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?

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

    

             

SHARING IS CARING!

Fakeout Chinese: sesame chicken and broccoli

While I love my neighbourhood, it has its flaws. Like the total lack of decent ethnic restaurants. Especially Chinese (oh, the shock and horror - a food blogger who has to make her own food!!!).

Luckily this fakeout Chinese dish is ready in less time it takes to go through the menu, finally reach the decision, pick up the phone, dial the restaurant, place the order and wait for yet another delivery guy to get lost in the maze that is the courtyard if my building (seriously, the whole point of ordering in is the overwhelming reluctance to leave my bed - having to leave my bed and venture out onto the streets in search of the lost lamb sort of defeats the whole purpose...)

If you can get your hands on broccolini, use that. It had sold out in all the shops I tried... so I had to make do with regular broccoli (oh, the misery that is my life!)

Serves 4:

Chinese sesame chicken and broccoli:

450 g chicken,in 1-inch-cubes

marinade:

1,25 dl (low sodium) soy sauce
0,75 dl honey
1,25 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

1 tso corn starch mixed with 1,5 tsp cold water

1 broccoli, cut into similar sized florets
4 spring onions

To serve: a couple of tbsp sesame seeds

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over chicken cubes. Leave to marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients. 

Drain the chicken (reserve the marinade!) and pour the marinade into a small pot. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then add corn starch mixture, whisk until smooth and bring to boil again. Add a couple of tbsp of water if needed.

Steam broccoli florets for a couple of minutes. Heat at a couple of tbsp of oil in a pan/ wok and cook the chicken until browned all over and just about cooked through. Then add the white part of spring onion (leave the green part for serving) and broccoli. Heat until everything is piping hot and pour over the sauce.

Sprinkle the spring onion and sesame seeds on top and serve with rice. 

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SHARING IS CARING!

Thai tomato and lentil soup

I can only imagine it is the result of one of my manic shopping sprees at the ethnic shops sometime last year, but I recently realized my cupboards now stock kilos and kilos of lentils and about five different kind of beans. 

But what do you know - turned out UN has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. So, this year will give the spotlight to all of the protein rich, nutritious lentils, peas and beans (and why not some Pink Floyd  recordings, while at it...)

Obviously I wasn't being trendy - in my case all this was just an accident, but last week the blog celebrated chickpea and gave hummus a glorious spring time makeover. This week we'll be loving all things lentils. 

This comforting lentil soup gets its twist from Thai kitchen and was just what I needed last weekend when Finnish sky kept dropping down snow, sleet, hale and rain - all in the space of one day. So, I pulled on my woolly socks, buried myself under the duvets with a bowl of this soup and threw myself into Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce. 

Hey, I'm in no rush. The spring can come when ever she feels like it. I'm gooood. 

Serves 4-6

Thai tomato and lentil soup:

1 onion
2 large cloves of garlic (or 4 smaller ones)
1 red chilli
1 tbsp tomato concentrate
the stalks of a bunch of coriander
3 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp lemon grass paste (can be omitted if not on hand) 
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

a couple of tbsp (coconut) oil

2,5 dl red lentils, rinsed
1/2 tin (à 400 gr) finely chopped crushed tomatos
1 l veggie stock
2 dl coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce) 
the juice of 1/2 lime
1-2 tbsp (brown) sugar

To serve: lime wedges, coriander leaves

Measure all the ingredients listed in the first segment into a small food processor and blizz into a smooth paste. If needed, add a little coconut milk to make the  machine run properly.

Heat the oil in a pot and add the paste. Keep frying for a couple of minutes until the oil starts separating. Then add lentils and after a couple of minutes crushed tomatos. Pour the veggie stock into the pot and let simmer until lentils are done - 15-20 minutes. 

Blizz into a puré if you want and add the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Bring to boil and continue cooking for further 5 minutes. Check the taste, add more fish sauce and/or sugar. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve with a drizzle of lime juice. 

More lentil recipes coming on the blog, but hey - I'd love to hear your views! Lentils - yay or nay? How do you use them?

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SHARING IS CARING!

Massaman chicken curry and Blitz Riesling

Back to Asian cuisine, again, I see. I'm clearly in a need of a holiday somewhere that isn't wet and grey... But in the meanwhile this Massaman curry will keep me very happy!

