no. 135: Thai coconut soup with spicy ginger chicken meatballs
This has been the first week of this calendar year that I have been living UNSUPERVISED. All of my in-home caretakers have come and gone, and now it’s back to Pepper and me holding down the fort. We’ve gone full Project-X mode (knitting and watching the Traitors).
I’m becoming increasingly more mobile with each passing day, which means I’m now able to go for short, scenic limps around the block so that I can assure all the other neighborhood dog owners that I am like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
I’m also back to shooting recipe content in my kitchen, which is very exciting because I was starting to worry that I was going to irreversibly damage my mattress from the obscene amount of time I was spending on it. Returning to work is a bit of double edged sword because while I am happy to be back doing what I love, there are so many moments throughout my day when I think to myself, “I wish I was knitting right now.”
Unfortunately, knitting doesn’t pay my bills……………………yet.
Speaking of, I am SO CLOSE to finishing my first sweater. I am nearly positive that it will not fit me, so if you are a friend of mine and you exist in a smaller body than I do, now would be a great time to make your presence known.
Here’s some other stuff I’m into right now!
Gap Mid Rise Barrel Pants
Okay, I know I talk about these too much, but I would be remiss not to mention that they’re on sale for 50% off right now! Some of you have bought these pants and told me how much you love them, which makes me a very proud influencer. I have even influenced a mother-daughter duo to each get a pair of these. A blood relationship strengthened by barrel pants!
I got them in black this time around and I’m so excited.
Cider Strawberry Fleece Jacket
Sometimes you enter a Crossroads thrift store, and it feels like the universe intended for you to walk through the doors that day. I am delighted to share that I happened upon this fleece (TAGS ON, NO DAMAGE, IN MY SIZE), and it just felt like a cosmic union. Lucky for you all, it’s still for sale on their site so you can grab one too.
Thank you to the tasteless stranger that decided to sell this baby. She’s found a COZY new home.
Suay Linen Body Pillow
I bought this right before my surgery because I wanted to make sure that I would have no shortage of cushions and support around me while I was recovering. When I carried the pillow to the counter in the store, I passed by another customer who whispered to her friend, “that’s a great color.” She was right! This pillow is COMFY and USEFUL.
Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai) with Spicy Ginger Chicken Meatballs
Serves: 4
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
My love affair with ground chicken (it’s cheap, flavorful, and FULL OF PROTEIN) continues with this week’s recipe. Los Angeles FINALLY got some rain over the weekend, so I was craving some cold weather comfort. A couple weeks ago, my aunt and I ordered take out from my favorite Thai restaurant, Jitlada, and their tom kha gai never ceases to amaze me.
I have not cooked with coconut milk in the longest time for whatever reason, and I needed it mentally, physically, spiritually, and fundamentally. I wanted to make little baby chicken meatballs because my friend Karlee recently brought me a quart of her Italian wedding soup and I was reminded of the delights of a tiny, plump, broth-laden meatball.
Tom kha gai is a Thai coconut soup made with galangal, however in this version, I’m substituting fresh ginger. Lemongrass is available at any Asian market, and I will occasionally see it at Whole Foods. If you can’t find it, you can leave it out, but it adds a subtle, herbaceous, brightness to the soup.
Of course, you can always play around with the heat level. For a less spicy soup, de-seed the pepper, and for a spicier soup, add a few more, dammit!
1 (5-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeño or fresno chile
1 pound ground chicken
¼ cup (about ½ medium bunch) finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus whole leaves for serving
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Thai basil (can sub Italian basil), plus whole leaves for serving
1 lime, zested and juiced, plus more wedges for serving
2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1(15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
3 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, using bottom 6 inches, halved vertically (optional)
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced
White rice, for serving
Finely grate the ginger and garlic. Finely mince the jalapeno (or fresno chile). Combine ginger, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl and mix to combine.
In a large bowl, mix chicken, cilantro, basil, half of the ginger mixture, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, lime zest, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. Use hands or a rubber spatula to combine.
Grease palms with oil and roll about 1 scant tablespoon of the chicken mixture into a small ball. Repeat with remaining chicken.
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Season with salt. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, lemongrass stalks, remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and sugar. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more fish sauce (if desired).
Bring mixture to a low boil and carefully drop in chicken meatballs. Cook until meatballs are fully cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Add kale and mix until wilted, 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with lime juice as needed.
Divide rice among bowls, then top with soup, fresh cilantro and fresh basil. Serve with lime wedges.
This was So good!! Made it tonight and the whole family loved it! Thank you!