Saturday, February 9, 2013

Tom Kha Gai - Thai Lemongrass Coconut Lime Soup



Our favorite Thai restaurant in St. Paul makes the most AMAZING coconut lemongrass soup. After reviewing a few recipes online, I made up my own for a slow cooker version. Pedro and I were so delighted that it turned out so yummy (especially on a fast Sunday after church). I'm excited to try it again sometime.

If you can find the right ingredients at an Asian market, it is a relatively easy soup to make. Try not to substitute the kaffir lime leaves or the galangal or the flavor won't be right.


1 lb chicken or shrimp (save shrimp until ready to eat, don't add to slow cooker)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cans coconut milk (28 - 36 oz total)
1 Tbsp red curry paste
2-3 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar (or palm sugar)
10 - 15 kaffir lime leaves, torn or zest of 1 large lime
2 stocks lemon grass (just whiteish part), bruised/crushed, chopped to 1 in pieces
1 bunch green onions chopped
several shitake (or white) mushrooms, sliced
1 inch piece fresh galangal, sliced thin (not ginger, though you can substitute ginger if you have to)
juice from half a fresh lime o 1/4 cup lime juice

Add all above ingredients to crock pot.
Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or high for 3 - 4 hours (LOW is better to avoid boiling the chicken)

Remove the chicken, shred it, stir it back in
OR add peeled, deveined shrimp, stir until shrimp turns pink, serve immediately

Add cilantro to garnish
Add extra lime juice to taste
(optional) Add thinly sliced Thai chilies to taste for extra spice

TRY IT!




Revised Vanilla Almond Granola Recipe

Whisk wet ingredients on low in sauce pan:

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon


Mix dry ingredients in large bowl:

9 - 10 cups regular oats
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds

Combine wet into dry. Mix thoroughly.

Divide into shallow pans lined with foil
Bake at 325 for 30 - 40 minutes until golden
Stir every 10 minutes

Let cool. Store in refrigerator.


Nutritional Information

Total Servings 30.5         Serving size 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 240.3
Total Fat 13.1 g
Saturated Fat 5.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.9 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 52.2 mg
Potassium 130.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 27.2 g
Dietary Fiber 4.5 g
Sugars 6.5 g
Protein 6.3 g

Vitamin A 0.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 5.6 %
Vitamin C 0.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 22.6 %
Calcium 5.3 %
Copper 25.7 %
Folate 10.4 %
Iron 10.4 %
Magnesium 31.1 %
Manganese 148.1 %
Niacin 3.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 10.3 %
Phosphorus 35.9 %
Riboflavin 5.9 %
Selenium 5.9 %
Thiamin 8.3 %
Zinc 19.3 %




*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Density vs Beaver

Pinned Image
We tried this experiment today. It worked and looked cool. We learned a tiny bit about density, but mostly I learned that Rody would rather pretend to be a beaver than learn about density.