Super-cool news at the bottom of this post!! Well, cool for me, anyway.

I had big plans to do lots of Christmas shopping today. Go ahead….ask me how much I got done. I did buy 1 1/2 presents online…so that’s something, right?

I was really lazy today, and honestly,  it was nice. Except for the fact that an empty house and nothing today bring out the snack monster in me. I had a really busy day yesterday (including a run! First one in awhile. Go me!) and I needed to take today to decompress. I have lots on my plate next week, too (including ice skating with the girls tomorrow!! Yes, we do ice skate in San Diego.)

I did, however, go to two grocery stores for the ingredients for this soup! I’ve seen Mulligatawny Soup on a few blogs (can’t remember who, sorry!) and it’s been in the back of my mind ever since. I found a recipe online and made some changes (of course) based on what I had. This was my first time adapting a recipe for a crock pot and I have to say, it went really well. I don’t own a stock pot, so I didn’t have much of a choice.

This recipe came out really well! I haven’t strayed from my standard “random vegetable” or “turkey chili” recipes in awhile, so I was due for an experiment. This soup was spicy, hearty, and comforting. I think it’s pretty healthy too, what do you think?

I’m going to put my changes in, Leah-style.

Crock-Pot Mulligatawny Soup
Adapted from an Emeril recipe from Food Network

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter 1 T olive oil, 1/2 T butter
• 1 1/2 pounds diced boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt salt to taste at the end
• 2 cups 1/2 cup small diced onions
• 1/2 cup small diced carrots
• 1/2 cup small diced celery
• 1 small diced shallot
• 2 chopped jalapenos, seeds and all
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 cups peeled, cored and diced Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced medium butternut squash
• 1 cup peeled and large diced sweet potatoes
• 1 cup dried red lentils (I have these but I wasn’t sure how they’d fare in a crock pot).
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef stock
• 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup 1 diced zucchini
• 3/4 cup diced yellow squash
• 1 cup tightly packed baby spinach
• 1can unsweetened coconut milk (I used the light kind, and only about 2/3 of the can)
• 1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (1 14 oz can, drained)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups steamed white basmati rice
• 1/2 cup toasted, finely ground cashews
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions (My edits in italics, again)

1. Set a saucepan over medium heat and add the oil/butter. With a fork, skim off the butter solids that surface.
2. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with the garam masala. Add add the chicken and cook, turning often, until golden brown and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool. Pour off the excess oil/grease and spray the pan with cooking spray.
3. While the chicken is cooling, add the onions, carrots, shallots and celery to the hot pan and sauté until lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and apples to the pan and sauté until the apples are caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat to cool a little.
5. Add the veggies, squash, sweet potatoes, broth and chicken to the crock-pot, along with 4 cups of the chicken stock.
6. Cook on high for one hour.
7. Add salt to taste, the pepper, about 1 cup water, zucchini, and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook another 4 hours.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the cider vinegar and the coconut milk. Dig out the chicken, shred with two forks, and return to pot. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
9. Serve soup as desired, with naan or rice. Garnish with cilantro if you have it (but I am SO nice and I gave my farmer’s market cilantro to Mitch so he could make guacamole for the boys for football Sunday).

Yum yum! But ok this is the real reason I wanted to update the blogola:

Remember this post about putting things out into the universe? And this one where I made cornbread and entered a contest for a trip to a yoga center in Massachusetts, sponsored by Oikos? Well I found out last week that I WON!!!

Honestly, the only way I was going on a vacation, especially if I wanted to go with the boy, would be if someone paid for my trip. Since the airfare is for two, I get to bring Mitch, and I told him I’ll book him a massage or something when I’m in yoga class. I can’t WAIT…this kind of stuff does not happen to me, except well, it did! We’re going to extend the trip and spend a week in Boston after the two days at the retreat. I have never been to Boston and I hear it’s amazing. Plus I’ll get to see some East Coast college friends, including Carla and her baby (due in March)!!

Now I’m reading Carrots N Cake very closely and taking Boston notes Please send me any Boston tips if you’ve been there. We’re going at the end of May of next year. Happy Hanukkah to me!

So let this be a lesson, enter contests! Someone has to win! Have you ever won anything cool?

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