Slow Cooker Hot & Sour Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken (3-1/4 pounds)
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, trimmed & chopped
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
10 cups water
2 stalks of lemongrass (4 inches), bruised
1 piece fresh ginger, grated (2-1/2 inches)
2 fresh long red chile peppers, sliced thinly
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup fish sauce
3 tsp brown sugar
1 can, 15 ounces, mushrooms, drained
2 baby bok choy, trimmed and chopped
6-1/2 ounces vermicelli noodles
1/2 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves

1. Remove and discard fat and skin from chicken.  Place chicken, carrots, celery, onion and the water in a 4-or 5-quart slowcooker.  Cook, covered, on low for 8 hours.

2.  Carefully remove chicken from slowcooker; shred the meat using two forks.  Discard bones.  Strain the cooking liquid through a seive; discard the solids.

3.  Return the strained liquid to cooker with lemongrass, ginger, chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms and chicken.  Cook, covered, on high for 30 minutes.  Stir in bok choy.

4.  Meanwhile, place noodles in a medium heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water; stand 10 minutes and drain.  Divide noodles among serving bowls.  Ladle hot soup over noodles.  Serve sprinkled with cilantro. 

Light Eggnog

Introducing a lighter and healthy Eggnog recipe just in time for the holidays.  (And it's also dairy-free.)

Ingredients:
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup raw honey
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tblsp whole cloves
1 tsp pure vanilla

1.  In a kitchen blender, add the almond milk, egg yolks, raw honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, and then blend for a minute until smooth.

2.  Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add the whole cloves, and heat over medium heat.

3.  Cook the eggnog for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken and slowly cook the eggs.  It will be frothy at first.

4.  Let the mixture get hot but not boil or simmer, if it's close to boiling then whisk vigorously and remove from heat temporarily.

5.  Once thickened, turn off heat and stir in the vanilla.

6.  Strain to remove cloves, then place in an airtight container and chill 6-8 hours.  To serve sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Brown liquors work best with eggnog so to spike it try: bourbon, rum or brandy.