Makers Collage - coming in December from Windham Fabrics!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

time to give back



It's time to give back.To my girlfriend in Hawaii.
Who loves my green curry chicken zucchini soup.  With anything else you want it to have in it, too.
So, Jill, make a double batch of this soup, and keep it in the 'fridge for those days that you are on deadline and you are writing, writing, writing.  This, and a little salad, yum.  This, and a little of Greg's rice...yum.  These pics were taken on the 4 burner and a griddle O'Keefe that Greg found at an estate sale - a little cleaning, and it was as good as new!!  (me, I'm waiting for the pancakes off of the griddle)
And so the rest of you can see Jill Marie Landis' work - or read her work - go to 
and go to plantation bookstore
and go to Hawaiian
and pick up a Jill Marie Landis' book to add to your fall or winter reading list.
AND, of course, the cookbook.

Here you go, Jill...it's actually a pretty simple recipe once you have the basic staples in your pantry.  And now, I keep the staples handy, because it's a pretty hearty soup, yet it's pretty simple in the long run.  While I do not endorse any of these brands, I shop at these places - Trader Joe's, Whole Foods (365 brand is great - their generic, and often organic), and Fresh & Easy.  So the basics are - coconut milk (I use light coconut milk), fish sauce, green curry paste (I add red, too), and, the secret ingredient - brown sugar, and, well, those are the basics - the recipe follows. For the 'guts' of the soup, zucchini, Asian eggplant, and chicken.  Sometimes I do zucchini and mushroom alone.  There you have it.  Green soup.  Hmmmmm.  Oh, and I cook mine in the big heavy pot...
  • 2 medium zucchini or 2 long purple Asian eggplants
  • 1-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2-3 tablespoons green curry paste
  • 1/4 pound boneless chicken thighs or breast, cut in big bite size pieces
  • 1-1/2 cups chicken broth or water
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 6 to 8 wild lime leaves, torn or cut in half (optional)
  • A handful of fresh Asian or Italian basil leaves, plus basil springs for garnish
Cut the zucchini - lengthwise, then crosswise into 1" chunks, set aside.  In medium saucepan or heavy skillet, bring 3/4 cup of the coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium high heat.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken and becomes fragrant.  Add the curry paste and cook 2-3 minutes, pressing and stirring to dissolve it into the coconut milk.  Add the chicken and cook 2 minutes more, tossing to coat it with the sauce.  

Add the remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk, the chicken broth (or water, which I use), zucchini, fish sauce, palm sugar, and about half the wild lime leaves.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked and the zucchini is tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining lime leaves and the fresh basil leaves.  Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh basil and serve hot or warm.  

Serves 4 to 6


Finally, if you're quilting the weekend away, if you want the kinder gentler version of gridiron chili, try this recipe. Remember - I add some red curry to give it more kick...

be.do.create
2008

Thanks for thinking of
b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

Natalie.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mahalo, Mahalo to Natalie!
I'm going to make some soup asap.
We've had some rain on Kauai so this soup will hit the spot.
No Trader Joe's, though. Will have to substitute.
Be creative. Never be boring.
Jill

natalie. beyond the reef said...

Some times what we ask for just doesn't come in our expected timeframe. But if we wait, if we are diligent in our desires, our wishes, our hopes, our dreams, we just might find ourselves with what we wanted...

You're welcome, my friend. Enjoy the rain - it makes things so lush and green - enjoy the soup - it's so lush and green!!!

Natalie.