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Today's Recipes: Dragon's Breath Sauce and Light & Lively Chicken Soup

Since I've been all Lily Ruth-centric and light on the crafting and recipes lately, I've decided to double up. That's right - 2 easy-peasy recipes that I adore for different reasons :-)

The first originally comes from The Wine Lover's Cookbook (by Sid Goldstein). Of course, because I'm me, I make it slightly differently. Also, this is one of my mama's favorite things in the whole world, and she renamed it :-) It's a very very (very very) spicy sauce that we like to serve with shrimp... or chicken... or beef... and/or noodles... but mainly shrimp. You can very easily double this - it's just as good ;-) *edit - I just went back and read the recipe again... I really just make it the same way he does...

Dragon's Breath Sauce

1/4 c hot chili oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
1/2 tsp Thai chili paste (or WAY more)
2 1/2 Tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
2 Tbsp chopped pickled ginger
2 Tbsp juice from chopped pickled ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 c chopped cilantro leaves

Mix it all up and pour it over stuff you like to eat. Be forewarned, it is SPICY! We usually grill unseasoned, shell-on shrimp and boil some noodles. Then we peel shrimp, pour sauce over them and the noodles and eat until we cry. You will totally have dragon breath when you are done... hence the name...

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My next recipe came to me in a vision last week. It was cool but not cold, and I wanted soup but I didn't want a hearty stew (unusual...) so I started thinking about the yummy Caldo de Pollo that you can get in so many Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants around here. What came of all that ruminating was a light, fresh tasting soup that I loved and will make again.

Light & Lively Chicken Soup


1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin
4-6 dashes Chipotle Tabasco
2-3 peeled carrots - cut into coins
1/4 - 1/2 Lb crimini mushrooms - chopped
4-5 garlic cloves - minced
8 cups chicken broth (homemade is best - duh - but I use Pacific Foods a LOT)
3/4 c uncooked Fideo (or any fine/small pasta)
2 zucchini - chopped
1 bag fresh spinach - chopped or torn
1 container cherry or grape tomatoes - quartered
1/2 c (or more) fresh cilantro leaves

In a big pasta or soup pot, brown the chicken thighs in a small amount of olive oil. Season with cumin and Chipotle Tabasco (use however much you like, I'm totally guessing at how much I actually used) as they cook. After you turn the chicken the first time, add the carrots and the mushrooms. Just before the chicken is done, add the garlic. When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom to loosen them - leave them in the pot along with the carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Add the broth (also only an estimate, the more chicken/pasta/vegetables that you add, the more broth you'll need) and bring to a boil. While the broth is heating, chop the chicken and return it to the pot. Once the soup is boiling, add the pasta & reduce the heat to a simmer. 4 or 5 minutes before the pasta is done, add the zucchini. When the pasta is done, add the spinach, tomatoes and cilantro. Serve immediately :-)
Makes 4 or 5 servings... or more...

** Notes on making soup: Soup is very forgiving, and very 'fluid' (HA!) - this is why I am so bad about measuring what I use when I'm making it. Taste after each major addition, and adjust your seasoning accordingly.

Oh MAN, now I'm hungry again!

Have YOU made anything lately that I need to know about?