"Cures What Ails Yah" Chicken Soup

Ahhhhh... When cold season, or allergy season, or flu season,

or any of the "stuffy nose, achy joints, feel like crap" seasons hit...

This is my go-to soup.

Also, after long runs where I know I will be sore, due to the anti-inflammatory properties.

NOW.. If I could only get one of my dear daughters to make it for me..

ah, with time.. let's hope.

NOTE:  The broth of this soup is from this recipe:  Chicken and Corn Soup

"Cures What Ails Yah" Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cleaned of innards and rinsed

3 medium onions, 2 quartered and 1 diced

6 stalks celery, 3-cut into 1-2" pieces  3-diced

5 medium carrots, scraped and cut into 1-2" pieces

10 cloves garlic, diced (I like a lot of garlic!)

Fresh herbs of choice (if available)- rosemary, basil, oregano, sage, thyme, etc.

3- 32 Oz. containers of organic chicken broth or low sodium chicken broth

32 oz. water

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium crookneck squash, diced

1 cup chopped carrots or matchstick carrots, chopped

1 14.5 oz can mild rotel (or diced toms or fire roasted toms)

3-4 ears fresh corn, roasted in oven and kernels cut from cob OR 1 cup frozen corn

2-3 tablespoons garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 bag egg noodles or other pasta of choice

Directions:

1. Place rinsed chicken in large stock pot.  Pour chicken broth into the pot, and add the 32 oz. of water.  (You want to make sure and cover the chicken with liquid.)  

2. Add quarted onions, 3 celery stalks in 1-2" pieces, carrots in 1-2" pieces, some of the fresh herbs, 5 cloves of garlic.  Place on medium-high heat and simmer until white meat is just cooked through (not too much!  Don't dry out!  Maybe 15-20 minutes once the liquid comes to a boil).  

3. Remove chicken from pot.  Cut apart breasts and wings.  Place thighs and legs back in pot and cook 15 minutes more.  When cool enough to touch, remove white meat from bones.  When dark meat is cooked, remove from pot and cool and remove dark meat from bones.  Discard bones.

 

4.  Strain broth through a colander into another pot.  (I save the carrots and garlic from the stock and put them back into the broth.)  Strain the broth a second time through a fine mesh strainer.  Pour back into the large stock pot.

5.  Add diced chicken, additional diced onions and celery, zucchini and squash, additional chopped carrots, can of tomatoes, corn, garlic powder, other seasonings.  You could also add mushrooms, green beans, etc.

6.  While the soup is simmering to cook the added vegetables, cook your chosen pasta.  This soup is also good over cooked brown rice.

7.  Serve in deep bowls with toasted french bread or crackers.  Get Well Soon!

G-daddy's Infamous Oatmeal Cookies

Oh how I love these cookies!  Touch of sweet, nuts and fruit, and perfect at any time of the day.  I make a huge batch almost weekly for a healthy quick breakfast for my 16 year old who gets on the bus at 6:35 AM everyday.  I also bring them for snack at work, and we eat them for dessert.
They also make the best hiking and camping snack ever.  Here is a picture of this famous cookie on the top of Mt. Pisgah in North Carolina.


Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats (NOT quick oats)
3/4 cup all purpose flour (I use unbleached flour.  I have never tried whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use light brown.  Dark brown works as well)
1/4 cup honey
1 medium orange-ZEST ONLY  (optional)
1 cup dried fruit (I have used cherries, blueberries, cranberries, raisins, and a mix of all)
1 cup unsalted chopped nuts (I use pecans, mostly, but walnuts or almonds would work as well)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover large cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

2. Soften butter, either by leaving out at room temp. or microwaving in medium bowl for 30 seconds.  Test and see if soft.  If not, microwave at 15 second increments until soft but not melted.

3.  Cream butter with brown sugar and honey until blended well and mixture is pale yellow and creamy.

4.  Add 2 eggs.  Blend well.

5.  Add vanilla extract and orange zest.  Mix well.  Set bowl aside.

6.  Dry ingredients:  mix 3 cups of oats with flour.  Mix in baking powder, baking soda, and spices.  Blend well with a fork.  (I like to measure my spices with my palm.  This is about a tablespoon.)


7.  Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Mix until just blended.

8.  Pour dried fruit and nuts into bowl.  Fold nuts and fruit into cookie mixture.

9.  Spoon into approximately 2 inch-across mounds on parchment paper.  I usually leave a 1/2 inch space between cookies.  They do not spread when they cook.

10.  Bake on middle rack of oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.  Take out of oven when edges are browning and cookies are "set"= not too squishy in the middle.

11.  Cool completely and enjoy!  These keep for about a week in an airtight container.

Patty's Chili Recipe

After many requests for this recipe, which is a mash-up of this recipe and a Rachel Ray recipe I cannot find, I have decided to commit it to type from my brain cells.

This will make one large pot of chili.  This is enough for at least 2 meals in our 6-person house.
(I am horrible determining servings, etc.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean stew meat OR some type of beef, such as leftover grilled steak, trimmed roast, etc.
(I have also used leftover pulled pork, which was dang good.)

