Learning to Cook

I have always been surrounded by wonderful cooks and bakers. While this has been delightful for my taste buds, I always wondered if I would ever be able to cook like them. When I lived in Brazil, I was forced to learn how to cook because the ingredients at my disposal were so different. The experience was, at first, frustrating. But, once I began to experiment, the world of cooking opened up to me. My recipe box is now brimming, and I thought others might be interested in trying some of the recipes I have found. I haven’t tried them all yet, but I plan to in the future! I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to add your own suggestions/comments.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Curried Squash & Chicken Soup


Red Thai curry paste adds heat and depth of flavor to this simple soup. If you like, omit the chicken and spinach to make an even simpler first-course soup.

2 servings, 1 3/4 cups each
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 10-ounce package frozen pureed winter squash
1/2 cup lite coconut milk, (see Tips for Two)
1/2 cup water
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste, (see Note)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Heat squash, coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash defrosts, about 10 minutes. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, lime juice, sugar, curry paste to taste and salt and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

Tips & Notes
Tips for Two: Refrigerate coconut milk for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Drizzle on sliced fresh fruit; use as some of the liquid for cooking rice.
Note: Red curry paste is a blend of chile peppers, garlic, lemongrass and galangal (a root with a flavor similar to ginger). Look for it in jars or cans in the Asian section of the supermarket or specialty stores.

Nutrition
Per serving: 274 calories; 7 g fat (4 g sat, 1 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 6 g fiber; 453 mg sodium; 1288 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (310% daily value), Vitamin C (70% dv), Folate (49% dv), Potassium (37% dv).

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 very lean meat, 1 fat

From: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/curried_squash_chicken_soup.html

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