Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

oh my goodness! we must tell you...


oh my goodness, we're pregnant!  13 weeks pregnant, in fact.  we lovingly refer to our little one as "gummy bear," as that is pretty much what it looked like at the first ultrasound.  an adorable little gummy bear blob.


we found out about our little miracle the day after valentine's day & told our families a few weeks later.  it was so fun to share our big news.  we {haha... i} sent each family member the book are you my mother with "mother" covered in washi tape & with their future name/relation written on top with a little note inside telling them congratulations!


of course, i'm taking bump date photos!  the family has been dying to see them, so, family, here you go:


7 weeks: we just got back from our baby moon vacation in puerto rico!  it was fun to get to talk out loud about being pregnant & our future baby, as no one there knew us anyway.  we got to relax & walk the beach & enjoy some rays in the happy bliss of being new soon-to-be parents!


8 weeks: our first ultrasound!  {well, our first ultrasound that showed a baby blob.}  we got to see the little heart beating so fast.  it had arm buds & leg buds & was the neatest thing i'd ever seen.


9 weeks: lisa & dave came to birmy for the last time before we move!  lisa bought me my first maternity clothes - an amazing pair of maternity jeans!  they don't fit quite yet, thankfully, but they are going to get so much good use very soon.


10 weeks: is that a little baby bump i see?!  yes, yes it is.  my sweet big sister was so kind to point that out while i visited her & my bro-in-law & my adorable nephew in philly!  playing with little man made me all the more excited about having a little one of our own.


11 weeks:  still feeling pretty great, as long as i ate every hour or two & took a little afternoon nap about every day.  not too shabby.  raw greens were finally starting to not repulse me.  my meals finally included a few things other than carbs & cheese {although that was pretty awesome}.  & i remembered the fine points of fruits & veggies & actually having energy to cook a meal for my sweet husband.  oh, 11 weeks, i appreciate you.


12 weeks: we got to hear gummy bear's sweet sweet heartbeat again!  it's an anxious little thing, just like it's mother.  155-165 bpm.  & then i got to experience another ultrasound!  gummy bear was waving its hands in the air & kicking its feet.  the doctor said it was a stubborn baby, when it wouldn't turn over for quite awhile.  of course it's stubborn, it's related to me!  this was the first time i realized i might actually have a human inside of me.  an incredible blessing.

love love,
kjp.  

Monday, February 17, 2014

blood orange, kale, & feta salad with wild rice & walnuts.


holy moly, y'all, this salad is delicious.  it's sweet & acidic.  it's crunchy & soft.  it's salty & creamy.  it's pretty much my new favorite salad.  & blakey actually really liked it too!  {the turkey sausage i served on the side certainly helped the non-meat quality.}

so please add these ingredients to your grocery list tonight & give yourself an hour to get the wild rice cooked.  {who knew there was rice that could take an hour to cook??  that's a long time.}  & enjoy!

blood orange, kale, & feta salad with wild rice & walnuts.
found on: pinterest
adapted from:  pinch of yum

1 c uncooked wild rice, cooked
{i have no idea how much cooked rice this ends up equaling, hence the weird verbage}
1/4 c walnuts toasted in a little evoo, salt, & cayenne
4 c chopped kale
3 blood oranges, peeled, divided, & chopped
4 oz crumbled feta

dressing:
3 T evoo, divided
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 T water
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 T honey
salt & pepper

1. start cooking the wild rice now!  it takes forever.  cook according to the package directions.

2. this is also a good time to toast the walnuts.  400 degrees for 15ish minutes, stirring once.  set aside to cool.  don't stir it in the salad - that will make them not crunchy, which would be unfortunate.

3. dressing!  in a small sauté pan over medium high heat, heat 1T oil & garlic.  add onions & sauté until the onions start to get a little bit of brown.  transfer the onions & oil & garlic to a vitamix or food processor.  add the remaining 2 T oil, water, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, & salt & pepper.  process until creamy.  {this is so cool - onions make a creamy dressing!  again, who knew?}  taste your dressing & adjust seasonings as necessary.  

