Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

Comfort food.  It's a must, especially this time of year, and so I give you one of my favorites.  It is quick, easy and oh so good.  I have made this soup with Grandma's brand noodles (in a bag, by shelf pasta) but they take forever to cook.  I've also used frozen noodles-- I think they're intended for Asian food but they work well.  I have to admit that the homemade noodles trump all.  Make them prior to starting the soup because they are easier to handle when they've dried out a bit.

Noodles (from KSL Studio 5)
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
2 T. milk

Stir together flour and salt. Make a well in center of flour; add eggs and milk; using a fork, stir together eggs and flour until well mixed. Add additional flour (or milk, one teaspoon at a time) to produce a dough stiff enough to handle. Dough should still be soft, but not sticky to the touch. Form dough into a ball, flatten on a floured surface, and knead until smooth. Divide dough in half; roll each half out on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle or to desired thinness. Allow dough to rest 10 minutes before cutting. Cut noodles 1/4-inch wide and 2 to 5-inches long.


Soup
3 chicken breasts, poached and cut into bite sized pieces
1-1/2 c. chopped carrots
Celery (Optional, what's the point of celery?  Perhaps to add some color?)
1/2 onion, diced
16-24 oz chicken broth
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated skim milk
Pepper to taste

Mix cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and skim milk (note,  I always end up adding more liquid because I don't like the broth to be overly thick.  I've also used regular milk and it works fine but the evaporated variety is just a little thicker).  Heat in large soup pan and stir until bubbling.  Add onions, carrots and chicken and cook until carrots are somewhat tender.  Add noodles a few at a time (they cook quickly) but don't overcook.  Serve in the traditional soup fashion.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Brownies

These are divine.  The original recipe is posted on the Food Buzz.  I made a few changes.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Brownies

Servings: about 20 bite-size brownies

Ingredients

For the brownies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 and 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the filling:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam (I just used the homemade seeded version)

Ganache:
(the original recipe called for a glaze, but I couldn't get it to work so I substituted the ganache)

4 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.

1/8 tsp instant coffee crystals

Instructions

For the brownies:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat until melted, cool slightly.

3.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs and the brown sugar until well-mixed.

4.  Dissolve the coffee crystals in the water, add to the egg mixture with the melted chocolate and mix ingredients well.

5. Combine the baking powder and flour in a small bowl; stir into chocolate mixture.

6.  Spread mixture into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.

7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, cool completely. (I stuck them in the freezer)

For the filling:

1.  Melt the chocolate chips and let cool slightly.

2.  In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy; add the powdered sugar and raspberry jam-mix well.

3.  Stir in the melted chocolate until combined.

4.  Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownies.

I forgot to add the melted chocolate, so my filling was pink in color. I think adding the chocolate would just make the brownies richer and frankly, they were quite rich in my case. I also stuck the brownies in the freezer to help the filling set before adding the ganache.   

Ganache:

1. Heat the cream in a pan until simmering. Pour over chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir until completely combined, add coffee crystals. Let the frosting sit 15 minutes before frosting the cupcakes.

The famous apple pie

I bake a lot of pies. This is my personal favorite. I entered it in the Cache County Fair, where it only managed to win a red ribbon. My mom theorizes that it is due to a lack of sophisticated palates on the judges part. This pie is unique and absolutely delicious. McKay is truly a pie connoisseur and he rates this at the top of the list.

*I posted my pie crust recipe previously*

¾ cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/ 8 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups diced apples (I use 6 large granny smith or 8 small)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup chilled butter, diced

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together ¾ cup sugar, 2 tbsp flour and salt. Mix in the sour cream, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add apples (peel and sliced) and stir to coat. Place in pie shell.
3. Bake 15 minutes in preheated oven, then reduce heat to 250 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes more.
4. To prepare topping stir 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
5. Cover the top of the pie with the crumb topping, and continue to bake for 15 minutes, or until topping in lightly browned and apples are tender. Allow the pie to cool, then refrigerate until chilled before serving.

Delectable Brownies

*This is a great and easy brownie recipe. They lasted about 20 minutes when I made them today.

1 cup butter, melted

3 cups white sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Combined melted butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Beat in eggs one at at time.

2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Fry Bread

Navajo tacos are a tasty treat. Once you've tried this fry bread you will never go back to scones made from Rhode's rolls.

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk, heated

Oil for frying (should be about 1 1/2 - 2 inches deep in the pan)

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and mix until the dough comes together. Add more flour if necessary to be able to handle dough. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth (at least 5 minutes). Let dough rest for 5 minutes. Then break off pieces of dough and shape into round discs. *Make the middle thin or even leave a small hole. Oil should be around 365 degrees (use a thermometer of take a wooden spoon and place handle in oil, if bubble comes up around spoon oil is ready). Fry away.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

This was posted on The Food Buzz and earlier seen on Tyler's Ultimate.  Apparently, Chimichurri is Argentine, and I might say, quite delicious.  The original recipe calls for cooking an entire pork loin on the grill, but since we were using the George Foreman, I decided to cut mine prior to cooking.  Also, I topped mine with the Chimichurri rather than serving it on the side.  So delicious. 

Since this meal is South American in origin, I would suggest serving it with corn tortillas, beans, and fresh fruit.  (Consequently, I served cucumbers, steamed broccoli, and rice.  Not a good pairing and way too much green).

