Tips from my Garden and Thai Coconut Soup.

I have been wanting a garden since I don't know how long and with our backyard renovation I thought I would finally have it  and was promised the side garden out of view for it. But my DH - and rightly so- thought the air conditioning unit and the pool equipment and the water heater needed to go back there too out of sight- so my long beautiful garden became a 4x 12 feet, but hey it's still 48 sq feet I did not have before!  I planted heirloom and sun gold and sweet 100 tomatoes, zucchini, an eggplant and serrano chili peper, basil , carrots and we've been getting out a bounty.  With all the compost I used the tomatoes got over 8 feet tall.  Now the season is almost over and I get to have the last of my harvest for one of my favorite comfort food- Thai Coconut Soup. 

The recipe comes from Sunset magazine and it was a revised version for the American cooks but the flavors are spot on and easy peasy one pot recipe.

Thai Coconut soup.     serves 4.     Takes about 10 minutes to make.

1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
1 can low sodium chicken broth
6 quarter size ginger pieces
1 stalk lemon grass cut into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon each of fish sauce and lime juice (more or less)
1 teaspoon each sugar and Thai chili paste (more or less- depending on your hotness factor)

then add mushroom- any or all kinds, veggies- eggplant, zucchini works well, the original recipe calls for chicken but I like mussels (you can find cleaned and flash frozen  ones ins Asian markets) or shrimp too. Bring it all together and simmer until veggies are tender

I've added potatoes if you like that, noodle and even poured the soup over rice and let it soak like porridge.  You can garnish with basil and cilantro if you like.

I put lot of different veggies and it is delicious.  If you like Thai flavors and want an easy soup to make the ingredients are not too difficult to find.  In California we can find all of these things in a regular grocery store so we are very blessed.

I bought Lemon grass at the  grocery store- it always comes in a bundle with 4-5 and I only needed one- so I got ones that had a little more root stock (if possible) and stuck it in a pot of dirt earlier this year and watered it regularly with fertilizer and now I have multiple baby stalks that are coming out on the side and I just cut one at the base when I need it.







I also bought Thai basil when it was just a little starter pot from Home Depot and now I have a big plant that I clip when I need a little of that too.  I just planted a ginger root and hope to have a ginger plant next year some time!

I keep cans of coconut milk and chicken broth on hand and freeze ginger roots after peeling and cutting into coin size pieces wrapped in plastic a few pieces at a time and put them in freezer bags so ready to use any time.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting and Arthritis Walk

Tyler and I have done the Arthritis Walk to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation since he was 1 year old- It used to be him in a stroller but now he raises his own money and walks it all. He has beaten me in almost every year with the money he raises for this good cause. I guess cuteness counts! Our team including ever vivacious Julie, her son and Linda raised almost $2000 this year. Tyler saw a young man who lost his vision from his arthritis at the walk and he commented that he did not know arthritis could do that and how sad that was. I told him that rheumatoid arthritis that the young man has is a disease that affects the whole body not just the joints and we need a cure of this disease some day and that is why we are working so hard to raise money for this cause. Thank you to all of you on the team and who donated to our cause, it will make a difference!

This year it was at the Guadalupe River Park and the San Jose Shark mascot was there so we got to goof a little before the walk. I think Tyler's favorite part was the candy tables they have as you go around. His right pocket was busting with candy at the end of the walk.

I've gotten a couple of requests for my Carrot cupcake recipe that I made for Tyler's birthday celebration at school so I thought I'd share that here. It's from America's Test Kitchen recipe book.

Carrot Cake- makes one 9x 13 sheet cake or 24 cupcakes.

Adjust oven rack to middle and heat oven to 35 degrees. Lightly coat the pan with vegetable oil spray and line bottom with parchment- or use cupcake liners.

Whisk together in large bowl and set aside:

2 1/2 Cups AP flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together in large bowl until forthy and sugar is mostly dissolved about one minute:
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C packed light brown sugar

While whisking above egg/sugar mixture, slowly add in:
1 1/2 C vegetable oil until thoroughly combined and emulsified about 1 minute.

Whisk in the flour mixture until no streatks of flour remain.

Stir in 1 pound of peeled and grated carrots. (Best to use shreddding disk on food processor or large hole of box grater- DO NOT USE PRESHREDDED CARROTS as they are too thick and will leave you with a crunchy cake.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until wooden skewer insered comes out with few crumbs attached 35-40 minutes- rotating pan halfway through baking. (for 24 cupcakes bake 30 minutes) Let cool in pan on wire rack 2 hours.

option: stir in 1 1/2 C toasted and chopped pecans or walnuts and 1 C raisin into the batter with the carrots.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting: This is the most yummy soft frosting ever! and it only takes about 30 seconds to make total with a food processor! Although it may take a good 5 minutes to lick the bowl and the spoon after.....

Process in a food processor until combined about 5 seconds:
8 oz cream cheese softened
5 Tablespoon unsalted butter softened
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 Tablespoon grated orange zest

Add 1 1/4 C confectioner's sugar until smooth about 10 seconds, scraping down bowl and blades as needed.

Enjoy!

Lynda






Lynda

Caramel Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

I am not known for my baking abilities- as my husband who has eaten many loaves rock hard bread can tell you- but I made this for my family from back of a pumpkin bread mix box and my MIL actually swooned over it. She's quite a baker so I figured it must be good. My kids all wait peering into the oven when this is in and as soon as it's out, they are clamoring to get a slice. It's good cold for breakfast ( I am eating the one in the picture right now, yum) and out of this world hot out of the oven with whipped cream on top and a glass of cold milk. I made this for my local stamp group and they liked it as well so here's the recipe for everyone who asked:

Caramel Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

1 pouch Krusteaz Pumpkin spice Quick Bread Mix ( buy at Costco- it is seasonal and not always available)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup butterscotch chips ( a tiny bit more never hurts)
about 1/4 cup caramel topping ( get a good brand)

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. In medium bowl, blend together everything except the caramel topping. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 9 inch round pan. Drizzle caramel topping over batter and swirl with a knife or whatever you have . Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Lynda