Coconut Curry Hummus

Perfect Pairing:  Coconut milk recipes

One of my favorite memories this summer was an afternoon spent at my friend’s boat in a Lake Michigan harbor.  It was perfection.  We didn’t take the boat out, we just sat in a float chatting, eating, and sipping on champagne.  Oh, and admiring the city skyline.  I can’t believe I have lived in this city for almost 9 years and have never been in the harbor.  Of course, the champagne fit the nautical theme.

To snack on, I brought Pioneer Woman’s Restaurant Style Salsa, which is incredibly easy and delicious, and this Coconut Curry Hummus.  Coconut and curry is one of my favorite flavor combinations, but it is not overpowering in this recipe.  The hummus was great with fresh veggies, pita chips, and crackers.  I think it would be great as a spread on a chicken sandwich as well.

The coconut flavor in the hummus comes from the thick coconut cream found at the top of a can of coconut milk before you stir or shake it.  I have no idea if that is what it is actually called, FYI.  Since you are only using two tablespoons you still have a full can of coconut goodness to use.  Might as well use it in another recipe.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Shrimp and Arugula Pesto Grilled Pizza

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Tropical Rice

Coconut Curry Grilled Pineapple

Coconut Curry Fish

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Turkey Enchiladas

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Light Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Click "Read more" for the recipe....

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Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup and a little bit about the Chicago Bears

Perfect Pairing:  Garbage disposal cleanup          

 

Chicago was at its finest this weekend!  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and I think that puts everyone in a fabulous mood.  I had a great weekend with friends and family.  On Saturday I made my annual trip to Gethsemane, an extraordinary nursery that spans an entire block.  I have written about my garden woes in the past.  I am determined to make things grow this summer.  We took home our fair share of flowers and herbs!

Saturday night I was lucky enough to attend my 4th Chicago Bears Care Gala at Soldier Field.  This was the 18th year, and they have earned over $10 million towards cancer research.  The gala is always fantastic.   This year was certainly no exception!  Everything including the food, entertainment, and auction is flawless.  Getting solo access to the field is pretty amazing too.

 

I was lucky enough to go on a private tour of the locker rooms with some of the players.  Here are some of the highlights!

Entering hallowed ground....

Martellus Bennett was kind enough to act as our unofficial tour guide.  He was great!  He definitely had everyone laughing.

I don't think I look like a natural in these things.

I can always count on my mom to promote my cooking blog.  When Martellus talked about cooking, my mom was all over it.  He was kind enough to act interested and even asked me to email him the site!  Just another one of the highlights of my night!

I think it is safe to say we all geeked out over meeting Brandon Marshall!

I even walked away with some game gloves! 

Obviously, it was a pretty special night and I feel so honored to be a part of it.  

Anyway, back to the soup!  About a year ago I wrote about this Thai Chicken Noodle Soup. 

 

My original plan was to make that soup again but it evolved into this Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup.  They are very similar, except this version does not use coconut milk, so it is a bit lighter.  It would be a great soup for summer.  It is spicy and full of bright flavors.

You will have a few juiced limes after making the soup, so toss them in the garbage disposal to clean it a bit.  I think this is a pretty common trick but I am always surprised at how much it freshens it up. 

The perfect pairing from the coconut version works here as well.  Use tongs to pick up the noodles after they have cooked and snip with kitchen shears to make the soup easier to eat. 

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Coconut Curry Fish

Perfect Pairing:  Caribbean Bean Puree

I am a big fan of curry and coconut, combined or by themselves.  This fish has lots of great flavor and can be made with things you probably already have in your pantry.  The sauce is quick to whip up and can be made right in the baking dish to avoid dirty dishes.  By the way, this sauce is also great as a marinade for chicken.  For this particular recipe I used tilapia but you could definitely use any flaky, white fish.  I always end up buying tilapia because it is so neutral in flavor… and cheap.

The Perfect Pairing for this fish is the Caribbean Bean Puree recipe I featured yesterday.  I love to take a bite of the fish with the bean puree.  The flavors and textures are great together.  You may also want to serve it alongside some rice to soak up the yummy sauce.  Since you only need ½ cup of coconut milk in the fish sauce you can use the leftover to replace some of the water or broth to cook the rice. 

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