Chicken Noodle Soup

Soups are my favorite part about cool weather. Every week, I make at least one pot of soup or two, depending on my mood. Chicken noodle is one of my favorites, but unfortunately, can also be the most time consuming, if you really want to do it right. Because of that, this recipe will also be long. My apologies, but I promise you, it's worth it.

You can open up a can of chicken broth, throw in some chicken meat, some noodles and call it good. I emphasize you can. I can't. That's not my style.

For this particular recipe, I use a whole chicken, fresh vegetables and (usually) I make the noodles myself. This time I used Reames Frozen egg noodles, which, for the sake of simplicity, is what I'll include in this recipe.

1 whole chicken, rinsed with "parts" removed (liver, kidney, giblets, etc.)

2- 3 T Chicken "Better than Bouillon" 

4-6 full sized carrots, peeled

4-6 stalks of celery, washed with leaves still on

1 large onion, chopped

3 qt chicken stock

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground sage

½ tsp ground thyme

½ tsp poultry seasoning

¼ tsp ground marjoram

Pinch of dill weed

3 bay leaves

1 24oz pkg Reames frozen egg noodles

The first thing you have to make is a solid chicken stock. This cannot be rushed. It cannot be improvised. It's going to take a good six hours to get a flavorful stock. If you don't have time to do this, go find another recipe to make. Don't say I didn't told you so when the flavor isn't what you want it to be. This recipe will make enough chicken stock for TWO pots of soup, but we'll get to that in a minute.

STOCK:

Clean and rinse off the chicken, make sure there are no stray feathers. Also check that the organs and neck have been removed. Some people leave them in and remove them later. It's up to you. I don't simply because they kinda gross me out. (I'm a wuss.) Season the inside of the chicken cavity with a healthy sprinkle of salt and pepper and put it in the pot. (Make sure you're using a large pot so the broth and vegetables have room to move around while it cooks.)

Take the rinsed celery stalks and cut off the leafy tops, including about an inch or so of regular stalk. This is the part that is going in the stock. Save the bottom half of the celery stalks for later, if you want to put celery in your soup. 

Peel the carrots, but set aside half of them for later. For the stock, I don't bother chopping the vegetables real delicately. They're going to fall apart over that six hour time frame anyway, so I don't worry about it. In fact, when I put the veggies in the pot after I've cleaned them, I break them into chunks instead of chopping them.

Over the top of the chicken, celery, onion and carrots, I add the chicken stock, then the spices and the Better than Bouillon. This isn't my usual broth enhancer when I need a touch of chicken flavor, but I've found it has the best flavor of anything else on the shelf and is PERFECT in the soup. It's also not as salty as other bouillon or soup bases on the market.

Put the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to where bubbles are just coming to the surface around the edge and in the center of the pot (around the chicken). Anything hotter and you're losing a lot of flavor to steam. Anything lower and you're not hot enough to get the flavor out (Thank you Alton Brown for that cooking tip). Simmer for 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally.

While the chicken is cooking, I chop up the remaining carrots and celery into coin-sized pieces and put aside for later. If you want more onion, feel free to add it.

Once the stock has finished simmering and everything has cooked down to limp little carcasses of their former selves, caaaaaarefully remove the chicken from the broth. I use large tongs, but you can use a slotted spoon, as well. Chances are, the chicken will fall apart, but if you're careful, you should be able to get the biggest part of it out without too much trouble. I usually set the chicken inside a colander, then the colander inside a bowl so any broth that drains out can be put back into the pot later. DO NOT DUMP YOUR BROTH DOWN THE SINK! (Ask me how I learned this the hard way.) Scoop any remaining chicken out of the pot and add it to this colander. Let the chicken cool a bit.

In the meantime, carefully scoop all the rest of the vegetables (and any fallen chicken parts) out of the broth so nothing is left but the plain stock. (I usually strain it into another pan to make it easier.) Throw away what you scoop out. It's done its job. Let it rest in peace. :) ***

Once the chicken has cooled to the touch, I remove the meat from the carcass and shred it into bite sized pieces. (Get more bang for your buck: The naked chicken carcass gets put in my pressure cooker with 2 c of fresh broth. I add some pepper and a little sage or poultry seasoning, and later becomes chicken stock to use in other recipes down the road. Holler if you want to know how to do this.)