4. in a big ole bowl, stir together kale, blood oranges, & feta.  top with the dressing & mix well.  hopefully after all of this stirring & dish-doing, your rice will be done!  add it straight from the pan to the salad - this will wilt the kale just a smidge to create a great texture.  stir it up.  & finally top with walnuts when ready to serve.  enjoy, friends!

love love,
kjp.

Monday, September 30, 2013

man cooking night.


blakey planned, prepared, & grilled dinner for us!  it's the beginning of his journey into monthly cooking, about which i am super excited.  he found two delicious recipes on allrecipes.com, made a grocery list, & did {almost} all of the cooking.  pretty darn proud of you, byrds.  & super impressed that it was delicious!

{a bottle of our favorite lambrusco to accompany the grilling}

{so happy in front of a grill}

{a little dancing with a beautiful sunset too}

{our delicious meal, which we ate by candlelight at blake's beautiful table}

grilled mustard & vinegar chicken
recipe from: allrecipes

1/4 c apple cider vinegar
3 T coarse-ground mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c brown sugar
s&p
1/2 c evoo
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1.  in a bowl, mix together vinegar, mustard, garlic, juices, sugar, salt, & pepper.  whisk in olive oil.  place chicken in a ziploc bag.  pour mixture on top.  allow to marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours.

2.  do the manly grill thing, which i'm not exactly sure about.  something about medium high heat, 5 to 8 minutes per side until fully cooked.  enjoy!

grilled garlic parmesan zucchini
recipe from: allrecipes

4 zucchini
4 T butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1.  cut the zuccini into 4 to 6 lengthwise strips, from tip to tip.  this should make long, thin, rectangular strips that allow plenty of surface area for the delicious toppings & grill marks.

2.  in a small bowl, mix butter, garlic, & half of the parsley.  spread this mixture onto one side of each zucchini slice.

3.  do the manly grill thing.  medium high heat.  non-butter/garlic/parsley side down.  cook until the grill marks are lovely, the zucchini is hot, & it looks pretty much delicious, about 8 to 10 minutes.  

4.  after grilling, sprinkle the parmesan & the remaining parsley on top.  broil on high to melt & crisp up the cheese, only a couple of minutes.  {you can do this on the grill.  we thought it would make a huge mess, & we don't want to mess up our kind neighbor's grill.  so oven was best for us.}  enjoy!!

happy man cooking night.

love love,
kjp.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

a beautifully cool & rainy saturday.


this summer in birmy has been absolutely gorgeous.  if you like fall-like weather, then the last few days would have made you swoon!  we went four days without making it into the 80s.  that's right, the eighties.  it was fabulous!  & cloudy & rainy & i loved every second of it.  so when blakey finally made it home saturday morning, we enjoyed a beautiful morning on our patio.  coffee & tanky & greenman, of course.  our saturday morning happy place.


to make our saturday morning even more amazing, we got to see little man of facetime!  he's so darn cute.  & man that boy has a lot of go in him.  crawl crawl crawl crawl.  search for a kitty.  play with the puppy.  & he can stand up all on his own!  we saw him do it.  big little man!


after body pump, we enjoyed our new favorite saturday lunch - a gigantic bowl of fro yo with granola & chocolate & blueberries & candy & so much deliciousness.  ice cream on the patio in the rain after the gym.  absolutely lovely.


& then you'll never guess what i did next - i cooked dinner!  it's been forever.  it was so nice to get in the kitchen & chop & stir & smell the deliciousness.  my happy place.  i made my mom's marinara sauce with ground turkey & spaghetti squash.  homey & healthy.

{our wedding flutes & wedding rings}

to wind down our fabulous, rainy day, we had a glass of dark, thick beer in our beautiful wedding flutes.  because everything is more fun in a champagne flute.

