Coconut and Lime….and Thai red curry paste.

You know those days?

You know those days.

The air is thick…not so much with heat, but with fog.

They are insular days….make soup days.

I have lemongrass and limes growing

I ALWAYS have coconut oil and milk

and happen to have locally harvested mushrooms and ginger.

Put it all together…In a bowl, preferably that says “this bowl fights hunger”.

A local soup-kitchen fundraiser.

 

 

 

…and we get none other than a warm you to the core

Tom Kha Gai

:: Thai chicken soup for a foggy day ::

and while I didn’t have galangal, the traditional root used in this dish…ginger warmed it beautifully.

and instead of the requisite kefir lime leaves….I used the zest of the limes. Everybody was happy.

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  
• 1 stalk lemon grass (pound the white ends to release the flavor)
  
• 2 teaspoons or more of red curry paste (found in asian section…most grocers carry it)
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (found in same section)
  
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (brown or honey will do fine)

• 3 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk
  
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1 pound chicken breast sliced thin
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and zest of 1 lime
  
• salt to taste
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. sauté the chicken pieces till done, add the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stop and :: inhale :: the aroma. Slowly pour the chicken broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce and coconut sugar; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and mushrooms; cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice and zest; season with salt; garnish with cilantro. We love it served on brown rice.

Dare the fog to hang around…