Monday's done. The shack now shines again, the laundry basket is empty and, thanks to Wayne and John Deere, the yard is mowed/free of leaves. The only question that remains at the end of the day is who will take home the coveted mirror ball trophy? That's Dancing with the Stars, for those who don't follow the show. We'll know tomorrow night.
One more accomplishment for the day...the Thanksgiving leftovers have all but disappeared. They've been good and while we've enjoyed a replay of the holiday meal itself, I've also tried to re-imagine them so they seem fresh and new.
The turkey sandwiches turned into Turkey-Cranberry Paninis which were so good. Some good whole-grain bread smeared with leftover cranberry jell and topped with turkey and cheese (Swiss for Wayne, cream cheese for me) and then grilled. I don't have a panini pan but I improvised with a grill pan and a skillet for the weight on top and it worked just fine. As I said, so good.
Soup was in the leftover plan too but it went in an unexpected direction while we were standing in the grocery aisle. I was intending to buy a box of chicken or turkey stock since I failed to save any out before putting the gumbo-making supply in the freezer but the Thai Coconut Curry Culinary Broth caught my eye. Who knows why...it's not like I've ever eaten much Thai food but it sounded interesting. And when I picked the box up, it had a recipe on it for a vegetable noodle soup to which you could add cooked chicken or, in our case, turkey. Let's try that! my ever-more-adventurous-eating husband suggested...so we did.
It went together in no time, although when I make it again (and I definitely will), I'll cook it a little longer than the recipe calls for so the vegetables can get a little more tender. And I totally think you could play around with the vegetables or add more of them for a heartier soup. It was, however, really good. No....really, really good. The curry wasn't overpowering at all but the flavors had a nice zing.
Healthy vegetables, broth with a little zip and the smoothness of coconut milk with a squeeze of lime. Yep...I put the lime in the coconut and we ate it all up!
Thai Vegetable Noodle Soup
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup vermicelli or thin spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 carton (32 oz) College Inn Thai Coconut Curry Culinary Broth
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cup diced cooked chicken, optional
Green onions, cilantro and lime wedges for garnish
1. Cook onion, broccoli, carrots, ginger, curry and red pepper flakes in oil in large saucepan for 3 minutes. Add noodles, broth and lime juice.
2. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer 7 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in coconut milk; heat through. Garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve with lime wedges, if desired.
Just curious...did you find the broth at Walmart? I know you shop there for most of your groceries.
Posted by: Rene Lewis | November 27, 2012 at 04:58 PM