My Thai dinner

Jill from JBeanCuisine (great blog!) submitted this recipe in our latest swap, and I was the lucky recipient. The theme was Asian - it could have been any type of Asian dish from any course and country.

I was happy to see this recipe since Thai food is not something I get to enjoy often.  Frank's not a fan, so we never go out to have it, and I never make Thai dishes at home.  So, I planned this for a night (last night!) when I'd be home for dinner alone.  I scaled back the recipe a lot since I was the only one eating, and omitted a few ingredients as well.  I added one ingredient though - coconut milk.  I used just a tiny bit to give the soup an added flavor that I knew I'd enjoy.

Thanks for the inspiration, Jill...I never would have made this dish otherwise!  I had it with some dumplings.  It was delicious...so delicious that I forgot to take a picture before I started eating, so this is a midway-through-dinner shot :)

Tom Yum Soup
adapted from JBeanCuisine

2 cups chicken stock
1 inch piece of ginger
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemon grass stalk, bottom 3 inches only
1 red chili, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup coconut milk
4 shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
3 button mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup fresh spinach

Bring chicken stock to a boil.  Add in ginger, kaffir, lemon grass and red chilies.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Once broth is ready, remove ginger pieces, kaffir leaves, lemon grass stalks and large pieces of red chilies.

Continuing over medium heat, add in the lemon juice, fish sauce, soy sauce and coconut milk.  Stir and allow flavors to combine for a few minutes.   Adjust fish sauce/soy sauce to taste.

Add in shrimp, mushrooms and spinach.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until shrimp are cooked and mushrooms/tomatoes are soft.  Serve immediately.