Lemongrass Coconut Curry Noodle Soup: On change and adjustment

For Husband, in love and gratitude, and for the Lord, for His goodness and grace.

In about 36 hours, my life is going to dramatically change.  Husband, who has spent the vast majority of the past three years traveling for months at a time will finally rest his roots back in our home.  The long gaps between visits home will no longer be the norm, and rather, the long gaps between travel will dramatically change the face of how the daily life of this family runs.

I'm so grateful to God that finally Husband's work settles him back more with our family and our home, but I also have a lot of trepidation.  I'm not sure how I will adjust to a new roommate.  I'm not sure how he will adjust to having four needy, loud, dependent, boisterous, rambunctious people smack in the middle of his daily life.  I know there will be lots of change and I'm preparing to adjust many things in order to accommodate this dramatic and exciting change.  I'm praying daily that God makes me a better wife, a more patient one, a more accommodating one, and one who isn't going to be ready to make like a bandit for the hills should things get too hectic.

There are going to have to be changes in the physical space (I've been working on a man cave/office for the husband) but more importantly, I see massive change in...the kitchen.

For the better part of the past 36 months, the kitchen has been about ME.  It's what I want to cook, what I want to eat, what I want the kids to eat, what I feel like doing (or not doing) and it's really been my domain.  I answer to no one, think about few, and really only consider my own personal needs.  With Husband back in the picture - things change.  Husband doesn't like to eat certain things, and lest I want to make two meals (I HATE THIS), I'll have to adjust to his wants and desires, which mostly boils down to a lot of Korean, with short forays into Italy.  We'll not have potatoes, or beans, or too much fish sauce.

Too much fish sauce you say?  Yes.  Too. Much. Fish. Sauce is not Husband's favorite.  He'll smell it and he'll walk in the other direction. He's also not a huge fan of cilantro, which happens to be almost my favorite herb of ALL time. (Children enjoy too.)  And so suddenly, my fish sauce, cilantro laden curries don't become things that are easy to cook with Husband at home, because these are not food he enjoys.

That's why, before he returns to rest in his roost, I decided to go all out and bang out this Thai inspired yellow curry noodle soup.  I made it really for me, not expecting Children to go for it at all, but it turns out, noodles always win them over.  They appreciated the flavors, slurping down the rich broth, and overall giving it high marks.  Daughter #2, who has become one of the finicky eaters in recent days (meat and rice only please, thank you) ate two bowls, as long as I didn't put in the red onions.

It's simple to execute, really just making the curry paste, which comes together quickly in the food processor.  The rest is simply boiling and then assembly, which makes it a great week night meal.  You could certainly make the curry paste the night before and then the next day you could bang out this meal quickly.  The other not so great part is that you do need to boil noodles separately, but the end result is so delicious, you won't regret it.

I used these fresh rice noodles, which basically can be flash boiled in boiling water, and then they come out lovely.  Feel free to substitute any noodles you like; the original recipe called for egg noodles (Son's egg allergies made it a no-no) but I think I prefer my rice noodle version regardless.

Lemongrass Coconut Curry Noodle Soup
(adapted from Bon Appetit March 2013)
Serves 6 to 8

Curry Paste
Ingredients
3 medium shallots, halved
1 stalk lemon grass, bottom 3 inches only, outer husk removed, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems
1 tablespoon (or 2 tablespoons if you like some serious heat) sambal oelek (ground chili pepper paste)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder

Method
Purée shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 2 tablespoons of water in a food processor, adding more water by tablespoonfuls, if needed, until smooth.

Noodle Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, halved lengthwise
1 pound rice noodles (I found some fresh ones that just need to be briefly rehydrated in hot water)
3 tablespoons (or more) fish sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Kosher salt
Sliced red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges (for serving)

Method
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add curry paste; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 4-6 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

Add chicken, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and sugar to soup. Season with salt or more fish sauce, if needed. Divide soup and noodles among bowls and serve with toppings.

Printable recipe

Perhaps I can convince him to at least taste it.  With the squeeze of lime, it's just pure deliciousness.

