Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup with Sweet Potato - Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit's Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup with Sweet Potatoes

It's been cold. It's be raining. And it's time for soup!

I was down a YouTube rabbit hole recently and started watching a bunch of Bon Appetit videos. I love them - filmed in the test kitchen, these short videos have chefs with great personalities. My favorite series is Claire Saffitz making gourmet junk food like Oreos, Skittles, Instant Ramen (and bickers with Brad in the kitchen). Anyway, my second favorite is Andy Baraghani. He brings his own rice to make a Persian dish and made this delicious soup (watch the video)

Using the most basic of ingredients, you can make and serve this soup in an hour. And that's a Meyer lemon from my mom's tree.

  
There are 4 garlic cloves and 2 inches of ginger. Man, I love ginger in soup. I used two-ish chicken thighs.

One large sweet potato, with skin on, makes for a yummy change from a plain potato and the color is awesome.

Before serving, shred the chicken thighs with two forks. Super duper easy soup!

Right before serving, a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and soy sauce are added. Topped with cilantro, it's way delicious. I served this to a friend who liked it, and another friend made it and loved it. I've made it twice in 2019 and we're only at January 16 so it's hella good. I hope you make this!

Bon Appetit Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken with Rice and Sweet Potato

Part of the Bon Appetit New Year's Healthyish series

Bon Appetit recipe link: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-rice-soup

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used two plus a little thighs)
1/3 cup jasmine rice, rinsed (rinse until water runs clear)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2" piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 t kosher salt
2 small sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½"-thick rounds (I used one large sweet potato)
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon juice)
2 TBSP soy sauce
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan, bring chicken, rice, garlic, ginger, salt, and 5 cups water to boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for 10-12 minutes, until chicken is firm
3. Add sweet potatoes to pan and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until soup is thickened and potatoes and rice are tender, 15–20 minutes longer.
4. Remove chicken and shred. Return the chicken to the pot.
5. Add lemon juice and soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Top soup with chopped cilantro

Makes enough for 2 large servings with leftovers.

Recipe by Andy Baraghani. Video with his amazing no-look chopping (I would be in the ER after trying that): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj2j_K8c7XE

Join Andy Baraghani in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Oil

Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Oil

Soup for you! You have to make this delicious and yet easy to make soup! It's super fast too...in 30 minutes you get soup! And it reheats nicely in the microwave so it's perfect to bring to work too. The carrots have a little sweetness, the sweet potato adds body, and the ginger gives it such good flavor.


And why is there a huge tub of Organic Coconut Oil in this mise en place? Well, the nice folks at Costco reached out to me and gave me a few items from the store. I haven't used coconut oil before so it was a treat to get this. My family has been a member of Costco since the Price Club days. There are so many things I buy at Costco - contact lenses, gasoline, tires for my car, blueberries, raspberries, that rotisserie chicken, photo center for prints, King's Hawaiian rolls, Nestle Chocolate Chips, hella oral hygiene stuff (Sonicare toothbrushes, floss and those little pick things for between your teeth...yeah, a little TMI there), paper towels, TP, dog beds for Cidney, televisions (I've bought three for my family over the years), and yes, on occasion, the famous food court's frozen yogurt, slice of pizza and a hot dog with sauerkraut (yes, ask for the sauerkraut - it's on their secret menu). I can go on and on... what are your favorite items at Costco?

I'm extra excited because my Costco is getting a bigger Costco! The Torrance Costco is always so busy - it needs more room. They are building a bigger Costco right next door to the existing one...with more parking! It will even have a car wash!

Costco's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil makes your kitchen smell very tropical when you are cooking with it. (By the way, you may read about me hatin' on the coconut, but I only hate the coconut strands and flakes because they feel like dental floss. I love coconut flavored stuff.) Coconut oil has no cholesterol and can be used in place of oils and butter. It has a low melting temperature so although it is solid, it melts really quickly in your pan. I'm excited to try some new recipes - including a cake where the coconut oil replaces butter, and coconut oil popcorn! I'll post those when I attempt them!


