Soup Sunday- Chicken Pho

It's snowing here in Milwaukee as I sit in my office and put together this blog.  It's gray and 30 F, perfect chicken soup weather.

If you want to try a little different type of chicken soup then give this recipe a try. Pho is a staple of Southeast Asian cuisine. If you want to give this soup a try before you make it, stop into your local Vietnamese restaurant. The menu will feature many different versions of Pho since it is pretty much one of their national dishes.

Every cook may have a bit different version of this soup, so feel free to change things around a bit.
Lime wedges are commonly served with this type of food. Top your soup with chopped cilantro and a squirt from the lime wedge before you eat.

You can also use mint and basil in addition to the cilantro. I did not have any around today and the frost has killed all my mint.  It is ok to adjust a bit with ingredients you have in the house or that suit your tastes.

Feel free to slurp the noodles, it's how the natives do it.  A bowl makes a great light lunch or pair with some spring or egg rolls for a more hearty meal.

Chicken Pho

6 ounces rice noodles

1 tablespoon grape seed oil

½ pound ground chicken

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 inch piece of ginger chopped

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup sliced mushrooms (Shitake if you have them, I used portobello)

1 cup snow peas

2 stalks celery
3 dried red Thai chili peppers

1 bunch scallions chopped, white part only

2 large eggs lightly beaten

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

Fresh cilantro chopped
1 lime cut into wedges

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions.  Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Set noodles aside.  Heat oil in stockpot over medium heat, add chicken, fish sauce, mushrooms and ginger.  When the meat is no longer pink, add stock, chili peppers, celery and scallions.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add egg, stirring until they are cooked.  Stir in pea pods and bean sprouts and cooked noodles.  Ladle into soup bowls and serve cilantro and lime wedges.

Serves 4

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Chris Wodke at Aquathon National Championship  El Reno, OK 2014

Chris Wodke

Founder & Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a CMT affected athlete.

http://www.henschelhausbooks.com/catalog/memoir-biography/215-running-for-my-life-winning-for-cmt-9781595982827.html

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 159 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland and Iran. If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold hands and feet.

Additional symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing loss.

Additional Link

Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

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