Happy Tuesday! The worst part about being off for the holidays and then only working 3 days last week is that I feel very OFF. The weekend seemed like it came way too soon and it just doesn’t feel like a Tuesday. Perhaps a Thursday?

Did you have a nice weekend? Thanks to everyone who emailed and/or commented on the new 12 week running series! I am very excited to get this started. Did you use the weekend to start your goal? I went on a nice, long run on Saturday and a much slower one on Sunday, (thanks mostly to the new wine bar that we hit up on Saturday night).  I hate feeling rushed in the mornings when I try to run and am always fortunate for leisurely weekends.

Have I mentioned to you that my mother is my BFF? I’m not even embarrassed to admit that I talk to my mom about 5 times a day, wayyy more than I talk to anyone else, especially BL. Does that make me weird?

I think it makes me cool  (And maybe just a little bit weird). The best thing about this wonderful, obsessive relationship? Our conversations are 75% about food.

What are we making tonight? What did you eat today? Did you see that new product demo at Whole Foods on Saturday? No food topic goes untouched.

And really, my other relationship thanks me. I try, I really try to get BL to talk food with me. After years of silently and not-so- silent begging, I’ve given up. Why fight it? I have my wonderful, food-loving BFF Momma who thinks my 5th phone call that day about the right way to slice Brussels sprouts is completely normal.

A few weeks ago, while we were discussing curries, Triple D episodes, and Christmas cookies, she turned me on to this soup that she made over the weekend. Creamy, coconut Thai soup filled with vegetables and chicken.

Mmmm, sounds delicious. Bet I can make it healthier & veggie-friendly, which wasn’t too difficult to do.

So, thank you mother, for another fun project. Hope you enjoy my take on it.

Thai Coconut Soup

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 heads baby bok choy, thinly sliced
3 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3 tsp. green curry paste (or more. or less. it really depends on what brand you use and how much curry you like)
2 tsp. lemongrass paste (or 1 stalk finely minced lemongrass)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
12 oz. cubed firm tofu
1/4 cup thai basil (finely shredded)
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 cups vegetable brown
2 cups lite coconut milk

In a soup pot, heat 1/4 cup vegetable broth over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, carrots, celery, ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste.

Cook 8-10 minutes until fragrant and vegetables are soft. Add more vegetable broth if needed to prevent sticking.
Add soy sauce and brown sugar to the pot, stir. Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add bok choy, tofu, mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes until vegetables soften.

Reduce heat to low and stir in coconut milk. Taste- does it need more curry paste depending on the brand you used? Does it need more soy sauce? Adjust for taste. Stir in thai basil.

Pour into bowls, preferably over brown rice or noodles. Garnish with cilantro and a big squeeze of fresh lime.

Eat. Now, call you mother and tell her how delicious this soup was and how she needs to make it too. Enjoy the bond : )

Ever since I made these lemon salts, I have been trying to find new salts to create. Heading back to the East Coast this summer, I was looking to make a few salts to gift to friends and family.

I received a large bunch of Lemon Verbena in our CSA a few weeks ago, a very fragrant herb that I had no clue what to do with. I searched the internet for a few recipes and didn’t come up with much. Lots of cookie, cake, and ice cream recipes but nothing that I really inspired me to go further. However, I loved the smell of lemon verbena and thought it would make for a great finishing salt.

I followed the same directions as my lemon-parsley salt. Dry the zest and lemon verbena leaves until no moisture remains- about 1 hour in a 180 degree oven. Pulse in a food processor until fine. Add sea salt and pulse a few more times to combine.

To balance out the lemon verbena salt, I choose thai chilies to focus on next. The ultimate salt and pepper combination, Thai chilies pack quite a punch. Perfect for rubs, curries, and blackened tofu, this Thai chili salt might be my new favorite.

Follow the same directions as above. Pulse 4 dried chilies in a food processor until fine. Add flaky sea salt and pulse a few times to combine.

Don’t like thai chilies? Use dried chipotle peppers instead.

To celebrate summer solstice last Wednesday, I made a “to-do” list of summer activities I want to accomplish before September rolls around. As my peak work time happens between September-April, I try to relish in the lazy days of summer as much as I can. Luckily, this is very easy to do as I live within an few hours drive of the coast, Tahoe, or Yosemite. Besides my outdoor adventures I want to finish: kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, new hikes, and camping, I am also looking forward to hosting a few cookouts. Nothing says summer more than backyard bbqs complete with refreshing drinks, farmers market produce, and my favorite: potato salad.

This weeks posts will be all about celebrating the BBQ staple, the potato salad. All three upcoming recipes are delicious and forgo the worst part about tater salad, lots of calories and fat.

I love potatoes and often feel like they get a bad rap nutritionally. Sure, french fries and loaded baked potatoes aren’t doing anything for your waistline but thats not the potatoes fault! Skip the heavy toppings and a medium potato contains just 110 calories, more potassium than a banana and 1/2 the daily recommended value of vitamin C.

This salad highlights the other stars of summer, fresh herbs like basil and cilantro. It’s no secret that I love cooking Thai influenced food so this potato salad seemed like a natural fit. Serve this warm or at room temperature.

Try to find Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, their waxier flesh holds up well to chopping and to tossing with dressing. Keep the skin on for more fiber!

Spicy Thai Potato Salad

1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup cilantro
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. Asian chili sauce (like sambel oelek)
2 tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 thai chili, chopped
salt/pepper
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes

Wash and dry the potatoes thoroughly, removing any grit from the skin. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Chop the potatoes into bite size pieces and place into the salted water. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender enough to bite through.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients from basil to chili pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined and finely chopped. With the blade running, drizzle in the oil and let whisk until combined. Season with salt/pepper.

When the potatoes are done, drain and toss with dressing. Enjoy warm!

Two more potato salad recipes coming this week, look for my next one on Monday.

Disclosure:  By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the United States Potato Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Check out other potato salad favorites from The Recipe Redux

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Think pizza has to contain cheese or a tomato sauce? Think again. This thai-inspired pizza is the perfect dish to make for your friends to prove that vegan pizza is AMAZING.

I should know- we eat a lot of pizza around here. As BLs favorite meal, we have it on the menu at least 2-3X per month. I too am a pizza lover but sometimes get sick of the same ol’ vegetable toppings. Inspired by my favorite salad*, I decided to make that into a flatbread/pizza that can be used as an appetizer or main dish.

*Try my yummy Thai Kale salad! Take all the ingredients below minus the pizza dough and wonton strips. Add a bit of fresh orange juice to the dressing and toss with the vegetables.

Taste of Thai Pie

Ingredients:

Spicy Peanut Sauce, below
2 cups kale, shredded or finely chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup mushrooms
3 tbsp. cilantro
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup wonton strips
Pizza dough- prepared or purchased
2 tsp. olive oil
salt/pepper/red pepper

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

2/3 cup peanut butter
1 medium lime, zested and juiced
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 ” piece fresh ginger
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper.
Place above ingredients into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth and sauce-like.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spread the pizza dough onto a pizza stone or baking sheet.

Combine the kale, carrots, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Toss with the oil and salt/pepper. Massage (with clean hands!) the salad with your fingers and let soften for 5 minutes. Prepare the peanut sauce and spread over the entire dough.

Pour the vegetables onto the prepared dough and spread out to cover the sauce. Bake for ~20 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven, top with finely chopped cilantro, scallions, wonton strips and red pepper (optional).

What’s your favorite pizza topping? Any pizza creations you would like to see?