Chicken Garbanzo Bean Soup

This soup is wonderfully satisfying and delicious, mildly spicy, and has a creamy, reddish-orange broth. It's Asian inspired and you can turn up the heat by adding more chili paste.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
6 tablespoons red curry paste
2 14 oz. cans coconut milk
4 tablespoons chili paste
2 teaspoons Kosher salt 
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups water
1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained 

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onions to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and stir for about 5 minutes until chicken is heated, then add the curry paste, coconut milk, chili paste, salt, ginger, and water. Stir to combine, and then slowly bring the soup to a boil, being careful not to burn the bottom of the pan. Add the drained chickpeas, lower the heat, stir, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add fresh spinach or Swiss chard to the soup for the last 15 minutes of cooking time for added color and nutrients. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Serve with naan or pita bread. Enjoy your food!

Ramen Noodle Salad with Feta Cheese

This cold noodle salad is healthy and filling. I'd never made Ramen noodles until using them for this recipe, not even in college. By the way, you won't need the seasoning packets that come with the noodles for this recipe. You can add your own spices, herbs, veggies, nuts, seeds, and more.

Ingredients:
5 packages of Ramen noodles

3/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 of a red cabbage, chopped small
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Boil Ramen noodles for 3-4 minutes and then drain. 

Run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking process and let them drain for a few more minutes. 

Mix noodles with remaining ingredients in a large bowl until everything is well blended. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the flavors blend. Serve cold.

Effie's Congo Squares / Happy 100th Birthday Effie!

Effie, the best cook in North Carolina, turns 100 today.  In tribute to Effie, I'm posting her congo squares recipe from the cookbook that was decicated to her. Happy birthday, Effie!

1 1/8 stick margarine

1 box light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 pkg. (6 oz.) chocolate chips

2 3/4 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. nuts

Melt margarine.  Add sugar and cool.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour, baking powder and salt.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes in a 10x15 inch pan. After it's done, wait 10 minutes before cutting.

Asian Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

This soup is full of the same feel good magical healing qualities of homemade chicken soup--it'll cure what ails you. I've ordered this soup in restaurants by the name of tom kha gai and discovered it's easy to make at home and just as yummy. It's a little spicy and you can adjust the heat to your liking. Here's my take on the soup:

1 can coconut milk

32 oz carton coconut milk 

2 cans fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

12 1" slices fresh ginger

1 cup sliced white onion

2 tablespoons lemongrass stir-in-paste (in a tube)

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts pulled into bite-sized      pieces

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Thai chili paste), to taste

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, chicken broth, ginger, onion, and lemongrass. Bring to boil over high heat. Add the chicken, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste. Reduce heat, stir, and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Remove ginger with a slotted spoon. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. Jasmine rice goes well on the side or add some to the soup if you'd like.

-revised January, 2022