Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

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By Daniel Risacher (Own work) [GFDL
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Beautiful Thai Pepper Bush! 
Wouldn't you agree?!

(And, BTW, after just a few days of R+R, my stomach is feeling better and way ready to resume a spicier diet! Yea! And, FYI, believe it or not, in spite of a lot of disbelief in this, a lot of chili peppers really are kinder to your digestion that you might have guessed.)









Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

I am not a big fan of commercially pre-made soup base or soup starter. But I do believe in great chicken or vegetable stock and Pacific is a great brand and food producers are getting savvier. So, when I saw this:

www.pacificfoods.com

 "

Organic Chicken Pho Soup Base

"Inspired by the traditional Vietnamese Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’), our delicious Organic Chicken Pho Base makes it simple to prepare authentic Pho at home.

INGREDIENTS

• Organic Chicken Broth (Water, Organic Chicken, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder)
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Sea Salt
• Organic Lemon Juice
• Organic Spice Extracts
• Organic Lime Oil
• Organic Rosemary Extract

SUITABLE FOR THESE SPECIAL DIETS

1. Low Fat
2. Gluten Free
3. Dairy Free
4. Corn Free
5. Soy Free
6. Wheat Free
7. Yeast Free                "

in my local grocery store's health food section, I thought, why not give it a whirl. I've rarely had a Vietnamese soup and I'm always up for a healthy culinary adventure!

But, as I cannot help myself, I did go wild with the ingredients. I followed some of the suggested directions and most (Okay, ALL of them except for onions) of the ingredients plus a few of my own and all I can say is:  WOW!!!  WOW!!! WOW!!!!

So here's the Ingredients I used:

1 box (4 cups) of Pacific Chicken Pho soup base.

I bought a 6.75 oz. package of Dynasty Maifun Rice Sticks (thin rice noodles). (Now this is important because some rice noodles taste like cooked cardboard (like the last ones I bought for my husband to use, that had a name I couldn't read in Chinese, and that ruined my husband's triple batch of Thai crab cakes). Others are awesome delicate and beautiful to behold. But I am still getting used to which ingredients work for my recipes and which ones don't, so I like to mention them.)

I cut up a package of three fresh full size boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (I am very fussy about my chicken. It has to be organic, fresh, no hormones or antibiotics, and it has to look good. I split my pieces in three piles: The gristle that I'll cook later with some rice for the dogs that I add, now and then, to their dog food, about 2-21/2 cups of quarter size pieces for the soup, and about 2 cups of medallions that I'll use in another dish later this week. I double bagged the two piles for later and put them away in the fridge.)

6 Tablespoons of hot chili sauce. I use Sriraja Panich Chili Sauce. VERY awesome.
(And note: in my experience,  hot chili sauces can vary widely. A wrong one can overpower or underwhelm or even ruin a good recipe, whereas a great one, like Sriraja Panich, can make your dish beautiful! Sriraja Panich has this lovely way of adding spicy and heat and dimension by blending with smokey undertones and doesn't stand out. I have tested about a dozen different hot chili sauces so far and thrown many of them out. The right ones, like this one, can make a huge difference to the success of so many of my Asian and Thai dishes that I have made a point of knowing where to buy this one locally, how it is shelved -which can be in a different location that other hot chili or "Sriraja" sauces in some stores- or how to get it online.)

3 Tablespoons of  House of Tsang Hoisin Sauce (Note; it has a little wheat in it,  so if that's out for you, I also have in my cupboard a gluten free brand, Sun Luck, but I confess I haven't used it yet and a little bit of wheat doesn't throw me off these days.)

3 to 5 cups of fresh bean sprouts

1-1/2 to 2 organic limes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Cilantro

Black Pepper to Taste (about a teaspoon)

1 Hot Red fresh Thai Chili Pepper with the seeds (cut up into tiny pieces with a scissors, I am getting cleverer, but still wear cooking gloves. Warning: chili peppers are hot!)