I love meat with the bone on and when it comes to chicken, the thighs would probably have to be my favourite. Sure, they take a bit more time than those anemic fillets, but man, do they pack more flavour! I mean, even this dish only takes 1,5 hours (and most of that it just simmers away all on its own), but in case that's too much for your weekday dinner, make this the star of your next Friday dinner/ Sunday lunch. 

In case you, too, have people in your life who claim they can't stand onion (or you just prefer a smooth consistency!), blizz the onions together with ginger and garlic and rest of the ingredients for the paste.  In case you want them to have a bite to them, gently brown them and only add into the finished dish.

Oh, and should you not have any Chinese five-spice (that's a blend of ginger, anise, fennel, cinnamon bark and pepper) lurking around, don't fall into despar- Just use pepper soldier on!

Serves 4-6

Massaman curry with chicken:

6 chicken thighs (800 g)
salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice
oil for frying

2 large potatos (tot. 400 g)isoa perunaa
2 onions

3 cm piece ginger
5 cloves of garlic
the stalks of 1 bunch of coriander
4 tbsp Massaman curry paste

2,5 dl chicken stock
1 can (400 g) creamy coconut milk
2 star anises

2 tbsp fish sauce
2 brown sugar
the juice of 1 lime
salt, pepper

To serve:

the remaining coriander leaves
handful of dry-roasted peanuts
(lime wedges)

Peel the potatos and cut into one inch cubes. Cut the onion roughly into wedges.

Blizz coriander stalks with ginger, garlic and Massaman curry paste. Add a couple of tbsp of chicken stock if needed for a smooth consistency.

Pat chicken dry, season and sear in a big pot on both sides. Transfer onto a plate. Add a bit more oil if needed and then add the spice paste. Heat for a couple of minutes and then add stock and coconut milk. Mix until smooth and add chicken, potatos and onions into the pot.

Bring to boil and then turn the heat down. Let simmer, covered, until chicken is fall-off-the-bone-tender and potatos are done - about 1,5 hrs.

Then add fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice. Check the taste and adjust by either adding more of those or salt and pepper.

Sprinkle peanuts and coriander leaves on top of the curry and serve with rice and a freshly squeezed lime juice.

Asian cuisine combines sweet, hot and tangy elements and the classic pairing (for a reason) is Riesling. This time, instead of my usual Alsace variety, I went for Mosel in Germany. Its Northern location among other reasons, makes for Rieslings where acidity is the dominating quality as opposed to fruity sweetness. Blitz Riesling from Weinhaus Dr.Pauly-Bergweiler has bright acidity, which makes it a great aperitif as well. It would also work with richer and spicier seafood dishes. And you know what- it wasn't out of place with this lamb dhansak, either!

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Lamb dhansak and Undurraga Carménère

The recipes of my Meat-free October were well received and brought in a whole lot of new readers. But I must tell you, my old readers couldn't hide their excitement when the month came to an end...

First thing I whipped up was lamb dhansak, one of my favourites in Indian cuisine. It's earthy and comforting but not spicy a such. Dhansaks get their richness from lentils, a superhero packed with nutrients I've come to totally love.

I used a 1,2 kg pack of lamb entrecôte and boom - ended up with enough to feed about eight people. Somewhere along the way clearly forgetting I live alone. Oh well, stews like this are food of love and meant to be shared. So, I took some of mine to the crazy lady living alone downstairs. That's my challenge for you, too: make this and share the love so that at least for one day no-one needs to go lonely. Or hungry.

PS. If you can't get your hands on fenugreek seeds, just skip them. It'll be delicious nonetheless!

Serves 6-8

Lamb dhansak

1,2 kg lamb entrecôte (or another boneless piece of lamb)

oil for frying

3 onions
2 green chillis
1 large tomato
4 large garlic cloves
5 tsp finely chopped ginger
the stalks of large bunch of coriander

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds 
3 tsp fennel seeds

2,5 tsp turmeric
2,5 tsp ground coriander seeds
2,5 tsp ground cumin

1 star anise
300 g dl red lentils 
1 l meat (or vegetable) stock

1 tbsp garam masala
salt, pepper
(sugar)

to serve:

coriander leaves
1 large onion (or a handful of crunchy roasted onion flakes)
1/2 tbsp chilli flakes
Cut the lamb into an inch by inch cubes. Sear, on a hot pan, in batches. Season with salt and pepper.

Grind fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and fennel seeds into powder (using either pestle and mortar or one of those handy spice grinders). Combine with the rest of the spices apart from garam masala. 

