Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup

 When we get in the mood for some healthy but tasty soup or when we are feeling a little out of sorts, this is the cure. I've been making it for years and it never fails. I like mine with Rheams frozen noodles, and then it is more of a chicken and noodles dish. But everyone likes it when we get a some craft egg noodles.  I fix ours in the crock pot, first searing the chicken. It tastes just as tasty if you use your favorite dutch oven.

Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup

1 lb boneless skinless breasts

2 medium carrots - peeled and diced

1 medium onion - diced

2 stalks celery - coarsely chopped

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken broth

2 1/2 cup egg noodles (I use Amish Kitchen Kulski noodles)

2 cups of water

Directions:

In a large heavy pan on high heat, sear the chicken breasts, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the breasts and set aside. Lower the heat to medium, and combine the carrots, onion, abnd celery in the pan. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, parsely, marjoram, poultry seasoning, basil, and pepper.  Stir and  cook an additional 2 minutes.

Transfer the veggies and chicken to the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 

Remove the chicken and bay leaves. Add the water and the noodles.  Shred or dice the chicken and return to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy!

Serves 10

Soup for the French (and Americans)

My wonderful wife enrolled me in the "Knife Skills" class at the local Culinary Center. I'm thinking she wanted to protect my digits. Sure, I learned a lot about chopping veggies, but I also got a wicked recipe for French Onion Soup. I'm not a FOS fan, but this one (after a few tweaks) had me sold.

Fantastic French Onion Soup

Ingredients:
4 medium yellow onions (thinly sliced and quarted)
4 cloves of garlic
Thyme - 3 fresh sprigs (finely chopped)
1/2 cup white wine
1 quart beef broth
4 tbsp butter (divided)
1 tbsp flour
½ tsp black pepper

French bread
Gruyere Cheese

Melt the butter in a stockpot or large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the onions for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp butter for about a minute. Add the white wine and stir while simmering for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour beef broth into pot and season with a 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper. Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 minutes.

In serving size crocks, pour soup and top with French bread sliced to 1/2" thickness. Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons shredded Gruyere cheese, and place in 350 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Something Soft and Creamy

Abbey had her wisdom pulled on Tuesday. Four extractions total. If you have been there, you know it’s not fun.  Last Monday I made a double batch of a creamy bacon potato soup to prep for it. That turned out pretty darn good. Then yesterday I had major dental work done as well. Just as the dentist finished with one filling, and prepped for a new crown, she noticed a problem with an old crown right next to the other two. She pulled that crown, and as she started to do the prep for a replacement crown, I quickly realized that the Novocain was wearing off. Another shot (or two) later, and she was back it. She felt really bad about all the shots and drilling, and this morning, I just felt pretty bad.

So with my sore mouth, and Abbey ready for something with a little more substance than the potato soup, I had visions of mac and cheese. Not the Kraft from a box kind, but something a little closer to homemade. Lacking the ingredients for my awesome Prosciutto & Bacon version, I decided to raid the pantry and see what I could come up with. I had to get creative, but the end product was surprisingly good.

Slam Dunk Mac & Cheese

Serves 6

1 lb pasta (Rotini, shells, bowtie, or similar)

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cup milk (or sub 1 cup milk and ½ cup heavy cream) divided

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground mustard

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup chicken stock

1 cup grated gruyere cheese (or whatever you have on hand)

1 can (10 ¾ oz) Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese soup

1 can (10 ¾ oz) Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup

½ cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 F

Cook pasta to al dente firmness, drain and set aside.

In large pan over medium heat, melt butter and add 1 cup of milk, nutmeg, ground mustard, and cayenne. Stir until heated through, and add chicken stock and gruyere cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add both cans of soup and ½ cup of milk (or cream). Cook until soups are blended and heated through (or just starts to bubble), stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and combine with pasta, stirring until well combined. Place in coated casserole dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Potato Soup

Two things to consider before you start.

1. Do you want it all creamy and smooth, or with small chunks of potato.
2. Do you have a submersible hand blender, or a counter top version?

The answers to these will determine how you start. Most recently I used 4 small golden potatoes along with 2 medium russet potatoes. I peeled the golden potatoes, and one of the russets (I like the look of a few chunks with the skin on).  I boiled them in chicken stock in separate pans, cooking the leeks with the golden taters. I blended the golden potatoes, and then combined the mixture with the pan of russets. Add the milk and or cream and you are in business.