Slurp-worthy

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: How sweet should life be?

I love this quote by Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Rules);  he writes,“There is nothing wrong with special occasion foods, as long as every day is not a special occasion...Special occasion foods offer some of the great pleasures of life, so we shouldn't deprive ourselves of them, but the sense of occasion needs to be restored.”

I love being a baker, making cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and sweet treats.  However, I know that I can't make them all the time, nor can I just give them out at whim to any child.  I've tried hard to model to Children that treats are actually treats, and we celebrate our family birthdays and special occasions with a small treat, but a treat is just that - something special that doesn't happen every single day.

If I ONLY baked for just the family birthdays, I'd already bake five times a year.  Add the extended family who lives near us, I'm already baking 11 times a year.  That averages out to about once a month.  With just the baking that I do for my family, Children will have access to a sweet treat once a month.  This is a treat that I really enjoy making, because I don't use a boxed cake mix, but try and source high quality, organic (if possible) ingredients, that I put together with my own two hands.

Add the baking that I do when I have guests over, which averages about once a month.  That's now twice a month Children get a treat.  Add the additional invitation over to someone's house where I offer to bring something and they request dessert.  Let's just call that on average, once a month.  Now we're at three times a month, Children get a treat.

That's a lot of treats already, and some with not necessarily the right sense of occasion.  There are invariably birthday parties where cake is served (usually store bought) and goody bags often filled with candy.  The treats, and special occasions keep adding up.  School treats, school occasions, birthday handouts, party handouts quickly add up, and suddenly, what was once or twice a month of treats becomes almost a thrice weekly thing.

I'm not anti-treats.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm anti-every-day-is-a-treat day.  I'm also anti-other-people-giving-my-children treats.  Children get enough of treats, distributed by me, made by me, at home.  I don't offer them processed treats, and I make my own treats for them.  I also don't give out treats to other children, without the express permission of their parents, as their parent has the absolute right to monitor how much their child eats.

I'm sure I don't have all the right answers.  I only claim to know what to do for my own kids.  I do know the United States leads the world in obesity, and if that statistic doesn't give you pause, I'll remind you that the burden of taking care of the unhealthy in this country is a collective one that falls on all of our shoulders.  As parents, we really need to revisit what is going into our children's bodies.  If you ARE going to give a treat, one that is homemade is miles better than what you get in a store, which is why I do like to challenge people to try and make their own homemade cookies and treats.  If you refuse to buy processed packaged treats, and say that you will only make them, you'd be surprised at how much money you save and how much fewer treats your children will actually consume.

I made these treats to celebrate a reunion with an old grad school friend and an old teaching colleague, both brilliant thinkers of education reform and thoughtful planners of education's future.  I made us all a lovely dinner, and each of our children got a single mini cupcake; the adults sat, savored our small treat and enjoyed the occasion of friendship.

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 24 regular sized cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes

Yellow Cupcake
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups superfine sugar, or regular sugar that has been processed in a food processor and made fine
2 large eggs (taken out of the fridge the same time as the butter)
3 large egg yolks
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½  teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pans with liners.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  Mix together milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, blend softened butter and superfine sugar until thoroughly combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, add egg yolks, one at a time,and beat until well mixed, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is well blended.

Add half of flour mixture and mix until just combined, and add half milk mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl.  Add remaining half of flour mixture, mix until just combined and then add remaining milk mixture.  Mix until just combined.again.  At this stage, the less you mix the better for your cake.  (too much mixing makes for a tough cake.)

Scoop batter into cupcake pan.  Bake for 18-20 minutes (minis) or 22-24 minutes (regular size) until tops spring back up when tapped.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Frost with icing once cupcakes are completely cooled.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
½  cup of butter (1 stick), softened
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
In a large mixing bowl, mix butter until it is softened and uniform.  Add cream cheese and beat together until it is uniform.  Add 2 cups of sugar and cocoa powder to the mixture and mix.  Add milk and vanilla extract and mix again.  Add remaining 1 cup of confectioners sugar.   Mix again until mixture is creamy and spreadable.  Add more sugar if necessary, otherwise frost completely cooled cupcakes.

