Cheat's treat: Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup (kosher, gluten-free)

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Some of my secrets to weeknight dinners are noodles and rotisserie chicken. Together they make this quick, easy and delicious Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup. 

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Recently I was interviewed for the biggest paper in the country in the search for tips for speeding up cooking those weeknight meals. Seeing how I was (again) in a company so much better than myself (the other person they interviewed is a Michelin-starred chef...) I didn't dare to say everything I was thinking of. 

But we're all friends, right? So I don't mind sharing my #1 secret - you know, just between the two of us. 

You guys ready?

Here it comes. 

Order in. 

That's it: have someone else do the cooking and  order in instead!

Especially this spring my head's been working overtime just trying to stay on top of my body (let alone on top of all the things she's supposed to stay on top of) that it's actually rather disgraceful, how often I've happily outsourced the catering to a variety of home delivery services. And how often my dinner has been a delivery from Pizza Hut (BBQ, Italian crust) is downright shameful. What kind of a food blogger am I?!

But yes, I do cook, too. And I do cook using those tips I was giving out in that interview. One of my favourite shortcuts is using rotisserie chicken (or parts of it). 

That makes a robust salad in no time (such as my recipe for St. Tropez chicken and pasta salad), a spread to make a sandwich or to be served with a jacket potato (my favourite is this chicken and avocado salad) adds body to soups (you've got to try this Mediterranean chicken and roasted pepper soup!). 

Chicken cooked on the bone just has so much more flavour and juiciness than those vacuum-packen, anemic bra-fillers.

Good noodles are another shortcut I'm a big fan of - they only take fraction of the time cooking pasta would. 


This thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup combines both of this hacks. Oh, and coconut, which I favour over cream any time. As it comes in a tin, its shelf life is so much more convenient than that of cream. Which is why I always have some at home.

serves 4

Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut & noodle soup:

2 chicken breasts on the bone (or two ready grilled ones from the shop)

1,5 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1,5 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 red chillis, finely chopped

200 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced 

7,5 dl chicken stock

1 can (400 ml) coconut milk

50 g noodles (for gluten-free soup use mung bean vermicelli or rice noodles)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce) 

(½ - 1 tbsp brown sugar) 

½ bunch coriander, leaves chopped

½ bunch (Thai) basil, leaves chopped

to serve: lime wedges

rest of the herbs

toasted peanuts (optional)

In case using raw chicken breasts, roast them at 180°c for 45 minutes until cooked through. Baste with the liquid in the bottom of the pan every now and then. Let cool and in the meanwhile prepare the stock.

Measure ginger, garlic and chilli into the pot along with the chicken stock. Bring to boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add mushrooms and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. 

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bone and shred the meat into desired chunks. Add into the stock with spring onion and coconut milk. 

Bring to boil and add the noodles. Cook for a couple of minutes until the noodles are done. Add the herbs.

Season with fish sauce. Check the taste and adjust to your liking by adding fish sauce and/ or sugar.

Divide into serving bowls, scatter remaining herbs (and peanuts, if using) on top. Serve with a drizzle of lime juice. 

How about you guys - would you fancy a bowl of my Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup?

And hey - don't forget to share your own tips for surviving the mad weekend dinner rush? What are your secret short-cuts?

___________________

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

    

             

SHARING IS CARING!

Creamy orange and curry chicken (gluten-free, kosher)

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Creamy orange and curry chicken is delicious, quick and easy treat - perfect weekday dinner!

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The days since my book launch last week have gone by in a bit of haze.

A protracted bronchitis has played a part in that, too, but even bigger reason is all the wonderful feedback I've been getting for the book (for more of those, just check out the book's Facebook page) which has made sure my feet have barely touched the ground.

But reality my friend, it inevitably does kick in at some point. Always. 

I can tell you that after catering the book launch cooking was the last thing on my mind for a while, but we all need to eat - even us cook book authors. 

So, it was time to dive into my trusty reserve of quick and easy recipes - those unsung heros of weekday dinner dilemmas. 

This creamy orange and curry chicken is one of those. The sauce gets ready while the rice boils and the whole feast is at the table in less than half an hour.

And me, I just love curry. 

While I refuse to admit my relationship with that particular spice blend might be a bit on the unhealthily co-dependent side, I will tell you this: as a kid I used to sprinkle it even on ice cream... yep - looooove curry.

And would you just look at those colours! And light!

Spring is finally here! (which means I can at last cook, shoot and eat well into the afternoon! Oh, joy!)

