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Thai Tom Yum Soup

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Difficulty Level: Easy

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

  • 1 stalk lemongrass 
  • 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chili (or to taste)
  • 3 makrut lime leaves
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms (sliced thinly)
  • 12 to 14 medium or large raw shrimp (shelled)
  • 1 green or red bell pepper (sliced)
  • Optional: 1 handful cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • Garnish: sprig fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)

To Cook

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Prepare the lemongrass: Finely mince the lower third of the stalk and keep the upper part whole.
  3. In a deep cooking pot, pour the chicken stock and turn heat to medium-high. Add prepared lemongrass to the pot, including upper parts of the stalk you didn’t mince. Boil 5 to 6 minutes, or until fragrant.
  4. Reduce heat slightly to achieve a nice simmer. Add garlic, chili, lime leaves, and mushrooms to broth. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
  5. Add shrimp, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes (if using). Simmer 5 to 6 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and plump.
  6. Turn down the heat to low and add coconut milk and fish sauce. Taste-test and adjust as needed.
  7. Serve in bowls with fresh cilantro sprinkled over as a garnish. Enjoy. 

All about Tom Yum Soup

What is Tom Yum Soup?

Originated in Thailand, this is sometimes called Tom Yam and is a soup that normally includes shrimp in a hot and sour serving. The words Tom Yam mean “boiling” or “hot” and “spicy and sour” which perfectly describes this soup.

Origins of Tom Yum Soup?

Although the exact history of Tom Yum Goong is not fully known, it is widely believed that it is a Thai soup originated from Central Thailand, where there is an abundance of fresh shrimp in the Chao Phraya River.

Over the years, the soup has become a favourite in Thailand and quickly spread around the world thanks to its relatively simple preparation and fantastic flavours. Many western cultures have been exposed to Tom Yum Goong and it has become a staple dish of Thai restaurants that serve customers from all over the world. New ingredients have been added here and there, most notably the choices of meat and the herbs used in creating the paste. While some modern versions of Tom Yum Goong use straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, some restaurants added Nam Phrik Phao, a Thai chilli pasta which gives the Tom Yum soup an orange colour and enhances the chilli flavour in the soup.

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Cuisine Explorer

Lebanese Date Cookies

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Serves 48

Preparation 45 mins

Cooking 30 mins

Skill Level: EASY

 

Ingredients

2 cups semolina flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground mahlab

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup clarified butter, at room temperature

5 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

4 tablespoons orange blossom water, or more as needed

10 tablespoons date paste (such as Ziyad®), cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, or to taste

 

Method

  1. Mix semolina flour, all-purpose flour, mahlab, and salt together in a large bowl. Work clarified butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until thoroughly incorporated. Cover bowl and let dough rest at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
  2. Pour milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until just warm, about 15 seconds. Stir in sugar and yeast until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Pour yeast mixture and orange blossom water over the dough and mix until evenly moistened. Pinch off a piece of dough and roll into a ball; it should hold its shape without cracking. Add more milk or orange blossom water if needed. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  5. Sprinkle some flour over the ma’amoul molds and tap out the excess. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball. Press your thumb into the ball to create space for the filling. Work the edges with your fingers so the sides are even and fairly thin. Drop in a piece of date paste and pinch dough over it to seal.
  6. Place cookie into the mold cavity seam-side up. Press down so that the top is flush with edges of the mold. Trim off any excess dough. Invert the mold and tap it against your work surface to release the cookie. Repeat with remaining dough and date paste, arranging cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until edges and bottoms are golden but tops are still mostly pale, about 15 minutes.
  8. Sift powdered sugar over the cookies while still slightly warm. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Cuisine Explorer

Korean Ginger Minced Pork Rice Bowl

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Serves 4

Preparation 5 mins

Cooking 6 mins

Skill Level: EASY

 

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon rice cooking wine

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 stalks scallion, chopped

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

4 cups cooked white or brown rice

 

Method

  1. Whisk together sugar, rice cooking wine and soy sauce in a small container.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground pork and grated ginger, cook 2-3 minutes or until pork has turned brown (make sure to crumble the meat as it cooks).
  3. Stir in the seasoning mixture, mix until well combined, allow it to simmer for 2 minutes.
  4. Toss in sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds and chopped scallion, cook another 30 seconds before removing from heat.
  5. Place rice in a bowl, spoon some ginger minced pork on top to serve and enjoy!

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Cuisine Explorer

Italian White Mushroom Pizza

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Serves 8

Preparation 15 mins

Cooking 15 mins

Skill Level: EASY

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

16 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought

8 (1-ounce slices) Wisconsin fresh mozzarella cheese

1 cup Wisconsin ricotta cheese

 

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  2. Stir in mushrooms, thyme and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5-6 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. Working on a surface that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, roll out the pizza into a 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer to prepared baking sheet or pizza pan.
  4. Top with mozzarella, dollops of ricotta and mushrooms. Place into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses have melted. Serve immediately.

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