a large stockpot with the strainer part in, put all of the above ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low and simmer at least 1 hour, and a bit more if the chicken meat isn’t falling off the bones. Let cool then lift the strainer out. Save the larger chicken meat pieces, celery and carrots for later if you wish. Toss the rest of the chicken bones and herbs. Then, refrigerate/freeze or use the broth as needed. This makes an excellent base for chicken noodle soup or Matzo Ball Soup (recipe here)!

chicken broth

Asian-Inspired Stuffed Peppers

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I was never a big fan of the traditional green peppers stuffed with rice/ground beef/tomato sauce mixture – probably because I dislike green peppers and the filling always seemed bland to me. This recipe is my spin combining recipes for stuffed peppers with lettuce wrap filling. It can be made and even assembled ahead of time then just heated up for those evenings where the whole family is rushing in late. I prefer the mellow sweetness of yellow, orange and red peppers, but you can use green ones if you prefer. Blanching them (cooking them in boiling water then zapping them with cold water) softens them up and lessens the time needed in the oven for the finished dish.

Ingredients:

6 red, yellow or orange bell peppers

1 c. cooked rice

Chicken Filling from Lettuce Wraps Recipe here.

Make the Chicken Filling first. Then clean the peppers. Cut in half from stem to bottom and remove stem, seeds and any excess membrane. Bring a large pot of water to boil, then drop the peppers (in 2 batches) into the water for 5 minutes until softened. Remove, drain and rinse in cold water until cooled. Spray with oil a large baking dish then put all the peppers in, open side up.

 

Put 1 T. of cooked rice in the bottom of each pepper. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to put chicken filling in each pepper on top of the rice. Sprinkle with extra chopped basil or sesame seeds. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes to warm everything up together just before serving.

Asian Inspired Stuffed Pepper serving

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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1 lb. ground chicken
2 T. sesame oil (can use HOT flavored if you like)

1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms (approx. 4-5 medium fresh ones or dried ones, rehydrated according to directions, then finely chopped)
2 T. chopped basil
3 T. hoisen sauce

3 T. teriyaki

1 t. ground ginger
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 8-oz. can each bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 t. cornstarch
Butter leaf lettuce, cleaned & separated
2 c. cooked rice

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and basil. Set aside. Stir together 1 T. each of the hoisen, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, plus the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of the ginger. Pour the mixture on top of ground chicken gently stir to combine.

Sauce Round #2: In a small separate bowl, mix the remaining 2 T. hoisen & teriyaki, 1/2 t. ginger and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken mix in the oil until cooked, stirring every couple of minutes. While the chicken is cooking, prepare Sauce Round #2. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and simmer a couple more minutes. Serve over the rice or scooped into the lettuce leaves.

Option: Use as filling for Asian-Inspired Stuffed Peppers

 

Lime & Ginger Shrimp with Coconut Rice

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A few years ago, I tried an easy recipe from a magazine. It was delicious and I passed it on to several people as well. It’s my go-to recipe in warm weather when I have company and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Since I just can’t keep anything the same, I jazz up the recipe a little by adding different ingredients depending on what I have in the house or in the garden. If you have leftovers (I usually don’t), it’s even good the next day but heat slowly since shrimp doesn’t reheat well without getting tough. When served with coconut rice, it’s a fast and filling dinner to eat on your patio. You can also prepare the ingredients ahead of time and start the rice cooking first since it takes the longest.

Lime & Ginger Shrimp

2 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed & patted dry (if frozen, thaw them)

¼ c. ginger preserves

Juice from 3 limes + zest

2/3 c. chopped cilantro leaves

2 T. olive oil

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add the shrimp and cook a couple of minutes until partially done. Stir in the ginger preserves and cook until dissolved and shrimp are done (pink & firm). Drain excess liquid, then remove from the heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve over the rice and top with lime zest for extra flavor.
Coconut Rice

2 c. white jasmine rice

2 c. water

11 oz. culinary coconut milk (concentrated, comes in a Tetra Pak® container) or 14 oz. can of regular coconut milk (not lite)

¼ c. shredded, unsweetened coconut

Pinch of salt

Place the rice in rice cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Set to cook and when rice is done, allow another 10 minutes for it to sit and finish steaming/cooking (if it doesn’t look done, just hit the cook button again). Fluff with a fork before serving.

