S’Mores Cake for a Birthday Girl

Tags

birthday cakes, chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, s'mores, s'mores cake

This past weekend, my eldest daughter turned 14 years old. 14! Oh, how time flies. I can still remember the first time she was handed to me, a tiny little bundle in my arms. And the tears of joy that flowed down my face. And as she turned 14, I still had tears running down my cheeks. A different set of tears with a different meaning. Proud tears. Proud at what a lovely young lady she is turning into. And a feeling of overwhelming happiness at how much joy she has brought into my life. Happy Birthday my sweet Charlotte!

We were at the cottage celebrating her birthday. Instead of a birthday cake, she just wanted to make S’mores over a campfire down by the beach. Because of high winds and high water levels, our beach was pretty much non-existent. A campfire wasn’t going to happen. I needed a quick fix and this S’mores cake couldn’t be any easier. You could bake your favourite chocolate cake from scratch, make your own marshmallow fluff, even your own graham crackers. But if you can get it all from a box, ready in no time, why not?

S’Mores Cake

1 2-layer chocolate cake

Marshmallow Fluff

Graham crackers, crushed into bits with your hands

Dark chocolate ganache (recipe follows)

Dark Chocolate Ganache

4 oz. of dark chocolate

½ cup of 35% cream

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Add all of the ganache ingredients into a heat-proof bowl. Using a bain-marie style to melt the chocolate, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. Allow the bowl to sit on the counter and cool for about an hour.

Cut each cake layer in two so you end up with 4 chocolate cake layers. Beginning with a bottom cake layer, spread some marshmallow fluff over it and sprinkle with graham cracker bits. Add a second layer and repeat the process. Do the same with the third layer. Add the last layer and pour the dark chocolate ganache over the top, sprinkling with graham cracker bits. And voila! A gorgeous and oh-so-yummy S’Mores Birthday Cake!

 

I Heart Espresso S’Mores

Tags

espresso marshmallows, espresso s'mores, heart desserts, heart sweets, heart treats, home-made s'mores, homemade graham cookies, s'mores, Valentine's Day desserts, Valentine's Day s'mores, Valentine's Day treats

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, how about some S’Mores for your love bunnies? Although I’m into showing my love year round, I do enjoy making special heart-shaped treats at this time of year. And not just because it’s Valentine’s Day. It also happens to be my Emma’s birthday. Her birthday is the 15th and she is constantly reminding me that she is my Valentine’s present. Oh, what a precious gift!

I don’t know anyone who does not love S’Mores. So I thought I’d add my own twist to this classic. An Italian twist, of course! Heart-shaped graham cookies and espresso marshmallows! Oh yeah, you got that right. Espresso marshmallows! Dipped in dark Belgian chocolate, and then dipped again in crushed Amaretti cookie crumbs! Oh man, it doesn’t get better than this. Words cannot describe how scrumptious these Espresso S’Mores are. Now if this doesn’t tell them you love ’em, I don’t know what will!

Graham Cookies       adapted from Brown eyed Baker

1½ cups of flour
1⅓ cups of graham flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup of dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons of honey

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, or in a stand-mixer bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and honey. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until blended and the dough comes together, about 30 seconds.

Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press into a 7-inch square, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into heart shapes. Transfer to baking sheet, spacing the cookies about a 1/2-inch apart. Once on the baking sheet, decorate the cookies with the initials of your loves, small hearts, or any design that fancies you. Gather any scraps, re-roll, and cut out more cookies.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are dark golden brown and just firm to the touch. If adding both cookie sheets at the same time, rotate them after about 8 minutes and bake an additional 4 or 5 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for a minute on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely.

Espresso Marshmallows

4 teaspoons of powdered gelatine
⅔ cup of water
½ cup of freshly brewed espresso coffee
1½ cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
powdered sugar, to sprinkle on finished marshmallow
vegetable oil

Lay some plastic wrap on the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or pan, and lightly brush with vegetable oil. If you prefer a thinner marshmallow, use a bigger pan or dish.