Rice gets more colour and flavour when, after cooking, you fold in a chopped bunch of coriander. Instead of coriander you can also use rucola. 

serves 3-4

Creamy orange and curry chicken:

400 g chicken
salt, pepper

For frying: oil

Creamy curry and orange sauce:

½ l chicken stock

2,5 dl freshy squeezed orange juice (2 large oranges

1 tsp finely grated orange zest 

½ red chilli, finely chopped

(pinch of saffron)

2 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp curry powder

2 dl cream (or coconut milk/ vegan substitute)

2 tbsp corn starch

2  tbsp cold water

To serve: boiled rice

Cut the chicken into desired sized strips and sear in a couple of tbsp oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Measure the ingredients (apart from cream, corn starch and water) into a pot. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add cream and corn starch mixed with cold water. Stir well and let boil for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Pour the sauce over chicken and continue cooking, covered and over medium heat, until chicken is thorouhy cooked - depending on the size 5-7 minutes. 

Check the taste and season as needed.

Serve with boiled rice.

PS. For more recipes under 30 minutes, just click yourself into the archives below!

What are your weekday dinner rush saviours? Do you savour soups or prefer pasta? Do you make do with mince or rough it up on ready-made meals?

___________________

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

         

SHARING IS CARING!

Mediterranean chicken soup with roasted peppers and chick peas (gluten-free, kosher, vegan)

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This Mediterranean chicken soup with roasted peppers and chick peas is comforting, yet healthy and bursting with Mediterranean flavours!

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All the snow and wind makes you crave for something comforting and warming?

The spring being just around the corner you feel the  need to at least try and eat healthier?

All you really want is to escape under Mediterranean sun but the holiday's still such a long way off you can't even bear to think about it?

You have a crowd to feed which invariably follows either gluten-free, vegan and/or kosher diet and you should come up with something that they can all eat?

Take a deep breath and relax as I've got just the recipe for you!

This Mediterranean chicken soup with roasted peppers and chickpeas is rich and comforting, yet healthy. The secret to it's creamy texture? Puréed chick peas. 

Soup itself is kosher and gluten-free, but for a vegan version you could substitute chicken with soy strips (dry weight 125 g) or, if soy , too is out of the question, with giant white beans.

Serves 3-4

Mediterranean chicken soup with roasted pepper and chick peas:

3 large red peppers
1 tin chick peas, drained 

7,5 dl chicken (or vegetable) stock

2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 red onion, finely sliced

1 ½ tsp pimentón (smoked paprika) or regular paprika

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp black pepper

400 g chicken (or soy strips or white beans) 

1 tbsp tomato concentrate

1 tsp sugar

200 g cherry tomatos, halved 

½ dl red wine vinegar

½ bunch of parsley (or basil), chopped

for sautéeing: oil

to serve: rest of the herbs

Start by roasting the peppers under a broiler until the ski n is black and bubbles. Let cool, covered, until cool enough to handle. Pull off the skin.

Measure 2 peppers into a food processor along with the drained chick peas and stock (leave a couple of chick peas for serving). Blizz until smooth. 

Slice the remaining pepper for serving. For a short cut you can use shop-bought roasted peppers in a jar - if possible use ones stored in oil as their taste is more mellow. 

Heat a couple of tbsp of oil in a coated pot. Sauté onion and garlic over medium heat until they're soft. Add pimentón and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes. 

Cut chicken to about 2-cm cubes and add into the pot. Season and sear.

Add tomato concentrate and sugar along with chickpea-chicken stock mixture. Stir and bring to boil. Add cherry tomatos and pepper strips and simmer for about 10 more minutes. 

Season with red wine vinegar and herbs. heck the taste and season as needed. Divide into serving bowls, sprinkle remaining herbs on top and serve.

Any of you dying for a Mediterranean getaway? What would be your dream destination?

___________________

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

         

SHARING IS CARING!

Rustic country style pork terrine - as impressive as it is easy (gluten-free)

Don't let the looks fool you - this rustic country style pork terrine is as easy as it is impressive. Made ahead it is a perfect treat for stress-free Christmas!

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This year Christmas came early. I've been working on a photo shoot for a client, creating recipes for a stress-free Christmas. Stress-free? Christmas? Is that even possible? Yes, it is and for the next week I'll be sharing my tips for it. You just wait and see!

Stress-free is something I've been in a dire need of, too. The book project has taken most of my time and outside it I've been a knackered human wreck. Trust me, I could have used a lot more vicious words, such as ones rhyming with the word itch - my state certainly would have warranted that.

Luckily my friends have seen me through this, too. And actually, gathering them over for trying out the recipes has made me rediscover the joy of cooking all over again. 

Having people I love around my kitchen table has reminded me why I do what I do. Cooking is not just sharing food - it's sharing love. 

And what better way to thank my friends for all their support and patience than to have them over for dinner? 

This time I wanted to focus on enjoying the evening (and yes, a glass or twenty of wine), so everything on the menu was either quick and easy or something that could be made in advance.

