I’ve been watching an embarrassing amount of TV lately. The Australian Open is on! I could watch tennis all day. ALL DAY.
I started playing tennis just over 2 years ago when Mr. Prevention got me semi-private lessons for Christmas. It was probably one of the best gifts he has ever given – something practical and active. Unlike hockey, an indoor tennis facility is less than a mile from our home. Plus, our community has dozens of outdoor courts. Which I always vow to be better about using…
I played tennis through my pregnancy with Shea, despite having some pretty debilitating carpal tunnel. By the end of my pregnancy, my right wrist was a full inch larger than my left and I had pretty severe tingling, numbness, and pain during and after doing pretty much anything involving my hands – cooking, washing my hair, putting on make-up, driving, typing, writing. It was terrible. But in an effort to remain active through my pregnancy, I continued playing tennis.
Sometimes I would drop my racquet. Sometimes the ball would just fall limp as I wasn’t able to grip the racquet well. My game was pretty atrocious, but I continued on because I loved it and I play with a group of fabulous people who were more than understanding.
Fast forward to current day and I’m playing in a legitimate league on Tuesday nights. There are 3 quarts of doubles – court #5, #6, and #7. You play 3 sets of 8 games with each player serving twice and the score for each player is totaled from each of the games. It’s not as confusing as it sounds, but just hard to explain. You can stay put on a court (like me, on the losing court.), or move up or down, week-by-week. It’s my goal to move up to court #6. And maybe someday, court #5.
Unlike my lessons on Saturday morning that I’m generally running late for, there’s no being late for Tuesday league play. Since league play starts at 6pm, you’ll likely see “leftovers” or something from the freezer on Tuesday nights from now on.
That said, even this steaming bowl of curry comfort could come to be before tennis. Despite its somewhat lengthy ingredient list, the preparation is rather simple. And the result is absolutely delicious. Spicy, coconutty, savory – mmmmm!
- 1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layer removed, bulb thinly sliced
- 2 - 3 red Thai chilies or finger hot peppers, seeded
- 2 shallots, halved
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro, stems only
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 (14 oz) cans lite coconut milk
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 12 oz uncooked Chinese egg noodles
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
- sliced red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, lime wedges, for serving
- Place the thinly sliced lemongrass in a small bowl. Pour ½ cup boiling water over the lemongrass and allow to steep for at least 10 minutes. Remove the lemongrass, reserving the water.
- Puree the chilies/peppers, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and the lemongrass water; process until smooth.
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Once hot, add the puree and cook 4-6 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil and add the chicken. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the chicken until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and allow to cool slightly, then shred the meat, if desired.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.
- Add the fish sauce, sugar, and chicken to the soup. Scoop about 1 cup of cooked noodles into each bowl and top ~ 1⅓ cups soup mixture. Top with sliced red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime wedges, if desired.
- Sunday: Vegetable Soup
- Monday: Hummus-Crusted Chicken and Veggies
- Tuesday: leftovers
- Wednesday: Creamy One Pot Lemon Pasta
- Thursday: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Be well,
Yum, love all the flavors going on in that dish – never thought to steep the lemongrass though! I normally keep it in the soup, careful not to eat it – that pop of citrus is so good!
It’s hard to find good Thai food where I live so THANK YOU! I love curry flavors, and am so pumped to give this recipe a try.
I also am a recent tennis convert, what a great workout! Hoping I’ll be able to pick it back up this summer 🙂
-Dana
theflexroutine.com
Made for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!! A 10/10 in our house! Thank you !