1 lb. ground sirloin OR ground turkey (85%/15%)- I now use ground turkey, but it's your choice.
12 oz. of beer or beef broth
olive oil or cooking oil of choice
1 medium yellow onion
1 small red bell pepper (no red?  use whatever color you have)
3-4 cloves of garlic, diced or minced
5-6 Tablespoons chili powder
2-3 teaspoons of cumin
2-3 teaspoons paprika
2-3 Tablespoons garlic powder (I never measure.  This is a guess.)
salt to taste
crushed red pepper, if you want more heat
Tabasco, if you want more heat
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1-2 cans of dark red kidney beans, drained
1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (depends on how spicy you want it!  but at least put 1!)
about a 1/2 cup of Maseca (flour used to make tortillas)

*********************************************************************************

Directions:

1.  Rub diced uncooked meat (if using stew meat or roast) in 2 tablespoons of the chili powder, a teaspoon or so of the garlic powder, a teaspoon or so of the paprika.  Brown meat in a pot or skillet with a lid in olive oil.  Add another tablespoon of the chili powder to the meat after it is browned.  Pour the beer or beef broth on top of the meat.  Turn fire down to low, and simmer, covered, about an hour, or while you continue cooking the chili.

**Note:  I have done this step the day before to speed things up the day of cooking.  Simmer the meat, cool, and refrigerate  until ready to use.  SAVE ALL OF THE LIQUID!

2.  In a large pot, heat olive oil to saute vegetables.  (Again, this is something I never measure.  2 turns of the pan- as Rachel Ray would say)  Add diced onion to oil, cooking until clear and starting to brown.  Add the diced bell pepper and garlic.  Cook until soft.

3.  While these veggies are cooking, in another skillet or pot, brown ground turkey in olive oil, seasoning with the rest of the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder.  Usually, there is no fat to drain from the turkey.

3.  Add crushed tomatoes, diced toms with green chilies, chipotle peppers, and browned turkey to the pot.  Turn off the simmering beef and add to the pot with ALL LIQUID.  Add drained kidney beans.  Stir well.  Simmer on low-med (don't boil, just simmer) for 30 minutes-an hour.  The longer the better.

**NOTE:  if using leftover steak or pulled pork or the like, add it here.

***SLOW COOKER VERSION:  Take everything at this point and put in a slow cooker.  I usually put it on low for 6-8 hours.  I never cook the chili on high, because really and truly, it is all cooked already.  Maybe 2-3 hours on high, if you are in a hurry?? But if you are in a hurry, why are you using a SLOW cooker??? anyway...

4.  Right before you are ready to serve, mix the half cup of Maseca in a coffee mug with room temp. water.  It is about equal amounts of water to flour.  You want a paste that is about the consistency of cake batter.  Thick, consistent texture, but not too thick.  You will spoon a bit of this into the hot, cooking chili, and stir until blended.  Then take a little more, do the same.  This thickens the chili.

**Again, #4 is a step that does not have to occur.  I have made several chilis and forgotten to buy Maseca.  But to me, the chili is so much better with it.**

THAT's IT!  My favorite serving suggestions is with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, tortilla chips, and Tabasco, and the cold beverage of your choice!

Enjoy!

Huevos Hongos Pimientas y Cebolletas on a bed of Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Back from vacation.. spent the day catching up on emails and reminiscing  on our awesome week by organizing pictures.  Autie and I made a trip to our neighborhood Wal Mart, only to leave a few key ingredients for our planned salad supper.  Therefore, I took the recipe for zucchini Parmesan crisps and created an egg dish that could make tummies happy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Step 1.  Zucchini Parm Crisps
Here is the recipe for these: Thanks, Ellie Krieger and Food Network!

Ready for the oven!!!

Step 2:  Dice up the veggies.  I diced about 10 baby bella shrooms, one small bell pepper (could use your fave color), and 3 fairly large green onions/scallions.  Sauteed all of that in some EVOO.  Took it off of the heat when the shrooms were done.

Step 3:  HUEVOS!  I scrambled 8 large eggs (probably could have stuck with 6- there was some left over that the Guinny Boy got to enjoy) with about 5 TBL of half and half (could use whole milk or 2% milk) plus salt and pepper.  Cooked those on a medium to low heat until done.
**Side note:  From this Ina Garten dish I saw her cook on Food network years ago, I learned to add cream or milk to scrambled eggs AND to cook over a low heat as a higher heat makes the eggs rubbery.  Pour the eggs in a pan and scrape the 'cooked layer' periodically until all are done.

Here is the finished product:

Zucchini crisps on bottom,
Shroom peppery onions on top,
huevos on top of the shroom mix,
little bit more of the shroom mix on the huevos,
and topped with one more scrumptious zucchini medallion and a drizzle of sriracha or Tabasco.








I give it a 3 out of 4.  Tasty and light.. could have used a little more heat.  Will definitely repeat soon!

If you try it out, let me know your thoughts and your deviations from above.