1-1/2 - 2 Fresh Red Fresno Peppers (These are about 2 inches long.) Note that on these chili peppers: Don't use the seeds or inside meat. These I cut with a knife into strips and then into pieces. These peppers look like this:

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By Nadiatalent (Own work)
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via Wikimedia Commons

And here's how I made it:  i.e., The Directions:


1. I boiled about 3 quarts of water while I cut up the chicken. After it came to a full boil, I turned it off and let it sit a few minutes.

2. The rice sticks come in three bundles. I took two or 2/3's of the package and put them in a metal bowl and poured the hot water over them, covered them and let them sit for 10 minutes.

3. I drained the noodles in a colander. Then I cut them up with a scissors and put them back in the metal bowl.

4. I rinsed the beansprouts in the colander and cut those with a scissors and left them there.

5. I scissor cut my Thai chili pepper including the seeds into pieces and knife cut 1-1/2 of my (cleaned of inner skin and seeded) Frenso chili peppers all on the same plate.

6. I poured the whole 4 cup box of Pacific Chicken Pho soup starter into the deep soup pan I boiled my water in. At first I didn't like the smell of the soup so much, but if that happens to you, just wait until the soup is brought to completion.

7.  When the soup starter mix came to a full boil, I threw in the 2-1/2 cups of cut up chicken, covered and turned the heat down to medium low. The chicken was cooked thoroughly in about 2-4 minutes.

7. Then I threw in my rice noodles, about 3 cups of my beansprouts, the chopped peppers and scissor cut a few fresh basil leaves, zested about 1/2 of a lime and squeezed 1-1/2 lime juice into it. I added 3 Tbsp. of Hoisin sauce, 6 Tbsp. of the Chili Sauce and black pepper to taste. Swished it around on simmer for about 1-2 minutes and served with fresh cilantro.

Yummmmm!

Now for the calorie countdown:

If you cook it like I just described above, 1/4th of the whole batch (a pretty big serving amounting to about two cups worth between the broth, the vegetables, the ingredients, and rice noodles) is about 194 calories. (1/8th is abut 97 calories.)

If you add in the extra two cups of beansprouts,  1/4 of the whole batch (a pretty big serving) is about 211 calories. (1/8th is about 106 calories.)

If you cook it using the above recipe, but use only 1/3 the package of rice sticks, then 1/4th of the whole batch is about 136 calories. Again a pretty big serving. (1/8th is about 68 calories.)

If you cook it with the extra two cups of beansprouts and don't use the rice sticks, a 1/4th serving then amounts to 93 calories. (1/8th is about 46 calories.)

If you use the gluten-free hoisin sauce, add 15 calories to 1/4th serving (or 8 calories to 1/8th).

You CAN have your rice and awesome taste and keep your diet too!

I can't wait to test drive this soup on my husband when he comes home tonight!

Bon Appétit!

And Kindest Regards from,

bbffair 

Note: 
This recipe is good for about eight servings, which can be perfect for a guest party first course. However, if you're not going to serve it on the first and second day, I'd recommend going with 1/2 of the above recipe as a better choice, because (due to the delicacy of both the bean sprouts and the rice sticks) it has a shorter refrigerator life than other soups.

Soup To Sooth A Delicate Tummy

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For The Delicate Stomach

Ever have some of those unhappy tummy days or nights?

They can be brought on by stress, too much acidic food or drink, and any number of things that might upset the balance we need to live well and happy lives.

Well, I have been having just so much of this the last month that I've looked into what I might do to sooth my tummy ache.


Here is what I've come up with. I am foregoing many of my favorite (and if you've read my posts, you know I love it spicy!) foods. Not forever, but just until I get my digestion and my stomach (and its distress) back in balance.

I am limiting my intake of acidic foods, spicy foods, dairy, gassy foods, heavy foods, gluten, wheat, sugar, and, (sigh), wine, and, (shaking my head), coffee. Just for a while.  I am upping my intake of probiotics to daily, along with my good fish oil, vitamin D, and other good vitamins and supplements that my health provider likes me to take.

