Thai Style Soup with Shrimp/Tofu

You could substitute tofu for shrimp.


1 teaspoon oil
3 stalks lemon grass, tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
8 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
4 cups broth
1 tablespoon sugar
½ pound white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 pound raw shrimp, if frozen thaw before cooking
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 2 to 3 limes
2 teaspoons red curry paste (Thai)

Garnish
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 Serrano chilies or one jalapeno, sliced thin
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias
1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not brown). Stir in chicken broth; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer translucent, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.

Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chilies, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

2-4 servings

20 minutes

Julia Child Chicken

Adapted from Julia Child

1 chicken breast with skin and bone (grocer will package just one if you want)
½ cup flour in plastic bag with salt and pepper
2 TBS Butter
1 or 2 garlic cloves
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup broth

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter in pan over moderate heat.

Place chicken in bag with flour and shake to coat. Shake off excess flour and sauté breast in pan. Sauté 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.

Bake chicken in oven for 20 minutes, basting with butter from pan with spoon every 5 minutes. Set on plate to rest.

Add garlic to pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add wine and boil off winey smell. Add broth and reduce by half.

Pour over chicken and serve.


1 serving

Half hour

Ribollita

Serves 4
1/2 cup cooking olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (salad bar)
4 carrots, peeled chopped (salad bar)
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped
2 yellow squash, halved lengthwise chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 small Napa or Savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
Broth
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
1 14-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
Rosemary
Sage
Parsley
Bay leaf
1 bunch spinach
Red-pepper flakes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Parmesan
Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil. When hot, stir in the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, squash, fennel and cabbage. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the beans, tomatoes, herbs and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
Fold in the spinach and simmer until wilted. Stir in salt and red-pepper flakes to taste.
Serve with Extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
Good with Crusty bread