Tom Kha Gai - Coconut Chicken Soup

Tom Kha Gai is the very famous Thai coconut chicken soup. It is absolutely delicious, full of flavor and nourishing. I was lucky enough to find fresh lemongrass in a local store, along with dried Kaffir lime leaves. It is a very rare sight to find such items locally, and unfortunately, there isn't an Asian food store anywhere nearby that I could just walk into and explore. So even though I still haven't been able to find galangal to put it in this recipe, I decided to share this delicious soup as it is because everybody at home really liked it. I hope you do too!

Ingredients:

100 gr carrots

100 gr shiitake mushrooms

140 gr chicken

1 spring onion

2 cloves ginger

2 cm fresh ginger

1 lemongrass

2-3 kaffir lime leaves

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 can coconut milk - 425 ml

1 tbsp tamari sauce

1/2 tsp sambal oelek

1 L water

lemon or lime

fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions:

1 Pour 200 ml boiling water over one chicken bouillon cube and set aside.

2. Cut the chicken and lemongrass into smaller chunks. Finely chop the ginger, garlic and spring onion.

3. In a pot, heat a bit of oil or ghee, and add the sambal oelek (chili paste), ginger, garlic, spring onion, and lemon grass. Stir occasionally.

4. After a few minutes, add the chicken and let it brown on all sides. Then add the rest of the vegetables and tamari sauce.

5. Add the chicken stock and water. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Add the coconut milk and cook on low heat for a few more minutes.

7. Serve alone or with rice noodles. Sprinkle some fresh parsley or cilantro and add fresh lime juice. Bon appetit!

Juicy Marinated Chicken with Quinoa and a Matcha Green Tea Sauce

You might have heard about the popular matcha latte. You might even be a fan and make a cup of the delicious green stuff on the daily. A matcha dessert is a normal occurence, at least in our household. But this, my friends, is a savory dish with a matcha sauce!

Chicken and green tea might sound a bit weird, but worry not! The flavors flow beautifully together and make a refreshing and delicious lunch. Quinoa is mixed with vegetables, the chicken breast is marinated and is still super juicy once cooked, and the sauce brings it all together. I hope you'll try and enjoy this unusual flavor combo as much as I have!

Ingredients:

300 gr chicken breast

½ cup quinoa

1 tsp mayonnaise

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp red paprika

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp tamari sauce

1 tsp potato starch

100 gr asparagus

150 gr cherry tomatoes

2 handfuls of arugula

50 ml yogurt

1 tsp mayonnaise

1 tsp matcha

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp hemp seeds

Instructions:

1. Cut the chicken breast into smaller pieces, and prepare the marinade by mixing olive oil, mayonnaise, red paprika, thyme, tamari sauce and potato starch.

2. Cover all the pieces of chicken with the marinate, and let it sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

3. Wash and cook the quinoa.

4. Blanche the asparagus by placing them into boiling salted water for two to three minutes, and then submerge them into cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut them into smaller pieces.

5. Wash the arugula and cherry tomatoes, and slice the tomatoes.

6. Place the marinated chicken into a lightly oiled, and very hot pan. Let the meat caramelize on one side before turning it over to the other.

7. Prepare the sauce by mixing the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and matcha. Mix well and season with salt to taste.

8. Drain the quinoa, and place it into a large bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, asparagus, arugula which you can cut into smaller bite sized pieces if you so wish. Mix well.

9. Serve the dish by placing the quinoa and vegetable base in a bowl or a plate. Place the chicken on top, and drizzle the sauce on top. Sprinkle with hemp seeds and serve immediately. Bon appetit!