Thai soup!

So, apparently it's the year of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac.  Which is a big deal, it seems.   I had to do some googling to figure out what this meant or why it was important and have gathered that those who are born in the year of the dragon are the luckiest of all.  Like they just have really good luck.  This is not me.  You know the saying that says, "if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all?"  Yup.  That's me.  During my google travels I also discovered that I was born in the year of the pig (what up '83!).   This means that I love to overindulge and I want to do everything right.  I also have a taste for luxury and people often think I'm too good to be true.  Probably why I helped start a super awesome cooking blog :)

Here's another fun fact. I heart Thai food.  I could eat it all day every day and be a happy camper.  I love the flavors, the textures, the spice.  Especially the spice.  My favorite is the Tom Kah soup which is a hot and sour soup.  It's absolutely delicious and I don't tire of it.  I do, however, tire of the $15 price tag at Thai Palace.  I mean, seriously?  So when I found this recipe that's a pretty close substitute I was pretty stoked.  Hopefully you'll like it as much as I do!

You will need:

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (Thai kitchen lite is awesome)
2 cups veggie broth
1 cup water
the juice of one fresh lemon
the juice of one fresh lime
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
hot pepper (chopped, and added to taste)
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 package of tofu (I prefer to use the spouted variety as you get much more nutritional value)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup rice, prepared

Cut tofu into cubes.  Put oil in a skillet and warm.  Once oil is heated, add tofu.  Cook until browned on all sides.  In the meantime, combine all the rest of your ingredients in a pot and cook over medium heat.  Simmer.  During all this hub-bub you should also be cooking your rice.  And to be honest, I can't help you with that.  Somehow, I always manage to mess rice up.  Which is stupid cause it's not hard.  But I digress.  Once your tofu is browned and delicious throw it in the pot with everything else.  Let simmer as long as it takes rice to cook.  Take one heaping scoop of rice and put it in a bowl and then fill 'er up with soup!

Cheers!  Megan J