Next, you're going to combine the chicken meat, the broth and the raw vegetables you chopped up earlier and combine them together. Bring to a full boil, lower the heat and let it cook at a low rolling boil until the vegetables are tender (at least an hour). Once everything has cooked, I ladle out about half of the soup into a freezer-safe container. Let the soup cool on the counter, then cover it tightly and freeze it. This can be used later and combined with a pkg of egg noodles to create a healthy soup when you don't have the time to cook. It's also perfect just by itself when you're feeling under the weather.

Some people cook the noodles in the broth. I prefer to do it separately in a pot of slightly salted water while the vegetables are cooking. The package directions call for a 20 minute boil. I typically do about 15 mins, then drain the noodles. To prevent the noodles from soaking up all the broth later, I keep them separate until it's time to serve it. This goes for dried egg noodles, too, not just the frozen egg noodles. I also store leftovers separately in the fridge. Which reminds me, if your chicken broth looks like Jell-O the next day, we call that "Liquid Gold". That's the ultimate best chicken broth. Just heat it up and let it "melt" again.

Add a homemade loaf of bread or rolls, and you've got the perfect meal for a cool night.

Again, it's a long process and to people with tight schedules, this probably won't work for your random Tuesday evening. But it's great when you've got the time or desire to cook. I show my love for people by cooking for them. When you spend over six hours making a meal for someone, they know you love them. :)

*** At this point, if you prefer a healthier soup, you can set the broth in the freezer for a couple hours so the fat rises to the top and you can skim it off. I did this, but in the fridge overnight. I think the fat provides a fantastic flavor to the soup, but for those who are watching their weight, it's still got great flavor without the unnecessary fat.

Olive Garden - Cappellini Pomodoro

I haven't made this yet, but I'm anxious to soon! I got the recipe off their website. There are others, as well.

1. 14 oz capellini pasta (angel hair)
2. 8 medium tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
3. 11 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
5. 6 Tbsp olive oil
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
7. 1 ½ lbs capellini pasta (angel hair)
8. 16 medium tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
9. 22 fresh basil leaves, chopped
10. 4 cloves garlic, chopped
11. 12 Tbsp olive oil
12. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
13. 2 lbs capellini pasta (angel hair)
14. 24 medium tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
15. 33 fresh basil leaves, chopped
16. 6 cloves garlic, chopped
17. 18 Tbsp olive oil
18. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedures

1. COOK capellini pasta according to package directions.
2. MIX diced tomatoes, chopped basil, garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. DRAIN pasta. Toss pasta with tomato mixture in a sauté pan and heat throughout.
4. SERVE immediately.

Smothered Steaks

2-3lbs round steak (I don't use tenderized, but you can)
2T oil (vegetable, canola, corn or olive are all fine)
2 medium onions, sliced
1 family size can Cream of Mushroom soup
1-2 tsp beef bouillon (dry mix or 2 cubes)
1 cup water
1 cup milk (or more)
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Cut the steaks into serving sized portions and brown in a skillet with the oil (olive oil is what I use). When browned, put in the crockpot on low. Put the diced onions in the skillet and with a wire whisk scrape off any drippings from the meat still left in the pan. When the onions start to become translucent around the edges, scrape everything into the crockpot and add the beef bouillon and water. In a separate bowl mix the soup and the milk together. (You may have to add a bit more milk later, it just depends on how thin or thick the gravy is when it's time to serve it.) Cover the steak and onion with the soup mix and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours (high 4-6 hours).

Don't open the lid on the crock pot! Every time you open the lid, you add 20 minutes to the cook time. The heat stays in and cooks the food more consistently when you don't peek.

Season as desired and serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

*** If you're short on time, you can bake it in the oven instead of putting it in the crockpot at 350° for about 30-40 minutes. I usually put it in the oven just before I put the water on for potatoes. By the time I'm done mashing potatoes and they're ready to serve, the steaks are ready to come out.

*** You can also substitute the round steak for hamburger patties, ground beef, chicken or pork if you're trying to use up stuff in your freezer. They're all very good with this recipe.

Frickles and Beer Ranch

Some people use beer batter when frying food. Me? I put the beer in the sauce instead.

Frickles (Fried Pickles)
1 cup dill pickle slices, drained
½ c flour
½ c milk
½ c flour + ½ c corn meal
hot oil

Add the pickles to the first portion of flour so they're evenly dusted and shake off the excess. Dip them in the milk so they're fully coated and then put them in the flour/corn meal mixture. When thoroughly covered, shake off the excess and fry them until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with ranch.


