Tom Kha Ghai

It's funny, I've never been a fan of coconut. It's probably the texture of dried coconut. We had those baby coconuts on a dessert on our honeymoon and I picked around them. However, over the last year or so, as we've had more pan-asian meals, the flavor has grown on me, in a subtle way.  I'm not sure I'll ever be a fan of Almond Joy or Mounds (sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't...) but coconut milk with other flavors is nice.

 We've made Tom Kha Ghai a couple of times. We've finally tailored it to our tastes and food restrictions.  It's nice and light and honestly I could just drink the broth and be happy.

To make 6 or so servings you need:
6 cups broth,
1 stalk lemongrass bruised and chopped into 2" pieces
3 kaffir lime leaves, torn
4" ginger peeled and sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 T siracha or red curry
1 can light coconut milk
baby corn, cut into 1" pieces
water chestnuts, sliced
sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-1" pieces
broccoli, small florets
cremini mushrooms, sliced
carrots, thinly sliced
fresh lime wedges

1. In a pot simmer broth, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, and onion for 30 minutes then strain and discard the solids.
2. Add the coconut milk and chili sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. For softer vegetables, add those for the last few minutes, or pour the broth over vegetables in a bowl for firmer vegetables.
4. Serve with a squeeze of lime