The final day of 2008 is upon us. I would like to wish you, in advance, a very Happy New Year before I start rambling.  This has been a great year at the Zesty house and I look forward to sharing 2009 with all of you.

No cooking tonight! We ordered in at our favorite Thai restaurant! Wow, It did not disappoint. We went with an order of homemade dumplings, fresh handmade vegetarian spring rolls and an order of Pad Thai with Chicken. I really love Thai food. I am going to share a recipe with you for my homemade Pad Thai in coming days.

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Sitting in the office the other day I get an email with a bunch of Thai recipes from an office colleague. I decided to whip up this interesting soup that I scrolled through. I always have been a big fan of smooth soups so I am hoping this one will be just as good. The recipe is very simple and has some great flavors that I enjoy.

So I said what the heck, lets give it a whirl and see if it is worth serving to others. Follow below and let me hear what you think.

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 15 oz can coconut milk
• 2 cups mango nectar
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter; your preference
• 2 veggie bullion cubes
• 1/2 an inch fresh ginger, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 green chilies, minced
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 3-4 green onions, chopped

Method

1. Add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, mango nectar, and water to a large pot and bring to a low boil.
2. Meanwhile, you can mince the ginger and green chilies (jalepenos are fine too) and add them to the pot.
3. Chop the cilantro and green onions, and reserve for a garnish.
4. Once the soup is hot, take out a small bowlful and stir in the peanut butter until it is completely incorporated. Add back to the pot.
5. Repeat with another bowlful and incorporate the bullion cubes.
6. Serve in bowls topped with the cilantro and green onions.

So I am a big fan of Thai food as you will likely find out in future posts throughout my blog. Driving for lunch one day a few months back, I happened to stop at this bakery as I heard they had a fantastic sandwich bar.

Looking at the large white board menu, I stumble upon a Thai Wrap.  My eyes lit up like a glow plug and my mind was made up!  I waited in line with anticipation of this beauty. 

I made it to the front of the line and placed my order.  Thai wrap please…… with a smile.

Below is my rendition of the thai wrap - replicating the same ingredients.

Get it Together:

Sharp Knife,  Cutting Board, dry measures, plate

Ingredients:

• Chopped Romaine Lettuce  ( 1 Cup )
• Flour Tortilla ( 9 inch, 22 cm, diameter)
• Chopped Cooked Chicken ( 1/2 cup )
• Dry Chow Mein Noodles ( 1//4 cup )
• 2 Tomato Slices
• Sliced Mushrooms ( 2 Tbsp )
• Sweet Chilli Sauce ( 2 Tbsp ) ( Sauce recipe I used can be found here )
• Cheddar Cheese ( Shredded or sliced )

Method:

Place tortilla on cutting board.  Spoon Chicken in a line across middle of tortilla, leaving space all around uncovered. Next you can add the sauce, followed by the lettuce and the tomato slices.  I like to then top the vegetables with the cheese.  Once the filling is complete, fold small edges over the filling.  Roll up from the bottom to enclose filling.  Cut Tortilla in half.  Enjoy!

For the record, it tasted excellent.  Try it out and let me know what you thought or if you switched it around in any way.