Beer Ranch
1½ c real mayonnaise
1 c buttermilk
½ c beer (Budweiser tastes best, but any regular beer will do)
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dill weed
½ T dried parsley

Put the mayonnaise in a bowl and drizzle in the buttermilk, mixing as you go so it will blend smoothly. Once the mayo and milk have been mixed, add the beer and stir well. Add the spices and whisk together. Let set for about 30 minutes in the fridge and serve with frickles or chicken lips.

Chicken Pot Pie

The other day, I made dinner and had a lot of leftover mixed veggies. The first thing that came to mind to use them in was homemade chicken pot pies. The kids frowned. "Mom? You don't bake." Well, in my world, they threw the gauntlet. I had just a few days to figure out how to make a pot pie worthy of their criticism. EEP!

Tonight, they ate my pot pie AND a mouthful of crow. :)

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or diced)
1 pkg Bear Creek Creamy Potato Soup  (Wal-Mart sells it. You don't have to order it online).
1 can chicken broth (**see below)
1 pkg chicken gravy mix
3 med potatoes, peeled & diced
1 16oz bag frozen mixed veggies
2 frozen deep-dish pie crusts
2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350°

**Typically, I use my pressure cooker to cook my chicken. It only takes about 10-15 mins or so and turns out more tender than if I cook it on the stove, but how you cook yours is up to you. I do season it, however, with thyme, sage and poultry seasoning. When the pressure cooker is done and I've shredded the chicken, I pour off the broth from the pan and use that as part of the "water" for my soup. If  you don't use this method to cook your chicken, just use a can of chicken broth instead. You'll have approximately 2 cups or so.

Bring 6 cups of water (and/or broth) to a rapid boil and add the potato soup mix and gravy packet. (I substitute chicken broth/drippings for some of the water). If the soup is too thick, add another cup of water/broth.

Add the diced potato to the soup and bring back to a low boil. Cook for 15-20 mins until potatoes are tender.

While the soup is simmering, warm up the veggies.

Once they're both done, carefully mix the soup into the bowl of veggies and add the shredded chicken. Stir it all together and let it cool for a few minutes before pouring the mix evenly into two deep-dish 9" pie shells. (You'll have a cup or two of the filling left over. You can freeze it if you want to use later.)

Open the crescent rolls and carefully place the triangles around the top of the pie, points facing into the center, pinching the outer sides together with the pie crust. You can leave a little space between the pieces to let the pie vent, but it's not vital. When each pie has 8 crescent rolls spread over the top of it, put them both on a cookie sheet and place in the oven.

Bake for 12-15 mins at 350° or until the crust is a golden brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Cinnamon Rolls

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but let's face it, I don't bake. Therefore, I don't create new things to bake. When I do bake, I borrow recipes from other people, such as this recipe for cinnamon rolls that I got from Karen Crossland on justapinch.com. They're phenomenal rolls and the only recipe I use now. :)

3/4 c	milk
1/4 c	butter, softened
3 1/4 c	all purpose flour
1 (.25 oz) pkg	quick acting dry yeast
1/4 c	white sugar
1/ 2 tsp	salt
1/4 c	water
1	egg
1 1/2 c	brown sugar
1 Tbsp	cinnamon, ground
3/4 c	butter, softened
1/2 c	raisins or nuts (optional)
Frosting/Glaze	------------------------------------------
2-3 c	powdered sugar
2 Tbsp	butter, softened
1/2 tsp	vanilla extract
2-6 Tbsp	milk or cream(can also use a little sour cream)

1) Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm. 

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

3) Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon.

4) Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread butter all over dough, sprinkle sugar/cinnamon mixture 

evenly over dough.Sprinkle with raisins or nuts if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up on lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

5) Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Let cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then remove to plate. Serve warm

6) Frosting/Glaze: Mix first 3 ingredients (using 2 cups sugar to start),add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at the time, until you get the desired consistency.If you add to much milk, add a little more powdered sugar,until you get it just right for you.You want to drizzle it over the rolls while still warm.I also use this for my cake frosting, just make it thicker so it is spreadable.

Chicken Lips

 

Lips breading & batter

3lbs      boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into long strips about as thick as your thumb

1c        all-purpose flour

½t        black pepper

¼t        paprika

¼t        cayenne pepper

½t        salt

½t        garlic powder

2          eggs

2c        milk or buttermilk

6c        vegetable oil –heated to 375°

Hot Sauce

½c       butter or margarine

½c       Louisiana Hot Sauce

1T        white vinegar

¼t        celery seed

¼t        cayenne pepper

¼t        crushed red pepper

½t        garlic powder

¼t        Worcestershire sauce

2t         Tabasco sauce

(Or cheat like I do most days and buy a bottle of wing sauce like "Wings n' Things" from Cookies or Hooter's Wing Sauce.)

