Thai Chicken Soup

I'm such a fan of Thai food.  I love me some red curry, coconut milk, and lemongrass.  Yum yum yum!  So, last week, while I was flipping the pages of a food magazine, I became completely mesmerized by a photo of Thai soup.  Gone were my plans to post a recipe for delicious Southern style black-eyed peas, ham, and collard soup. Gone were my plans to try out a soup made creamy by the addition of hummus.   Every other recipe just seemed so boring by comparison.  { insert dramatic sigh here}

Fast forward a few days, and I'm happy to report that this recipe was deserving of my fixation; it's just so, so good!  We loved it, and I couldn't stop sneaking spoonfuls of the broth when I was putting the leftovers away.  Once you have the veggies and chicken sliced up, it goes together pretty quickly, so this recipe would make a great weeknight dinner.

Enjoy!






Thai Chicken Soup
adapted from Food Network Magazine


1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbps. red curry paste
6 c. low-sodium chicken broth
13-15 oz. can light coconut milk
1 Tbsp. fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. rice noodles, broken into pieces
1 Tbsp. lemongrass *
1 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1/2 lb.), thinly sliced crosswise
juice from 1/2 a lime
1/4 c. cilantro, roughly chopped, optional

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; cover and bring to a boil.

Add the bell peppers, mushrooms, and noodles and simmer, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes. Add the lemongrass and chicken, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and add more fish sauce, if desired**.


* Note 1:  My grocery store doesn't carry fresh lemongrass, so I bought a tube instead.  It measures tablespoon for tablespoon the same as fresh lemongrass, and it will keep in my fridge for a lot longer.


** Note 2:  When you taste the broth at this point, if it tastes like it could use more salt, try adding 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce.  I did, and it tasted just right.  My total fish sauce for the entire recipe was 1 1/2 Tbsp.


*** Note 3:  Rice noodles tend to get mushy if you leave them in broth in the fridge.  When you package up your leftovers, keep the noodles and broth in separate containers.  Add the noodles back in to reheat.

Ingredient Lineup:

(MIA: the chicken and cilantro)

Remove the noodles from the broth before storing leftovers.

Yummy in my tummy.

Cookie Week: Peanut Butter Balls

(And just like that, you can't get rid of me, ha!)  I know that these aren't technically cookies, but my family is really big on making Christmas candy instead of cookies.  I have an arsenal of recipes that were handed down from my grandma, but a few years ago, my bestie and I came up with this recipe for dipped peanut butter balls.  We gathered a bunch of different recipes, hacked them up, and out came these babies.  And they're so darn yummy, that we didn't bother to change a thing.

Cookie Week: Coconut Macaroons

Guess who's back?!  Me me me!!  I've been disappearing on you while Sarandipity gets insane during the holidays.  But I couldn't resist whipping up a recipe for this week's theme.  I mean, c'mon - cookies!!  Plus, my bestie from San Diego was visiting me, and we did all our Christmas baking while she was here.  We tried out this recipe for the first time, and decided that it will be a permanent entry on our list of treats to make each winter.  The lemon zest in this recipe is what really just puts it over the top.  I was all for leaving it out, but my girlfriend convinced me to try it out, and I'm so glad she did.  It's scrumpdiddly amazing!!


Enjoy!

Saucy Mama Stovetop Stew

Hi, everyone!  As you may have noticed, all of the ladies here at From Blah to Ta-Daa are doing a Saucy Mama theme week with our recipe posts.  Saucy Mama sent us a sampler of her products so that we could create a recipe to enter her contest!  Each of us also gets to give away that same sampler on our individual blogs, so make sure you come visit to enter!

I'd been trying narrow down which recipe to post for the Saucy Mama contest (I've made 3 so far!), when we got a tiny glimpse at Fall weather last weekend.  That 10 degree temperature drop (and 20% humidity drop) was all it took for me to settle on making stew.  But I didn't feel like lugging out my crock pot and making a big, planned-out ordeal of a meal.  I wanted a simple stew, and I wanted it done within the hour.  So, I made it in a heavy saute pan, right there on my stovetop.

Some tips for making a quick stew:  Use only tender cuts of meat.  Cook the potatoes in a separate saucepot while you make the stew and add them in at the end.  Chop your veggies and meat into smaller pieces than usual so that they cook faster.  Use a sauce - like the Saucy Mama marinade - with lots of flavor.

