Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all here in the US and those who celebrate abroad! 
We are going to a friends house for dinner today, she is having 30 people (of the large and small variety) and   is far braver than I!  She is cooking two turkeys (one is de-boned and wrapped in prosciutto, the other is maple glazed), the appetizers and dessert. A shout out to Earth Fair, they de-boned the turkey which she had purchased somewhere else and did it for free! The rest of us have assignments based on different criteria.  Those are if we cook, how willing we are to take on a challenge and the most important of all, if we cook is it actually edible.  Needless to say some are assigned ice cream. 

My assignment is the soup and it is Thai Style Chicken Coconut Curry.  My eldest daughter tells me it is very Americanized as everything in it is something you would either find in your home or in the local grocery store.  We are changing it up just a bit and replacing the chicken with shrimp.  I started my prep work yesterday and finished this am.  There is a bit of chopping involved here and I learned how to cut fresh ginger into matchsticks.  Just a side point, when do you suddenly need your reading glasses to cook?  I had to cut the shrimp in half and could not do it without them...it was somewhat discouraging but, considering the option I'll take it!

Thai Style Chicken Coconut Curry Soup

servings 4

Ingredients

·         1  cup  thinly sliced shallots

·         2  tablespoons  grape-seed or canola oil

·         2    serrano chilies, thinly sliced

·         1  one-inch  piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks

·         1  clove  garlic, chopped

·         1  teaspoon  ground turmeric

·         1 1/2  cups  cabbage, sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips

·         1    carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

·         1  cup  sliced mushroom caps

·         14  ounce  light coconut milk

·         1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch chunks

·         2  tablespoons  reduced-sodium soy sauce

·         2  medium  tomatoes, cored and sliced into wedges

·         1  cup  snow peas, strings removed, cut in half

·         1/2  cup  fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

·         1    scallion, greens sliced into 1-inch lengths, whites thinly sliced

·         1  cup  jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions

·         1    lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions

Combine shallots and oil in a large saucepan over high heat; saute for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add the chilies, ginger, garlic, and turmeric, and saute for 1 minute. Add cabbage, carrot, and mushrooms, and saute for another 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and 1 cup of water; bring the mixture to a boil. Add chicken and soy sauce and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in tomatoes and snow peas and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the basil and scallion and simmer for 1 minute more. Serve with jasmine rice and lime wedges.

I do not know where she got the recipe but, it looks like a winner!  I will tell you how it tastes...