And today, I needed a very digestible chicken-type soup and I came up with two very soothing, actually nicely satisfying soup recipes that can be made together. (I did anyway).  Easy to make, easy to digest, nourishing, and low in calories (so a good diet or detox soup too). (Always yea for that!).

Ingredients To Make Both Soups:

1-1/2 boxes of Pacific Organic Chicken Stock or Broth

2 cups of water

2 stalks of lemon grass

2 Tbsps of fresh grated ginger

1 handful of sliced  shiitake mushrooms

1 fresh zucchini

1 fresh yellow squash

pepper


 Soup #1:   Chicken Ginger Lemongrass Shiitake Soup

Preparation:

Peel the two lemon grass stalks by peeling and tossing out the outer layers to reveal the soft inside layer. Cut the buttery inside pieces from the base or root of the stalk upward into little, thin pieces. When you hear the "crunch," stop cutting. Throw the thin soft cut slices into a Magic Bullet and give it a few chops there. Add a half cup of water, shake it all up and set aside.

Cut the crunchy tops of the two peeled lemongrass stalks into thirds and bend.

Cut about two-three inches off a piece of fresh ginger. Peel by scraping the entire piece with the edge of a spoon until all the skin is removed. Then, over a bowl, grate the piece so that the stringy pieces stay on your side of the grater (that you will throw away) and the soft edible juice and pieces go into the bowl. You should have about 2 Tbsps.

Cut the stalks off the shiitake mushrooms and slice thin.

Cut up the zucchini and the yellow squash. Add pepper. Add about a cup of water and a cup of chicken stock and mix together in blender until it's all a thick liquid. Add a bit more chicken broth if it it resists blending.

Cooking Directions:

Bring one box (4 cups) of Organic Pacific Chicken Stock to a boil

Add in the big lemongrass pieces that you bent. (If you have one, use a Chinese strainer underneath.)  Boil for 4 minutes. Then Remove. (These pieces are too crunchy to be edible but add flavor.)

Add in the cut pieces and juice from your Magic Bullet. Boil another 4 minutes. You can add up to a cup of water and another cup of the chicken stock as it boils down.

Add in the grated ginger, medium boil another four minutes.

Add in the shiitake mushromms and simmer about 4 minutes on low.

Cover and keep on low.



(Time to start the second soup.)


Soup #2:   Soothing Squash Soup

You've already prepped so this will be very simple.

Cooking Directions:

Pour the zucchini and squash mixture into its own sauce pan.

Using a strainer and a soup ladle (that is typically a half cup in size), pour 2 cups (or four ladles) of the first soup into the squash soup.   Return the strained pieces and mushrooms to the first soup.

Mix the broth in. Bring to a boil, then immediately return to simmer and cover. Set the timer for 10-15 minutes.

Voila!


Now you have two extremely soothing soups that are both gentle and nourishing as well as tasty.

The mushroom soup has about 60 calories in the whole batch or 15 calories a cup.

The squash soup has 40-60 calories in the whole batch or about 10-15 calories a cup.

You can sip it or have several bowls of this throughout the day and keep your stomach happy, coated, nourished, and thus also more able to repair a tummy distress.

I added a cup of unsweetened almond milk to my afternoon for a little, gentle protein boost (1 gram) and 30 more calories and felt greatly healed.

Enjoy and here's hoping this makes even the most delicate stomach feel loved.

Kindest Regards,

bbffair

How To Store Cilantro

Cilantro or Fresh Coriander

This is one of my favorite everyday herbs. I use it so much that I have finally started growing a couple of pots of my own.

One of the problems with buying it at a store is that it never seems to keep for more than a few days. Twice a week -or more!- I was going back to buy another bundle.