The Carrot Ginger soup is so easy to make, and it takes about 30 minutes total!! You just saute the shallots and ginger in coconut oil, then put in the carrots, sweet potato and water. Cook until tender and then go crazy with your immersion blender!

This recipe can be vegan if you skip the optional yogurt or sour cream topping.
~ mary

P.S. NPR's Planet Money Show (my favorite!) did a great piece on the history of Costco and membership shopping. You should listen to it - it's very interesting!

FCC Disclosure: Costco gifted me Virgin Coconut Oil. Opinions are my own. Dude, I love Costco. 

I used Young Ginger I purchase from the Torrance Farmer's Market. It comes with big stalks and you can boil the leaves to make tea (photo from 2012 on the left). Young Ginger isn't as fibrous as regular ginger, and it is much more mellow than its older sibling. I love young ginger! It's only available for a short time so I buy a bunch and freeze it. NPR wrote a piece about young ginger you might want to read...and try to find some!



Carrot Ginger Soup
Adapted from: Martha Stewart Carrot Ginger Soup
Makes 6 cups, about 8 servings

1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon or more minced ginger (I used young ginger that isn't as strong so I used a little more)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
4 cups water
Sea salt
Optional: Yogurt or sour cream

1. In a medium post, melt coconut oil and then add shallots and ginger. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add carrots, sweet potato, water and a 1 teaspoon sea salt.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the veggies are cooked and tender.
4. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a blender to puree the soup. Add salt to taste.
5. Serve soup with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles - Perfect Potluck Salad

Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles Salad

When that sign up sheet for the office potluck goes around, put "Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodle Salad" next to your name. My colleague brought salad to our potluck and I ate many portions. It's a perfect potluck or Superbowl Party salad! And it's so easy to make!


Trader Joe's sells this broccoli slaw mix in the veggie section. Buy it. Your work is almost done.


Broccoli slaw is great because 90% of the work is done for you! You simply add some nuts and ramen noodles (I would eat these dry all the time in college...who hasn't?) A simple salad dressing tops the whole thing.


This was a second batch I made...this time without the green onions because I didn't have any. Still delicious!


This is a great potluck salad because it keeps, but it is also yummy for lunch or with dinner. You can add some pieces of rotisserie chicken if you wish too.

Recipe:
Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodle Salad

1 cup sliced almonds (it's best if you toast the almonds. I've made it both raw and toasted)
12 or 16 oz package broccoli slaw (Trader Joe's package is 12 ounces, I use 1 1/2 packages)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 packages "oriental" flavor ramen noodles, uncooked, broken up (seasoning packets reserved for the dressing)
1 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 packages of ramen noodle seasoning packets
½ cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss almonds, broccoli slaw, green onions, noodles, and sunflower seeds to combine.

In a bowl or mason jar, whisk together the sugar and vinegar until sugar is dissolved (the original recipe said to heat the sugar and vinegar together to dissolve. I did that once and your whole kitchen smells like vinegar so I didn't the second time and it all worked out.) Add oriental flavor seasoning packets. Whisk oil into vinegar mixture.

Pour dressing over slaw mixture; toss well. Chill at least 1-2 hours or overnight.  Toss before serving.

Fava Beans with Meyer Lemon, The Vegetable Diva

Fava Beans with Meyer Lemons

It's Fava Bean season! It's a bit early (the farmer's market vendor says it has been so hot in Central California that things are burning up and coming up early). The season is pretty short so get them when you see them.

And get them when you are full of peaceful zen and patience.

To me, Fava Beans are vegetable divas. They require TWO peelings. But there is a reason why Mother Nature gave it so much padding - to protect it's yummy center.

Russ Parson's of the Los Angeles Times recommends buying a POUND of fava beans PER PERSON. Serious. There is a lot of organic compostable waste in fava beans.

First, you remove the pods from the bean.

Then, blanch the pods in boiling water for a minute or so.