Not so surprisingly our Christmas season kicked off in rather Mediterranean spirits. The star of the evening was this rustic pork terrine. It's guaranteed to impress just about anybody, but while you're basking in the glory of their praises, you can also take smug pleasure in being the only one who knows just how easy it actually is. I told you - perfect for stress-free Christmas!

I have a feeling this will become a staple at our picnics next summer, too...

Psst- this also makes for a welcome foodie gift!

Check out the rest of the recipes, too:

Fish and roe terrine
Shrimp with Limoncello mayonnaise and tomato and basil mayonnaise
Lemon and rosemary shortbread biscuits

Serves 8-10 people

Rustic country style pork terrine:

400 g pork neck (or shoulder) 

250 g chicken livers

200 g pork belly (without the rind)

1 egg

3/4 dl port wine/ cognac/ brandy

75 g pistachios

75 g dried cranberries

1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped 

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Also: 2  pckgs (á 180 g) bacon rashers

Pat the chicken livers dry. Cut the pork neck and belly into cubes, discarding any tough fatty pieces. Measure half of the pork into a food processor with all of the livers and the egg. Whizz until smooth. Transfer into another bowl.

Add rest of the meat into the processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Combine with the liver mixture along with rest of the ingredients. Mix well, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 4 hours (or overnight).

Separate the bacon rashers from each other and, holding onto one end, stretch them.

Line the mold (1 litre) with rashers slighty overlapping each other. Cut two of the rashers into half and use those pieces for the end. 

Spoon the terrine mixture into the tin lined with bacon. Fold the rashers over the mixture and cover with a piece of parchment. Wrap the mold with tin foil.

Heat the oven to 170º (in a fan assisted oven 150 will do). Place the mold into an oven proof dish and pour enough boiling water to reach halfway of the mold. 

Cook for 75 minutes, until the terrine starts to come away from the edges of the mold and a skewer inserted into it comes out clean and piping hot. Remove the mold from the water bath and place a weight (such as a couple of tins) on top of it. 

Leave to cool and then transfer into fridge. Leave to set until next day.

Remove the weights, unwrap the foil and carefullyturn it into a serving platter. Serve with cornichons, pearl onions and/or cranberry or blackcurrant jelly.

___________________________

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

     

SHARING IS CARING!

Go nuts - Asian chicken skewers with satay sauce (glutenfree)

These Asian chicken skewers and nutty satay sauce are so addictive - go on, go nuts!

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I spent the first half of the summer travelling so much that I still haven't finished all of those stories. But a little break from the travel posts might do us both good, non? And in case you thought I'd completely stopped eating, let me correct you straight away. No, I haven't. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

Cooking and shooting for my book has taken most of my time of late, so I've missed out on the glorious BBQ weather that still show no signs of being over. So, better make the most of these days while I still can! Same goes for you - go on, fire up that BBQ because have I got treats for you!

This peanut sauce is one of my long-standing favourites that I usually make a bigger batch of: I seem to have a horrible tendency to lick the bowl dry before the BBQ is even ready. Obviously it's all in the name of quality control - it's not like I'm greedy or anything. Oh, no. 

It's also versatile as heck - try it as a dip for crudites, as a salad dressing (for instance to replace the miso and sesame dressing in this glutenfree mung bean vermicellisalad!), for beef or pork... or with your index finger. It is that good. 

I prefer sugar-free peanutbutter as that allows me to keep pretending I'm all about clean living, but use what ever you like. And in case you haven't gone crazy at the ethnic shops and are issing some of the ingredients for the sauce, worry not. You can replace fish sauce by adding more soy sauce and as for rice vinegar, just add more lime juice. And perhaps some regular white vinegar and a dash of sugar. 

10 skewers/ serves 4

Asian marinated chicken skewers and satay sauce:

450 g chicken

marinade:

1 dl soy sauce

1/2 dl honey

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 red chilli

finely grated zest and juice of a lime (1,5 tbsp juice)

Combine the ingredients. Pat the chicken dry and cut into 1 cm strips. Place in the marinade and leave to marinate at least for half an hour (or several hours, depending on how much time you've got)

Satay-kastike:

1,5 dl (150 g) unsweetened peanut butter

1/4 dl rice vinegar

the finely grated zest and juice of a lime (1,5 tbsp juice)

1,5 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) 

1 dl coconuut milk

1/2 -1 tsp Sriracha

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Measure the ingredients into a food processor and blizz until smooth (or whisk them together by hand). Check the taste and adust to your liking by adding me lime juice and/or soy sauce.

Drain the chicken from the marinade. Thread onto 10 skewers (in case using wooden ones, make sure to soak them in water for half an hour to avoid setting them on fire) and grill (either on a BBQ, griddle pan or under a broiler in the oven) for 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve with satay sauce. Enjoy.

Want to hear a secret? I finished them all by myself. In one sitting. I suppose there's no way to pass that one off as quality control...?

__________________

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

      

SHARING IS CARING!