All posts tagged recipe

This is a super easy way to make soup, and one of my new favorites.  It is extremely versatile and requires little advance planning.  It does need to be started several hours before dinner, but you don’t have to have anything on hand — no worries if you don’t have any stock or you forgot to thaw some meat.  It can be light or hearty and flavored any way you like.  I’ll give you some options for my favorites.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a chicken
• 2 – 3 quarts of water
• 4 cups vegetables, chopped (carrots, celery, peas, broccoli, beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, etc.)
• 2 c. tomato sauce (optional)
• 2 tsp. spices (marjoram, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, etc.)

Directions:

Place the chicken in a large pot (at least 4 quart).  Cover with water.  Turn on low and simmer for 5 – 6 hours (longer is okay too).

In this picture it’s probably cooked for a couple hours.  It isn’t done yet.

After several hours (this soup should be started around breakfast time, though it won’t need additional attention until late afternoon), use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pot.

You’ll have stock left in your pot.

Now, you need to add your veggies.  You could strain the stock and reserve it, get some butter and saute the root veggies…but that takes longer and for a simple soup is not necessary.  Just dump them in.  I have some celery.

Cut up the chicken too.  I also cut up some potatoes.

Dump these in the pot.  Then I add some peas.

I also added tomato sauce.

I also added some broccoli.

In this case, I also added carrots and green beans, but I don’t have good pictures of those.  Use whatever you have on hand, to total about 4 cups.

Then, I add spices.

Let the soup simmer about an hour, then it’s done!  Easy, right?

Possible Combinations

I have made this in three or four different ways, depending on what I have on hand.  Here are some ideas:

• Carrots, celery, onions and add some noodles (if desired), spices: salt, celery seed and parsley
• Carrots, potatoes, anasazi beans, green beans, tomato sauce, spices: salt, oregano, thyme
• Carrots, potatoes, green beans, peas, broccoli, tomato sauce, spices: salt, marjoram and parsley

Of course, you can dream up anything.  Use what you have around!  You could add a touch of cream right before serving if you like.  It’s very versatile and easy.

What’s your favorite kind of chicken soup?

This is a super simple dinner but it’s yummy and all of us will eat it.  It would be better served with some form of soy sauce (I used to use Bragg’s liquid aminos) but Jacob can’t do soy, so neither can I.  Oh well…still yummy.

It’s really my lame attempt at “Asian” food, given that I know next to nothing about the cuisine.  That’s okay too…because we like it.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken (breasts or thighs; boneless and skinless)
• 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. oil (coconut, sesame, etc.)
• 3 – 4 carrots, sliced
• 1/2 lb. sugar snap peas
• 1/2 lb. broccoli florets

Directions:

If you’re cooking rice to go alongside, start it first.  I made brown rice cooked in chicken stock to go with mine.

Slice your chicken into strips and put it in a frying pan.  Top with the three spices.

Slice your carrots.  I like the “match stick” style for stir-fry.  Then get out your other veggies and have them ready.

Cook the chicken until it’s basically done.  You want the chicken thoroughly cooked (about 10 – 15 min.) but the veggies only lightly cooked.  Once the chicken’s basically done, add the veggies to the pan.  Mine’s a little too crowded….

Cook and stir until the veggies are hot and slightly cooked.  They should still have a “snap” to them, but they shouldn’t be entirely raw.  This should take 3 – 5 minutes over medium high heat.

Serve over rice!

What’s your favorite kind of stir-fry?