Lips instructions:

1. Combine flour and spices in a large bowl with a lid and in another bowl whisk together eggs and milk

3. Two or three pieces at a time, dunk chicken into milk mix coating completely before tossing in breading mix.

4. Put lid on breading mix bowl and shake your lips until they’re well coated.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 (carefully!)

6. After double-coating the lips, deep fry them for about 5-7 mins until golden brown and drain on paper towels or newspapers.

Sauce instructions:

1. Heat butter until barely melted, put it in a blender and add remaining ingredients.

2. Blend until mix turns a light, frothy orange color.

3. Heat in the microwave or on stove top until warm and bubbly.

(Or again…crack open that bottle of Wing Sauce and mix it with about a ½ C of ranch dressing – depending on how much of a weenie you are)

Place lips in a large container and pour sauce over them, coating completely. Gently shake the lips around in the sauce until they’re covered. Get yourself a big glass of sweet tea, a bottle of Tums and dig in!

Perfect with beer ranch dressing.

Cucumbers & Sour Cream

This has been a favorite of mine since I was little. My mom made it quite a bit in the summer months with the homegrown items out of our garden. Still a favorite of my family's today.

3 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced into half-moons
1 8oz carton sour cream
1 bundle green onions, diced
3 T white vinegar
1tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Mix all together and let sit for at least an hour to let the flavors mix and the juices from the cucumbers to mix with the sour cream and vinegar to create a creamy sauce. Perfect dish for cook-outs.

Hot Naked Sauce (over tortellini)

I don't make my own tortellini, but I'm particular about which brands I buy. I prefer those that are made & sold by local Italian restaurants. They seem to be fresher and have more filling than the typical frozen brand. You can, of course, also buy fresh or make your own, but I'm not your girl for those recipes.

Hot Naked Sauce
¼ c butter, melted
¼ c EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1-2 Tablespoons fresh sweet basil, crushed and torn (or 2-3 Tbls dried basil leaves)
3 cloves garlic peeled & minced
¼ tsp sea salt

Mix everything together and simmer over a medium heat to allow the flavors to mingle. Serve over freshly cooked pasta (tortellini or otherwise) or pour over thick slices of Italian bread and bake at 350 until golden brown.

You can add diced sun-dried tomatoes or a splash of cream for variety.

Creamy Sweet Onion Soup

4 sweet yellow onions, quartered and sliced
2 T butter or margarine
8 c beef broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ c flour mixed with 1c cool broth
1 c heavy cream
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
¼ c shredded cheddar, colby or monterrey jack cheese

In a large pan, sautee sliced onions in butter until softened. Add beef broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until soft and transluscent. Mix the flour and cool broth together to create a thickening agent. Slowly (and carefully) whisk the flour mixture into the soup. The onions can tear easily, so be gentle. Cook for an additional 20 minutes over low heat. Add the cream and the cheddar cheese and cook until the cheese has melted (about 5-10 minutes). Serve with a sprinkle of cheese on top. Excellent also with a large slice of garlic toast.

Grammy's Banana Cookies

½ c shortening
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c mashed bananas (about 2)
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ c nuts or flavored chips (butterscotch or vanilla)

Combine shortening and sugar. Add eggs and bananas. Combine dry ingredients and fold into above mixture. Add chips/nuts and mix thoroughly.

Chill dough for an hour. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease cookie sheet. Form dough into ball and bake for 8-10 minutes. (I use a small ice cream scoop for easy cookie forming.)

God bless you, Mary Ann!

When I saw this video I wondered how well it really worked. In concept, I thought it was brilliant, but as you know, most of what you see on TV or YouTube is inaccurate. This, however, was an exception. It totally works!!!

I was very pleasantly surprised. She said to boil them about 15 minutes, but I did 20, as they still seemed a bit too firm after 15. Also, what she doesn't tell you is to use a couple more potatoes than what you think you'll need because sometimes the peel takes off a little bit more of the potato than it should. Not a lot and not with every potato, but it'll allow for a little extra just in case. Also, there may be some peel left on the potatoes. You can cut it off or leave it on. I left it on and you couldn't even tell once I mashed them.

So thank you, Mary Ann for the potato trick! You've peeled precious time off of mashed potatoes for me!

