Thai Coconut Vegetable Soup

The other day I was at the store picking up the ingredients to make a pot of Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup. I was reaching for bamboo shoots when I saw the coconut milk. That is when the wheels started turning, what if I added coconut milk to the soup? I got both and I just kept thinking. By the time I got home I had decided that adding coconut milk would make the soup more Thai style. So I did some research. Most of the soup recipes I saw included ginger, lemon grass, fish sauce, herbs (basil or cilantro), chili paste, and coconut milk. Well I did not have lemon grass but I had everything else. So I went for it. I think it turned out amazing. I used a combination of lemon and lime juice to compensate for the lemon grass. I would not call the soup authentic at all but it was surely delicious. I did keep the simple cooking method or the Hot and Sour Soup. It is pretty much a dump and stir recipe. Ready in 10 minutes. I loved all the Thai flavors of curry, fish sauce and ginger. I think next time I may peel and slice the ginger in thin threads. I think I would enjoy leaving it in the finished soup. I loved the creaminess of the coconut milk too. It really balanced all the red curry heat. This is another great soup option. I see making it again soon.

Thai Coconut Vegetable Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Coconut oil spray

1/4 cup onions, diced

4 slices fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped plus more for garnish

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

16 oz. package frozen stir fry vegetables (I used a sugar snap blend with carrots and mushrooms)

1 cup sliced mushrooms(I used reconstituted Shiitake, stem removed)

2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 – 2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tomato, seeded and cut into strips

13.66 oz. can lite coconut milk

1 green onion, sliced

1 jalapeno, sliced

Lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Spray a soup pot with coconut oil, sauté onions, ginger and 1 Tbsp. cilantro over medium high heat. When onions begin to soften add chicken stock. Bring chicken broth to a boil, add frozen veggies, mushrooms and turn off heat. Add remaining ingredients except jalapeno, remaining cilantro and lime wedges; stir to blend. Remove ginger slices. Serve garnished with jalapeno slices, additional cilantro and a lime wedge.

Easter, Dad's Birthday and Coconut Baba

WARNING! Long, wordy and lots of photos.

I hope everyone had a very Happy Easter! We had something big to celebrate in our family. Dad's birthday fell on Easter this year. I immediately knew what I wanted to do for him. I would make him a Coconut Baba. My Maw Maw (Dad's Mom) would always make Coconut Baba. I never saw her make it. It was just something she would take from the frig in a covered 9x13 baking pan and unveil at the table after one of her iconic meals. I have never had anything similar any where else. It is a moist yellow cake topped with a creamy coconut layer, then a coconut custard and finished with meringue. We don't have her recipe but Mom would make her own version every now and then. It is definitely a labor of love. Lots of steps involved. Dad said he remembers being the one to crack open the coconuts for Maw Maw. I remember him drilling, beating the coconut with a hammer and even smashing a few coconuts against the garage floor for Mom. See Maw Maw used fresh coconut and simmered it with sugar and the liquid from the coconut. Mom has done this a few times too. But lately we have used store bought sweetened coconut with great success. Warming a bag of sweetened coconut with a can of coconut milk makes a sweet creamy coconut layer. Dad was thrilled with the outcome. He said it tasted like what he remembers. I still wish I had Maw Maw's exact recipe but I am happy I could make our version for Dad's special Easter birthday.

The only problem I had was I needed a deeper cake pan. I found myself dangerously filling the pan to the tippy top. Mom said she thinks Maw Maw used a Jiffy cake mix. I could not find one the day I went to the store. So, I did not use all the custard and meringue for fear it was going to spill over. Jiffy is a smaller cake mix, I think that would help or maybe I just need a bigger pan? Believe me you want to use every bit of these wonderful ingredients.

Now for the Easter garnish. This is totally optional, Maw Maw never garnished her Coconut Baba and it was still delicious. I just got inspired by all the Pinterest desserts featuring little eggs in a nest. I think dear sister's friend "J" would totally approve of using toasted coconut for my nesting material. Mom sure did. She kept asking, "Now how did you do this? What is in the topping?" It is so funny how marvelous toasted coconut is. Coconut is normally quite chewy and not real sweet on it's own. But sweetened and toasted it is like candy! Sweet, light, crispy and still a little chewy. It made a sweet little nest for a few Cadbury eggs. I think this is going to become an Easter tradition.

Coconut Baba

Serves 12 to 16

Ingredients

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix, prepared as directed

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup water

Coconut layer:

14 oz bag sweetened coconut

1 can coconut milk (or cream of coconut)

                                                                                                            

Custard layer:

3 cups 2% milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

Dash of salt

5 egg yolks

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp coconut extract

1/2 tsp vanilla

Meringue:

5 egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp corn starch

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp hot water

Easter Garnish:

Toasted coconut

Cadbury candy coated milk chocolate eggs

Directions

Prepare cake as directed on box in a rectangle 9x13 pan. Meanwhile, combine shredded coconut and coconut milk in a sauce pan, heat until creamy. When cake is done, remove from oven and prick surface of the cake with a fork. Spread coconut mixture over warm cake.

Prepare custard by combining milk, sugar, flour, and salt. Cook until it begins to thicken. Whisk egg yolks together, temper with a little of milk mixture. Add yolk mixture to milk mixture continue cooking until thick and creamy. Add butter and extract. Pour on top of coconut.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating adding sugar, corn starch, extract and hot water. Beat until stiff peaks form. Swirl over custard and bake at 325 degrees until meringue is browned evenly about 20 minutes. Remove from oven allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Easter Garnish:
Toast 3/4 cup of sweetened coconut in a dry non-stick pan over medium low heat. Stir often until golden brown. Remove from heat, continue to stir until cool. Store in an air tight container until ready to garnish. To garnish place a spoon full on top of each piece of cake forming a nest. Place two or three Cadbury eggs in the center of the coconut nest.

Linking to:

Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday

Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo

My Pinterventures: The Yuck Stops Here!

Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday

It's Your Life: Tuesday with a Twist

Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays

Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday

Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Turnips 2 Tangerines: Four Seasons Blog Hop

Diamonds in the Rough: Share Your Stuff Tuesdays

My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Hungry Harps: Get Him Fed Fridays

Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Coconut

Fruit Salad

This Fruit Salad is the brain child of my Mother. I am not sure where she came up with it. But it sure was good. You can find the jars of fruit in the refrigerated section near the bags of salad greens and jar salad dressings. The fruit juice from the jar fruit keeps the bananas from browning. Genius! And the coconut, well it was delicious. I think this salad should be called a Tropical Fruit Salad.

Fruit Salad

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 jar mixed fruit, drained

1 jar mandarin oranges, drained

2 banana, peeled and sliced

Sweetened flake coconut

Directions

Drain almost all liquid from jar fruit. Slice one banana in a serving bowl, top with one jar of fruit. Sprinkle fruit with some coconut. Slice second banana, top with other jar of fruit and more coconut. Toss salad to combine just before serving.