We both loved this stew, and Bo didn't hesitate before going back for seconds.  I rate it a 4 Spoons, he gives it a 5 Spoons (but we've always known that he's a meat and potatoes kinda guy).  I also made a roast chicken with a Saucy Mama marinade that was honest to goodness amazing.  I didn't have time to photograph it for you, so I'll try to make it again and get it posted in the next few weeks.

Enjoy!




Saucy Mama Stovetop Stew

2 c. potatoes, cut into 1" pieces

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. beef tenderloin tips (or tenderloin cut into 1" pieces)
1/2 c. flour

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 c. carrot, diced
2 Tbsp. minced shallot
8 oz. mushrooms
1/2 c. red wine

1/2 c. low-sodium beef broth
1 c. water
1/2 c. Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade

Fill medium sauce pan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pinch of salt and potato pieces to the pan and cook over a low boil for 8-10 minutes, just until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, toss tenderloin tips in the flour to lightly coat. Add meat to heated pan and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the additional tablespoon of butter to the pan with the carrot, shallot, and mushrooms, and saute until softened. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, and reduce until nearly evaporated. Add in the meat and cooked potatoes, and then stir in the broth, water, and Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Ingredient Lineup:

After browning the tenderloin, saute the veggies until tender.

Add in the liquid ingredients and Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper

Marinade, and simmer until thickened.

I love Autumn!!

Be sure to come visit me at ~~ my personal blog ~~ to

enter my giveaway and win this whole set!

Back to School Week: Chewy Granola Bars

You may remember - a long while back - that I posted another recipe for Granola Bars.  While pretty, they just weren't what I was looking for in a granola bar.  Because all the ladies here at Blah to Ta-Daa are doing a Back to School Week theme, I thought it would be a good time to finally find a granola bar recipe that lived up to all my wildest dreams.  Ok, maybe not all my wildest (calorie-free food ranks up there in wildest) dreams; but definitely yummy and a keeper recipe.

And, I've found it!  Holy Smokes, these things are good.  Even after I cut out some of the butter and sugar, they were still like eating little cookies.  Yummm...5 Spoons for us!

Enjoy!



         

Chewy Granola Bars
heavily adapted from Allrecipes.com

1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. natural peanut butter (microwave it for a second if it's not easy to stir)
1/4 c. agave syrup or corn syrup or honey
2 Tbsp. butter, melted  (or your favorite nondairy substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. oats
3 Tbsp. wheat germ
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease an 8" square pan.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in the oats and wheat germ.  Then, fold in the chocolate chips.

Spray your hands with cooking spray and then press firmly and evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until edges are browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and let rest overnight before cutting into bars and removing from pan. Yes, overnight! These bars get better as they age, so resist temptation to cut into them early!

Ingredient Lineup:

The mixture may seem crumbly, but don't worry.

Press firmly into a greased pan.

Bake until just the edges are browned.

Let rest overnight before cutting.

Yum!

Crockpot Meal: Chicken Tacos

I'm fairly new to the world of crockpot magic; I got my first one for Christmas just last year.  And while there are gozillions of crockpot recipes out there, in my mind, the really good ones make use of the "dump and cook" method.  The whole beauty of a crockpot is to make life ridiculously easy, am I right?  I've managed to collect a handful of keeper recipes, but this one is by far our favorite.  If we could rate this 187 Spoons we would.  But, I suppose a measely 5 Spoons will have to do :)

Yummm!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 14oz can Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
1/2 packet or 1-2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix
low-sodium chicken broth to cover the chicken

Throw everything into your trusty crockpot.  Flip that baby to High and cook for 4 hours, or until chicken shreds easily with a fork.  Dinner done!


Our favorite add-ons:
Ortega Whole Grain taco shells
Lettuce
Black Beans (seasoned with cumin and onion salt)
Ranch
Salsa
Cheese
Avocado
Black Olives

Ingredient Lineup:

Dump everything in, and throw on the lid.  Cook on High for 3-5 hours.

After a few hours of crockpot magic,

the chicken is shreddy and ohhhh sooo flavorful.

I'm so not going to tell you how many of these we ate.

Corn Chowder with Smoked Sausage: Crockpot Meal

Corn Chowder:



Ingredients:
1 pkg. Smoked Sausage
1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
1 Med. Onion, Chopped
1/4 Cup all-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
4 Cups of Milk
1 Can (15.25oz.) Whole Kernel Corn, Drained
2 Cups Cubed Potatoes (I learned this is about 3 medium potatoes)

Chopped Parsley and shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional)



Directions:
Put Onions and Butter in the crock pot, turn on low and melt.