Stir the gelatin into the water and let sit until ready to use.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm up the espresso with the sugar and vanilla. When warm, stir in the gelatin and water and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the sugar and gelatin dissolves. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the espresso-gelatin mixture until it resembles a soft meringue, about 15 minutes. You really need to start this with the mixer on low for the first 5 minutes. It is a very hot liquid and it will splatter. After 5 minutes, increase the speed to medium, and then to medium-high/high for the last 5 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle some powdered sugar onto a cutting board and invert the pan onto it. Peel off the plastic wrap.

Cut the marshmallow with the same heart-shaped cookie cutter used for the graham cookies. At this point, you can dip the marshmallows in some powdered sugar and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Assembling Espresso S’Mores

Dark Belgian chocolate
Amaretti cookies

Melt some dark Belgian chocolate using the bain marie method. Crush some Amaretti cookies until you have fine crumbs.

Brush the underside of each graham cookie with the melted chocolate.

Dip half of an espresso marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and then dip again into the Amaretti cookie crumbs. Place on a heart cookie and cover with another heart. And there you have it. Heart Espresso S’Mores!  Happy Love Day!

The left-over marshmallows can be gobbled up as is, cut into smaller hearts and served on just 1 graham cookie, or cut into even smaller hearts and plopped into some luscious hot chocolate.  Enjoy!

Charlotte’s Chocolate-Toffee Popcorn

Tags

chocolate, chocolate and toffee popcorn, chocolate popcorn, Fiesta Friday, Fiesta Friday #2, kids make popcorn, party popcorn, popcorn, toffee

I’m invited to a party over at The Novice Gardner. I LOVE parties! Angie is hosting Fiesta Friday, and what fun is a party without popcorn? And not just any popcorn. I walked into the kitchen last Sunday and found my girls making this sweet treat. It was Charlotte’s idea and of course where popcorn is involved, Emma is sure to be there! Foraging through the pantry, Charlotte came across some Belgian milk chocolate and toffee bits. She told Emma her idea and off they were, making a mess in my kitchen. Do you recall when I mentioned that all I wanted for Christmas were little elves to follow me around all day, picking up after me? I neglected to mention that I’ve already got my little elves, only instead of cleaning up the messes, they create them! So, drop by Angie’s Fiesta Friday #2 and enjoy the party!

Charlotte’s Chocolate-Toffee Popcorn

Popcorn kernels

Belgian milk, or dark, chocolate

Toffee bits

Sea salt, optional

Pop the kernels and spread the popcorn onto a couple of baking sheets. Melt the chocolate using a hot water bath, or bain marie. Using a spoon, pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn. Immediately add the toffee bits, so that they can adhere to the chocolate as it cools. Sprinkle with sea salt for a sweet and salty popcorn. Oh! So yummy! Perfect for any party. Have a great weekend!

Double Yummy Apple Cake

Tags

apple and applesauce cake, apple cake, apple desserts, Apples, cake, desserts, double apple cake

I first started baking this apple cake when I was pregnant with my first daughter. It didn’t start out as a double apple cake. It was simply an apple cake, with apples, cinnamon and sugar mixed into the batter, and of course oil. I think by now some of you know how I feel about adding oil to my cake batter. If I can replace it with applesauce, I do. That’s where the double comes in. Applesauce and apples. Yummy! And rather than mix the apples into the batter, I layered them onto the batter in 2 layers and sprinkled cinnamon-sugar over them. Double yummy!

I can actually remember the very first time I made this cake. My dad loved sweets. Loved them! His on-set diabetes at the age of 60 did nothing to deter him from his beloved sugar addiction. He was in the hospital and I had gone to visit him with this freshly baked apple cake. A snack we would share together. It was lunchtime when I arrived and as he was having his lunch, he offered to share it with me. I replied that he was the one who needed to eat, not me. And being the sweet man that he was, he said, “Oh no. It’s not for you. It’s for the baby. The baby needs to eat more than you or I.” I shall always remember those words. He was already enamoured with this baby in my tummy! When the time came for the apple cake, one bite and he was smitten! And he was sure the baby was equally smitten. He believed the baby was enjoying it and would grow up loving this cake. Although my dad never got to meet my daughter, he was right. Charlotte just loves this cake. Emma does too, but it’s a comfort thing for Charlotte. And it’s comforting for me to know that Charlotte and my dad did in fact enjoy this double yummy apple cake together!

