Meatball Zucchini Soup

 

I found a recipe for a meatball and zucchini soup on Instagram.  I didn't have the exact ingredients, (although I'm sure that would've been lovely) so I used what I had on hand.  But I definitely want to try this with all the fresh herbs in the future.  Here's the link the original recipe by @pete_eatss:
https://www.instagram.com/pete_eatss/reel/CXKwB7slRea/?utm_medium=copy_link

Here's what I did for my variation.

Ingredients

Broth:
4 cups water
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon fish sauce

Garlic mix:
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Meat mix:
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon sugar
Dash of salt
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
Garlic mix from above

1 small zucchini

Instructions

1. Add broth ingredients to a pot and heat on stove.
2. Peel garlic.  Smash garlic with cracked black pepper with a mortar and pestle.
3. Combine all meat mix ingredients and mix well.
4. Drop 1-inch balls of the meat mix into broth and bring to boil.
5. Scoop scum off top and discard.
6. Add zucchini and boil for a few minutes until cooked through.
7. Serve and enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Meatball Zucchini Soup (Reel) 
YouTube post of this video: Meatball Zucchini Soup (full video with captions)  

Korean Style Soup

 

This is my take on a Korean Style Soup.  The tofu I used was soft, but not the tube-shaped style that is typically used in soondubu.  It came in a tray.  I don't have a special cooking stone bowl pot, so I had to cook the soup in a regular pot as well as the egg.  When this is served to me in the restaurant, they give the egg to you to crack into the soup yourself.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
  
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 ounces pork belly, chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Korean red pepper powder
• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 Tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
• 2 cups water
  
• 1/2 cup kim chee, chopped
• 3 ounces mushrooms
• 1 cup bok choy
• 2 eggs

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as described above (chop)
2. Heat canola oil in pot.
   
3. Add garlic, green onions, and yellow onions to the oil and stir fry until fragrant.
4. Add pork belly, stir fry, and cook well.
5. Add Korean red pepper powder, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce and stir.  Let simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors come together.
6. Add water and bring to a boil.
7. Add kim chee and stir.
8. Add mushrooms and bok choy.  Push it under the soup and bring to boil.
9. Crack eggs directly into soup and let it sit until the whites of the egg turn white.
10. Serve immediately.
11. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Korean Style Soup (Reel) 
YouTube post of this video: Korean Style Soup (full video with captions) 

Thai Style Curry with Chicken and Vegetables

I had a yellow curry powder from a trip to Thailand pre-covid and decided it was about time to put that to use. Here’s what I made.

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini, grated
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 chicken thighs, chopped in bite size pieces
• 3 Tablespoons Thai yellow curry powder
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 5 basil leaves (or more if you like)
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne powder (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prep vegetables as described above (grate, chop)
2. Toast curry powder in heated pan
3. Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer
4. Add chicken, cover, and simmer until chicken is white
5. Add onions, carrots, and zucchini and stir well
6. Squeeze a wedge of lime juice in
7. Tear basil leaves and drop them in
8. Add cayenne pepper and stir in
9. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Thai Style Curry with Vegetables (Reel) 
YouTube post of this video: Thai Style Curry with Vegetables (full video with captions)

First 2022 Bean Harvest

                            

Look at this colorful array of beans!  This is my first harvest of 2022 from my container garden.  I've got yellow, purple, and green beans.  These were planted a few months ago.  The seeds were ordered from a vendor on Etsy called TomorrowSeeds.  Here's the link to the bean seeds, if you'd like to grow this variety.  https://etsy.me/3um8kwg

 

I made a simple side dish with this small harvest and served with with some cold tofu.  It was basically stir fried beans, a clove of garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and onion powder. 

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: First 2022 Bean Harvest (Reel) 
YouTube post of this video: First 2022 Bean Harvest (full video with captions)