Options: Use mixture of shrimp and scallops (scallops may need to cook a bit longer depending on size); use basil instead of cilantro; or add a pinch of crushed red chili pepper if you like it spicy!

ginger lime shrimp

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1-1/2 to 2 lbs Brussels sprouts

4 T. olive oil

1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces

½ lemon

Wash the sprouts and trim the base of them off, then cut in half. In a large bowl, toss them with the olive oil, steak seasoning, bacon and zest from the lemon. Spread evenly into shallow baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour (stirring around halfway through) until tender on the inside, but crispy and browned on the outside. Remove from oven and toss with juice from the ½ lemon. Serve warm alongside the Sunday Supper Roasted Chicken.

Autumn Clam Chowder

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When fall arrives along with football and cold & flu season, there’s nothing better than a cup of hot chowder. I have tried many different potato soup, clam chowder and other hearty recipes, and settled on this combination as my favorite – it has the best of all flavors and it’s easy to spice it up more or less to your personal tastes. I happened to have a fresh crab for the last pot, so I added the meat in at the last minute for a bit of extra seafood flavor.

Autumn Clam Chowder

(2) 6.5 oz. cans of minced clams

3-4 slices of bacon, cut in half

3-4 medium potatoes, cubed

1 med. onion, chopped

1 t. chicken bouillon

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. dried, crushed thyme

(1) 15-oz can fire roasted or southwestern style  corn, drained

1 fire-roasted red pepper, chopped

2-4 T. jalapeno peppers (jarred), chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 c. milk

1 c. half-and-half

2 T. all-purpose flour

Strain the clams into a measuring cup, saving the juice. Set the clams aside and add water to the juice until it equals 1 cup, then set aside. In a large pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. To the bacon drippings, add the onions and cook few minutes until soft. Add the clam juice, potatoes, thyme, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling, then cover, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Mash them lightly.

Whisk together the milk, half-and-half, and flour. Add to the potato mixture and increase heat back to medium. Cook and stir often until slightly thickened and near boiling. Stir in the clams, jalapenos, red pepper, clams, crumbled bacon and corn. Bring the mixture back up to boiling and until everything is heated thoroughly. Serve in large mugs or bowls, sprinkled with more chopped peppers or shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Autumn Clam Chowder 2

Root Beer BBQ Sauce

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Every so often, I find myself searching for recipes to use up random things that are in my refrigerator or cupboard (is it just me?!). This time, it was root beer. I bought 2 liter bottles for summertime root beer floats when I had friends visiting recently. We used about half of one bottle, and a week later, suddenly there were two opened bottles in the fridge. Still not sure why, but that’s for a different article.

I remembered seeing recipes over the years for spare ribs and BBQ pork made in a crockpot with cola or root beer. I found many variations for Root Beer BBQ sauce online, and combined a few to make my own. I also added in a few more ingredients for my own taste (and to use up even more random findings, like tomato sauce from last year’s garden since the new crop is almost ready…!). This recipe is easy but does take awhile to cook, but it doesn’t take much attention, so it’s easy to have on the stove while you’re doing other fun summertime things.

Root Beer BBQ Sauce

2-liter bottle of root beer (not diet)

1 c. red wine or apple cider vinegar

1 c. tomato sauce

½ c. ketchup

½ cup mustard (regular yellow or deli style)

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. hot sauce

2 T. molasses

2 T. brown sugar

juice from ½ lemon

1 t. each kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 can tomato paste

1 t. liquid smoke

3 T. cold butter

In a large pot, boil the root beer down until it’s about 1-1/2 cups and more concentrated, about an hour. Add in the remaining ingredients and simmer for another 45 minutes or hour until it’s slightly thickened and the acidic vinegar taste is cooked out. Add in the liquid smoke and butter at the end to finish it off. Serve with your favorite summer grilled meat. Note: any ingredients or measurements in this can be changed to suit your individual taste. For example, more tomato paste for a thicker sauce, less vinegar for less tang, or more brown sugar and liquid smoke for sweeter, smokier flavors, and of course more or less salt & pepper.