The pods look milky white. But you aren't done. You need to remove that white layer to grab the beautiful green fava bean.

 

To get the bean out, I split the white layer with my nail. You can't just pop it out. You need to peel/slit the outer cover. Dude, I warned you. DIVA VEGETABLE.

Finally, after getting to the fava, you might be exhausted. So go simple and saute the beans with some olive oil and Meyer lemon zest. Finish with some good sea salt and cracked pepper.

Here are some other pretty things I found at the Farmer's Market. I'll post something I made with these strawberries this week!

Recipe:
Fava Beans with Meyer Lemon

1. Listen to an audiobook and get the fava beans out of the pods.
2. Blanch beans for a minute or so.
3. Remove the outer milky layer to reveal a bright green bean.
4. Saute beans in olive oil.
5. Zest a lemon into the pan, to taste.
6. Top with sea salt and cracked pepper. Serve immediately (well, after you take a photo! :)

Here's some other recipes:
LA Times: 6 Recipes for Fava Beans
The Kitchn: 5 Ways to Cook Fava Beans

Spinach and Ham Quiche - French Fridays with Dorie

Spinach and Ham Quiche

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Spinach and Bacon Quiche from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I did make and eat this on Friday, but ran a little late in my posting.

I'm going to tell you something. In confidence. You know, between you and me.

I stepped on the bathroom scale the other day and there was a number (in big, bright blue digital characters) that is just not right with the world. I mean, the biggest number I've ever seen. Ever.

I'm afraid the state or feds are gonna come barging through the door, while I'm standing in front of an open refrigerator, and arrest me for perjury...for the weight shown my driver's license is, um, not close to the actual number. Oy vey. I need to move a lot more and eat a lot less.

So, I tried to lighten up my little quiche. I dropped the crust and the bacon. I replaced the bacon with small pieces of ham (way less in fat). But it didn't lose any flavor.

Finally, I know this probably isn't anywhere "around my French table", but I did eat my second half with some Salsa Lizano sauce from Costa Rica. It goes perfectly with egg dishes. :)

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

The water heater died and needs a new part. I wash my hands about 100 times while baking/cooking so that  is out for a bit. (I've been visiting my folks for the shower :).  I made this broccoli salad last month and am finally posting it. Do you have a lot of "draft" posts as well? I really need to have a bit of spring cleaning in my queue and post 'em!

I'm making this salad "with Pam and Toby". My friend Pam lives in Berkeley and I'm sharing a few recipes with her and her cute son, Toby. This salad is really easy, keeps for a day or so and you can mix and match lots of toppings.

Raw broccoli, salted & roasted sunflower seeds, chopped red onions, golden raisins, dried cranberries, turkey bacon and mayo-based dressing. I also added fresh mandarin oranges to a batch of the salad and loved it.

I used turkey bacon. Um...turkey bacon is no regular bacon. It is way salty and just isn't the same. Next time, I'm going back to regular bacon, or just make it vegetarian.

Broccoli Salad

Adapted from Modern California Cookbook by the Los Angeles Times and appears in "The Best of Lucks" article by Jennifer Lowe, Los Angeles Times, December 08, 1999

Printable Recipe

Dressing:
Mix together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours:
1 cup mayonnaise (I used "Light" mayo)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Salad:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds raw broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces (broccoli crowns are perfect for this)
1/2 cup golden raisins (or regular raisins)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (original recipe only has raisins)
1 cup salted sunflower seeds
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 fresh tangerine, peeled and sectioned or can of mandarin oranges, drained (optional) (I added this, not in the original recipe)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine the salad ingredients. Dress with chilled dressing right before serving.

Tofu Burger made with House Tofu Burger Patty Mushroom Mix

House brand Tofu Burger Patty Mushroom Mix

Folding tables at the end of aisle drive me crazy.
By crazy, I mean they make me throw additional stuff in my cart.

One of my local Asian grocery stores always has someone giving away free samples. And this isn’t just a little nut-cup filled with 1/4 of an Almond Roca like at Costco. These ladies cook.