Cut the tomato in half and remove the core. Blizz with onions, chilli, garlic, ginger and coriander stalks into a paste. Heat some oil large pot and sauté the paste until it softens and stars changing colour. Then add the spices and stir for a couple of minutes.

Add meat and the star anise. Stir to cover the meat. The pour in the lentils and stock. Bring to boil. Cover  and let simmer over gentle heat for 1,5 - 2 hours until meat is tender. But hey, as is the case with stews, it's really not that fussy. 

Add garam masala, check the taste and season as needed.

Finely slice the onion reserved for serving and fry in a bit of oil until browned, a little crisp around the edges but not burned. Sprinkle on top of dhansak along with the chilli flakes and coriander leaves.

Serve with rice and naan bread. Should you fancy having a go at making your own, look no further - the recipe for that coming on the blog next!

And hey, if food is a way to culinary expeditions around the world, so, too, are wines. Since in this blog the emphasis is on pairing food and wine, you don't often hear me wax lyrical about the intensity of the colour or analyze the soil the grapes grew in. 

But there's an interesting story behind the wine pairing for this recipe.

Carménère is originally from Médoc region in Bordeaux, France and one of the oldest varieties of our continent. In 1867, however, Phylloxera plague destroyed most of the vineyards in Europe and Carménère was thought to be extinct. In 1990's the world was in for a surprise, as DNA tests (I know, right! Very CSI!) proved how a grape that had happily settled in Chile and that everybody thought was Merlot, was actually Carménère!

Carménère takes a while to ripen and produces medium-bodied red with soft tannins. Though it can occasionally have quite a bit berriness in it, they're nothing like juice-like Beaujolaises. Instead, at best they're packed with personality. They tend to have pepperiness, spiciness and earthiness, sometimes to a point of smoky.

Now, with Indian food you'd probably reach for a beer (in addition to that standard lager you might want to try a fruity IPA as well!) and a Riesling from Mosel (Blitz Riesling for one) would not be out of place either. Carménère, however, is a surprisingly good match when it comes to red wines. It's jot certain jamminess that balances the spicier notes of the Indian cuisine and it does work well with the cooling, herby elements such as coriander.

I have a feeling it might work with the Asian flavours and green peppers of this recipe for beef in peanut sauce, too...!

Oh, and if Indian food is right up your alley, try these samosas (gluten-free and vegan!).


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Meatless monday (all month long): red thai soy strip curry (vegan)

Aaaah... October. The month of challenges. There's Stoptober encouraging people to quit smoking and then there's Sober October, willing people to spend 31 days without alcohol. Since I seem to have this inexplicable need to do everything in life the hard way, I felt compelled to challenge myself, too. No, I'm not even going to attempt the latter as October is also the month of Oktoberfest (surely those two cancel each other out?) . Instead I, the insatiable carnivore, am joining the meat-free October. Not that my life has seen any kind of carnal delights of late, anyway...

I love everything about meat, starting from the texture. It's just so immensely satisfying to sink one's hungry teeth into it! But no, not for the next 30 days. Instead I'll be sinking my teeth into... wait for it... soy. There's a wide array of soy-based meat substitutes out there which are more ecologic than meat, wildly high in protein, cholesterol-free, loaded with calcium and rich in fiber, too. So, we'll stay how this pans out...

I started my exploration into the vegetarian world with soy strips (also called textured vegetable protein strips or chicken-free strips), which I turned into this comforting vegan dish: red Thai curry. Just what these cold autumn days call for.

Not only is this suitable for just about any special diet out there, it's also quick and easy. You'll have dinner on the table in half an hour! 

PS. If you insist on making your own curry paste, you'll find the recipe on the blog here.

Serves 2-3

Red thai curry with soy strips:

125 g soy strips 

1,5 l vegetable stock

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

4 cm piece of fresh ginger

1,5 red chilli (reserve the rest for serving)

the stalks from a bunch of coriander

1 tsp soy sauce

the juice of 1,5 lime (reserve the remaining half for serving)

3 tbsp red curry paste

1 tbsp ketchup

400 g coconut milk (rich, creamy kind)

To serve:

finely chopped leaves of a bunch of coriander
handful of toasted coconut flakes (or crispy, roasted onion flakes)
remaining half of the lime, cut into chunks
remaining chilli, thinly sliced

Cook the soy strips in vegetable stock for 10 minutes. Drain and steam drier. 

