Happy Earth Day!  

Continuing with my Earth Month Posts is a guest post from one of my personal favorite bloggers- Julie of Peanut Butter and Julie AND  Julie Anne’s Granola.  Julie is an amazing chef  and all around pretty cool gal, if you haven’t read her blog check it out she posts the most amazing recipes- I am severely addicted to her delicious Granola- which you can buy at Whole Foods.

Since what you put IN your body is as important as what you put ON your body I thought this would be the perfect time for Julie and I to join forces and for her to dish to you one of her delish and healthy recipes!  ENJOY!

 -Christie

 

Hi there!  I was so flattered that Christie asked me to do a guest post, not only because I am a big fan of this blog, but because I am also a big fan of Christie.  As someone who has, um, limited abilities in the styling arena, I am always in awe of Christie’s talents, and I learn so many valuable tips from her posts.

 

My abilities reside mostly in the culinary arena.  I write a food blog, Peanut Butter and Julie, and I own a granola company called Julie Anne’s.  While most of the creations on my blog are of the sweet and decadent variety, I tend to stick to a pretty healthy daily diet, and Christie asked that I share one of my figure-friendly recipes with you today, just in time for bikini season.  I’m also giving away one of my Julie Anne’s Five Flavor Variety Packs to one lucky reader. (details at end of post)

Call me crazy, but I love to eat soup year-round, even during the scorching Las Vegas summer.  Soup is a wonderfully easy way to make a healthy yet satisfying meal, and if you develop one of those horrible summer colds from going in and out of the air conditioning, they are the perfect remedy.

 

Thai food is a cuisine that hits most of your senses (you really don’t hear anything, which is why I say “most.”)  The colors are vibrant and plentiful, the aromas are enticing, there are many different textures, and the taste, well, just try this soup!  Broth-based soups are filling, and this one incorporates a bit of low-fat coconut milk, which adds a creamy texture.  The flavor is spicy, tangy, sweet, and salty, and there are plenty of veggies and lean protein as ingredients.  Besides, how often do you get to whip out that wok from the back of your cabinets and cook with it?  Here are my extra tips for preparing this healthy and flavorful soup:

 

• This soup is a great way to use up leftover roasted chicken or even turkey.  Instead of sautéing the chicken pieces with the shallots, simply add about 2 1/2 cups of shredded roasted chicken along with the coconut milk.  You could also make it vegetarian by using tofu.
• If you cannot find a package that specifically says “pad Thai noodles,” then just find some wide rice stick noodles in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.  You can also use glass noodles or soba noodles for this soup.
• This recipe reheats very well.  Keep it refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to three days.
• Instead of using sugar snap peas, you can use 8 ounces of trimmed snow pea pods.  I prefer sugar snaps for their added sweetness and texture.
• Warning: Asian fish sauce has a very pungent smell to it.  This does not translate to the recipe, and it really adds a nice distinct Thai flavor to dishes.  Keep the bottle refrigerated after opening.

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh baby spinach

8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise

6 ounces pad Thai noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons red curry paste

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (13.5 ounce) can light coconut milk

1/2 cup chopped scallions

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Lime wedges for serving (optional)

 

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add the spinach and sugar snap peas to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute.  Drain the vegetables and rinse under very cold water to stop the cooking process.  Cook the pad Thai noodles according to the package directions; drain and set aside.

 

Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or wok.  Add the chicken and sauté for 1 minute.  Add the shallots, curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, coriander, red pepper flakes, and garlic to the pan and sauté for 1 minute more.  Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the coconut milk to the pan; reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

 

Add the scallions, brown sugar, and fish sauce to the pan; simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the reserved spinach, sugar snap peas, and noodles to the pan and simmer to warm through.  Stir in the cilantro.  Serve the soup hot with lime wedges (optional.)

Julie wants to keep you looking great on the outside by making sure you are taking care of your insides!

1 Lucky winner will receive a Five Flavor Variety pack from Julie Anne’s Granola! (It’s soooooo good!)

To ENTER:

First either LIKE Julie Anne’s Granola on Facebook OR Follow them on Twitter @JulieannesLV

THEN leave a comment on this post between April 22 and April 27th saying “I love Peanut Butter and Julie”!

Good Luck and Thanks for reading!

Last weeks lucky winner is: Calli!  Congrats!