Thai Green Curry

Ingredients
1 can coconut milk
3 bundles of fresh cilantro, rinsed, lower stems cut off
1 bundle of green onions, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2oz fresh basil, stems removed
1 teaspoon agave
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 small cloves of garlic, crushed and lightly chopped
1 tablespoon thai green curry seasoning* (from The Savory Spice Shop)
1/2 teaspoon thai green chili, seeds removed and diced (optional)
sea salt

large handful green beans, ends removed, cut into thirds
2 yellow squash, quartered and sliced
2 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 small orange bell pepper, cut into cubes

1/2 red onion, cut into 1/4in slices
chicken, cubed
sesame oil

-1.5 cups Red Bhutanese Rice, (soaked in warm water)
*This is the BEST green curry seasoning from The Savory Spice Shop: http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/blends/thaigreen.html

Preparation
First soak the rice in a bowl of warm water, then begin to cut/chop all of your veggies. Heat 3 cups of water on the stove in a pot big enough for the rice to expand and bring to a boil. (Once boiling, drain rice and add drained rice to the boiling water and cook for more or less 20 minutes)

In a blender add the coconut milk. Add one bundle of cilantro (lower parts of stems removed) and blend. Once blended, add the second bundle and blend. Once blended add the third bundle, blend. Then add the basil, stems removed. Add the green onions, agave, ginger, garlic, green curry seasoning, and thai green chilies and blend. The mixture should be thick and bright green. Taste. Add salt if desired. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add enough sesame seed oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, add the cubed chicken and red onion, stirring occasionally. Once chicken is lightly browned on the outsides (but not fully cooked) add in the rest of the veggies and mix gently. If you’d like you can spice it up with some garlic powder, curry powder, sea salt, tarragon etc. or just a little bit the the green curry seasoning! Allow the chicken to fully cook and the veggies to lightly steam (about 3-5 minutes). Add green curry and turn heat to low. Stirring everything together, distributing curry evenly. Turn off heat.

Serve in a bowl by placing a heaping of red Bhutanese rice and then the curry with veggies and chicken. Garnish with some fresh cilantro sprigs and a slice of fresh lime…and for a little more heat some diced thai chilies!

This is a dish that is also famous among friends and family. Feel free to change up the veggies, I like to do it with asparagus and mushrooms as well. Also, sometimes we will add shrimp too. It is so fresh and healthy. The best green curry! YUM!

Fisherman’s Stew

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium Carrots, pealed and chopped
2 stalks of Celery, chopped
1/4 red Onion, diced
2 small leeks, cleaned and chopped
4 red-skinned Potatoes (about medium-sized), cut into small chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups Chicken Broth
1 (15oz) can crushed tomatoes (with juice)
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Honey
1 can chopped Clams
1/2 cocktail shrimp, pealed and already cooked

2 filets of Tilapia
Curry Powder
Dried Basil
Garlic Powder
Sea Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Cumin

-1/2 cup Cilantro leaves
1/2 Lime, cut into thirds

Preparation
Add the first 7 ingredients to a big pot. Let them cook until slightly browned and tender (about 15 min). Add the broth, tomatoes and bay leaf and let cook for another 15 minutes. When soup is cooking, in a large skillet heat a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle suggested seasonings on tilapia and place onto hot pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes (or until browned) and then flip to cook all the way through (until fish is flakey). Remove fish from heat and set aside. Add the honey, clams and shrimp to the pot of soup and let cook until warm (about 5 minutes). Lightly flake the fish apart to more bite-sized pieces, set aside. Before serving stir in the cilantro leaves and 1/3 of lime, juiced. Ladle into bowls and top with tilapia, fresh cilantro sprigs a wedge of lime and some fresh ground sea salt and black pepper. YUM!

