Thai Coconut Soup Rice

Many moons ago, I went to my local supermarket and perused the Amy's soups section, as I normally do. I picked up my usual favorites: No Chicken Noodle, Minestrone, and Vegetable Barley. Then my eyes stopped on the soup to end all soups, Thai Coconut. I had to have it. I love Thai flavors, I love coconut, I knew this was going to be a party in my mouth.

I bought 4 cans, and made one for dinner that night. I sadly wasn't SOUPer blown away by this (badum chh). I liked the Thai flavors, but it was sadly lacking. This soup watery was full of broth, and not too much else. I like soups that are hardy, and while I loved the Thai basil, bits of tofu, and veggies, it just wasn't enough.

I actually had photos from the first time I tried this soup saved in a folder on my computer for a future blog post for ages. But the more i thought about it, the more I didn't wan't to share a food that I wasn't pleased with. After all, this blog is about food I like to eat.

Even though I wasn't a fan, I didn't want the soup to go to waste, so I slowly made my way through the stock I had picked up on the first day I got it. One day, all the parts of my brain decided to work together. A number of times Ben and I have used soup broth to make rice, in addition to water. Thai Coconut Soup Rice was born!



What you need:



1 can of Amy's Thai Coconut Soup
1.5 cup of rice, dry

What do to:
Measure out the rice, and pour it into a medium pot.
Pour the soup into a measuring cup.
Using a fork, fish out the solid pieces in the soup, and scoop them into a small bowl, leaving the soup broth in the measuring cup.



There should be about a cup of broth left.



Pour the 1 cup of soup broth in with the rice, then pour in an additional 2 cups of water.
Stir the rice, broth, and water together, cover the pot, then bring to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for 16 minutes.
DO NOT remove the lit until the end of the 15 minutes.
Once the rice is fully cooked, stir in the reserved soup veggies. Serve hot.









The perfection of this rice is that all the ingredients are already in the soup, so you don't need to add anything else! I loved the light, coconut flavor, the sweet and tasty veggies, and, of course, the Thai basil. The rice was nice and creamy, and had a built-in protein: the tofu from the soup! This would be great as a side, or a meal on its own. Oh, and its vegan too!

What other soups should I try to make rice? Will you try this Thai Coconut Soup Rice?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Potato Salad with Horseradish Dressing

One of my favorite family traditions is Sunday lox and bagel brunch. Whenever my grandpa would visit from Florida, we would have a big brunch on the last Sunday he was in town. It had all the makings of a traditional Jewish breakfast: bagels from a local bakery, flavors of cream cheese, every kind of fish you could imagine, and a million different salads. As a kid, the different fish didn't look appetizing, so I stuck with everything else, and of course when I got older, I stopped eating meat. We got most of the fish and salads from a supermarket by my house. I loved the pasta salads and coleslaw, but my favorite was red potato salad.

Now that my grandpa doesn't travel anymore, and I moved away from home, my dad and I have our special brunch when I visit home. Sadly, that supermarket has closed, and now I have no way of getting some of my favorite salads. My dad bought a few from other places, but they just weren't the same.

While on a mission to find some recipes online, I found one for red potato salad. It looked so good, and I decided to try it out.



What you need:



5 Lbs potatoes
grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 can of green beans
fresh dill
salt and pepper
horseradish sauce

Horseradish sauce:


4 table spoons mayo
1 tablespoon horseradish
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Mix everything together in a small bowl and set aside to dress the potatoes later.

What to do:
Cut the potatoes into 2-bite size. Place in a pot with enough water to cover to potatoes. Bring to a boil.
Keep checking on the potatoes, until you can easily split the largest one with a fork.
Drain water and let potatoes cool in the refrigerator.
While potatoes are cooling, prepare the horseradish dressing, slice the tomatoes, and chop the dill.
Once potatoes are cold, combine potatoes, dressing, dill, tomatoes, green beans, and salt and pepper.
Serve chilled.











I can't believe how good this turned out! The dressing was tangy, spicy, creamy, and the horseradish went perfectly with the potatoes. The dill went so well with all the different flavors. The freshness reminded me of a fancy BBQ party in spring. The potatoes were nice and soft, while the tomatoes added a bit of a crunch, and the string beans were a great addition. I didn't go out looking for a recipe to replace my beloved potato salad, but every time I ate this I was instantly reminded of it. I can't wait to go back home and make this for my dad and I for brunch!

Do you love potato salad too? Will you try this one?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

P.S. The horseradish dressing is so delicious and versatile, you can use it for many other recipes too!

Curry Tofu with Rice Medallions

A little wile ago, Ben and I decided to take a shopping trip to H Mart. For those that don't know, H Mart is a huge Asian supermarket. I had one by my house in NY, but Ben and I were looking to really explore the one in our neck of the woods. We went up and down every isle and made some awesome discoveries.

First, in our normal supermarket, tofu is usually around $4, while in H Mart its only $1.5! I can't believe how much money I had been wasting. Actually, all of their produce is much cheaper, and with a much larger verity. We also found great non-food items like a knife-sharpener, and some tea accessories.

However, I was on a mission of my own. While on my last trip to Austin, David took me to a delicious Asian restaurant. For the first time I tried rice medallions, and ever since then, I just couldn't get them out of my head. In such a large Asian supermarket, I was really hoping to find them. Finally after a long shopping trip of searching, there they were!  We also picked up some of our other favorites like curry and miso paste, and once we got home I threw together a meal I had been craving for months.



What you need:



4 Tablespoons of curry paste
1 large can of coconut milk
2 medium heads of broccoli, chopped
1 pound tofu
1 bag of rice medallions

What to do:
Start by sauteing the tofu and broccoli.
Next, stir in the coconut milk and curry paste.
While everything is simmering, cook the rice medallions according to the instructions on the bag.
Once everything is done, mix it together and serve.









This ended up being very coconuty, with a bit of heat and an authentic Thai flavor. The rice medallions were creamy and chewy just like I remembered. I loves how the tofu and broccoli soaked up all the curry flavors. It was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.

I was so happy to get to eat these little morsels of goodness. I will be traveling back to Austin again in a few weeks,and hopefully I'll get to have them again!

Have you ever tried these rice medallions?

Bye from the Veggie Side!