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01/11/2016 11:00 PMAfter the chaos that is the holidays, I am reading more, binging on television I have missed (oooh, The Affair), seeing more friends and, of course, cooking more.
Did I eat more than I should have from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve?
Well, yes, but not on New Year’s Eve.
I went with friends to Frank’s eponymous restaurant, now in Mystic. I had a portabella mushroom as an appetizer and broiled cod with cole slaw as an entrée. Skipped dessert. On New Year’s Day after I watched some football, ate some leftovers and went out with friends to see man versus whale in the movie, In the Heart of the Sea, about the story that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby-Dick. It was terrific if not terrifically frightening. Someday I will read Moby-Dick. Sunday the Patriots lost again. My football pool ended that day, but I had won one day out of the 17 the teams played. There is always next year.
I will spend a good part of this month eating healthy (although I didn’t make any resolutions). I think we all think the same. January and February food magazines always help me because they come up with recipes that work for those of us who have to do penance for the holidays. I made this recipe and it was delicious the first day and even better for lunch the next day and dinner, again, on Wednesday.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com. Need more Lee?
<p>From <em>Fine Cooking</em>, February/March, 2016, page 28</p><p>Yield: serves 4</p><p>2 tablespoons fresh lime juice</p><p>2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro plus 2 tablespoons</p><p>whole leaves</p><p>1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil</p><p>4 ounces pad Thai rice noodles, broken into 3- to 4-inch</p><p>pieces</p><p>4 cups lower-salt chicken broth</p><p>1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into</p><p>½-inch cubes</p><p>½ cup well-shaken canned coconut milk</p><p>(I use light coconut milk)</p><p>1 small red or green chile, such as Serrano, thinly sliced*</p><p>Kosher salt</p><p>8 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into one-inch pieces</p><p>(about 1 ½ cups)</p><p>2 scallions, thinly sliced</p><p>Sriracha for serving</p><p>In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon lime juice with the chopped cilantro and sesame oil.</p><p>Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Drain. Do not rinse, then toss with the lime juice mixture.</p><p>In a 4-quart saucepan, bring the chicken broth and the chicken to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, coconut milk, chile, and teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Add pineapple and cook for another minute. Stir in the cilantro leaves and noodles and season to taste with salt.</p><p>Divide the soup among bowls, garnish with the scallions and serve with the Sriracha on the side.</p><p>*I use a teaspoon of red curry paste instead of a chile. I always have an often-opened can of red curry paste in the refrigerator. For me, the combination of red curry paste and coconut milk go together like, say, cookies and milk.</p>