Tonight Lisa made this Chicken & Shrimp Laksa, a curry laksa, adapted from a recipe in Asian Flavors. This Malaysian dish consists of wide rice noodles, chicken, and shrimp in a nicely seasoned coconut broth; stir-fried bean sprouts and snow peas add crunch, color, and texture to the soup.

Lisa says:

I think it needs just a little salt and a little bit of Sriracha.

Chris says:

Those noodles really soak up that broth; seems like it thickens as it sits. I like it.

Lisa says:

It would be really good with mushrooms and carrots… next time I’ll add those in.

Chris says:

Yum! And we’ll have to find shrimp paste; our anchovy-paste-and-fish-sauce substitute probably wasn’t quite as intense.

Lisa says:

Well there you go, now we have an excuse to make it again.

Chicken and Shrimp Laksa
2-3 tbsp peanut oil
4 red shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp minced fresh lemon grass
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1 red chili, seeded an finely chopped
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 cups light coconut milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
16 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
9 oz flat rice noodles
6 oz snow peas, sliced lengthwise
4 oz bean sprouts
scallions

Soak the rice noodles until they are tender. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan and fry the shallots over low heat until softened. Add the garlic, lemon grass, shrimp paste, red chili, and coriander and continue to cook over low heat for two to three minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, coconut milk, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, shrimp, and noodles and leave over a low heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a wok and stir-fry the snow peas and bean sprouts for two minutes or until they start to soften.
Spoon the laksa into serving dishes and stir in the snow peas and bean sprouts. Garnish with scallions, and extra chili peppers.

4 Servings

It’s three in a row for us from Quick From Scratch Herbs & Spices. We were out of town this past weekend so all our dinners this week have been either improvised or planned at the last minute. This book has been great for quick, easy to prepare meals. We’ve made a seafood albondigas soup previously, and I’ve been looking forward to making a beef version. Normally I’d avoid making hot soups like this in the summer months, but Seattle has been in refrigerator-mode recently, and it’s seemed more like late fall than early summer!

Lisa says:

Jeanette’s going to love this — three in a row from the book she got us.

Chris says:

Yay for mini-meatballs! How do you like it?

Lisa says:

Yum, I like this soup — and this one seems more filling than the seafood version.

Chris says:

I was worried you’d complain about it not being hearty enough. You don’t always like these broth-based soups.

Lisa says:

It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s that I think of them as snacks. Plus, I had a bunch of chips beforehand just in case.

Chris says:

Well, I’m definitely a fan.

Mexican Meatball Soup
1 tbsp canola oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices and quartered
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 15-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
1 3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tbsp lime juice

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and half the jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin and cook, stirring, until the zucchini starts to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth, water, tomatoes, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper; bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic, the remaining jalapeño, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 tablespoon of the fresh oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the bread crumbs, and the egg. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter.
Add the meatballs and corn to the soup and simmer until the meatballs are just done, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh oregano.

4 Servings

Tonight Lisa made a vegetarian version of Carbonada, an Argentinian stew. The recipe comes from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites cookbook. This stew is loaded with veggies, spices, rice, and… evil?

Chris says:

Oh. When you said we were having Satan for dinner I thought you had somehow secured an audience with our President.

Lisa says:

Um, yeah… it’s seitan, not Satan. Although Satan might have a better texture; this stuff is pretty weird.

Chris says:

Seems fine to me; a little like soggy bread.

Lisa says:

Well, it is “wheat gluten”… makes sense. But you didn’t see me pour it out of the package… yikes.

Chris says:

Pretty hellish, that seitan?

Lisa says:

You are just so amused by that, aren’t you? Anyway, I probably wouldn’t make this again…

Chris says:

The flavors are okay, but you’re right, there are definitely a lot of stews we’ve had that I like better.

Vegetarian Carbonada
——————–
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 medium potato, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3/4 cubed seitan
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the onion, celery, garlic, and oil in a heavy soup pot, cover, and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions soften, stirring to prevent sticking. Add in the spices and the bay leaf and saute for another minute. Stir in the stock, wine, potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to simmer the veggies and broth for 10 minutes.
Add the seitan, rice, and tomatoes and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

4 Hellish Servings

A few nights ago Lisa made one of those perfect-to-use-up-the-CSA-box recipes: this warming soup used just about every vegetable in the kitchen; adding a little pasta and some beans turned it into a great meal.

Chris says:

I love recipes like this that have so many vegetables in them…

Lisa says:

I know! The great thing about this recipe is that you can basically change the veggies based on what you have in the kitchen.

Chris says:

Remember when you used to complain about soups and stews that didn’t have meat in them?

Lisa says:

Only because I didn’t think they’d fill me up!

Chris says:

That’s what the pasta and beans are doing for ya.

Lisa says:

Yep… although it may be time for a meatstravaganza soon.

Chris says:

Huzzah!

“Kitchen Sink” Minestrone
————————-
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diagonally sliced carrot
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups diced tomato
2 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about 1 small)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups thinly sliced collard greens
1/2 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
2 teaspoons dried sage
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomato and next 9 ingredients (tomato through garlic), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in broccoli, greens, and pasta; cover and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in sage and thyme.

6-8 Servings

I’m also submitting this one to Presto Pasta Nights… it’s been a while!

This awesome soup comes from The Ultimate Soup Bible: salt cod, spinach, and okra in a tomato-wine broth surround a mountain of mashed yams. Very different, and very delicious!

Lisa says:

This is so good! I like the cod, though it’s not as salty as I’d expected.

Chris says:

Soaking for over a day will do that, I guess.

Lisa says:

Never in a million years would I have thought to put mashed yams in the middle of a soup!

Chris says:

Mashed Yams? More like Mashed YUMS!

Lisa says:

I know! We should make the yams on their own, too — so good.

Abbie says:

I like our mountain of potatoes… I’d live on it if I were this big…

Chris says:

You may not realize that the people out there can’t see you touching your fingers together to indicate that “this big” means “miniscule”.

Abbie says:

Um, it’s kind of implied if I refer to it as a “mountain” of potatoes.

Chris says:

Good point.

Caribbean Salt Cod and Okra Soup
——————————–
1/2 lb salt cod, soaked for 24 hours, with several water changes
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
6 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 32-oz can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
3 3/4 cups water
8 oz okra, trimmed and cut into thirds
8 oz spinach
salt and pepper

For the potatoes:
1 1/2 lbs yams
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped chives

Drain and skin the salt cod, then rinse under cold water. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeño and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat until softened. Add the salt cod and cook for another 4 minutes until it begins to color. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add the water, return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the okra the soup and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook for 5 minutes until the okra is tender. While the soup is cooking, prepare the yams. Peel the yams and cut into large dice, then place in a pan with the lemon juice and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain well, then return to the pan to dry over the heat for a few minutes. Add the butter and cream, and mash the potatoes. Season as desired. Add the chives.
Season the soup with salt and pepper. Spoon portions of the yams into the center of six bowls and ladle the soup around it. Serve and enjoy!

6 Servings