Thai Chicken Soup with Rice

I like my chicken soup to be a little on the creamy side - usually I get this result by adding a can of cream of chicken soup to the pot, but yesterday I happened to be out so I had to get creative. The only creamy anything I had in my pantry was a can of coconut milk - this is what I came up with:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3-4 carrots, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons red thai curry
3-4 cups cooked rice (great way to use leftovers!)

Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add onion, celery, carrots and saute until softening (you could add other vegetables here as well - maybe snow peas or broccoli) Add garlic and ginger and saute a few more minutes until aromatic. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro or fresh mint.

Corndog Muffins

These are part of my "fast food" collection. When I have time, I make a batch and throw them in the freezer. Then I can pull them out on those days when life is crazy and it's suddenly lunch time but I haven't even started to make anything. A few seconds in the microwave... cut up some fruit... and VOILA - Lunch!

I make these using my favorite cornbread recipe - Feel free to substitute yours if you like.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
4 hot dogs, quartered and chopped

Heat oven to 425. In medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Stir in milk, oil, and egg until just combined. Fold in hot dog pieces. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Yummy with ketchup or mustard frosting!

Pizza Muffins

These are part of my "fast food" collection. When I have time, I make a batch and throw them in the freezer. Then I can pull them out on those days when life is crazy and it's suddenly lunch time but I haven't even started to make anything. A few seconds in the microwave... cut up some fruit... and VOILA - Lunch!

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup chopped pizza meat (pepperoni, sausage, etc.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, basil, oregano, onion flakes, and sugar. Mix in cheese and pizza meat. If you use pepperoni, either buy the small diced variety or chop it pretty finely. If you use sausage, be sure to cook it thoroughly and break it up - I like to throw it in my food processor after cooking to break it up in to little pieces. In a smaller bowl, beat the egg, then whisk in buttermilk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Spoon batter into muffin cups until 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Yummy with ketchup frosting!

PB&J Muffins

These are part of my "fast food" collection. When I have time, I make a batch and throw them in the freezer. Then I can pull them out on those days when life is crazy and it's suddenly lunch time but I haven't even started to make anything. A few seconds in the microwave... cut up some fruit... and VOILA - Lunch!

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
All-fruit preserves - your favorite flavor

Preheat oven to 400. If you use muffin papers or cook right in the muffin tin, spray them with nonstick cooking spray. I like to use the silicon muffin cups and have found that they don't usually need to be greased at all. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With two knives or a pastry blender, cut in peanut butter until coarse crumbs form. Add milk, honey, carrot, zucchini, eggs, and oil. Stir just until ingredients are combined and moistened.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons batter into each muffin cup (about 1/2 full). Top with about 1 teaspoon fruit preserves (Do Not Use Jelly - it will melt all over the place). Cover with another tablespoon of batter. Bake 15-20 minutes.