So, one day I happened upon a nice lady handing out hot, cute little tofu patties. She was hawking the Japanese House brand Tofu Burger Mix. And I was buying.

Here is the package. The cover is in Japanese, but the back has a sticker in English with the ingredients, nutritional value and directions.

First, this is NOT a vegetarian or vegan product. It contains wheat, egg & milk products, dried bonito flakes, dried spices and, of course, a bit of MSG. Dried Bonito flakes are a staple in the Japanese kitchen – it is used to make dashi or soup stock that you find as the base of miso soup.

I’m sure you could make something similar with your own spices, but darn it, it is sometimes very nice to just open a packet to help you along. I don’t see this product on their House Food America page...but I know they have a different House Tofu Patty Mix (all in English I believe).

Take a block of extra-firm or firm tofu. Of course, House suggests their own brand of tofu (12 oz), but I happened to have an organic Tofu from Trader Joe’s (19 oz) in the fridge. As Esi says, I am a Trader Joe-aholic and I’m not quitting.

Drain the tofu. If you want, you can squeeze it in cheesecloth or press it between paper towels or a dish towel. I pushed it against this strainer. Add the House mix to the tofu and mash and stir. As you can see, there are a lot of Panko breadcrumbs in this mix and dehydrated spices.

Form into patties. You can make 4 patties from the mix. I made two large patties and a series of mini patties because I’m all about the mini.

Cook over medium heat with a dollop of oil. The best part of tofu burgers is that you are just heating it through and don’t have to worry about e-coli. Tofu is also much lower in fat and calories than meat, and has no cholesterol. The mix only adds 40 calories per serving and no fat (4 servings in a packet).

I served mine with okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce but thicker and sweeter) and some pickled ginger.

Overall, I liked this mix and it tasted Japanese-y. I really like anything with a fried crust and this patty uses less oil than if you fried up tofu slices. This is a pretty cheap meal too...I don't remember, but I think the mix was $2-3 and tofu is cheap.

When I feel up to it, I’m going to try to make my own with some Panko, green onions, probably an egg and some furikake (Japanese rice seasoning that kids (and food blogging adults) adore).

In the meantime, stand at the end of an aisle, give me something on a toothpick, and I’ll probably buy what you are selling! Cheers, Mary the Food Librarian

Somen Noodle Salad in Inarizushi - Fried Soybean Skins/Pockets

Making salads "to go" is hard. Remember when McDonald's came out with the Salad McShaker in the 90's? I saw people eating that in cars...before cell phones took over as major distractions.

Put the plastic container and long fork away. Try this summer somen salad to go!

Kamaboko is steamed fish cake. It isn't too fishy, and adds pretty colors to the dish. I bought prepared "Inarizushi No Moto" pouches in a can, but you can also make them yourself. See links below for instructions from JustHungry.

Inarizushi pouches, abura-age, and inari age (lots of name for this...and "age" is not pronounced "what's your age in years?" but "ah-ge" (ge as is "get") is basically a fried tofu pouch that is seasoned...you can open the pouch and stuff it with yummy stuff. Most often it is used for inari sushi (or footballs as we called them as kids).

My salad contained: Somen noodles, eggs strips, kamaboko, frozen peas (thawed), green onions. See my earlier post about somen noodles.

You could add anything you want to this salad...edamame, fake crab, lettuce, cucumber, and other veggies. You can also top the salad with nori (seaweed).

I mixed up a quick dressing of: 1 T sesame seeds, dash of salt, 2 T sugar, 2 T sesame oil, 2 T veggie oil, 1/4 c rice wine vinegar, 2 T soy sauce...then stuffed the pouches with the salad!

Top each pocket with some sesame seeds!

Forget the Salad McShaker. Go for the Somen McSalad instead.

Additional Information and Recipes:
Cooking the somen noodles from Food Librarian's earlier post
Inarizushi: Sushi in a Bean Bag from Just Hungry
Making your own fried tofu skins from Just Hungry