Potato Dumplings

My son begs me for these and I swear would eat them every day if I let him. My mother made them for me when I was a kid and I'm sure my son will make them for his kids. These dumplings are more of a Polish tradition than anything, but the "recipe" I use resembles the Norwegian dish, Kumla.

3 potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
 2 qt water with a bit of salt (you can also use ham, beef or chicken broth)

2 onions, diced finely
1 cup of butter or margarine

Bring the water to a boil. While it's heating up, put the diced potatoes in a food processor or blender with just enough water for the potatoes to be pureed. They should be a milkshake consistency. Pour them in a large bowl with the salt and baking powder. One cup at a time, stir in the flour. I usually mix by hand so I can feel the consistency as I'm mixing.

(It's hard to describe the consistency the dumplings should be - you don't want them as hard as noodle dough, but it shouldn't be liquidy either. The dumplings should hold their shape, for the most part, but if you hold them for any length of time they'll start to flatten out just a bit.)

Once the dough is to the consistency you want, rinse your hands in COLD water, this way the dough won't stick to your hands when you're forming them into golf-ball sized balls. One by one, slip them into the boiling water, putting each dumpling in a different spot in the pan. Once they've been in the boiling water for a minute or two, their shape is set and you don't have to worry about them sticking together too much. Once all the dough has been formed into dumplings and put into the boiling water, very carefully, stir them with a wooden spoon and turn the heat down from high to medium. Let them simmer for about 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the dumplings).

While the dumplings are cooking, melt the margarine in a sauce pan and add the diced onions. The onions will become transluscent and tender.

Serve the dumplings (if you cooked them in broth, feel free to serve it with the broth) and pour some of the butter and onions over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

These are excellent in the winter or on a rainy day. They stick to your ribs (and your ass, unfortunately. They're NOT conducive to a healthy diet, that's for sure!).

It's not Heaven, it's Iowa...chops, that is

Iowa's known for their pork products. I've never been a big fan of pork, though, because I like my meat more rare and obviously, you can't cook pork rare. Well, you can, I suppose, but the results aren't pretty.

I saw a basic form of this recipe on a Facebook group and being as I can't ever just stick to the basics, I added some extra bang and came up with the most AMAZING dish I've ever tasted.

Smothered Pork Chops

4 butterflied Iowa chops - boneless with the fat trimmed off

2 boxes Stove Top stuffing, prepared per box instructions

2 large cans Cream of Mushroom soup

2 c. milk

3 onions, sliced

½ c. flour (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder to your taste)

¼ c. vegetable oil

½ c. apple juice

¼ c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325°

Bread the chops in the flour mix and sear in the hot oil in a skillet. While they're cooking,  prepare the stuffing mix according to box directions and set aside. Also, mix the mushroom soup and milk and pour half of it into the bottom of a large baking dish. Once the chops are browned, put them in the baking dish. and cover with the remaining mushroom soup.

With the oil still on a medium-high flame, brown the onions (seasoned as you choose- I used a bit of sage, salt, pepper and garlic powder). Carefully scoop out the onions and place over the chops in the baking pan. Leave the oil drippings in the pan and add a few tablespoons of the flour mix that didn't get used for the breading. Stir together and create a roux. Add the apple juice and brown sugar and stir until a gravy consistency is achieved. Pour the gravy over the onions and cover the baking dish with foil.

Bake at 325° for 45 minutes, covered. Remove foil and spread the stuffing over the top of the chops. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice. Also excellent with soups!

Chicken & Rice Enchilada Soup

Using a pressure cooker or instapot, pressure cook:
4 chicken breasts
1 qt chicken stock
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg enchilada seasoning
A pinch of sea salt

When the chicken is done and cooled a little, shred it or cut it into bite sized chunks. Keep the broth!!

1 each: green, red and yellow bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 29oz can  crushed tomatoes
1 12 oz can V-8 juice (low sodium is best)
2 29oz can diced tomatoes
1½ c long-grain white rice
1 qt chicken stock (yes, another one)
½ tsp Chili powder
½ tsp Garlic powder
¼ tsp Seasoned salt
1 T vinegar
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
1 bunch fresh Cilantro, minced
Few dashes of Tabasco or Cholula to taste

In a large soup pot, add all the ingredients listed above, plus the chicken and broth from the pressure cooker.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover, stirring every so often. Simmer for about an hour so the flavors blend.

As it's simmering, cook your rice separately, according to pkg directions. I usually do two cups dry rice to make 4c cooked.

Serve with cooked rice, tortilla chips, shredded cheese and/or sour cream.