Dinner tonight....

I haven't talked to Diana about this yet but I am going to start a recipe area on the blog.  We all need motivation and I know recipes do that for me.  I will start with the recipe I am making for dinner tonight.  

My menu for dinner:

Steamed Broccoli and Steamed Brussel Sprouts.  I have to tell you, my husband and children are thrilled about the brussel sprouts. :-)  I got a great deal at Trader Joes the other day.  They had them for $3.5 for an entire stalk loaded with them!  Oh my goodness they are tasty too.  

Some sort of oven toasted bread... probably sourdough or a multigrain bread found in our grocery bakery.  It will be slightly coated with oil and toasted in the oven until crunchy.

Chicken Soup with an Asian Twist - Makes 1 serving for each cup of stock

spray oil
3 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves grated garlic
3 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium if you like)
4 to 6 cups chicken stock (homemade is always best.  I actually have 2 chicken breasts I am boiling right now)
2 tsp toasted Sesame Oil (this absolutely makes the dish)
2 heads of baby bok choy ( I have used spinach before as well but it is a bit more bitter)

1 cup or so of cooked chicken ( I will just use my breasts I am making the stock with)

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 pound of angel hair pasta 1/8 pound per serving  - cooked, rinsed and tossed with 1 tsp of sesame oil (whole grain is always best but not required)

Sliced scallions and red pepper flakes if you like heat

4 to 6 eggs optional (these are poached at the end and placed on top)

Heat pan with spray oil in a medium soup pot.  Add ginger and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.  Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, chicken stock, 1 tsp of sesame oil and bok choy stalks (cleaned first) and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add chicken and bok choy leaves until chicken is heated through and bok choy is bright green.

If you want to top with an egg (I personally love this!) - Bring a wide, shallow pan of water to a boil.  Reduce to a bare simmer.  Add a dash of rice vinegar.  Crack one egg at a time into a small dish, and gently slide each one into the simmering water.  Gently poach until whites are firm and the yolks are to the desired firmness (I like mine cooked through... my daughters like them runny).  Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.

Divide the cooked angel hair noodles into 4 or 6 bowls, creating a nestlike pile in the center of each bowl.  Ladle the soup into the bowls, and top each (if desired) with a poached egg.  Garnish with scallions and red pepper flakes.

Modified from a recipe found in the October issue of "More" Magazine.