{tanky holding his dad's hand}

love love,
kjp.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

dinner with the residents & a blueberry corn salad recipe.


one night last week, i got to take a homemade dinner to the hospital for blakey & the residents!  it's always nice to take a hot meal to these awesome people who are working so hard.  they are super appreciative & let me join in their "family dinner".  & date nights with my husband are even fun at while he is busy working.


for the main course, blakey requested his favorite slow cooker shredded beef {recipe here} with pepperocini peppers to put atop kaiser rolls with havarti cheese.  yummm.


for dessert, i brought some of my favorite cookies as of late - brown butter sugar cookies!  it's a nice twist on the good ole sugar cookie.

ps have i told you my theory that in the next decade we are so going to make fun of this decade for our obsession with things like brown butter, pickling anything, & bacon on everything?  just wait & see.

since i always have to try out a new recipe on our friends, i went with a delicious seasonal salad i saw, of course, on pinterest - summer blueberry corn salad!  it's full of raw veggies & fruit with a tasty vinaigrette; exactly what i want to eat in the summer.  so get a tiny bit brave & try this creative new dish!

summer blueberry corn salad
found on: pinterest
original recipe: dining at my desk

 8 ears corn, freshly cut off the cob
1 large cucumber, sliced into half moons
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded & finely chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
1-2 pints blueberries

dressing:
3 T evoo
1/4 c red wine vinegar
juice of 3 limes
1 T honey
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
salt & pepper

1. in a large bowl, stir together corn, cucumber, onion, jalapeños, & cilantro.  gently fold in blueberries.

2. in a cute little mason jar with a lid, add oil, vinegar, lime juice, honey, red pepper, & seasonings.  shake it up until everything is mixed well.  pour on top of blueberry corn salad & gently stir it all together.  taste it to make sure it's delicious.  best if chilled & left to marinate for a few hours or even overnight.  enjoy!

love love,
kjp.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

roasted beet, arugula, & goat cheese salad.


after all of this traveling & celebrating & eating large, i have been craving a fantastic, fresh, & healthy salad.  arugula is my favorite green in the world, everything is better with goat cheese, & roasted beets are so lovely in the summer.  so born was this salad!  & luckily for me, i found a very delish vinaigrette to go with my salad on food network.  enjoy!

arugula, goat cheese, & roasted beet salad
vinaigrette recipe from:  food network
roasted beet how to: bobby flay

fresh beets {these come in all different sizes, so there is really no point in telling you how many}
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 T honey
1/4 c evoo
salt & pepper
arugula {however much salad you want.  this is an adaptable recipe.}
walnuts {i didn't bother toasting them & they were wonderful}, chopped
goat cheese {again... your call.}

1.  first up, roast the beets.  great news - this can be done ahead of time.  a few hours, a day, whatever works for you.  scrub your beets with one of those potato scrubbers.  wrap each one in foil, making sure the entire beet is covered.  bake at 375 for about an hour, depending on the size.  mine were gigantic & i only had an hour.  so after an hour, i turned the oven off, kept them wrapped up, & left them in the oven while we went for a run for about 45 minutes.  this worked great for me.  you want them fully cooked but not super soft.  helpful, i know.

2.  after that rambling, let the beets cool, unwrapped, until you can comfortably hold them.  peeling them takes awhile & thus you have to hold them for awhile.  in theory, you will be able to peel them with the back of a knife, just pulling the peel off "easily".  it took me awhile.  stick with it; it's worth it.

3. next up, vinaigrette.  thanks to one of my favorite authors, shauna niequist, & her book bread & wine, i learned a great trick when making vinaigrette of any kind - put the ingredients in a mason jar, throw on the lid, & shake shake shake.  so put your vinegar, shallot, honey, oil, salt, & pepper in a mason jar, shake shake shake, & there you go!  delicious vinaigrette.

4. in a bowl, put as much arugula as you'd like & a little less vinaigrette than you'd think & toss.  place that on a plate, top with walnuts & goat cheese, & thinly slice some roasted beets to finish.  enjoy!


love love,
kjp.

Monday, June 10, 2013

a hike to the top of the valley


after a day filled with incredible wineries, we decided to get a little active.  mount st helena is the tallest mountain in napa valley with gorgeous views all around.  we decided to make the five-mile hike all the way up to the top!


the first mile of the hike was under the beautiful forest of tall tall trees.  the sun peaked through and shone all upon us.


during our hike, we got to see a little bit of history.  robert louis stevenson, the author of classic literature such as treasure island and dr jekyll & mr hyde, is said to be napa's first tourist.  towards the end of his time in calistoga, stevenson & his wife "squatted' in an abandonded cabin on mt st helena.  this book statue now sits where the house once was.


after the mile through the woods, you reach the fire road for four miles of paved trail hiking up a winding path with incredible 360 degree views of the area.  it is absolutely stunning.  enjoy...