Printable recipe

Sausage Rigatoni with Kalamata Olives: Squashing creativity

I'm not sure what it is about Legos, but Son loves them.  And his fierce affection for them involves design, recreation, rebuilds, destruction, and a whole cycle of Lego work.  If you're a mom like me, all those those things actually add up to a big mess and a headache.

I often find myself at odds with Son regarding his Legos.  He loves to build in various corners of the house, bringing pieces to unexpected areas, finding inspiration in a book or in a car, or simply just dumping out all the pieces onto the floor and digging around to find that one unique piece.  I'm not bragging when I say I think Son might be kind of a Lego genius, as he can build things out of these tiny little bricks and they look cool, inventive and unique.

His creations don't quite catch my fancy because they create a HUGE MESS!  The Legos get strewn from one end of the house to the other, and sometimes there are days when I don't think there is a single room Lego free.  As it is, I created a wonderful Lego build space for him and he INSISTS on building on the stairs, in the middle of the kitchen, or in the hallway.  Never does he actually use the cool building area I created.

My personal desire for neatness and order and his personal drive to do new and exciting things with his Legos often bump up against each other.  This past weekend, he was inspired by this great Sean Kenney book and decided that he HAD to create a building with a working elevator.  The book outlined the basic mechanisms, and the rest was up to him, and he went at it.  He went nuts for it.  He didn't stop.  It meant he destroyed a series of completed Lego sets that he had, all in the name of finding specific pieces so he could build the building.  Seven different completed projects were destroyed with little bits of Lego shrapnel, all while he attempted to make his masterpiece.

I couldn't stand it.  I couldn't take it.  And I wanted to scream.  I did scream and yell and ask for him to clean up the Legos.  I threatened to vacuum them up, to throw them away, and the look on his face was one of someone who didn't mean to upset me, but just HAD to keep building.  I suddenly wondered how many times have I squelched creativity in the name of neatness and order.  How many times have I interrupted Children in their free play in order to make them clean up?   The answer is probably way more than I'd like to admit.  I'm pretty darn blessed with Children who can take pieces of recycled paper and create an entire circus or a candy store, or as they demonstrated over President's weekend, lots of snow.  This freedom and creativity is something that I should want to foster, and not suppress.  It's just hard allowing them all that freedom when the chaos of the house threatens my own mental well-being.

I bought these boxes in order to help combat the Lego disorder at the house. I just want them put away.  I'm not going to emphasize keeping them in their individual sets, but instead try and organize them by pieces, or by structure, or perhaps themes.  I'm not sure.  I just want Son to be able to easily see what he's looking for and to easily put things away, should this Mommy's temper arise. I'm sure this isn't the best solution, but it's a simple one that I can live with, and hopefully allow him to be a creative master without destroying my sanity.  I want him to be free to express his Lego creativity, but I also want to be able to walk through the house without the threat of a Lego piece reaching up and stabbing me.

I'm trying to remember that a bit of creativity is a good thing, as long as it is harnessed properly and prevented from overflowing into all areas of the house.  In the kitchen, I give myself lots of free rein to do something unusual with food - why shouldn't Children have some measure of that same free rein?  This pasta dish, with the kalamata olives is a bit unusual, but I thought to myself, why not?  I have a jar of olives to use up, why not use it up in this pasta?  Turns out - that bit of creativity was well worth it, because I LOVED it.  Daughters loved it as well, and the only non-lover was Son, who didn't appreciate my creativity the same way I didn't appreciate his.  Karma is a pain it seems.

The dish does use more than one pan (sorry), but the roasting of the tomatoes makes it extra special.  It softens them and intensifies their natural sweetness and so it's worth doing.

