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.

Tomato Soup Bundt - Day #22 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Tomato Soup Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #22

It was freeeeeezing in Los Angeles this weekend. Well, for us. It was in the low 50's and raining!! ;) I broke out the space heater, snuggie and booties. And a can of tomato soup. To drink? No.... to bake!

It's Day #22 of I Like Big Bundts... my effort to bring you 30 Bundts in 30 Days! I hope to inspire you to make a Bundt cake for National Bundt Day on November 15th. The Bundt deserves its own day, no? I think so! 

This recipe appears in Warren Brown's (of Cake Love) book, United Cakes of America. Each state has a cake. The Tomato Soup Cake represents New Jersey as the Campbell's company has been in Camden, NJ for 140+ years. Bea of El Rincon of Bea made it for last year's International Bundt Day (yes, it is totally an international event! :) and I was intrigued. Luckily, my library has this book so I was able to check it out... Warren Brown has lots of other recipes I can't wait to try. And thanks Bea for being the Bundt representative in Spain! She has made a bunch of Bundts on her blog - check it out!

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!

You don't taste the tomato soup, it adds moistness to the cake. You can taste the fall spices of cinnamon and cloves, and has a nice texture with the walnuts.

We're in the last few days of this marathon... I keep saying, "I can make it!" See you tomorrow for another bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake
Day #19: Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Strawberries
Day #20: Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt
Day #21: Rice Krispies Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe
Adapted from Warren Brown book, United Cakes of America

Bundt Pan:  Bavarian Nordic Ware Pan

Avgolemono Lemon Rice Soup - Lemon Week 2011

Avgolemono Soup

Lemon Week continues! I'm usually baking, but a girl needs to eat. And I love to eat soup!

Last month, we had a Lemon Fest at work. My colleague has a huge lemon tree and brought in baskets and baskets of lemons. We had a potluck of lemon themed foods and one of my colleagues made this Greek lemon rice soup. I couldn't wait to make it at home!

Just wanted to show you where the lemons are coming from! Here are my folks in front of their Meyer lemon tree.

The recipe is from the LA Times Food Section's Culinary "SOS". Here, you find people writing letters begging for recipes from their fav restaurant. Luckily, someone asked for the Avgolemono soup from Taverna Tony in Malibu! (I'm hoping that one day they get the Surfas Cafe Lavender Lemon Bars recipe! :)

Recipe:
Avgolemono soup at Taverna Tony - Los Angeles Times Food Section
My adaptations: I had some leftover rotisserie chicken so I used that instead of poaching chicken in broth. I used long grain white rice and Meyer lemons.

Lemon Week 2011:
Meyer Lemon Ginger Muffin, Whole Meyer Lemon Bars, Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Bundt

Paris Mushroom Soup - French Fridays with Dorie

Paris Mushroom Soup

This week's recipe selection for French Fridays with Dorie is Paris Mushroom Soup. Doesn't that just sound 100 times better than Plain Mushroom Soup or Las Vegas Mushroom Soup?! We are cooking and baking our way through Dorie Greenspan's new book: Around my French Table

Unlike baking, you can really change things up in cooking. I like that. Perhaps I should try this cooking thing a bit more. :)

I used olive oil instead of butter, shallots instead of onion, skipped the garlic (because I forgot), passed on the wine and parsley. I also completely missed the salad portion because I didn't have the herbs. But if I make it again, I will definitely get all the herbs. Or maybe grow a herb garden. Yeah, right. After a quick whiz in the food processor, I placed a little dollop of sour cream top.

Check out what other French Fridays with Dorie members made here! Yes, this is called French Fridays and I'm posting on Saturday. But at least I got one in!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support the awesome Dorie Greenspan and purchase the book:

Everyday Food Coconut Shrimp Soup (with added curry)

Coconut (and Curry) Shrimp Soup

Hi everyone,
I'm in the DC area this week helping my preggers friend Racheal who is on bed rest. We just finished watching 6 hours of Colin Firth in Pride & Prejudice - I can't believe my English major friend never saw it! Glad we can mark that movie off her list of the best RoCo movies of all time!

Anyway, I figure my friend can't eat dessert all day so I brought the book Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, and let Racheal bookmark some pages. First up, Coconut Shrimp Soup!

This was very simple to put together...once I figured out which way to cut the carrots! :)

Garlic and ginger are cooked, then the carrots, coconut milk, water, and cornstarch are added. You'll need to serve this immediately because the cornstarch and pasta soak up all the liquid if you let it sit...believe me on that!

I made the recipe exactly and when I tasted it, it had way too much coconut flavor. Way. too. much.

I added lots of curry powder and more red pepper flakes. And, we added in our left over Thai yellow curry from the previous day's take out! In addition, I squeezed a bunch of lime juice on top. I served it with Sriracha sauce (a staple in any house!) I probably won't make this recipe again, but at least I didn't let my friend starve! :)

Recipe: Coconut Shrimp Soup (I added lots of curry powder)

Later, I made a roast chicken, and apple & cherry crisp...coming up soon!

Mochi, Mochi, Mochi! - New Years Post #2

Mochi! Mochi! Mochi!

My family held our annual mochi making day last Saturday. This unsweetened Mochi is eaten on New Years Day in a special soup called ozoni. This type of mochi is formally called "komochi." Eating mochi and ozoni soup on New Years Day will give you good luck and longevity.

We cooked up 175 pounds of mochi rice. Yes, 175 pounds! It takes about 5 hours to complete...and we all take breaks and grab a bite from our international potluck of tamales, burritos, sushi, won tons, dim sum, and mac and cheese!!

Special mochi rice is steamed (my uncle has rigged up gas lines and about 5 steamers - there is a whole crew of family that works on the rice). Cooked rice is then dumped into one of two machines. The machine grinds the hot rice into a sticky mass and it is extruded from the machine. Remember, it's hot, hot, hot. The Cutter cuts off pieces of mochi and then hands it to the Catcher...

My cousin's daughter got promoted to Catcher! The Catcher gets the hot mochi from the Cutter and shapes it for a few seconds (the goal is round mochi pieces). My favorite story of the day: my cousin said his girls play "making mochi" in the sand at the beach!

As the mochi cools, the mochi flattens out a bit.

After the mochi cools, they are pulled off the trays and dusted with mochiko (rice flour). This operation uses three generations of manpower! We are always grooming new talent! :)

Most of the mochi is given out to friends and family so they can toast up a mochi on New Years day and serve it in "ozoni" soup. There are many different types of ozoni soup. (You just gotta be careful...mochi is very chewy and there are always reports of elderly folks in Japan choking on mochi.)

We also cook up mochi during the year and eat it with soy sauce and sugar. I don't know if that is how they do it in Japan, but that's the way my cousins and I eat it! To see last year's photos, see this post.

Ozoni Soup for a good new year!

If you in Los Angeles, head to the Japanese American National Museum on Sunday, January 4, 2009 for a Oshogatsu New Years Family Festival!! They will make mochi the old-fashioned way - pounding it out with a mallet. It's free and fun! Information here.

I want to thank everyone who visited my little blog this year. Thanks for commenting and providing suggestions! I love reading your comments and viewing your blogs...there are so many things I want to make next year! There are some wonderfully creative and supportive people in the world! Happy New Year - May 2009 bring you good health and happiness!