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big curry noodle pot (omnivorous)
recipe by mb
what I was looking for
It's cold here, and I like to use that excuse to make any soup I can. Soup, soup, soup.
what I made
Heidi Swanson's Big Curry Noodle Pot from Super Natural Cooking (page 107).
What I did to this recipe is a perfect example of scaling back on high-calorie ingredients and replacing them with low-calorie ingredients. I replaced half the buckwheat noodles called for in the recipe with cauliflower. Which, I have to say, was not only a good choice health-wise but also a good choice taste-wise. I also took out the tofu called for in the recipe and replaced it with chicken. We love meat in our house ... what can I say?
grades for my version
| healthy | C | This is not *unhealthy*, but I wouldn't eat it once a week. It's an every-once-in-a-while kind of thing (coconut milk is very high in saturated fat). |
| fast | A | Comes together just about instantly. |
| easy | A | Super duper easy. |
| cheap | B | Contains some ingredients that are definitely not cheap. |
| delicious | A- | Would have been way tastier if I hadn't made one big mistake (see below). |
yield
Two dinner portions and one small leftover portion.
equipment
no special equipment needed
the noodles
| ingredients | Heidi | mb | why? |
| whole-grain udon | 8 oz. | 4 oz. | healthier |
In a medium-sized pot boil the water and cook the noodles until they are al dente, then drain them and set them aside.
the seasonings
| ingredients | Heidi | mb | why? |
| clarified butter | 2 Tablespoons | 2 Tablespoons | no change |
| garlic | 2 cloves | 3 cloves | healthier |
| finely chopped | crushed | easier | |
| onion | 1, chopped | 1, chopped | no change |
| red curry paste | 1 ½ teaspoons | 1 teaspoon | tastier [1] |
| Notes | |||
| [1] | Ever since I got pregnant I have turned into a GIANT wimp when it comes to spicy food. Makes me very sad, but it's the truth. | ||
In a large pot over medium-high heat cook melt the clarified butter, about one minute. Then add the garlic, onion, and curry paste. Stir the pot completely so that the curry paste is evenly spread throughout, then let it cook for a minute or two, until you can smell the true fragrance of the curry paste.
the substance
| ingredients | Heidi | mb | why? |
| protein | 12 oz. tofu, sliced | 1 chicken breast, sliced | tastier [1] |
| cauliflower | --- | ½ head, chopped | healthier [2] |
| Notes | |||
| [1] | I'm sure tofu would be delicious in this, but I'm a carnivore ... I wanted meat. | ||
| [2] | Here's the cauliflower that I used in place of half the noodles. | ||
Add the chicken and cauliflower to the pot and stir until it's all fully coated with the curry paste and the chicken is starting to lose its pinkness.
the broth
| ingredients | Heidi | mb | why? |
| coconut milk | 1 14-ounce can, regular | 1 14-ounce can, lite | healthier |
| stock | 2 cups vegetable | 2 cups chicken | easier [1] |
| turmeric | 2 teaspoons | 2 teaspoons | no change |
| shoyu (soy sauce) | 2 Tablespoons | 2 Tablespoons | no change |
| cane sugar | 1 Tablespoon | 1 Tablespoon | no change |
| Notes | |||
| [1] | I always have chicken broth on hand, but not vegetable. So in order for me to use vegetable broth I would have had to go to the store and buy some. Way easier to use what I just have on hand. | ||
Add all the broth ingredients to the pot, stir, and bring up to a simmer. Let everything simmer for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is entirely cooked through.
the finishing touches
| ingredients | Heidi | mb | why? |
| citrus juice | juice of 1 lime | juice of 1 lemon | tastier [1] |
| peanuts | ⅔ cup | --- | easier |
| slivered shallots | ⅓ cup | --- | easier |
| chopped cilantro | ⅓ cup | --- | easier |
| Notes | |||
| [1] | Ummm ... I thought it would be tastier. But what I forgot to take into consideration was the fact a lemon is WAY bigger than a lime, so you're going to end up with WAY more juice. Maybe it would have been tastier if it hadn't been so damn sour. Still good, but really much, much too sour. | ||
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Ladle hearty portions of soup into individual bowls and top with ... well ... nothing, if you want to be lazy like me. I'm sure it's marvelous with the toppings and I can say for certain that it's pretty darn tasty without.
And the most beautiful color imaginable.
Questions? Comments? Corrections?
Suggestions? Contributions?
Please let us know!
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