{rock climbing on the bubble rock!
haha.  not really.
the ground is at the bottom of the photo.}


after a lot of walking & picture taking & breathing in the beauty, we finally reached the top!



& to celebrate our success, we enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine & two delicious cheeses.  well worth it.



after enjoying our wine & cheese & breathtaking views, we started our descent...

{more fake rock climbing.  hehe}



it was a long & wonderful hike.  we loved the outdoors, the fresh air, the exercise, & the awesome time together.  a fun fun day in napa.


you know i'm not finished yet.  come back for more!

love love,
kjp.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

one pot wonder - tomato basil pasta.


long last, i finally cooked a meal for my husband!  it seems like it has been years since i've done so.  travel... time... energy... other chores... jimmy johns is just so easy & healthy & cheap...  you know all of the excuses.  but it really is nice to plan a meal, prepare it, & sit down to enjoy it as a family.  {tank sat next to us while we enjoyed our meal, so it totally counts as a "family".}

this meal is ridiculously easy, quite delicious, & pretty darn healthy.  after a little bit of chopping, you just stir.  & stirring is my favorite.  so you know i loved it.  & blakey went back for seconds, so #win all around!


one pot wonder - tomato basil pasta
found on: pinterest
original recipe: apron strings

2 T evoo
4 cloves minced garlic
2 sweet yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 hungarian peppers, small diced
30 oz can of diced tomatoes with its liquid
a big handful of basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
12 oz whole wheat linguine pasta {uncooked}
32 oz veggie broth
salt & pepper
for garnish: shredded parmesan cheese

optional 2nd pot:
1 T evoo
2 cloves minced garlic
a good amount of kale
salt & pepper

1.  in your gigantic dutch oven, heat oil & garlic over medium high heat until the garlic starts to sizzle & it smells lovely.  add the onions & peppers.  sauté for a few minutes to just get the raw taste out.

2.  add tomatoes +liquid, basil, oregano, & pepper flakes.  stir stir stir.  toss in the uncooked pasta & top with veggie broth.  

3.  cover & bring everything to a boil over low heat.  as soon as it starts to boil, UNCOVER, reduce heat to low, & simmer until pasta is al dente.  {this will depend on your pasta.  it took about 9 minutes for mine.}  all the while, stir to make sure all of the flavors are falling in love & nothing sticks to the bottom.  

{this is a key change from the original recipe.  she says to cook with the pot covered until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.  in my experience, it is really hard to reduce liquid with a covered pot...  that whole evaporation thing.  so i think your pasta would be really mushy if you waited that long.  go uncovered.  trust me.} 

4.  i really wanted some greens with our pasta.  {how do you make any meal healthy??  add greens, of course!}  so i broke the one pot wonder.  you don't have to.  but if you want to, this is what i did - while the pasta is cooking, heat oil & garlic & a little bit of water over medium heat in another smaller pot.  add kale, cover, & cook/steam the kale until it turns bright green & softens a bit, which only takes a couple of minutes.

5.  once your pasta is done & the liquid has reduced a little bit, taste your creation!  it probably needs a little more salt.  but now it is delicious!  layer the pasta & sauce over some kale & top with a bit of parmesan cheese.  one/two pot wonder success!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

mexican corn salad.


this salad is pretty fantastic.  i love corn.  i love feta.  &, as it turns out, i love them together.  so give this a try for a delicious, warm, spring salad.


mexican corn salad
found on: pinterest
original recipe: closet cooking

2 T evoo
2 cloves minced garlic
3 ears of corn, freshly cut from the cob
1 jalapeño, seeded & finely diced
4 stems green onions, sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 oz feta, crumbled
2 T unsweetened almond milk
1 lime, juice
1 tsp chili powder
salt
optional: serve over a bed of arugula

1.  to cut corn from the cob, put a small bowl upside down inside of a big bowl.  place one ear of corn on end on top of the small bowl & slice the kernels off of the cob.  this is the best way i've heard to make as small of mess as possible.  my mess is still huge.  but better than it could have been.  once you've gotten all of the kernels off of the cob, use the back of the knife to scrape down the cob.  this will get out all of those delicious sweet corn sugars too.

