Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

My sister-in-law Holley who's an amazing cook recommended this recipe. It's really good! I didn't have lime leaf so I didn't add it, but I think it would have added a lot to it.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time: -- Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: --
Level:
--
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
1 quart chicken stock, recipe follows
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, cracked open with the flat side of a knife
3 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or dried, hand torn
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small Thai chilies, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed
4 limes, juiced
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Bring the stock to the boil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.

Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice, and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through; season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into a soup tureen or individual serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger, or lime leaves.

Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is seriously the BEST carrot cake I've ever had. I just put it in a 9 x 13 pan instead of doing layers to save on time. The buttermilk glaze says to add the baking powder and then boil, but you should add it when you add the vanilla after you've taken the mixture off the heat, otherwise it will boil over the whole time you're boiling it.

Carrot Cake

Cake:
Ingredients
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· 3 large eggs
· 2 cups sugar
· 3/4 cup vegetable oil
· 3/4 cup buttermilk
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 2 cups grated carrot
· 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
· 1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
· 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
· Buttermilk Glaze
· Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation
· Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

· Stir together first 4 ingredients.

· Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cakepans.

· Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.



Buttermilk glaze:

Ingredients
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (don't add until after you add the vanilla and after the pan is off the heat or it will boil over!)
· 1/2 cup buttermilk
· 1/2 cup butter or margarine
· 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
· Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Southern Living

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients
· 3/4 cup butter, softened
· 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
· 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
· 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation
· Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.