Thai inspired chicken soup

I like soups and thai food, so here's my Thai inspired chicken soup. 

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, either diced or thinly sliced
• 2 cans of light coconut milk
• 1 bunch sweet basil leaves
• 4 kaffir lime leaves (can be substitued with 2 tbsp of lime juice) 
• 1-2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon gluten-free red curry paste
• 2 cups gluten-free, low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 1/4 cup carrot sticks (or shredded)
• 2-3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced 
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, halved lengthwise (you can also put lemongrass hearts) 
• optional: vermicelli

Preparation

1. In a large stock-pot, over medium heat, empty part of one can of coconut milk and the curry paste, and stir until the mixture starts to sizzle.
2. Add the chicken, and sauté until it is cooked through. This takes approximately 5 minutes.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, add the remaining coconut milk, sweet basil (save some for the garnish, if desired), kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chicken broth, spinach, carrots, celery, green onions (save some for the garnish, if desired) and lemongrass. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes. (You can cover it if you want)
4. Turn off heat. (if adding vermicelli, you would add it in this step, and ensure it is submerged). Let stand for about 5 minutes. 
5. Remove the lemongrass stalks. Serve and garnish with sweet basil and green onions.

Lemon garlic chicken (or Lemon garlic dill chicken)

This recipe is for one serving. It can easily be multiplied. Sometimes I like to make an extra breast and slice it on top of a salad for lunch the next day.

In the summer, we sometimes grill it on the barbecue. You can also slice the chicken breast and put it on skewers with or without vegetables. It goes well with mushrooms. If you're using wooden skewers, remember to soak them for at least 30 minutes before you cook them.

I like to serve it with grilled zucchinis, or with a mushroom and spinach salad.

Ingredients

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (if making skewers, dice it)
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• optional: 1 teaspoon fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill) 

Preparation

1. Place the chicken in a bowl (or bag), rub with the dry seasonings. Add in the lemon juice and olive oil. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before cooking.
2. There's many ways to cook this:
• in the oven: 
• Preheat oven at 400 F. 
• Grab a piece of foil or parchment paper. Place the chicken in the middle and brush with the marinade. Cover and close the edges. If you're making more than one, make an envelope for each breast.
• It should take about 20-25 minutes.
• You can also use a toaster oven for small portions.
• on the barbecue: 
• Place the chicken on the grill (or place a piece of foil on the grill), brush with the marinade and grill until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
• skewers:
• Cook the skewers on the grill or in a grill pan until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.