"Fresh Coriander Or Cilantro Herb" by SOMMAI, courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net / http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Herbs_and_Spices_g68-Fresh_Coriander_Or_Cilantro_Herb_p70764.html

Fed up with that, I went on a mission to find out how to store this fragile, wonderful herb so that when I have more than I need (from the store) that it will last longer. Well, I went through about a dozen different experiments until I found the one that really works! It's easy and incredibly reliable. Now my stored cut cilantro lasts up to two weeks!

Here's what I do:  I bring the cilantro home and clip off the ends above the roots (or just a bit of the ends if the roots have already been clipped) and wash it or soak it in water until all of the dirt comes out. (There is a lot of dirt in cilantro before it's washed.) Once it's clean, I shake it really good and put it in the salad spinner or else roll it in paper towels until it is very dry, especially the leaves. Just don't let it sit out too long or it will still wilt.

Once the leaves are dry again, I plop the cut stems into a glass or jar of water and cover the whole thing loosely (not tied) with one of those thin plastic bags you get at the produce department and stick it in the fridge. I cover the top but do not tuck the bottom down or under the container, but let the bag hang lose around the bottom of the glass or jar so that air also gets in.

This will also save you $$$ over time if you use a lot of cilantro like I do and find that you need to buy it rather than grow your own.

Note: a little more dirt may drop into the water, so inspect before you use as you may need to rinse again.

Also, it's a good idea to change the water every few days and remove any dull leaves. But mostly this will keep so much longer and stay perfect until you need it in a dish!

-bbffair

Ginger and Lemongrass

Ginger and Lemongrass

Two of my most favorite Thai spices. And so, I have planted some of both. Will see how my garden grows!

-bbffair






"Pink Ginger" by Jayen466 courtesy of Wikimedia @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pink_Ginger.JPG

Indian Spicy Lemonade

Experimenting With Lemonade


About lemonade: it can get interesting.

It doesn't always have to be the sugary high-calorie version or the oddly vacant diet formula.

Recently, I found this very different recipe for spicy Indian lemonade.*






The Ingredients:

1 tsp. fennel seed

1 star anise

1 tsp. fresh grated ginger

2-3 whole lemons, squeezed

1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves loosely packed

2 Tbsp. sugar (you can add two more Tbsp. to taste)

2 cups of water

2 cups of ice


The Recipe:

In a frying pan, stir the fennel and the star anise and toast them dry -without oil- constantly stirring until they are nicely browned.

Then ground them up in a Magic Bullet or coffee grinder

Then get out your blender and toss them in with the ginger, the juice from the squeezed lemons, the fresh mint, sugar, water and blend.

Pour through a strainer to get out the bits.

Put it back in the blender and add in the ice and hit the blender until the ice is crushed.

It makes about 4 servings, each of which is about 31 calories in the 2 Tbsp. sugar version and about 51 calories in the 4 Tbsp. version.

Enjoy!

-bbffair


* For a version of this and other wonderful lemonades and drinks, as well as many awesome dishes, visit:
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/search/delegate?searchString=lemonade 

~~ 

The beautiful picture above is "Lemonade" by Suat Eman courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos 

 http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Other_Drinks_g65-Lemonade_p10832.html

My Tom Yum(m) Soup - Very Spicy

Tom Yum(m) Soup

Where have I been? You guessed it! On an adventure into Thai cooking!

OMG! I LOVE Thai food! And now I have  just a few beautiful recipes to share that I have made my own.

For today, here is my Tom Yum(m) Soup! The picture on this post is of my lunch. Isn't it beautiful!

I make it extra, extra hot and spicy!


Okay, here goes:

My Tom Yum(m) Soup

Ingredients List:

6-8 cups (1-1/2 to 2 boxes ) Chicken Stock (Organic Pacifica brand is very good)

2 stalks of lemon grass

Zest of 1 medium lime
       (Note: Some recipes call for Tafir (lime) leaves. They are hard to find for me right now, but lime zest works great as a substitute.)

