Warm Your Soul

It's a long weekend!!! Hurray!

I really needed a long weekend - did you? I know, I know, it was just Christmas, then New Year's, and we all got to have a lot of days off, but sometimes in the midst of the holidays, it doesn't feel very restful (especially when you're really sick). So with work being ABSOLUTELY crazy, and weekends being used trying to get better, I'm ready for some fun!

My husband and I are heading up to San Francisco tonight to stay the night. We'll hopefully find lots of fun things to do there, and try somewhere yummy to eat to tell you all about.

Then tomorrow, we're going to Epic Church - they are a church plant in San Francisco that our church has been helping with. Mostly volunteering people for their preview services so things run smoothly. So, Archie is playing in their band tomorrow.

What do you have planned for the long weekend? Hopefully you don't have to work on Monday!

Now on to soup! :) This soup is perfect for the winter. It warms your insides, has such amazing flavor, and is so super easy.

California has the most amazing weather. It only rains in the winter, and even then, not that much. But it has been very cold this winter (according to California standards), and even reaching freezing overnight a few nights. We've been kicking on the heater, snuggling under blankets, and using our little floor space heater. I know you people who live in the snow are totally making fun of us, but California makes you a wuss when it comes to weather. So, because I'm a wuss, this soup makes for a perfect winter meal!

P.S. Read below for an awesome new kitchen tool - you'll love it.

THAI CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP (From: Sunset Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 qt. reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. flour

1/2 cup each cilantro and Thai basil (regular basil will also work, but Thai basil definitely adds a different flavor)

1/2 jalapeno, sliced

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven or large pot bring broth to a simmer.

While broth is coming to a simmer, slice rotisserie chicken. I pulled some off the bone and placed in food processor - it ended up being more chopped then sliced, but I liked it that way.

Mince ginger until very fine - I used a grater for mine in order to get the most flavor out of the ginger - I could really taste it in the soup!

2. Add chicken, rice, salt and ginger to dutch oven or pot and allow to simmer ~ 15 - 20 minutes to let flavors develop. The rice will soak up a lot of the broth.

3. Next you want to peel and slice your garlic. In order to do that, everyone's mom's should buy them this amazing tool like my mom did for my birthday! It's a garlic peeler from William's Sonoma, and it's genius!!

You just put your whole, unpeeled garlic inside that little contraption...

Push it down and roll it around for a bit and VOILA! Your garlic peels itself with no yucky hand smell, no accidental slicing your fingers from banging a knife on it, and no fighting to get that peel off! I told you it was amazing.

Okay, where was I - now you're going to go ahead and slice that garlic as well as the shallot.

4. Then in a small saucepan, heat up that 1/3 cup of vegetable oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry the garlic in the oil, turning constantly with a slotted spoon, until it reaches a golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

5. Put shallots in a small bowl and add the 1 tbsp. flour. Stir to cover the shallots while breaking them into rings. Fry the shallots in the same oil until golden brown, and transfer them to a paper towel to drain.

6. Coarsely chop cilantro and basil and jalapeno.

7. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with herbs, a sprinkle of fried garlic, a few pieces of fried shallot, and a few slices of jalapeno. Cuddle up, and enjoy this yummy winter meal!