Ingredients

3/4 cups of sugar

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

2 or 3 large apples

2 eggs

1/4 cup of honey

2/3 cups of applesauce (I made my own with 2 or 3 apples in a food processor, adding about 1 tablespoon of water to turn it into a smooth consistency)

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Preheat the oven the to 350 F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square pan, line with parchment paper or tin foil, and oil the paper. Lightly flour the paper.

Make cinnamon-sugar by combining the 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and set aside. Peel, halve and core the apples. Slice them into 1/4 inch thick slices and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand-held mixer, beat the eggs with the 3/4 cups of sugar. Add honey, applesauce, lemon zest and beat well. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture and diluted lemon juice and mix until just combined.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Arrange half the apple slices on top of the batter and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar. Spoon another 1/3 of the batter over the apples and spread evenly. Sprinkle with more cinnamon-sugar. Top the apples with the remaining batter, spreading evenly, and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Good luck with this part. As soon as the cake pan hit the counter, both girls were in the kitchen demanding a slice. I told them to go away. Then hubby came into the kitchen and helped himself to a slice. The girls were back in a flash and before I knew it, all three were biting into piping hot slices of this double yummy apple cake. If you can make it past the 30 minute cooling time, remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack. Now, you can dig in.

Zucchini-Mascarpone Bread

Tags

baked goods, mascarpone, zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini-cheese bread

I’m thinking of re-naming this The Disappearing Zucchini Bread. I cannot seem to bake them quick enough before my family polishes them off. Me included. Two large loaves will last exactly 3 days in my home. The secret? It’s all in the filling!

My sister Franca has been making an amazing Zucchini-Cream Cheese Bread for over 15 years. I thought I’d change the recipe up a little by giving it an Italian twist. Where the original recipe calls for the tanginess of cream cheese, I thought I’d give it a rich and creamy texture with mascarpone. Don’t you just love mascarpone? I’ve also replaced much of the vegetable oil with unsweetened applesauce. Sounds crazy but I have this thing about adding oil to a cake batter, especially a whole cup of it. And I’ve added lemon zest, for a fresh zesty twist as well. Besides, zucchini and lemon are  a perfect match. This recipe makes two big loaves and to one of them, I added some blackberries. Seeing as the cottage is surrounded by blackberry bushes, why not? My girls LOVE this zucchini bread and it makes the perfect snack. Or breakfast. So when life gives you zucchini, make zucchini bread!

Ingredients

for the bread:

3 eggs

2 cups of sugar

1/3 of a cup of vegetable/canola oil

2/3 of a cup of unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons of vanilla

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 medium zucchini, shredded and unpeeled, about 2 cups

Zest of 1 lemon

for the cheese:

250 g (8 oz) of mascarpone cheese, or cream cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter or oil 2 loaf pans.

In a large bowl, beat together the 3 eggs, 2 cups of of sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Add the next 5 ingredients, flour to cinnamon, and mix well. Fold in the zucchini, lemon zest and juice.

In a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone, or cream cheese, with the egg, sugar and flour until light and fluffy.

Pour a layer of the zucchini batter in the bottom of each loaf pan, about 1/4 of the mixture in each. Spread the cheese mixture over the batter in each pan. If using blackberries, drop those on top of the cheese mixture. Add the remainder of the zucchini batter over the cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack. Remove from pans when cool and dig in!

