Tom Yum Soup - thai vegetable soup

I love to make a soup like this and use up whatever bits of vegetable or fish or chicken is hanging around, so do be sure to adjust to whatever you have on hand.  We found the rotisseried chickens half price so bought 5 and hubby cheerfully removed the meat from the bones and packed them into small ziplock bags. Those are great for adding to the top of a salad or wrapping up into a tortilla. I dumped all the bones and skin into the crockpot (minus the stuffing) and cooked for several hours.  Once strained and left to cool so that I could scrape off the fat, it makes the most delicious chicken stock.  This can be frozen, and used as desired.
I am also incredibly lucky to have lemongrass and kaffir lime in my garden.

 this is an assortment of vegetables that went into our soup, but use whatever is on hand.

4 cups chicken stock
about 1/2 cup coarsely chopped and bruised lemongrass stalks
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp dried chili flakes or more to taste
4 cloves garlic, chopped.
4 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs lime juice
An assortment of prepared vegetables - brocolli, snow peas, carrots, beansprouts, mushrooms
Small pieces of chicken or prawns, or both.
1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)

Mix seasonings in with the stock and simmer gently for about 15 minutes to infuse the flavours.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Strain liquid and discard solids. I like to stir fy the vegetables and fish or chicken and then add to the infused stock just before serving so that they remain crisp and brightly coloured.  Stir in coconut milk and serve.

Pavlova

Pavlova


6 eggs, separated
1 cup (250ml) caster sugar
3 Tbs (75ml) cornflour
1 Tbs (25ml) white vinegar
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla
1 cup (250ml) whipping cream
2 Tbs (50ml) caster sugar

Fruit for topping – any or all of the following

Sliced bananas dipped in lime juice
Sliced kiwifruit
Passionfruit pulp



Preheat oven to 300 F, then line a baking tray with foil, grease with a little butter and dust with cornflour.

Place the egg whites in a large clean bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar beating all the time. The mixture will become very glossy and thick. Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and beat just until mixed in. Spread onto prepared pan, building up the sides so there is a hollow in the centre. Bake for 1 ½ hrs, or until dry to the touch, then turn off oven and leave in oven with door slightly ajar to cool completely.

Use an electric mixer to whisk the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Just before serving spoon cream on top of Pavlova and top with fruit.

24 Hr salad

24 hr salad


6 cups chopped lettuce–iceberg or romaine
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
Salt, pepper and sugar
1 lb (500g) bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups shredded Swiss or Monterey jack cheese
¼ cup green onions, chopped
 1 cup ranch dressing



Place half the lettuce in the bottom of a salad bowl, then the eggs, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar. Add the rest of the lettuce, then remaining ingredients in layers, as in the list of ingredients. Chill for 24 hours, then toss and serve.

Milk tart

Milk Tart


Pastry:
1 1/2 cups (375ml) flour
½ cup (125ml) butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
Pinch salt
2 Tbs (50ml) sugar


Filling:
3 cups ( 750ml) milk
2 Tbs (50ml) butter or margarine
2 Tbs (50ml) flour
1 Tbs (25ml) Cornstarch
½ cup (125ml) sugar
 2 eggs, plus 1 egg white
2 tsp (10ml)vanilla essence
1 tsp (5ml) almond essence
1 Tbs (25ml) cinnamon


For the pastry, mix all ingredients together and press into a greased 8” deep pie pan. Prick with a fork and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.

For the filling, Place milk and butter into a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. In the meantime mix together flour, cornstarch, eggs and sugar in a bowl. Once the milk is starting to boil, pour into the flour mixture slowly, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps forming. Pour back into the hot pan and bring back up to the boil. Add essences, stir and let cool about 10 minutes, and then pour into prepared pastry shell. Chill in fridge for about 1 hour and sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

Bean Dip

Bean Dip


2 cans refried beans
8oz (250g) pkg cream cheese
1 bottle hot salsa
1 cup (250ml) sour cream
Hot sauce to taste
I pkg taco sauce mixture
Grated cheese



Mix the cream cheese with the beans and sour cream until smooth, then stir in salsa, taco sauce mixture and hot sauce to taste. Turn into an ovenproof dish, top with grated cheese and bake in a medium oven for about 15 mins. Can also be served cold. Serve with corn chips.

Yakisoba

Yakisoba


3 packets ramen noodles
1 Tbs (10ml) oil
1 carrot, grated
½ cup shredded cabbage
2 greens onions, chopped
½ cup shredded cooked chicken
1 Tbs (10ml) grated ginger
1 Tbs (10ml) grated garlic



Break up the noodles in the packet then boil ramen noodles in water for 2 minutes, and drain well. Add oil to hot wok and then quickly stir in ginger and garlic, when coated with oil, add carrot cabbage and onion, cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in noodles and chicken. Season to taste with the seasoning packets from the noodles – you may not have to add all of it.

Pound cake

Pound Cake:


Mix together and let stand to get sour:

1 cup (250ml) milk
2 tsp (10ml) vinegar

Beat together for 3 minutes:

2 cups (500ml) sugar
1 cup (500ml) butter or margarine
4 eggs
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla
1 tsp (5ml) almond essence

Sift together and add to beaten mixture along with the sour milk:

3 cups (750ml) flour
 ½ tsp (3ml) baking soda (bicarb)
½ tsp (3ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) salt

Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 300ºF (160ºC) for 60 minutes. Cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out.