Sausage Rigatoni with Kalamata Olives 
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 lb rigatoni
24 oz (1½ lbs) cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
½ cup fresh basil, julienne
1 cup reserved pasta cooking water (before draining pasta, remove hot pasta water from the pot.  Set aside)

Method
Preheat oven to 400.  Cook pasta in salted water, one minute less than package directions.  (12 minute cooking time, cook only 11 minutes.)  Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid, and drain rest of pasta.  Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, on a cookie sheet, place cherry tomatoes.  Drizzle with 1½  tablespoons of  olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Give a quick toss, and roast in oven for 8 to 10 minutes (will vary depending on size of your tomato).  Remove from oven when done and set aside.

Heat on high,  a large heavy bottom pan  (I use the same one I cooked my pasta in).  Add 2  tablespoons of olive oil and sausages.  Cook sausages, breaking with the back of a spoon, until golden, about 5 minutes.  Reduce to medium, and add garlic.  Cook until garlic is golden, then add tomatoes and reserved pasta cooking water.  Stir and cook, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Add pasta all at once, and allow sauce to coat rigatoni.  Cook another minute, and then add olives and basil.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.  (Kalamata olives are salty, so beware.)

Serve hot, with a lovely sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Printable recipe 

A little messy creativity really doesn't hurt anyone. 

Sean Kenney's book, which was the start of all of the trouble, but a great book of inspirational designs for young kids.  It isn't a lot of step by step instruction, but rather photos and text of inspiration for young, creative builders.


The boxes I'm using to try and get SOME sanity.

Curried Coconut Chicken Soup: When you need a comfort

For SH, CJR, LKL, JZ, JD - thank you for being the calm when I freaked out

Daughter #1's teacher and I had a casual conversation this past week, and she said, "Do you remember when you were younger, you had in your mind that if you just reached a certain age, life would be simple and all planned out and a straight, predictable trajectory?"

I do remember exactly feeling that way, and it definitely must have been before my body began betraying me and before the birth of Children.  That simplified and unrealistic view of a mature life happened when I was immature.

Because this last week, my life, at age 41, when it is supposed to be calm, peaceful and all figured out, was anything BUT that.  I injured my hip flexor in such a manner that I was completely debilitated and unable to function normally without screaming in wretched pain.  To compound that pain, Daughter #1, (this one who plays the piano and swims) fell off the monkey bars at school and was in excruciating pain (while I also was in the same excruciating pain) and I feared that her concert piano days and my peaceful nights were over.  Thankfully, Daughter #1's arm turned out to be a bad sprain vs. a broken arm and my hip flexor is rapidly on the mend.  (All this paranormal activity, of course, while Husband is out of town on business.  Not blaming him, but just clarifying.)

I learned this week that life is never at all predictable, reliable, or calm.  However, there are many things that ARE - God, comfort from friends, and love from family.  As I repeatedly broke down from the pain in my body, the stress of trying to function, and the distress from seeing my own child suffer, I called upon God, my friends and my family, and many heard my cry and responded.  I read from the book of Job.  My parents offered to drive up from Southern California if only to relieve my duties.  Mother in law offered to come up and just be in the house so that she could answer the cries of children so I wouldn't have to.  Friends offered wise and sage counsel on the phone about doctors, best methods of treatment, and in it all, somehow, peace began rising like the sun, ever present, ever dependable, ever there.

I learned a lot about myself this week.  Even though I had two kids with no pain intervention, the pain that prevents you from function and walking normally is unforgettable.  I learned that when I'm in a panic, there are a few voices that definitely calm me down and make me see straight.  (Thanks CJR and LKL and SH.)  And at the end of a hard day, sometimes a warm, rich comforting soup fills you up in a way that few things can.  I made this soup, hobbling around in my kitchen, cooking it on my single portable gas range, and when it was done, and I got to eat it.  I slurped it down and felt myself nourished and refreshed.

The soup sort of is like a tom yum or tom kha (Thai soups) but I definitely put my own twist on it as I didn't use galangal or kaffir lime.  It's more a Thai inspired curried soup more than anything, but it's the soup I want to eat.  Tomorrow.

Curried Coconut Soup with Chicken and Enoki Mushrooms 
(adapted from Mai Pham’s Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking)
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced lemon grass (from the bottom portion of the lemon grass, tough outer shell peeled off before chopping)
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 teaspoon ground chili paste
1 teaspoon curry powder

3 ½ cups low sodium chicken stock
13 oz can coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

⅓ pound chicken breasts or thighs, skinned, boned, and cut into ½ inch cubes
7 oz enoki mushrooms, stems cut off (you may substitute a cup of whatever mushroom you like)
1 cup chopped ripe tomato (or cherry tomatoes sliced)
½ tablespoon lime juice
½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Method

Heat oil in a sauce an over medium heat until hot.  Add shallot, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, red chili flakes, red chili paste, curry powder and brown slightly, about 30 seconds.

Add chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar and coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and add chicken, mushrooms, tomato.  After it comes to second boil, turn off heat, and add lime juice and cilantro.  Serve immediately.

Printable recipe

and when I want comfort, it sometimes looks like this.

Great book - so many things you want to eat in here!

Mexican Rice: Lessons learned from The Sound of Music

For Julie Andrews

One of Children's Christmas presents this year was a beautiful boxed set of The Sound of Music.  I did not know how much they were going to love this movie, but they LOVE it.  Son learned all the words to the songs.  Daughters insist on watching with the subtitles so that they can learn the words, and both Daughters have picked out the melodies of many of the songs on the piano.  I've seen the movie more times in 2013, than I have for my entire life. (Bear in mind, 2013 is only 1 month gone.)  That's how much Children love it.

During my repeated viewings of this fantastic film, I decided to put my brain to good use and to glean important nuggets of wisdom from the movie and further inform my life.  Here are some things I've learned.

1.  A doe is a deer, a female one specifically.

2.  You don't need a minivan to move around 7 children and 2 adults - a large sedan works.

3.  When looking particularly scruffy (or in traveling clothes) and you're questioned, just explain that you're in "costume."

4.  Curtains can be up-cycled to really great children's playclothes.

5.  Nuns also have a dark side (and a mechanical one too).

6.  A man who blows his whistle at his children will ultimately become irresistibly attractive.  (Husband - can you get a whistle?)

7.  Boys who are 17,  going on 18, are decidedly untrustworthy.

8.  Women whom you have to address as "Baroness" are not to be trusted.

9.  A gazebo makes for a lovely rendezvous point.  (Install one in miniscule backyard pronto.)

10.  When in doubt, just sing what you're feeling!

In addition to the Sound of Music, the other thing that Children adore is Mexican style rice.  This version is better than anything you get in a box with its mild tomato flavor and fragrance of jasmine.  The only thing it requires is a bit of finesse in the cooking, as cooking on the stovetop can be slightly trickier than cooking in a rice cooker. Children love it so much, they'll eat it with whatever I have around, and eat it for snack, and eat it while watching...The Sound of Music.

Mexican Rice
Serves 8

Ingredients
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, diced fine
6 cloves of garlic, minced fine
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½  teaspoons oregano
3 cups jasmine rice, washed, rinsed, and drained (drier rice cooks better, so let it dry out a bit in a colander after rinsing)
3 ½ cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups tomato puree (I pulse fresh tomatoes - cherry, roma, campari - in my mini prep food processor until I have a smooth puree.  Ultimately the color of the rice will depend on the color of your tomatoes.)

Method
Heat a heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat.  Olive oil, onion, and garlic, cooking so that the onions become translucent, and soft, about 6 minutes.

Add salt, oregano, and rice, and stir, coating rice with olive oil onion mixture.  Cook rice mixture for about 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock and tomato puree all at once.  Stir rice and bring entire mixture to a boil.

 As soon as mixture begins boiling, give a final stir, cover pot with lid, reduce heat to low and allow rice to cook for 15 to 18 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

Serve warm (with lots of delicious sides.)

Printable recipe

The hills are alive...with the scent of orange rice!

In case you've never seen the film and want to own it...