No-Bake Cheesecake Even Kids Can Make

Tags

Baking with kids, berries and cheesecake, cheesecake, dessert, Kids in the kitchen, no-bake cheesecake, seasonal

Both my daughters were in the mood for baking. The only problem was that it was 35 degrees C. 43 C with the humidity index. Way too hot for baking! What we needed was a dessert to beat the heat. One which didn’t require baking. A cool dessert, creamy and sumptuous, but no hot oven. We found just the thing here, thanks to Martha Stewart. A no-bake cheesecake, topped with luscious berries fresh from the farmers’ market. Simple enough that it required no help from me… other than to break-up the occasional bickering! Oh, what was I thinking?

No-Bake Cheesecake

2 cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 stick (1/4 cup) of unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons of sugar

Salt

2 x 8 oz. (1 lb.) packages of cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar

1 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 cup of heavy (35%) cream, whipped

Fresh berries

In a large bowl, add the Graham Cracker crumbs, the butter, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Use your fingers to combine. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom, and 1 inch up the sides, of a 9-inch springform pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on high, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, and beat until smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Pour cream cheese mixture into the crust and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 8 hours (or overnight).

Decorate with your favourite berries. Enjoy!

Pasta with Asparagus

Tags

asparagus, asparagus pasta, kid-friendly pasta, lemon pasta, pasta, vegetarian pasta

We finally have an abundance of Quebec asparagus. I realize it’s summer, but the asparagus crop available to us up until about 3 weeks ago was mainly from our neighbour down south, the USA. Our season for local produce comes a little later than usual because of our colder climate. The farmers’ markets and grocers’ are now inundated with our own local fare. And how beautiful they are! Thin asparagus, thick ones, even wild, wispy asparagus sold right out of the back-end of a truck. We love asparagus in our household. Steamed and served cold as a salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Roasted in the oven with olive oil. And our all-time favourite, marinated with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then thrown onto the barbie.

A few weeks ago I came home with 2 large bunches of asparagus. I grilled them all on the barbie, thinking of the left-overs which I would add to some sandwiches, along with some aged cheddar and sliced pears. We were in the country at the time and burgers were on the menu. I was saving my asparagus for last. I managed to pop 2 or 3 spears into my mouth as I left the kitchen. When I returned 20 minutes later for my serving of asparagus, they were gone! I called out to hubby, “Where did you put the asparagus?”.  “I ate them,” he called back. To which I replied, “You ate them ALL? Well, you better make sure to flush when you go to the loo!”.

Pasta with Asparagus

2 bunches of asparagus

2 lemons

1 package (1 lb/450 g) of pasta of your choice, I used Fusili

Extra Virgin olive Oil

Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 cup grated, plus more for serving

Salt

This really is a dish which allows you to adjust the seasonings to your own taste. Begin by removing the tough stem-ends of the asparagus. Chop them into 1 or 1 1/2 inch pieces. Steam them in a double boiler for about 4 minutes. I enjoy a slight crunch to my asparagus. You can also boil them for the same amount of time. Drain and set aside.

Bring some salted water to boil in a large pot and cook the pasta. As it cooks, zest 1 lemon and set aside. Juice the 2 lemons. Grate some Parmigiano Reggiano. I used about 1 cup, but you can adjust the amount to suit your own taste.

When the pasta is done, or al dente, drain and pour into a large bowl. Drizzle the pasta with extra virgin olive oil, about 3 or 4 tablespoons. Add the cooked asparagus, lemon zest, 1/2 of the lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Add the Parmesan cheese and give it a stir. Taste for salt and lemon. If you like it a little more lemony, add the rest of the juice. I usually add about 1/2, and then another little drizzle. I like to add some Parmesan shavings, just because we LOVE it! Serve and enjoy!

