Temperatures last night ran between +5 to +9 degrees. Glad I wasn't out in it. Found the fuzzy icicles and the rose tinted sky quite appealing when I put the dog out this morning. Check out the photos.
Fighting a cold for a week has been an up and down affair. Yesterday's lunch was a tried and true cold buster. Easy to make and surprisingly good. Think I'll go and make another batch today.
Medicinal Chicken Broth
14 oz can chicken broth (Swanson or College Inn are best)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 TBSP Asian fish sauce (start with 1 tsp if you aren't used to it)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
sprinkle of red pepper
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh or frozen chives or leeks
Optional - spaghetti noodles broken into 1 inch pieces.
Usually I double this so there is enough for two of us. Heat the broth, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, red pepper, lemon juice, and chives in a sauce pan until it boils. At this point, the broth is ready to serve. If adding the noodles, turn to simmer and add noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender, then serve.
I found that this soup is not only good for congestion, it also settles the stomach. The trick is to serve it in very small portions (a Chinese tea cup does nicely). Served hot in a small cup, it can be spooned or sipped slowly. After 20 minutes, serve another small cup. For congestion, serve in a normal soup bowl but provide plenty of tissues as it really helps clear the head and chest.
The recipe was adapted from a Thai or Vietnamese soup recipe that was printed in Sunset Magazine many years ago. The list of ingredients included lemongrass (not a staple in my house), and several other items not readily at hand. I paired it down to the basic flavors and congestion fighters, then found that it also worked with stomach upsets.
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