Imposter Tom Kha Gai

 I can't find a good Asian grocer around here that carries fresh produce. I can't find another grocer that carries lemongrass, galangal, or lime leaves. So I found a way to fake it. Not quite the same taste, but still pretty good.

This version is pepper, tomato, and potato free.

And cilantro free. I hate the devil weed. Add it if you want but it's not going to get listed in the ingredients.

Imposter Tom Kha Gai, slow cooker style

1 T. butter

1/3 c. onion, minced

1/2 c. sliced mushrooms

1 t. minced garlic

2 t. fresh minced ginger

1 c. white yam, peeled and diced

1 c. carrots, sliced

1 small can sliced water chestnuts

2 T. chicken bouillon

1 t. ground black pepper

1 t. salt

1 T. lime ponzu OR 2 t. soy sauce and 1 t. lime juice

2 T. lemon juice

2 sprigs fresh thai basil

1 c. cooked chicken, diced OR cooked shrimp

1 14-18 oz can coconut milk (not the sweet dessert kind but the cooking kind)

OPTIONAL:

1/4 c. chopped peppers - red bell, jalapeño, thai chili, or whatever

1/2 c. chopped broccoli

1/2 c. sliced zucchini

1/3 c. fresh spinach

1/2 c. chopped kale

1/2 c. chopped chayote squash (stays crispy!)

Heat crock pot on high. Add butter, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Let cook for an hour, stirring about halfway through.

Add yams, carrots, water chestnuts, chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. Add just enough boiling water to cover. Cook for 2-3 hours, until vegetables are soft.

Stir in remaining ingredients and whatever optional ones you want to add. Add more hot water if needed. Cover and cook for one more hour, until hot through and all vegetables are cooked.

Serve with rice and garnishes like chopped green onions, chopped hot chilies, chopped peanuts, fresh thai basil leaves, and lime wedges.

Makes between 4 and 10 1.5 cup servings, depending on how many extra vegetables you add and how much extra broth and/or water you add.

Thursday Recipe - Beefy Potato Soup

This was one of those throw-it-together-and-hope-it-tastes-good dinners. Yep, it tasted great, good enough that my daughter wants me to remember the recipe. So here it is. It's also easy - chuck everything in a crockpot and let it cook all day.

Beefy Potato Soup

1 lb lean hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped
4-5 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-size chunks
1 c. mushrooms, washed and quartered
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. dill weed

Brown hamburger and onion in a large saucepan until hamburger is cooked and onion is soft. Drain off the grease, then dump the meat and onion into a large crockpot. Add potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, and spices. Add just enough hot water to cover everything. Stir it gently, then cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Stir well. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Cover and cook on low for another 2-4 hours until potatoes are very soft.

Goes well with fresh bread.

Thursday Recipe - Southern Whatchagot Stew

I ended up with a fridge full of vegetables the other day, so I did what I usually do. I made whatchagot stew. It turned out tasty so I thought I'd save the recipe to share.

If you don't know about whatchagot stew and stone soup, check out this post for the full story. Here's the bean-n-ham version and the curry version.

Marjoram is my herb of choice lately. It has almost a licorice flavor to it that pairs really well with vegetables. It's a mellower flavor than oregano or thyme or rosemary, but similar in a lot of ways. A little goes a long way.

Southern Watchagot Stew

1 T. butter
1 onion, minced
4 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
4 small carrots, chopped small
2 large cloves of garlic, mashed and minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
4 ears corn, boiled
1 16-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. chicken bouillon
1 t. dried marjoram
1 t. dried sage
2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 bunch collard greens, washed, stems removed, and sliced into bite-size pieces

Melt butter over med-low heat in a large stockpot, at least 1 gallon size. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add sweet potato, corn, black beans, and seasonings. Add enough water to cover. Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add collard greens. Cover and simmer until everything is done, about 30 minutes. Soup will hold for 3-4 hours on low heat.

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sourdough bread. Cheese also goes good on top of this soup - sharp cheddar or a good parmesan are both great.

I also added broccoli and a little bit of mashed potatoes to mine, because I had them and they needed used. That's what makes this whatchagot—use whatchagot in the fridge. I just happened to have a lot of southern staples so I used them.

Thursday Recipe - Creamed Grinch Soup

What better way to start off the New Year than with a recipe involving my favorite Christmas story? The Grinch was always my favorite one to watch on TV.

Here's the story behind the recipe. It was late. Everyone was hungry. I was tired and didn't want to cook. So I started scrounging. I had leftover ham, some frozen broccoli, a couple of packages of noodles, and some other random bits of food lying around. I thought, what about a cream sauce with broccoli and ham to go on the noodles? My kids love that. But wait, I'm trying to avoid dairy. Maybe if I cream the broccoli with a blender... That's much too runny. How can I thicken it? Hm, cornstarch didn't work so well. *cue light bulb* I have Cream of Rice in the cupboard that really needs to be used. It thickens things.

I'm lucky I didn't end up with green splatters across the ceiling the way I was cooking. It didn't end up as a sauce, more of a soup. But it was much tastier than I expected. My kids ate it and asked for more. It still needs tweaking, but for now, here's the Grinch, creamed.

Creamed Grinch Soup

1 16 oz package frozen broccoli (chopped or chunks or whatever, it won't matter in a few minutes)
2 c. frozen cauliflower, if you've got it
4 c. hot water
1/4 c. Better-Than-Bouillon, chicken flavor
1/3 c. Cream of Rice granule thingies
1 c. chopped ham (spiced glazed spiral cut adds a lot of nice flavors to this soup)

Dump broccoli, cauliflower, water, and bouillon in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for a couple of minutes until the vegetables are mostly tender. Use a stick blender to cream the heck out of them. Be careful not to splatter yourself because that stuff is boiling hot and will burn you. (The marks have mostly faded...)

Sprinkle the cream of rice over the boiling mixture, stirring the whole time. Use the blender to cream out any lumps. Cook and stir until the soup is thick and creamy. Stir in the ham. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Threaten children who make fun of your strange cooking methods.

Feel free to add to this soup. Some things that come to mind:
Shredded carrots
Chopped green onions
Cheese - parmesan is really good, or a sharp cheddar (unless you're trying to avoid dairy)
Fresh spinach or chard, just to add to the green color