Spicy Shrimp Soup w/Bok Choy and A Video!!!!

Over the past few days the ice and snow have taken over the city. Atlanta completely shut down.

Completely.

Restaurants, grocery stores, schools, daycare centers; hardly anything was open.



The interstate was entirely white. There were no white, dashed lines separating one lane from another. No HOV lane. Just one enormous white road covered in ice, with vehicles zig-zagging all across it. Every other mile was a stalled car, a vehicle facing the wrong way on the interstate, or an abandoned car followed by lightly snow covered foot trails from its owner, who decided to walk the rest of the way.


My car slid a few times. There were times when I didn't think my poor little car would make it to my destination. But we did!

I wasn't able to drive back home and I have a great connection to a hotel in the city, so I stayed there for 2 1/2 days. Everything was great. Until my phone died, with no phone charger.

Lucky me.

Those 2 1/2 days made me realize that we rely to heavily on our electronics. Without my cell phone or laptop, I felt like I was disconnected from the entire world! But this is the world we live in.

I digress.


Anyways, I was starving by the time I drove home. I was not about to pay for the expensive room service at the hotel I was in, and all nearby restaurants were closed.

So I whipped up a quick soup with the few ingredients I had in the fridge.


It included shrimp, bok choy, and a wonderful curry paste.




It was delicious, and the spiciness of the curry paste warmed me up quickly. I added some sweet thai chili sauce after I plated it (which I did not show in the video). The chili sauce took it to another level.



My mother loved it. I just finished the last bowl and she looks at me and says, "So are you going to make this soup again soon?!"

HA!

I'm going to show her this video and she can make it herself. :)



Well guys....here is my first cooking video. I have a few technical difficulties and the lighting was horrible, so please bear with me! Sorry if you don't like the music, but I got sick and tired of listening to only my voice. I will try to figure out how to make the music not so annoying next time. Hopefully I will be able to do more videos if I have time and they will begin to improve!

Thanks for watching

Spicy Shrimp Soup w/ Bok Choy

1 pack of white flat rice noodles, (My pack was labeled "My Tho Noodle")
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon curry paste
1 bunch of bok choy, cleaned and chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2-3 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2-1 pound of shrimp
1 lemon or lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro (optional), chopped for garnish

Boil the noodles in salted water for approximately 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside. You may toss the noodles with a little sesame oil to keep them from sticking.

In a pan, saute ginger, onion, and garlic until onion is soft. Add curry paste and saute for 1 more minute. Add bok choy and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Add chicken stock, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Stir and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes.

Take the soup off the heat and add shrimp. The shrimp should be fully cooked in about 3-4 minutes. Add lemon/lime juice and adjust seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Add cilantro. Serve with reserved rice noodles and a small spoonful of Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.

Mussels and Clams w/ Lemongrass-Shallot Sauce

The more I write in this blog, the more I realize how much of a picky eater I used to be! There are so many foods that I love now, but disgusted me for most of my life.

Mussels and clams can be added to the list.




Clams always looked unappetizing to me, and mussels both looked and sounded unappetizing. I mean, who wants to eat the 'muscle' of an animal, right?!

That's what I used to think.

When I got older, I realized it was a mollusk. But by then, it was too late. I couldn't get the whole 'muscle' thing out of my head.






One day, after going out with one of my best friends in the whole world, I realized that I needed to be more adventurous with my eating habits. My BFF will try just about anything once. Her motto is....if it tastes good, eat it!

She really inspired me.

Actually, she kind of made me feel like a little scaredy cat. I'm a chef....A CHEF....but I won't eat anything out of the 'norm'.

I would cook it. But I would never eat it.

Unacceptable.



This 'picky' side of me has changed drastically. I'm more like my BFF now.......almost. I'll try most things at least once, and I usually like it.





Now I am completely in love with mussels and clams. I usually eat them with a lemon-butter-garlic sauce. I tried a new recipe tonight that came out wonderfully.

Lemongrass, a little coconut milk, and sweet delicious shallots. Doesn't get any better.

I always use Prince Edward Island Mussels (PEI). I think they taste the best and they don't have a ton of grit inside of them. They are definitely worth the extra $1 per pound.

Mussels and Clams w/Lemongrass-Shallot Sauce

1/2 pound Prince Edward Island Mussels
1/2 pound little neck clams
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 lemongrass stalk, minced
1/4 cup stock (seafood stock, or chicken stock, or veg stock, whichever one you'd like)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup coconut milk
1-2 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
parsley, roughly chopped for garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 pound cooked fettuccine

Clean and de-beard the mussels, and wash the clams in cold water. Heat a deep skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, shallot, and lemongrass.

Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the stock, cream, and coconut milk. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cleaned clams. Cover and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the cleaned mussels. Cook until the mussels and clams are open, approximately 4-5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add tomatoes and parsley. Toss with fettuccine and re-season with salt and pepper if needed.