Keep Calm and Eat Gelato

Tags

dessert, gelato, ice cream, ice-cream sundaes, sundaes, vanilla gelato, vanilla ice cream

Funny how food can alter our moods. Well, for me anyway. Back when Charlotte celebrated her birthday, I asked her what birthday cake or cupcakes she wished to have when her friends came over. Her reply was no to either of the two. Instead, she wanted to make their own sundaes. Sundaes? Let me remind you that she turned 13 and for the past 12 years, I have made birthday cakes and cupcakes for her birthday. One cake for each of the family celebrations we had for her. One cake, or cupcakes, for each birthday party she celebrated with her friends. Cupcakes for school where she would offer one to each child in her class plus one for each of her teachers. By my calculations, I’d say that’s roughly 24 birthday cakes and over 300 cupcakes! Not baking cake nor cupcakes for my little girl was a big deal for me. Sundaes? Fine. Sundaes. Oh, but not just any sundae! Home made Madagascar-Bourbon Vanilla Gelato. Home made hot chocolate sauce. And to top it all off, mini peanut-butter cups and chocolate M & M’s.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Gelato                                                                   from Making Artisan Gelato, by Torrance Kopfer

1 Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, 35%

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

(This style of gelato is closer to a traditional ice cream than actual gelato. The lack of egg yolks allows for the subtle nuances between the two types of vanilla to come through.)

Split the vanilla bean in half with a knife and remove the seeds, dropping them into a median-sized saucepan. Add the milk and sugar, and stir to combine. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers 170 degrees F/77 C on a thermometer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for a 1/2 hour.

Remove the vanilla bean pod, add the cream and vanilla extract, and stir. Pour into a clean container, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready, pour the chilled mixture into your ice-cream maker and proceed as per manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the gelato to a container with a lid and place in the freezer to fully harden before serving.

After the birthday celebration came and went, I had come across a stressful situation and had some decisions to make, which I’m not very good at by the way. One evening as I was sitting quietly, contemplating how to go about things, I went into the kitchen to forage for something that might help me along with my decision-making. Nothing in the pantry. Nada in the fridge. But when I took a peek into the freezer, I found some of this gelato which I had forgotten about. Oh, perfect! Whereas the girlies went all overload with this, I kept my vanilla gelato plain and simple. I don’t know why, but eating that gelato really did sooth my mind and help me make my decisions. Weather they were the right decisions I will never know. But it did help keep me calm that evening and I haven’t looked back since!

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Tags

couscous chickpea & feta salad, couscous chickpea salad, couscous salad, vegetarian couscous salad

Occasionally, I am at a loss when it comes to packing lunch for the girls. They love salads, which I do send them to school with, and they love couscous. What better lunch than combining their favourite foods with couscous and making a salad of it? Not to mention a healthy one! It makes a great after-school snack as well. And a nutritious one for anyone training for a marathon, such as my blogger-friend Teresa, over at little poppits.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of couscous

1 can of chickpeas, 15 oz/425 g

Cherry tomatoes, halved, about 1 cup

1/2 a cucumber, peeled and chopped

Crumbled Feta cheese, 1 cup

5 Green onions, chopped

Raisins, a handful or about 1/2 cup

Fresh mint, chopped, a handful

Bring 2 cups of water in a pot to a boil. Add the couscous to the boiling water, stir, remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and pour into a large bowl.

Add all of the ingredients to the couscous and stir gently. Make the dressing.

Dressing

3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of 3 limes, or 1/3 cup

Freshly grated ginger, 2 teaspoons

1 Garlic clove, minced

3/4 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Freshly ground pepper

Pour the dressing over the couscous salad, stir gently and enjoy!

Vietnamese Pho Soup to chase away sniffles & sore throats

Tags

Asian soup, Pho soup, rice noodle chicken soup, rice noodle soup, soups, Vietnamese soup

Both my girls have been feeling under the weather of late. And it’s no wonder with the horrid weather we’ve been having! Just today, April 12, we had a little snow storm! Yes, really! So with both girls home from school the other day, I thought I would make them one of their favourite soups to chase away those sniffles and sore throats.

