Prepare to feast your eyes on the feast I savored for dinner. A five-course fusion of Asian cuisine prepared by my loving Hunky Hubby just because. Not for a birthday or anniversary celebration, just an ordinary Thursday night that became extraordinary. Really, how many guys would spend a good portion of their day off willingly cooking, baking and getting dish pan hands? Makes me love my Love all the more, even with his awful no-shave-November goatee.
Our first course was a delightful bowl of Thai butternut squash soup. Tummy warming and taste bud tantalizing is the best way to sum it up.
The original recipe, courtesy of food.com, calls for a 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk. Ours purportedly went bad, but I can attest to the deliciousness of Hubby’s substitution: 1 tablespoon of coconut oil mixed with 1 1/2 cups of skim milk. Also, for non-curry lovers like yours truly, 1 teaspoon of Rogan Josh is a tasty substitute for 1 teaspoon of curry powder.
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Rogan Josh seasoning (Penzy's is our preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1½ cups skim milk
- 1 pint vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 green onions, chopped
- In a heavy pot, heat oil and cook onion until soft.
- Add stock, squash and Rogan Josh and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender.
- Stir in the coconut oil and skim milk. Process with hand blender until smooth.
- Return to pot and stir in black pepper.
- To serve, top with chopped green onion.
- Serves 4 appetizer-sized portions or 2 dinner portions.
Vietnamese Meatball Lollipops with Dipping Sauce was our next course. Who doesn’t like eating anything from a stick let alone meatballs?
This recipe was from bettycrocker.com, with one exception: the dipping sauce. I can’t give you a recipe because, as in true foodie fashion, it was a little-this-and-that creation that Hubby whipped up. His version was much lower in sodium and had a drop of Siracha gave a nice kick.
Third course: Spicy Japanese Cucumber Salad
I was told we were having a salad-less salad course but what with being in a fog from a 10 hour day it never occurred to me that we’d be enjoying an Asian cucumber salad. Especially one that looked like a flower and tasted spicy and delicate at the same time.
To make this delight, simply peel the cucumber and after discarding the skins keep peeling – in essence you’re creating cucumber shavings. For a serving of four, use 1 1/2 cucumbers. Prepare a simple dressing by mixing a splash of rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper to desired heat, a bit of freshly grated ginger (again, to taste) and salt to taste (careful with the shaker). Let the cucumbers marinade for several hours. Arrange the shavings in twists to resemble a flower when you’re ready to serve. This salad is so light and refreshing I could eat the entire bowlful by myself!
Fourth course: Chicken Stir Fry
Our fourth course and entree was a sesame topped stir fry with vegetables and chicken in a light Asian sauce. I gave up on the chopsticks and dove in with a fork. Sorry, folks – no recipe. Hubby created as he cooked and ooh I just love it when he does that.
And now, for the sweet finale: Bibingka. This Filipino coconut cake tastes like a cross between angel food cake and a pineapple-coconut flavored pound cake. A perfect ending to such a special meal.
It was one of those nights when my heart swelled with gratitude as I cherished family time and all the love that my Hubby put into every bite.
Happy Thursday!
Gigi
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