KooKoo for Coconut.

Pinterest is all the rage. A friend of mine has referred to Pinterest as the "new black".  It has instantly become one of my "online happy places" and also a resource for recipe inspiration! I recently tested a recipe I found on Pinterest for Coconut and Chicken Curry Soup from a site called Cooking for Seven. You can find the original recipe here but I adapted it to fit Madame Munchies' tastebuds. I wanted to incorporate more vegetables and I also kicked it up a notch or two in my cookbook.

Easy peasy is the name of this soup, it came together swiftly and is a great meal to make for the autumn season (that is if you are lucky enough to enjoy cooler temperatures right now).  As I have become more comfortable in the kitchen, I find myself feeling more comfortable to change recipes to not fit only fit my taste buds but also what I may have on hand that I could use or needs to be used.

Coconut & Chicken Curry Soup (Makes 4 hearty servings)

Adapted from a recipe posted on Cooking for Seven

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil

1 lb (give or take) skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks

1 large onion, chopped fine

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 cups chicken broth, low sodium

1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk, full fat

2 teaspoon curry powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded, minced

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

Kernels of corn, from one ear of corn

½ tomato, chopped

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups freshly cooked rice (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium heat. Add the chicken to the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through and golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Sauté the onion, adding more oil if necessary, until tender.

2. Return the chicken to the pot with the onions. Add the ginger and garlic - cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper, tomato, corn and cilantro and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice or lemon juice, cilantro and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Optional: Spoon rice into 4 bowls. Top with two ladles of soup. Serve.

Weekend Breakfast.

It's always a treat to go out for breakfast on the weekends, but there are days when staying in your jammies, brewing a pot of coffee and making breakfast yourself is just what the doctor ordered. If I go out for breakfast, I rarely choose pancakes and I make them on occasion, but I had the itch this past weekend to make some. I pulled out my copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks and gave her mother-in-law's recipe for sour cream pancakes. 

Let's just say these are probably the best pancakes I've ever made from scratch. I am that serious about these pancakes. The batter is delicate and egg-y. Crispy, buttery, light and melt-in-your-mouth happiness is the end result. These pancakes won't sit in your belly tormenting you and I didn't feel the usual side effects of pancakes, post-pancake coma. Blessing in disguise.

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes (adapted from Ree Drummond's recipe)

1 cup sour cream
7 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
butter
maple syrup

Place an iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.

Place the sour cream in a medium bowl. Dump in the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir together very, very gently.

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

Pour the egg mixture into the sour cream/flour mixture. Stir together gently.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, then flip the pancakes over. Cook for another 45 seconds and remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Top with softened butter and warmed maple syrup.

Though my preference is topping them with peanut butter and syrup. Don't knock it til you try it.