5-6 red Thai chili peppers (wear gloves for handling these -they WILL burn you or your eyes!)
      Take off stems and slice lengthwise into 2 or 4 strips and then chop and put aside, keep seeds for cooking too

2-3 tiny fresh red cherry peppers (the size of a cherry tomato) (do not use these seeds - they might make you cough) -or 1/4-1/5 of a fresh red bell pepper - sliced thin

Generous handful of Shitake  mushrooms (can be substituted with brown mushrooms) sliced thin

1 lb. package of frozen large raw peeled and devined shrimp (thawed in cold water while you prep recipe)
      (or fresh raw peeled and devined large shrimp)

Juice of medium lime

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

1-3 T. of high quality fish sauce

Broccoli - one large stalk chop up the stem into thin pieces and also the flowers into little pieces

1-4 short dollops of Chili sauce* (I use Sriraja Paniich or Taste of Thai Garlic Chili Sauce)
(*Note: I like this better than regular garlic which I don't really like to handle and find it integrates very nicely and doesn't "stand out" if you know what I mean.)

1/2 package of ripe fresh cherry tomatoes
 
 ~~

Prep:

Prepare all the ingredients as directed above and in step 2 below before beginning.

~~

Directions:

1.  Pour chicken stock into a pan and bring to boil.

2.  Cut off the bulb and any brown tops of the lemongrass and peel the outer layers. Chop the good (edible) white portion of the lemongrass into tiny pieces. Cut the upper stems in 3-4 places slightly (not all the way through) and then bruise (hammer and bend) and add the pieces and the bruised stems into the now boiling chicken broth for about 2 minutes

3.  Add the garlic sauce dollops to taste (I use 4 good ones). Add the cut up Thai peppers and seeds, the red peppers, lime zest, and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium-simmer for 2 minutes.

4.  Add shrimp and broccoli and simmer medium for 4 minutes until shrimp is pink and done.

5.  Reduce heat to med-low. Add fish sauce, juice from one whole medium lime, and tomatoes.
Can cover, if desired. Cook about 3 minutes. Stir well -gently simmer.

(Usually this is about perfect for my tastes. But test it for yourself. If too salty, add more lime juice. If too sour, add 1/4 t. sugar. Not spicy enough for your taste, maybe another dollop of chili sauce will take it there!)


*Options:   1/4 t.  sea salt
                  1/4 t.  sugar
                  1/2 can evaporated milk or coconut milk

(Note: I don't add milk to mine or sugar)


6.  Remove lemongrass stalks and discard. (They add flavor to the soup but are not edible like the chopped parts.)

7.  Serve with fresh cilantro and/or Thai chili sauce.

~~

As you can see above, I make mine VERY spicy! I swear by this soup! It will clean you up, clean you out, make your eyes water, wash out your sinuses, possibly helps prevent cancer (yes. really! see this link!), and fill you up, satisfy your hunger and appetite, and for almost no calories.  Let me repeat: almost NO CALORIES!

My recipe comes to about 78 calories a cup or 155 calories for a 2-cup serving.

For a more traditional recipe with coconut milk where I got my inspiration (I don't like coconut and like mine spicier.):  http://thaifood.about.com/od/thairecipes/r/tomyumkung.htm

1-2 cups equals a very nice serving. I save the extra soup right in a sauce pan and reheat it and have lunch for three or four  days.

It is grrreeat for detoxing and dieting as well as hot Thai taste and great nutrition!

Enjoy!

-bbffair

Soy - What??? - A Beginners' Guide To Healthy Oils

 It's Not Nice To Be Fooled With Soy Isolates!

I had a bit of a shocker recently. A learning curve thing. I try to eat right and use healthy, good ingredients. But here's the fine print: Some soy products may be really bad for you. 

I DIDN'T know that!!

And so now I am aghast at how many products -including ingredients in your vitamins-  slip in this potentially evil substance, in particular soy isolate. Even eviler, it can be disguised under a few technical, hard-to-identify, and harder-to-pronounce names as well.

