Snow and Soup: Chicken, Lemon Grass, Basil and Coconut Milk

This Chicken Soup came out surprisingly well...
The flavours meld together well and come through in this soup, perfect for snowed in days!

Ingredients
1 Bone-in Chicken thigh piece; organic natural chicken used in this recipe
2 inch long piece of fresh lemon grass
4-5 Basil leaves
1 inch piece of ginger coarsely grated
1 tsp of balck peppercorns coarsely crushed
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped white onions
1/2 Cup finely chopped fresh fennel..white bulb parts and the green celery-like parts too!
1 tbsp of vegetable oil/ 1 tbsp of butter
2 tbsps fennel greens
Salt
Method
Heat the oil and saute the onions, fennel until soft,
Add the crushed lemon grass stalks/pieces,
Add the black pepper corns, white pepper powder  and the chopped chicken thigh along with the bone too. [ this is to add flavour to the soup]
Add salt and turn the heat  to high and cook, for 2-3 minutes,
Add 2 cups of Vegetable stock or warm water and bring to a boil,
Seal with foil and turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes,
Add the coarsely grated ginger and cook for another 15-30 minutes  until done.
Add the freshly torn basil leaves,
Optional: Add 3 tbps of coconut milk  and mix well,
Take off the heat and granish with fennel fronds.

Snow and Soup!

Stray leaves from Autumn blanketed in winter snow...

Garlic Bread with home-made french bread.

Chicken Soup with Potatoes, Peas, Red Chilli Flakes and a tiny shred of cheese.

Garlic Bread Experiment
So the french bread that was beginning to get stale was re-invented as Garlic Bread. However the grainy texture of the garlic powder
did not go down too well so re-invented these as Croutons and they work well in soups.
Ingredients

Garlic Powder- 2tsps
Dried Parsley -1/4 tsp

Salt- less than 1/4 tsp

Melted Butter -1 tsp
Melted Margarine-2tsps

French bread slices- 6
Method

Mix these ingredients well and brush over slices of french bread. Toast in the counter top oven for about 5 minutes. Toasting it the regular way: Heat Oven to 350 F and broiling  for 2 -3 minutes should also work. Here, since the garlic bread was found wanting, it got cut up in cubes and toasted for a further 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy!