Hot and Sour Soup

My daily wardrobe has consisted of jeans, wool socks, a thermal shirt, sweatshirt and a scarf draped around my head and neck. I keep cranking the heater to 75 degrees and someone keeps turning it down! If it weren't for my dog Lucy cuddling next to me on the couch, I would need blanket as well.

While visiting family over the holidays, my grandma shared with me a hot and sour soup recipe. She told me she used to make for me and my sister when we were little and written at the top of the recipe was: Hugh (my grandpa), Jacqueline and Michele (my sister) like.

I figured it would be a good time to bring this recipe back to life since it is so cold outside. The benefit to making your own hot and sour soup is you can very how chunky, hot or sour you want the soup. For example, I've added more veggies than you normally get at a Chinese restaurant.

Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients
4 dried Chinese mushrooms
1/2 c. lean pork or shrimp (optional)
1/2 c. bamboo shoot
1/3 c. tofu
1 egg
1 scallion minced
1 tbs cornstarch
4 tbsp water
4 c. chicken broth
3 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soyu
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4-1 tsp hot chili oil (depending on how hot you like it)

Soak the Chinese mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze liquid out of the mushrooms and remove the stems with a pairing knife. Cut mushroom caps into thin strips.
*Note: I like to buy black mushrooms for this soup. You can play around with a variety of mushrooms, all will yield a different flavor.

Cut pork across the grain into 1/4 inch slices then 1/8 inch wide strips. If using shrimp, chop the shrimp up into 1/4 inch pieces.

Cut tofu and bamboo shoots into similar sized strips.
*Note: Bamboo shoots should be available in any grocery store. I prefer to buy the canned bamboo shoots whole rather than the sliced bamboo shoots simply because I it tastes more fresh.

Break egg in a bowl & beat lightly.

Mix cornstarch and water until blended.

Bring broth to a boil and add pork (or shrimp) and mushrooms.

By the time the pot comes to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Add bamboo shoots & tofu and simmer for another 4-5 minutes.

Mix vinegar, soyu, hot chili oil, salt and pepper and stir into soup.

Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook stirring constantly until thickened.

Stir in the beaten egg and remove from heat when egg threads are almost firm.

Add sesame oil and scallions and serve immediately.

Split Pea Soup: Pictures are deceiving

I have a love hate relationship with my crockpot. I love the fact that I can plop everything into my crockpot, and leave it on for 4-8 hours. I hate the fact that every recipe I've made in the crockpot is hit or miss. This split pea soup recipe falls into my "love" relationship. I love my soup hearty, I love extra carrots in my soup and I love when soup tastes creamy but doesn't have any dairy.

Another love hate relationship I have is photographing split pea soup. The contrast between the burgundy crockpot and the muted green soup did not result well in pictures, in addition we finished the soup too late to realize we were lacking pictures of the finished product. But please trust me, this soup makes you want to melt it tastes so good.

*If you don't have a crockpot, the stovetop recipe is below the crockpot recipe.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 smoked ham hock (Andronico's had a great selection of meaty smoked ham hocks that other stores lacked, you might have to search around for a good one)

2 carrots sliced

½ white onion chopped

1 clove of garlic smashed

1 stick of celery sliced

1 leek

1 tbs salt

3 small Yukon Gold Potatoes

1.5 cup dried split peas

3 cups of water

Wash and cut carrots, onions, garlic, celery and leek. Put skillet on medium heat. Drizzle some olive oil on the skillet, when it swirls around the pan easily; add the leeks, garlic and onions, sauté until limp (5-10 minutes). Add the carrots and celery to the pan, sauté for another 5 minutes until fragrant.

Next, chop up your potatoes; these will get put into the crock pot raw.

Rinse out the split peas and remove anything that doesn’t look green (sometimes small hard stones are in the dried peas).

Take out your crock pot and put all of the ingredients in (in case you need a reminder plop in the ham hock, all of the sautéed leeks, garlic, onions, carrots and celery, rinsed split peas, potatoes, salt and water.

Turn on low and cook all day until you get home. If you don't mind your soup chunky just stir it up and eat it. If you are patient enough, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. We ate this soup so quickly, I didn't even get a chance to take a picture!

**If you don’t have a crockpot you’ll want to start this dinner the night prior, it will take 20 minutes to prep and 2 hours to cook. So let’s rewind to the point at which I asked you to plop everything into your crockpot and instead, take out your large soup pot, sauté all of the vegetables in the pot until the onions are translucent. Add your potatoes and rinsed split peas, salt and ham hock and then drown it all in 4 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil and then bring down to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.

Cucumber Salad-Like the one at Thai restaurants

Thai restaurants never serve enough of the cucumber salad. I know it's supposed to be a palate cleanser but I always want more! Now you can make your own, and eat all that you want . . . just as long as you have enough cucumbers.

Thai Style Cucumber Salad

1 cucumber sliced

2 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 carrot julienned

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp sesame seeds to garnish

Half of a green onion to garnish

If you have a mandolin slicer this salad will be done in a snap but a knife will get the job done as well. Discard the ends of the cucumber and slice the cucumber thinly. Julienne the carrot and put both vegetables into a bowl.

To make the dressing, put sesame oil, sugar and rice wine vinegar into a small bowl and mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour dressing over the sliced cucumbers and carrots, garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds and eat your heart out. These calories won't go against you.

Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce

These soba noodles taste as satisfying as a bowl full of mashed potatoes.

COLD SOBA NOODLES WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 tbs peanut butter

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs honey

1 clove of garlic minced

½ tbs rice wine vinegar

2 rolls of soba noodles

Half of a green onion to garnish

½ tsp sesame seeds to garnish

2 tbs crushed peanuts to garnish

Fill a saucepan with water and put it on the stove on high heat. While waiting for your water to boil take out your cutting board and mince up some garlic. Put the garlic in a bowl along with the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey and rice wine vinegar. Whisk together.

By now your water should be boiling, add the soba noodles and cook them for 7 minutes. Once done cooking, rinse the soba noodles in cold water and set aside in a bowl. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Garnish with sliced green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds.