Coconut Chicken Soup

This is my new comfort soup.  There is nothing authenticly Thai about this.  It's something I was craving so I threw what I thought would taste good into a large pot, and voila!  It was good and so totally comforting.  It's got the perfect amount of heat, great texture and depth of flavour.  You can totally tweak this to make it your own.  Fresh grated ginger would be good but I didn't have any - next time.  You could also use baby bok choy in place of the spinach or shrimp in place of the chicken.  Play with your veggies too.  I just really enjoyed what I used.
If you don't have fish sauce you could perhaps use soy sauce but the fish sauce really does give it great flavour.  If you've never bought and/or used it before, don't smell it.  Just don't do it.  Open it and use it as directed but don't smell it.  It's not worth it.  It stinks but it makes food taste good.  Don't confuse yourself with asking why.  As well, the garlic chili sauce is fairly important but you could probably substitute fresh garlic and chili flakes for it if you really had to or fresh chili.  The sauce is easy to find and inexpensive and it is something that adds great flavour as well as heat to many dishes.  If you don't have lime leaves, use lime rind but it is worth finding the leaves.  Mine weren't fresh, they were dried. 
Again, I know my picture needs work but it was 9:30 at night and I hadn't eaten for almost 10 hours.  I was hungry.  That's my story.  Deal with it.  Enjoy the soup.

Coconut Chicken Soup

Serves 4

4 Cups of low sodium Chicken Broth
1 can Regular Coconut Milk (better flavour than Light)
2-3 tsp Garlic Chili Sauce (I use 3)
3-4 Lime leaves
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Chicken breast, sliced thinly into bite size pieces
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
Big handful of baby spinach
1/2 cup frozen corn (optional)
Rice Noodles, prepared according to directions
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 lime

Pour the chicken broth and coconut milk into a large pot over med high heat and stir to combine.  Add the garlic chili sauce, fish sauce and lime leaves.  Cook over heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the chicken, mushrooms and tomato and simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Toss in the spinach to wilt and corn if using.  To serve, remove the lime leaves, pour the soup over the noodles in a bowl and garnish with a spinkling of green onion and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.  Yum!

Flipped Chicken

Right off of the bat, I'm sorry for this sorry excuse for a picture.  There was no time to spruce it up on a pretty platter.  I wanted to crisp up the skin a little more too but again, time was of the essence.  I had two very hungry children demanding their food.  Holding back food from hungry children can be a risky little game.  Anyhow, despite the photograph, this chicken was "num num", as my 2 year old says.
The idea behind the chicken, and the name, is to turn it while it cooks. Basically it will baste itself. This is one moist bird and actually very simple and super tasty. 3-4 lb whole chicken works best.  If you want to crisp up the skin a little, loosen the skin on the birdy before you roast it.
You can use any seasoning you want in the butter mixture.  Lemon rind and garlic. Dried herbs. Garlic powder and paprika.  I opted to keep it simple.  Also, be careful when flipping the chicken.  I found it easiest to to keep the chicken tied and I use an oven mitt on one hand and a spatula in the other.  I used a roasting pan that had grooves in the bottom to help the bird stay on it's side while roasting.  It takes a small amount of effort but the results are one juicy, succulent bird!

Flipped Chicken

Serves 4-6

3-4 lb Chicken (I used 3 1/2 lb chicken)
1 tbsp butter
1/2-3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp good poultry seasoning (I used Epicure Selections Poultry Seasoning)

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Combine the butter, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  Loosen the skin on the chicken and stuff half of the butter mixture under the skin, as far under as you can, and rub the rest of it all over the bird.  Place the chicken on a roasting pan on it's side.  Roast for 20 min.  Flip the chicken to the other side and roast for another 20 min.  Flip the chicken on it's back and roast for 10 minutes.  Finally flip the chicken breast side up and roast for another 10-15 minutes.  (It's recommended that chicken be cooked to an internal temperature of 185 F).  Remove the chicken and tent it with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.  Remember, letting the chicken rest will also take it up a few degrees.  Don't overcook it!

My Hot Toddy

I'm back.  Wow, it's amazing how dependant we are on the internet.  What a gong show the last 2 weeks was without it.  I won't get into details but let's just say we switched companies.  Onward and upward!
Anyhow, seeing as we're heading into winter and the evening's are a little, or a lot cooler, I've been looking for something to warm me up at night.  I don't always want a tea.  I want something to soothe me and set me up for slumber.  This is it.  This is my version of the hot toddy.  Perfect when you want a warm up. 

My Hot Toddy

Serves 1

1 oz Whiskey or Brandy
1 tsp honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 slice of an orange
1 cinnimon stick
Hot water

Put the kettle on to boil the water. Put the first 5 ingredients into a mug.  Top up with the hot water and stir to dissolve the honey.

My apologies

I've been without the internet for almost 2 weeks and am not expected to have it back for another 6 or 7 days. I'm using my Blackberry to post this. I've not forgotten how to cook. I will be back as soon as possible. Keep cooking!!!!

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

I apologize for the lack of posting but I've had some computer issues as well as camera problems.  I had taken photo's to download for the blog and the card in my camera decided to go on the fritz.  I wound up losing all my photo's and finding out the card was dead.  No rhyme or reason.  It just died.
If you like roasted potatoes, you'll LOVE these.  I make this version more than any other.  You can't go wrong with a potato that's been baked to a crispy golden deliciousness on the outside and a creamy centre.  These are so simple that you'll be going back to them again and again.
When you 'smash' the potatoes,  I either use a meat mallet (soft side) or the bottom of a small saucepan.  Use whatever you've got.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Serves 4

12-16 Baby potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Meanwhile boil the potatoes until they're just done, about 10 minutes.  Drain and lay them on a baking sheet or baking dish.  Smash or pop the potatoes lightly so they are crushed but not falling apart.  Once they're all done, drizzle them with olive oil, enough that they're all lightly coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes, flipping gently after 25.