Lastly, if you are not a fan of cooking with leeks, try shallots. Nice flavor and not as strong as an onion or as much work as the leek.  For a twist, add diced cooked ham or bacon (or both) to the mixture after it’s been blended, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Basic Creamy Potato Soup

Serves 6

2 tablespoons butter

2 large leeks, diced (rinsed well to remove grit, pale green and white parts only)

5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (see notes above)

1 quart chicken stock, divided in half

½ cup milk (or heavy cream)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the leeks, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until tender or about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Boil the potatoes until tender and they just begin to fall apart, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer ½ the potatoes and stock to large mixing bowl if using handheld blender, or the pitcher of a full-size blender. Blend until the mixture has a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour back in to the pot with the remaining potatoes and stock.  Add milk (or cream) and cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cheese, chives, and/or bacon bits as desired.

My Best Chili EVER. And I gave it away.

Last week we learned that our neighbor passed away. She had been battling lung cancer for some time. I knew that she was not doing well when I heard that her high school best friend from the east coast was staying with them as her caregiver. I am saddened by her loss, and I feel for the family. But as her husband (John) said earlier today, she’s no longer in pain.

I really like John. He’s an easygoing guy that runs his own business and loves to golf. He borrowed my travel club bag when he went to the Caribbean, and brought me back a cap from the course he played, as a token of his appreciation. That was cool.

When I learned of Lisa’s diagnosis earlier this year, I made her some of my Mac & Cheese. She came by shortly after to drop off a graduation present for Abbey, and complimented the gesture. Do that, and I can’t wait to cook for you again. Unfortunately I did not cook for her again. I wish I had. But since her funeral is 3 days away, I thought that I’d make something and drop it off. I remember when Peg’s mom, and later my dad, passed away. It seemed like the food was dropped off by the truckload. But it disappeared just as quick, and man, was it appreciated.

Since the weather turned cold, I made up some chili and cornbread. I have been working on the chili recipe for a while. It’s a blend of two of my favorite recipes, and each time it gets better. Today it might have reached perfection. I say that because, gosh darn it, I (only) made exactly 1 bowl more than the volume of the containers I bought. I ate just enough to know that it was good! I think tomorrow I’ll see if I can repeat near perfection.

Because most families have “Some like it hot” and “Some like it not” AND very few slow cookers can handle the mass of what’s being cooked, here is what I do. Just before you add the flour/water mixture, divide the chili. Put ½ back in the pot used to cook the meat, and leave ½ in the slow cooker. Combine 1 tbspn flour/corn starch and 1 cup hot water, and add to the slow cooker. Add the same water/flour mixture to the pot over low heat. You will then add the cayenne/red pepper flakes to slow cooker only. Cook each for about an hour.

Mo Meat Chili

(Serves everyone, and then some or about 12 servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ lb thick sliced bacon (~ 5 slices) cut into ½” pieces

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 small onions, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped bell peppers (green and/or red) - Optional

4 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon paprika (smoked preferred)

2 tablespoon2 Chipotle salsa - Optional

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb lean (~90%) ground beef

1 lb sirloin steak - trimmed and diced in 1/2 “ chunks

¾ lb ground pork

1 bottle American Lager Beer (I use Land Shark)

½ cup tequila

1 can (25 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (25 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14 oz) dark kidney beads

1 can (14 oz) white kidney beans

1 can (14 oz) black beans

Cayenne or Red Pepper flakes, to taste (I use ¼ teaspoon cayenne or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for ½ of the batch)

2 tablespoons mesa (or corn starch)

2 cups water

Heat a medium stock pot and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it just starts to turn crispy. Add the garlic, onions, peppers, chili powder, and cumin until vegetables start to wilt. Add the ground beef and cook until it browns, stirring frequently to break it up. Add the paprika, oregano, salt and pepper, and pork, stirring frequently to break it up.

Drain and rinse the beans, and place in the slow cooker with the beer, diced tomatoes (with juice) and crushed tomatoes.  

Once the pork is cooked through, transfer all of this to the slow cooker with the beer, tomatoes, and beans. Add the sirloin steak to the same pan, and sear until browned. Add the browned steak and the tequila to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.

Combine the mesa/corn starch with the hot water, mixed well, and add to the chili. Add cayenne/red pepper cook for about 1 hour more. Serve with corn bread, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and lime wedges.

Italian Veggie Soup

On the weekends, I like to make up a big pot of soup or chili for quick lunches, especially if I know it's going to be a crazy week. I had a hankering for a ham and veggie soup, and looking through some recipes, I threw this together. Most recently I substituted 3 cups each of chicken stock and beef stock. Surprisingly, it works very, very well.

Italian Vegetable Soup (Or Zuppa di T-Dawg)

Makes 12 approximately servings

6 cups vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 bag (16 oz) frozen Tuscan Vegetable blend
1 fennel bulb, finely diced
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
16 oz Ham steak, deboned and diced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon italian parsley
1 teaspoon basil

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the broth and garlic, and bring to a boil. Add the onions, frozen vegetables, fennel, tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and add thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and ham. Cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Serve with warm Tuscan or Italian bread.