A few years ago, I published this watered down version of my favorite Thai soup. I was just learning to experiment with Thai cooking and didn’t have access to the necessary ingredients for this recipe, so I made it with the closest things I could find.  That recipe was FINE. It satisfied my craving for this delicious chicken and coconut milk soup, but I recently decided that I wanted to up the ante and do it correctly, with the legit ingredients. I accepted my own challenge and I’m thrilled with the results. The old version tasted good, no doubt. But this recipe tastes AUTHENTIC.

I can’t really explain what makes this soup so good, other than it’s ingredients I don’t usually cook with at home. Please use fresh herbs, it makes all the difference. You can find fresh lemongrass and Thai basil at some grocery stores and at many international grocery markets. Thai basil is not the same as regular basil- make sure you grab the correct ingredient!

I am blessed to have an amazing neighbor that is gifted with a green thumb; she shares fresh herbs with me and I, in turn, share the foods with her. It’s a great exchange and I am grateful for her friendship. I am envious of her ability and patience to garden and someday, I’ll be motivated to do more than just putting fresh herbs into mason jars on my bay window!

Try this recipe and see how it compares to your favorite local Thai restaurant. You might figure out that eating at home is just as good, if not fresher and better!

Crock Pot Tom Kha Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Serves: 4

2 c. vegetable or chicken broth

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

1 12″ stalk fresh lemongrass, greens removed; bruise the stalk and then cut into 3″ sections

1 2″ fresh ginger root, peeled and slice into 6 quarter-sized slices

1/2 lb fresh oyster mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 T. fish sauce

1 t. sugar

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 t. Thai chili paste

1/4 c. fresh kaffir lime leaves

1/4 c. fresh Thai basil leaves

1/4 chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 lime, cut into wedges

Put all ingredients except cilantro and lime wedges into crock pot and stir. Cook on low for 5 hours. Before serving, remove all kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil leaves, and lemongrass stalks (optional to remove ginger slices, too).  When serving, add chopped fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedge on top. Serve with bowl of white rice.

My nana didn’t make cookies. She didn’t make tea sandwiches. She didn’t make cute food like fruit, desserts, hors d’oeuvres, cordials or ganache. But she made amazing, hearty dishes in mass quantity like spaghetti and brisket and homemade potato salad. But anyone in my family could tell you that the one dish that she was known for was her barbequed salami. It is spicy and soft and just the right amount of sauce to smother a plain hamburger bun and make it melt. 

Nana always bought the big tubes of kosher salami and hand sliced in and then quartered it. I don’t know how she made it so thin. I suggest using the tubes of Hebrew National salami, but here’s an easier way to prepare it— cut it in half longways and then in half longways again (it will almost look like four hot dogs at this point). Then, run it through your food processor to slice it really thin. Or, you can do it by hand, like Nana, if you have a sharp knife and a lot of patience.

Kudos to Nana for always serving this amazing feast to our family, for getting us all together and giving us memories to last forever. This will always be a favorite meal for me and I can’t wait to share it with all of you, too. Make it for your next picnic, family gathering or game night. Barbequed salami is best served with a pickle, some wavy potato chips to scoop up anything that falls off the bun and a huge stack of napkins.  Enjoy!

2 lbs salami, sliced and quartered

2 12 oz. bottles Heinz chili sauce

1 c. ketchup

1 onion, quartered and sliced 

1 green pepper, minced

2 stalks celery, minced

2 T. white vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. dry mustard

1 t. chili powder

1 t. Worchestershire sauce

1/2 t. Tabasco sauce

Prepare meat to be sliced and quartered. Place in crock pot.  Cook onion, green pepper and celery in a pan until soft, but not browned. Add to meat. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour into crock pot. Mix all ingredients together. Heat on low for 2-3 hours. Serve on soft, plain hamburger buns.

I’m too excited about tomorrow’s dinner to wait until morning to post this. It’s funny– I have been posting all these recipes that are hearty and healthy, but mostly vegetable-based. Not this one! For all you meat lovers, this is simple, sassy and super! (Thank you to my friend BBM for introducing me to this sauce.) This recipe is fantastic to throw together for any occasion. It makes a great appetizer, can be thrown on egg noodles for dinner or on little crusty rolls as sandwiches. While it only has a few ingredients in it, the flavors mingle together in a tangy, unique way. Whether you serve it with toothpicks or forks, you’ll be pleased by how little efforts it takes to make great taste.

(Start by making your own meatballs using 1 lb beef, 1 lb turkey, 2 eggs, 1 T. chopped parsley and 1/2 c. breadcrumbs. Mix it all together, form little balls and then bake them on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. I’m going to make these tonight and then do the crock potting tomorrow at lunchtime. Or, if you prefer, you can totally buy frozen meatballs and use those instead. I won’t tell!)

2 lb. meatballs

8 oz. grape jelly

1 jar Heinz chili sauce

1 can pineapple chunks, drained

1 green pepper, diced

2 T. fresh minced parsley

Put all solids into the crockpot. Mix jelly and chili sauce together and then pour into crockpot. Cook 4-6 hours on low.