Measure the remaining ingredients into a small food processor (or pound into a paste using pestle and mortar) and blizz into a smooth paste. If needed, add a tbsp or two of coconut milk. 

Pour the paste into a pan and add soy strips. Stir to make sure they're covered in paste for a couple of minutes and then add coconut milk. Let simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Add coriander leaves, drizzle freshly squeezed lime juice on top and sprinkle with coconut flakes (dry roast them in a hot pan until golden and fragrant). Serve with rice.

I was ridiculously skeptic somewhat curious as to what the taste would be like (yes, I pushed and shoved the pieces around with the tip of my fork like a petulant 3-year-old). But you know what? Damn. Goddamn, this was yummy. So. Bloody. Yummy. And that texture? Juicier than chicken. 

Carnivore's verdict? Soy strips, you're going to Hollywooooood!

PS. If Asian flavours are your thing, try using soy strips for substituting chicken in this divine mango and chilli chicken recipe or instead of beef with this delicious peanut sauce!

(125 g of uncooked soy strips equal roughly 400 g chicken/ beef strips.)

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Meaty secret from Spain: Secreto de Iberico with pineapple salsa and Villa Maria Cellar Selection Riesling

Whoah. WHOAH. Have I got a secret for you. With an "o". Yep, secret-o. Secreto de Iberico, to be precise. Sounds immediately so enticing, right? That's Spanish for you. You'll get away with just  about anything in it. Just imagine whispering "tengo la sífilis y voy a morir mañana" - the listener would just melt. That is, if they didn't understand Spanish and know you've just told them you have syphilis that will kill you tomorrow, of course. But hey, I can promise this is probably just about the most succulent piece of meat you'll come across. 

Secreto comes from somewhere around the shoulder region, lurking under the belly fat. Juicy and tender beyond belief. It's heavy on the muscular fat (visible on the surface of the slab of meat, creamy and white) which keeps the meat moist, yet giving it a glorious crust.

In case you don't have a bunch of Iberico piggies roaming at the back of your hacienda, source yours frozen or at a good butcher.

Prepping this baby takes no special skills. Heavy on the salt and pepper, off to the hot BBQ or a griddle pan it goes for about 3 minutes per side, followed by a couple of minutes rest. It's next to impossible to mess it up.

In Spain the traditional way to serve it is to cut it into strips and drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Another equally delish way would be to serve it with romesco (or romesco mayo!). Ooh, and with some roasties!

This time I served mine with pineapple salsa, which, too, comes together in mere minutes. No need to wrap up the BBQ season just yet!

Serves 2

Grilled Iberico's secreto with pineapple salsa

1 slab (about 370 g) Iberico pork's secreto

salt, pepper

Pineapple salsa:

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tlsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

the juice of 1,5 lime

1/2 pineapple (or 2 cans of pineapple slices in its own juice)

1/2 green pepper

1 - 1,5 jalapeño (depending on your taste), finely chopped

1 tomato

1/2 bunch of coriander

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

pinch of white pepper

Take the meat into room temperature about half an hour prior to grilling. In the meanwhle make the salsa. 

Combine garlic, red onion, ginger and lime juice in a bowl and leave to marianate (this helps soften the onion). Then prep rest of the ingredients.

Cut pinapple, pepper and tomato into 1 cm cubes. Combine with jalapeño and chopped coriander leaves. Combine with the onion mixture. Check the taste and season. 

Wipe the meat dry and season generously. Grill over hot grill (or griddle pan) for 3 minutes per side and leave to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Cut to strips, drizzle with remaining lime juice and serve with pineapple salsa.

Spicy, sweet notes? Richness of the pork? You guessed it - the wine pairing is Riesling. What you might have not guessed it is the fact that this time it comes from New World.

Another wine I've introduced from the same producer is Private Bin Organic Sauvignon Blanc I paired with the Asian-inspired sesame encrusted tuna salad. 

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Riesling is a dry wine with fruitiness so typical for Riesling without excessive sweetness, however. It has floral notes and, after breathing a bit, also hints of petroliness. Dry as an aperitif or with Asian inspired dishes with fish, seafood and white meat.

The recipe has acidic, spicy, fruity and rich elements, so you might also try it with Whole Bunch Grenache Blanc Viognier from Bellingham The Bernard Series that went so well with this chicken and pineapple pasta salad or even Biohof Pratsch Grüner Veltliner, that I paired with this chicken and avocado salad.

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