Thai Garden Vegetable Soup

Today we care so much about what we eat. Yet we have less time to prepare nutritious food. My favorite midday meal is soup. I make a lot of quick ones. This rainbow-colored recipe is ready in about 30 minutes. A bit of chopping and dropping into a pot is all that's required. It's a fun, healthy, Thai-take on garden vegetable soup. I like it much better than the old standard. Spiked with chili, lime and creamy coconut milk, it makes a light and lively lunch paired with crusty rolls or crackers. With an abundance of vegetables, pops of  sweet peas and fresh scallions, this non-traditional veggie soup is a good choice for springtime. It's wonderful sprinkled with Thai basil or regular basil.  If you're craving a satisfying Southeast Asian bowl of deliciousness, give it a try!

Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

Most days you can find me hand-embroidering and cooking. I enjoy quiet, domestic activities that are blissfully non-competitive, solitary and stress-free. I also work part-time in a crisis center, which provides a nice balance. Soup is one of my favorite things to cook. I like knowing it's simmering on my stove. A big brothy bowl, along with a piece of crusty bread, is simple and delicious. There are usually tasty leftovers too.

Everyone loves Grandma's chicken soup, right? My grandmother was a wonderful cook. She could mend a sock or make a Christening dress without much effort too. I adored spending time with her. She used to make the best chicken soup. She finished it with a pinch of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon. The addition of cinnamon wasn't overpowering. Instead, the soup tasted even more warm and inviting.

Vietnamese Vegetable Soup with Coconut Rice

By now, you know how much I adore soup. My Vietnamese vegetable soup is a quick take on traditional slow simmering pho ga. Chicken is added for protein. Tofu or shrimp work well too. Here, a light and flavorful broth is loaded with lots of tender-crisp Asian vegetables, spicy ginger and a finish of fresh lime. Soft hints of warm spices lend an authentic taste to the soup. Earthy mushrooms and soy sauce give it an umami flavor. 

This glorious soup leaves me feeling restored and content, especially during cold and flu season. It's a deliciously nutritious meal. It's ready in under 30 minutes and you control the sodium level. As the rice cooks and the soup simmers, the kitchen fills with sunny aromas. If you're in need of a reboot, put on your PJ's, line up your favorite movies, make a big pot of Vietnamese soup and slurp your stress away.

French Peas

On a cold Sunday in Boston we wandered down  alleys, into our favorite used book stores, hot beverages in hand. I spied "The Constance Spry Cookery Book" sitting on a shelf.  This pink, circa 1956 British cookbook came home with me.

Constance starts her cookbook with a chapter called "The Cocktail Party." She writes that it may be "frivolous" to open with party fair, but she wanted a "light-hearted" beginning. The cookbook is over a thousand pages, with chapters on scones, souffles, chutneys, wine and even kitchen equipment. She really knows her stuff. I enjoyed reading it under cozy quilts.  Do you read cookbooks like novels too? 

Reboot Soup

After all the holiday feasting, we're in need of something fresh, green and clean. Cue my reboot soup. This soup tastes like you made your own vegetable stock. But it comes together in less than 30 minutes, thanks to my go-to secret ingredient. It rescues us with a delicious balance of flavors and textures. Crisp peapods are tossed in at the last minute, remaining springtime green. Chewy elbow pasta and creamy white beans provide substance. Corn and peas lend their subtle sweetness. You know you're eating something good for you, but it doesn't feel like you've jumped on the diet wagon. It's pretty to look at too. The soup is customizable with your favorite veggies. Toss in a few chopped mushrooms if you're in the mood. It would be great with asparagus in springtime. A little grated Parmesan or gruyere cheese is a nice finishing touch. 

This weekend, my husband and I drove to a lonely Cape Ann beach with our beagle, Ellie. It was surprisingly mild and we walked and enjoyed the sunshine. The long walk and this fresh soup for lunch was just the thing.

Wishing you all peace, joy, and happiness in the New Year!    

xo ~ Jilly

North African Stew with Sweet & Spicy Couscous

Before the cold New England winter appears, my husband and I like to visit to Boston Common and the Lagoon to see the swan boats. In the heart of this elegant city, an emerald-green park appears. Weeping willows, a rose garden and pretty swan boats make up the vintage scene. For more than one hundred years, the boats have been gracefully gliding on the pond. We cross the little pedestrian bridge before heading over to Newbury Street to window shop.

Fresh Pea Soup With Coconut Milk & Thai Chili

When you’re in need of warmth and brightness, turn to this soup. If you find yourself yearning to see and taste something fresh and green it will come to your rescue. 

A stop at the market to pick up some flowers, frozen green peas and a few other ingredients is an easy plan to cure the blues. This creamy soup has a beautiful mellow flavor. It’s healthy, but you’d never know it by the rich taste. A scattering of whole peas, tossed in at the end, create a bright pop in your mouth. This dish is particularly good in winter, when you need a fast-green-fix. It’s equally welcome during spring.

Pasta with Lemon-Whipped Creme Fraiche & Peas

You're about twenty minutes away from this gloriously easy and supremely satisfying pasta dish. This is the kind of impromptu cooking that makes my heart happy. In the time it takes to boil the spaghetti, the sauce is made. Toss everything together, dig in and be happy. Tangles of spaghetti in a creamy sauce spiked with lemon with the bright pop of the peas makes it so good.

I eat this when my husband is away on business. A glass of crisp white wine, a good movie and a cozy quilt are also welcome.

Lemony Pasta With Peas, Herbs & Feta

This is light, lemony recipe is great on its own or with sauteed shrimp or toasted pine nuts. There’s not much cooking involved, except boiling the water for the pasta.

Potato Leek Cakes With Peas & Dill

My mother was from a small town in Pennsylvania which had a large Lithuanian population. During the summer, people loved attending the church picnics. Huge fryers cranked out endless orders of potato pancakes to hungry customers. The cakes were always served with sour cream or applesauce on the side.

Vegetable Soup with Barley & Basil

A simple vegetable soup is what I cooked today. It's what I needed. It's the kind of austere and nourishing soup I imagine monks making with their fresh garden vegetables. They'd eat it at supper time with warm bread. 

Fresh Pea Soup with Thai Flavors

The French love simple soups. Dinner is often a hot bowl of soup with a piece of crusty bread. I make a lot of fresh pea soups using humble frozen petite peas. They're economical, fast, easy and just great to keep in your freezer for spur of the moment meals.

Creamy Fresh Pea Soup with Basil and Lime

Life near Boston gets hectic. When thoughts of packing up and moving to Montana fill my mind, I turn to stitching and cooking. These domestic pleasures rescue me. An afternoon spent whipping up a wonderful soup and working on a pretty French monogram soothe my soul. A movie marathon is also welcome.