2.  in a skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.  add garlic & lightly toast, a minute or two until everything sizzles.

3.  add the corn & stir around.  add jalapeño.  continue cooking on medium high until heated through, 10ish minutes.

4.  turn heat to low.  add green onions, cilantro, feta, almond milk, lime juice, chili powder, & salt.  stir stir stir.  taste!  pretty darn delicious, right?

5.  we served our warm mexican corn salad on top of fresh arugula.  it was quite a tasty choice, adding some pepperiness & freshness & crunch.  this will certainly be enjoyed again soon!

love love,
kjp.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

roasted veggie tacos with avocado cilantro cream!


let's just start by saying, you're going to want to make these.  healthy, easy, versatile, & super delicious.  & they're tacos!  who doesn't love tacos?

the avocado cilantro cream is freakin fantastic.  blakey & i are already talking about what we're going to make next to eat with it.  {our favorite turkey burgers i believe will be the answer.  yessss.}

don't worry about the long list of ingredients.  choose whatever you'd like, how ever much or how ever little.  it's perfect to feed two or a crowd.  but definitely enjoy!!


roasted veggie tacos with avocado cilantro sauce
found on: pinterest
original recipe:  naturally ella

roasted veggies:
2 small summer squash, small diced
1 ear corn, removed from the cob with the juices
1 red bell pepper, small diced
1/2 red onion, small diced
1 T evoo
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

sauteed veggies:
1 T evoo
2 cloves garlic, minced
the other 1/2 red onion, small diced
4 oz white mushrooms, chopped
1 loose cup spinach
1/2 tsp salt

beans:
1 can black beans
6 pickled jalapeno slices, small diced

avocado cilantro cream:
1 ripe avocado, smooshed
1/3 c low fat plain greek yogurt
1 big ole handful of chopped cilantro
{i used about 3/4s of a small bunch}
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

the others:
the rest of that bunch of cilantro, chopped
crumbled feta cheese
about 10 corn tortillas

1. roasted veggies:  toss all of the chopped up veggies into a bowl.  top with oil, garlic, cumin, & salt.  stir until coated.  spread out on a sheet pan.  roast at 400 for about 15 minutes, until tender & slightly golden.

2. sauteed veggies:  heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  add garlic, onions, & mushrooms.  sprinkle some salt on top.  cook until tender & lightly colored, about 5 minutes.  add the spinach & continue to cook until wilted, another 5 minutes.

3. beans: put the beans & jalapenos in a small saucepan & heat over low heat until warm through.

4. avocado cilantro cream:  stir it all together in a small bowl until creamy & delicious.

5. assembly: heat the tortillas in the microwave, wrapped in a damp paper towel, for 30-45 seconds until warm & soft.  top with veggies, beans, avocado cilantro cream, some chopped cilantro, & a little crumbled feta.  good luck eating it like a taco :)

love love,
kjp.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

healthy-ish mashed potatoes & greens.


yes, i've actually managed to make this one meal into three posts.  impressed?  i certainly am.  but it really was that good.  you need to make it all!

so for the mashed potatoes - i boiled the golden potatoes as usual until fork tender.  only at this point did i realize i didn't have my usual milk & sour cream & cheddar cheese.  so healthy-ish mashed potatoes it is!  unsweetened almond milk, parmesan cheese, & a little evoo, in addition to a tablespoon or two of butter.  delicious!  who needs those extra calories?

{parmesan cheese is a great cheese choice.  it a.) has fewer calories per ounce.  according to livestrong.com, about a tenth the calories of cheddar cheese.  & b.) you can use less to get the same amount of flavor.  that's huge, y'all.} 

& for the greens - they were so darn good mixed in with the potatoes!  seriously.  if you don't eat greens, you should.  these were mustard greens.  kale is great too.  in a dutch oven, boil an inch or two of water over high heat.  add some minced garlic & salt.  when boiling, toss in a bunch of greens {they shrink substantially}, turn the heat to low, & cover.  cook for only a few minutes, until the greens turn bright in color & are soft.  that's it.  & they are great with just about anything.