There is a LOT of concern that these can cause cancers to grow, bad estrogens, etc. So just when I thought it was safe and smart to use Smart Balance, etc. ...

(*But on a note of relief: my understanding is that fermented soy (think soy sauce and clean Thai food!) is still healthy!!)

I have gone back and changed my recipes to reflect this new knowledge. (If I missed anything, please let me know. I am ALL about good information here.)

~~

On to Thinking Positive:

 

How I Came to Appreciate Beautiful Oils and Butter

Healthy Living IS An Adventure!

First of all, let me repeat, that, to the best of my knowledge, fermented soy is not a culprit -thank goodness there as I love my soy sauces-  and most -if not all- of the ones I like to use seem to be made with the right ingredients.  It's the soy elements, in products, that have been toyed with that are most suspicious. And we have been led to believe that soy in all its forms is good for us. Maybe not so much.

And, as I begin to explore my options, there are MANY!!

I found this article, a guide to oils, over at Whole Foods.  It talks about good and bad oils. It's worth a read.

Here's a quick bite from it:

For baking: Coconut, palm oil ave the best reputation.
For frying: Because they stand up well to the heat, avocado, palm and sesame oil are ideal for frying.
For sautéing: Many oils are great for sautéing, including avocado, coconut, grapeseed, olive, and sesame oils.
For dipping, dressings and marinades: When it comes to making dressings and marinades, or finding oil that's perfect to serve alongside crusty bread for dipping, you're looking for terrific flavor. For this purpose look to olive, toasted sesame or walnut oil.

To start with oils, I read the above and a few other articles and then I ran off to Whole Foods to purchase a few good-for-me oils. I was happy to find such a good selection.

I purchased two high heat oils:
Grapeseed oil (a very clean, light, all purpose cooking and baking and wok/sautéing oil)
and
Avocado oil (also for frying and sautéing) (and it is not bad as a skin care product either!). 

 Of course there is the mainstay of Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well, but it is best not cooked at high heats.  

My favorite new oil is a French walnut oil (amazing!!) for salads and delicate recipes -it is best unheated. It's very delicate and oh sooo good for you.  

Soon, I plan to experiment with Almond oil and Truffle oils.

I love that many of these gourmet specialty oils can be purchased fairly inexpensively in smaller containers. And extra nice to find out, so far the sunflower, avocado, and walnut oils, that I am keeping in my refrigerator, do NOT solidify in the refrigerator like olive oil does. That's a convenient benefit.

As far as table spreads or more buttery blends to sauté with, I have also changed my ways there too.  I loved the taste of my old Smart Balance and Original Recipe Earth Balance.  Soy, I discovered, was amongst, if not their first ingredient!! They are now all in the past. And also, out went the Omega 3 Smart Balance Oil I had been using!

Earth Balance does have a soy free spread and I am cautiously trying that out. It's very clean tasting and not bad for everyday use. But now I am suspicious of foods with too many "ingredients" and being more careful. And I have returned to pure butter. I like mine unsalted or lightly salted, made from grass fed (not soy fed) cows milk.  With butter, you just need to use less and it does go further. So much for the myth that margarine with its fewer calories and omega 3's can be a healthy choice with benefits.

I also threw out my mayonnaise and I am soon to experiment with true French mayonnaise.

Along the road to healthy eating, one might just discover the wonders of better tasting food too!

Lucky for us, good groceries and good food producers care and thus (like my husband was about to do) we don't have to all go out and buy our own oil presses - although I did read up on that and it sounded kind of fun!


Bon Appétit!


-bbffair

6/10/2017  Notes:
I have updated my oils list. 
Some oils that I found iffy, or without enough information over time, I have deleted from my original list above. 
At this time, Grapeseed oil is my go-to oil for cooking. It is very light and clean and can sustain high heats and is perfect for high heat Thai. 
I continue to enjoy the soy-free Earth Balance spread and or pure unsalted butter.
And my go-to salad (no or low-low heat) oil is still a high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.