Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

2 lemongrass stems, white parts only, or 1 tsp lemon zest
8 small button mushrooms, stems trimmed and quartered
2 chicken breast fillets
4 cups chicken stock
1 inch piece ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
2 tsp sugar
1 can coconut milk
1 TBS fish sauce or soy sauce
2 TBS lime juice, plus wedges to serve
2 TBS coarsely chopped mint leaves
2 TBS coarsely chopped basil leaves

Bruise the lemongrass stems with the back of a knife and cut each one in half. Cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces. In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock, lemon grass, ginger, and sugar to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Add the chicken, mushrooms and coconut milk. Simmer without boiling for five minutes, until chicken is cooked. Add fish sauce and lime, mint and basil leaves, serve right away.

Oven baked Squash Sticks

2 TBS bread crumbs
2 TBS parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 tsp dred herbs, like oregano and thyme
2 large squash cut into thick sticks
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Ina small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper garlic, onion and dried herbs, then pour out onto a large dinner plate or you could use a baking dish. In a large blow, toss the squash sticks with the egg white to coat. Roll each stick in the breadcrumb mix to coat and lay on a sheet pan in a single layer, without them touching. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Cherry Frozen Yogurt

3 cups pitted fresh cherries
2 TBS lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups full fat yogurt

Place the pitted cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. When all of the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Place contents in a blender and pulse until smooth. Combine the cherry puree, milk, and yogurt together in a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and overnight if needed. Process the mixture in your ice cream maker for 25 minutes. Eat it right away or let it freeze in the freezer until hardened.

Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 TBS minced spring onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 bunch arugula, washed and chopped
1 head lettuce, washed and chopped
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 cup crumbled bleu/feta/goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped toasted sliced almonds
1 avocado sliced
Salt and pepper

Combine the vinegar, honey, minced onion, salt and olive oil, whisking together in a large bowl. Add in the remaining ingredients and toss to coat everything with the dressing. Adjust the seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper if needed. Eat right away.