{i am confident that is not the "correct" way to cook greens.  but it works great for us!  so go with it.}

happy healthy-ish eating!  you know... with a gigantic steak :)

love love,
kjp.

Monday, March 11, 2013

asian cabbage slaw.


yesterday evening, blakey & i had a fabulous sunday night family dinner.  sunday night family dinner became a tradition when we lived in okc with julie & benny boo, while dad & ruth & lindsey & brent all lived in norman.  we would all meet up in norman every sunday night for a delicious meal, a few beverages, & an evening of fun.  it was so fun to gather our big clan & any friends who could join around the dinner table.  certainly one of the things i miss most about oklahoma.

blakey & i have done our best to enjoy a meal together on sunday nights as often as possible.  it usually involves thai takeout or a soup that has been cooking all day.  but last night we actually made a real sunday night family dinner meal.  & since it was the only thing we did this weekend interesting enough for a blog post, it will be multiple posts :)

asian cabbage slaw
found on: pinterest
original recipe: sweet peony

1/2 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
1/2 head of red cabbage, slice thinly
a small bunch of green onions, chopped
3/4 c slivered almonds
3 T toasted sesame seeds

dressing:
1 tsp honey
2 T brown sugar
3 T sesame oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T rice wine vinegar
3 T soy sauce
salt & pepper

1. in a large bowl, add the cabbage, green onions, almonds, & sesame seeds.  mix it all up.

2. in a separate small bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients.  stir until well combined.

3. pour the dressing onto the cabbage mix.  stir until well combined.  taste it to make sure it is pretty tasty.  then chill the slaw for a few hours.  it gets better every hour, i promise.

love love,
kjp.

Monday, February 11, 2013

thai curry soup!



this, my friends, is delicious.  seriously delicious.  & healthy.  & easy.  & that means i am very excited to share it with you!

ps don't be thwarted by the long list of ingredients!  it's definitely not difficult.  or expensive.


thai curry soup
found on: pinterest
original recipe: angie anew

{note: this makes an absurd amount of soup.
maybe cut it in half, if you're not feeding an army.}

spicy soup base:
4 T evoo, divided
2 T minced garlic
2 T grated ginger
4 T thai red curry paste
6-8 c veggie or chicken stock
1 lime, zest & juice
20 drops fish sauce

veggies & things:
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
4 carrots, julienne
{julienne is simply a long thin strip, technically 2"x1/16"x1/16"}
1/2 gigantic bag of kale
{make sure you tear off any stems.  they are not delicious.}
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
3 green onion stalks, sliced
16 oz lite firm tofu, drained
{or you could use a pound of chicken, if you'd rather}

to finish:
2 {14oz} cans coconut milk
{i used one lite & one original}
2 tsp sherry wine vinegar
1 T sriracha
1 oz fresh basil, chopped
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
s&p

1. in your gigantic dutch oven, heat 2 T evoo & garlic over medium heat.  when it starts to sizzle, add ginger & curry paste.  stir until fully incorporated.  add stock & lime zest & juice.  cover & let simmer over low heat.

2. meanwhile, heat the other 2 T evoo in your big le creuset buffet over medium heat.  when hot, add sliced onions, bell peppers, & carrots.  sprinkle with a little salt.  cook until just soft, about 5 minutes.  add onion/bell pepper/carrot mixture to your spicy soup base.

3. add the remaining veggies & tofu or chicken to your big ole pot.  let this deliciousness cook for about 30 minutes, so all those lovely flavors can marry.  

4. when you are about 20 minutes away from serving, add the coconut milk, vinegar, sriracha, & herbs.  this is a good time to taste & make sure it's freakin delicious.  you'll probably want to add some salt & pepper now.  serve some big bowls topped with a little fresh chopped basil to make it pretty.  enjoy!

love love,
kjp.