Vietnamese soup, also known as Tonkinese soup, or Pho in Vietnamese, is a wonderful rice noodle soup made with either beef or chicken. The broth is incredibly flavoursome, with a plethora of ways to make it. It can be a simple one with just chicken or beef, or it can be infused with spices such as ginger, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, even star anise. You can also dress it up to your own personal preference with the addition of soy bean sprouts, freshly squeezed lime juice, red hot chili peppers (the fruit, not the band!), Thai basil and a variety of condiments such as soy sauce, hoisin sauce and, of course, sriracha sauce.

We love going out to Vietnamese restaurants for this soup, but every now and then I like to make it at home. I never make it the same way either. But I always make it with chicken. When I first made it, I used my own home-made chicken stock and therefore added boiled chicken meat to the soup. It was ok. I then decided I would roast a chicken and use that in the soup, looking for that little extra flavour. It was better. This time around, I thought I would marinate chicken breasts in some olive oil, lime juice and 5 spice Chinese powder and then grill it. With my indoor grill, of course, seeing as it’s still freakin’ cold here! And this time it was fabulous!

I didn’t venture too much with the flavour of the chicken stock. I hesitated with a star anise, holding it over the boiling broth for a few seconds, but decided against it. I didn’t want to take a chance experimenting with the flavour when what I really wanted was to sooth the girls from their colds. So instead, I stir-fried some vegetables that would go into the soup, giving them a bit of a char flavour. Not all Pho soups have veggies, but I like the idea of having most of our daily recommended food groups in one bowl. Grilling or broiling them in the oven is something I might try next time.

Pho Soup

Chicken Stock, I used about 4 litres for 1 package of rice noodles

1 package of rice stick noodles

3 chicken breasts

Fresh limes

5 spice Chinese powder

Broccoli, Carrots & Cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces

Thai basil

Green onions, about 5, sliced thinly

Soy bean sprouts, optional

Salt & pepper, to taste

Begin by marinating the chicken breasts with a little olive oil, fresh lime juice and 5 spice Chinese powder.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pot. Go ahead and use store-bought if you don’t have any home-made, or a mix of both. You can flavour it up if you like with any or all of the above-mentioned spices. If you don’t have any finicky kiddies to contend with, go ahead and add a piece of fresh ginger. If you’re feeling adventurous, add some star anise and coriander seeds, wrapped in a piece of cloth.

Grill the chicken and set aside, covered with foil wrap.

Empty the rice stick noodles into a large bowl and add boiling water, enough to cover noodles. Just let them sit there until your soup is ready, or until they have plumped up and are double in size. Drain the water.

Proceed with your veggies. Change them up if you like, using your favourites. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the carrots. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the broccoli and cauliflower. Cook for another 5 minutes, adding just a little salt and pepper to taste. Once your veggies are done, slice the grilled chicken into bite-size pieces.

Add the chicken pieces to your broth, along with the veggies and the sliced green onions. Taste for salt and adjust. Keep in mind that some will be adding soy sauce to their own bowl. Finally, add the rice noodles and just let the soup sit for 5 minutes, allowing for all the flavours to blend together.

Ladle the soup into bowls. In Vietnamese restaurants, these soups are served in ginormous bowls and of course, my girls will choose the biggest bowls they can get their hands on for this one. In the centre of your table, you can have the 3 bottles of condiments mentioned earlier, along with some Thai basil, fresh lime slices and soy beans. Each person can add their own personal faves. I like to add a handful of Thai basil leaves, torn into little bits so I can slurp them up with my soup, some still attached to the stem as an added flavouring. I squeeze a piece of lime and throw that in there, and I add a tad of soy, a little hoisin, and a nice squirt of sriracha to heat it all up. Fresh, red hot chilis are fun to add as well, if you dare. The girls love to dress their soup up exactly as I do, with the addition of fresh bean sprouts. Not only did this yummy, slightly spicy soup help chase away those runny noses, it also warmed us all the way down to our toeses!

*If you should have left-overs, as is always the case with us, you really need to separate the broth from the rest of the ingredients and store separately. Otherwise, the rice noodles will disintegrate, turning your soup to mush.*