Fabulous Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients (Makes about 8 Cups)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 medium Leeks, cleaned well and chopped
3 medium Carrots, pealed and diced
3 stalks Celery, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated Ginger
2 lbs. butternut squash (fresh or frozen), cubed
4 cups Chicken/Vegetable Broth
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1-3 teaspoons honey (to taste, depending on the sweetness of your veggies) (optional)
Salt and Pepper
Toasted Hazelnuts, chopped (for garnish)
Chopped fresh Basil

Preparation
In a large pot over medium high heat add the olive oil, leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook until tender and lightly browned (about 15 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add in the cubed butternut squash, broth, the orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, or until squash and veggies are tender and soft. Remove bay leaf, using an emersion blender blend soup until smooth (be careful of splattering and working with hot liquids). Taste, add honey if needed. Do not boil soup, just heat enough to serve. Serve with toasted chopped hazelnuts and chopped basil, or with tabasco sauce.

THIS SOUP IS SO GOOD and very easy!! COSTCO typically has fresh, cubed butternut squash, but I have also seen it in the freezer section in Whole Foods. You can also peel and dice a fresh squash (but that requires more time and work). I HIGHLY recommend this soup–honestly I eat it for breakfast because it is THAT GOOD!

Fast, Easy, DELICIOUS CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:
3 medium carrots, pealed and sliced (about 1/4’’ thick)
3 stalks of celery, washed and sliced (about 1/4’’ thick)
1/4 of a red onion, diced
3  cloves garlic: 2 pealed and left whole, 1 minced
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper

1 chicken breast
garlic powder
oregano
chili powder
ground salt
ground pepper

1 1/5 cup cooked brown rice (optional)

Preparation
In a large pot heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and the 2 whole cloves of garlic and sauté until tender and lightly browned (about 15 minutes). While the veggies are browning, filet the chicken breast, season it with the spices on one side, heat a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil. Add breasts (spiced side down) and then season other side. After about 2-5 minutes flip and cook until done, but still moist. Remove from heat and shred chicken using two forks. Once veggies are tender, carefully add the chicken broth and water to the pot (because the pan is hot it will splatter and sizzle). Add the minced garlic, the bay leaf, the italian seasoning, fresh thyme and cooked brown rice. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve by ladling out soup and then topping with some shredded chicken. Enjoy!

This is a delicious soup that is a great way to speed up your typical chicken soup. It is quick and easy as long as the rice is already cooked–we used left over brown rice. Also, feel free to spice it up even more!! It is so yummy on a snowy winter night and packed full of nutrition and flavor! YUM! I love how the chicken has it’s own spices and flavor from being cooked separately, and I also prefer to sauté my veggies first before adding water/broth to give them more flavor as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients (Serves 4)
olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 box (32ox) of tomato soup (I prefer the Pacifica Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn kernels, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, packed (plus extra for garnish)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (plus extra for garnish)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon ground pepper
fire roasted green chilies (optional)

1 chicken breast
garlic powder
oregano
chili powder
ground salt
ground pepper

bag of your favorite tortilla chips
some cilantro sprigs
some sliced green onions
fresh avocado slices
plain yogurt (optional)

Preparation
Filet chicken breast so they are thin. LIghtly sprinkle one side with garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, ground salt and ground pepper. Heat a skillet over medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once pan is hot, add the chicken (spice side down). Then gently sprinkle the other side with the seasonings (except for the salt) and cook  about 2-3 minutes, or until browned, then flip. Cook other side for less time, until chicken in cooked through, but still moist. While chicken is cooking, in a large sauce pan (big enough for 6 cups of liquid) over a medium high flame add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan, add onion and sauté about 2 minutes. Then add the cumin and garlic and continue to sauté until cumin is fragrant and onion is translucent (about 3-5 more minutes). Reduce the heat and pour in the cup of chicken broth and the box of tomato soup (beware of splattering). Add the beans, corn, cilantro, green onions, chili powder, oregano, and ground pepper. Let soup come to a simmer, so that beans and corn are warm. To serve ladle soup into bowl, add shredded chicken, cilantro sprigs, some sliced green onion, and fresh avocado and some crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

This is the most simple soup with ingredients that I often keep around for a quick, easy, and delicious lunch or dinner. Even if the chicken is left out, the soup is full of goodies. Depending on desired consistency, add some more chicken/vegetable broth to water it down. Also, other beans can be added or the base broth could be mainly chicken/vegetable broth and a little bit of tomato soup base.