Once melted throw in the rest of the ingredients and Cook until Potatoes are tender.



I rated this a 5 spoon. Hubs said 4 because he isn't a Sausage lover... LOL We also concluded that Bacon would be really good in it to replace the Sausage.

Another GREAT thing about this meal is you can make it for less than $10.00

Take Your Kids in the Kitchen Theme Week - and a #giveaway!!

Welcome to out first theme week here at From Blah to Ta-daa!!

Take your Kids into the Kitchen!!

There are so many things that you can teach your kids allowing them to help you in the kitchen...from math skills to life skills -- but the best thing?

You can teach them to have fun with their food!!

We would love to introduce you to Barbara Beery from Kid's Cooking Shop!!




Barbara is the fun and fabulous owner of Batter Up Kid's Cooking Shop!
She has a bachelor's degree in early education and 18 years teaching experience.
She teaches cooking classes and runs one amazing blog.

http://barbarabeerykidscooking.wordpress.com/

is full of yummy recipes and information!!

She is also the author of 11 children’s cookbooks including three best-selling cookbooks which have sold over 300,000 copies! Her titles include Pink Princess Cookbook, Mermaids Cookbook, Pink Princess Cookbook, The Texas Longhorns Cookbook, Pink Princess Spa Cookbook, Green Princess Cookbook and Pink Ponies Cookbook.

Her shop is a great resource for all things fun in the kitchen!!



Through her shop, blog and classes she is teaching kids and parents that you can have fun in the kitchen with just a little imagination!!

You can score 50% off everything at Kid's Cooking Shop through March 18th with the Spring Cleaning Time at Batter Up...

Just enter the code

50% off – COUPON CODE M10318

at check out!!

You can also find Kid's Cooking Shop on youtube!!

Check out this month's cupcake recipe of the month!!








We were all so excited to find out that we were going to get a chance to find out first hand how much fun we could have...

Every day this week we will be featuring items from Kid's Cooking Shop!!

But that's not all!!

Barbara was so kind to allow us to offer this

Pink Princess Baking Gift Set

as a Giveaway to Celebrate the theme week!!



An enchanting good and deliciously fun baking set for the Princess in your kitchen! From best -selling cookbook author, Barbara Beery, comes the new Pink Princess Cupcakes Cookbook for girls 4 and older. Our exclusive Pink Princess Cupcakes baking set includes the new Pink Princess Cupcakes Cookbook with 30 party perfect recipes and 30 full page color photos, 1 -8 inch pink silicone spatula for stirring and frosting, and a set of 1 dozen "Princess" cupcake wrappers to adorn all her majesty's cupcake creations!

A Batter Up Kids Cooking Shop exclusive $29.99



Who Wants to Win?




First and Mandatory Entry....

Visit Kid's Cooking Shop and let us know you favorite item.



Bonus Entries:

1. Follow From Blah to Ta-daa through Google Friend Connect...or let us know if you already do!

New Followers - 1 entry! -- Already Following -2 entries!!

2. Subscribe to From Blah to Tadaa through e-mail subscription. (1 entry)

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Very easy and simple -- make sure to check your e-mail and confirm!!

3. Follow Barbara's Blog through RSS subscription!! (1 entry)

4. Follow FromBlahtoTadaa & Barbara Beery on Twitter

and Tweet daily about this giveaway!!
Make sure to include @FromBlahtoTadaa , @kidscookingshop and the hashtag #giveaway in your tweet.

Leave a link to your tweet in your comment. (1 entry)

5. Post our button on your blog.
Leave a link so that we can see our lovely blog button. (1 entry)



ADD our BUTTON:





copy/paste:

<center><a href="http://www.blahtota-daa.blogspot.com"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae334/ChrissyMacCEO/blahtotadaabutton-1.jpg" /></a><br /></center>


6. You can get up to 6 extra entries...we are each going to be posting reviews of the items that we were sent for this theme week on our personal blogs...for each comment on those posts...you get an entry.

7. Send someone to enter the Giveaway -- tell them to mention your name! (1 entry)

8. Blog about this Giveaway, you must have at least 10 followers. (3 entries)

9. Link up your kid friendly dish for What's on Your Table Mcklinky below for 3 bonus entries!!





Giveaway will end April 3rd and is open to residents of the U.S.
We were sent items for the purpose of review thanks to Kid's Cooking Shop...but all opinion are ours and ours alone.