Delicious Broccoli and Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Ingredients
olive oil
2.5 teaspoons dried coriander
1 large leek (or 4 little baby leeks), thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3/4 C shiitake mushrooms, cut into smaller pieces
sesame oil
2 heads of broccoli, stems cut and set aside, florets cut into small pieces and set aside
5 tablespoons old fashioned oats
1 box (4 cups) vegetable broth
2+ cups water
5 tablespoons yellow or white miso paste
fresh thyme
1 lemon, juiced

Preparation
In a soup pot heat a drizzle (enough to cover the bottom) of oil over a medium high heat. Add the leeks and shallots and coriander, sautéing until onions and leeks are translucent and coriander is aromatic (about 3-4 minutes). Add mushrooms and drizzle a little bit of sesame seed oil over them to help hydrate them. Sauté for 3-4 more minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in the broccoli stems and oats and let cook for 5 more minutes, until the broccoli is tender. Pour in the box of vegetable broth (but keep box to fill with water). Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until broccoli stalks are soft. Refill broth box 1/2 way (about 2 cups) with water and in a separate bowl mix together miso past and water until smooth.

Once broccoli stalks are soft, remove from heat and use an emersion blender (or a food processor) and blend until smooth. (Please use caution when blending hot ingredients.) Return to heat and add the broccoli florets. Cover and let cook for about 5 more minutes, or until broccoli florets are tender and cooked through. Once cooked, add the miso water and cook over medium low heat for 1 minute. Add fresh thyme and lemon juice. Serve warm. Enjoy!

The power of mushrooms is unbelievable! They say that mushrooms are more related to humans than they are to plants. They are such a complex organism that is packed FULL of nutrition! This recipe is pretty simple and wonderfully delicious. If you’d like, you can drizzle some low-sodium tamari on top for added flavor. The oats allow the soup to have a thick, creamy consistency without using dairy or other (less nutritious) thickeners. We enjoy this soup with a warm salad, such as the Sautéed Onion and Scallop Salad.

The BEST Chili (My Mom’s Recipe)

Ingredients
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons cumin
2lbs ground turkey (or other lean meat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large (15oz) cans of whole pealed tomatoes
1-2 cans of chopped (salt free) tomatoes
15oz of canned kidney beans, strained and rinsed
15oz of canned black beans, strained and rinsed
15oz of canned pinto beans, strained and rinsed
small can green chilies (or fresh roasted green chilies from the farmer’s market, pealed and chopped)
1/2 C red wine
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
a little pepper

Preparation
In a large stew pot heat olive oil (enough to cover the bottom) over medium high heat. Add chopped onions and cumin and saute until onions are translucent. Add meat and garlic and cook until meat is lightly browned (about 5 minutes). While meat is cooking, on a large cutting board with lifted edged chop the whole pealed tomatoes (reserve juice in the can). Add the chopped tomatoes, juice in the can, and then fill each can about 1/2 way with water and pour into soup to add more liquid and to clean off the sides of the can. Add all of the rinsed and strained beans, green chilies, and red wine. Judge if there is enough liquid (you want the beans to be barely submerged). If needed add 1-2 cans of chopped tomatoes. Add all of the spices and the maple syrup. Stir, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let cook for an hour and then add the fresh parsley, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook for another couple of hours to allow the flavors to fuse. I prefer to let the chili sit over night in the fridge, and then reheat before serving, but it can be served the same day. Garnish with fresh cilantro, slices of avocado, and some thinly sliced green onion…and of course, serve with fresh cornbread!

The apple cider vinegar helps diminish the gassy effect that beans tend to have on our digestive systems. This recipe is great to make and freeze in smaller containers and pull out in the heart of winter. Also, it is the best chili to make JUEVOS RANCHEROS!! Enjoy!