Chimichurri
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

Juice from 2 limes

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn

 

Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat, patted dry

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Lime juice, for drizzling
Italian parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

Combine garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, parsley, oregano, and lime juice in a blender. Add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Blend well and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry.

Reserve half of the chimichurri to serve and marinate the pork with the rest.

Put the pork and marinade in a sealable plastic bag and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Don’t over-marinate.

Preheat an outdoor charcoal grill or oven broiler to high. Remove the pork from the marinade, wiping off any excess. Season both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill the pork on the hottest part of the barbecue for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until well charred. Allow the tenderloin to rest for about 5 minutes prior to slicing.

Spoon some chimichurri over the meat, drizzle with lime juice, garnish with parsley, and serve with the remaining sauce.

Thai-Style Chicken Salad

(Yes, this is my veryown picture, although the store was out of bean sprouts.)

It's just too darn hot to turn on the oven, especially in my non-airconditioned home.  Thus I am getting creative with my cooking-- veering away from the five things I usually cook.  This recipe is from Great Food Fast (Martha Stewart Living) and I found it to be very refreshing.  Patrick wasn't too fond of the mint, which he found overpowering, but the marinade/dressing is delicious.

1/2 c. fresh lime juice (fresh orange juice would also be delicious, but obviously, omit the sugar)
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. sugar
6 T. veg. oil (I used olive)
1/4-1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 boneless rib-eye steakes (8 oz. and 1/4 inch thick)
3-4 medium carrots (I used 1)
1 med. head romaine lettuce, cut
1 c. fresh bean sprouts. 
1/2 c. mint leaves (parsley would also be good)
1/2 c. salted peanuts, chopped

Make marinade in a medum bowl, wisk together lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and oil.  Season steakes generously with salt and pepper and place in baking dish (or plastic ziploc bag-- they work wonderfully for marinating). Pour 1/2 of marinade over steaks and reserve the rest to use as a dressing.  Let them marinate for 30 min.

In a large skillet, cook the steaks and medium high heat, turning every 2-3 min (I let the marinade start to caramelize and oh my, so delicious).  Steaks will be medium rare.  Transfer to aluminum foil and let sit for 5-10 min before cutting into strips.   Cut carrots into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler.  (The recipe suggests tossing all ingredients in a big bowl, but I made each salad individually.  My brother David claims that when the dressing is pre-tossed into the salad it "takes away his freedom to choose".)

best snickerdoodles

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cream together butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
3. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake 8-10 minutes.

8 minutes was perfect in my oven. It's important not to cook them too long, otherwise they'll turn hard. Mine were super soft; I also made my dough balls really big and they turned out fabulous.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

(From allrecipes.com)
This is excellent.  I've had it with chicken, but I've also made it using a pork loin.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.
1-12 oz bottle barbeque sauce (my favorites are Sweet Baby Ray's and KC Masterpiece)
1/2 c. italian salad dressing (I used half a pack of the dry italian dressing mix)
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in a slow cooker.  Mix barbecue sauce, dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour over chicken.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low.  Shred and serve on buns.

Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms

From Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

I guess I'm getting desperate for some decent Mexican because it's hard to come by in Southeastern Alabama.  This is the first recipe I tried out of my new cookbook.  Let me just say that the verde sauce (although it made way too much and I'll half it next time) was delicious.  Patrick and I both agreed that the mushrooms were too strong and we'll do without them in the future.


3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 serreno chiles, seeds removed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
3/4 c. cilantro
10-12 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered
8 oz. mushrooms (We didn't like this addition)
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced (I used a yellow one)
2-3 c. spinach
1 c. shredded cooked chicken
salt
12 corn tortillas
2 T. Mexican crema (we used sour cream)
1 t. sugar (optional)
Crumbled Mexican queso fresco (Couldn't find this so we used whatever shredded variety was in the fridge)

Using a food processor, combine garlic, chiles, tomatillos and cilantro.  Process until smooth.  Add a bit of oil to a sauce pan and heat green sauce stirring constantly, until it has reached the consistency of thick tomato sauce (about 7 min).  Rick says: "The more you heat the base, the richer and sweeter the sauce will be." Add chicken broth and simmer over medium heat for about 10 min. to blend the flavors.  Stir in the sour cream and taste to season with salt.  If the sauce is tart, add sugar (mine was).

Meanwhile, heat mushrooms and spinach in a bit of oil until both are limp.  Then add onions and cook until translucent. Add shredded chicken. (I do think this mixture was a bit dry.  It would benefit from a little sauce added in just before making enchiladas.)
Dip corn tortillas in green sauce and heat them on a skillet until they are soft and pliable.  Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture, roll (leave seam facing down).  Just before serving, cover with a liberal amount of green sauce and top with queso fresco.

Santa Fe Chicken Tostadas

Corn Tortillas
2-4 chicken breasts (I used 2 and we had left-overs)
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup chunky salsa (I used the homemade variety, but any type works)
1/2 can corn, drained
(note:  all spices are optional and my addition to the recipe)
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander (optional)
1/2-1 t. red or chili pepper powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4-1/2 lime juiced

Garnish:
Romaine, guacomole, sour cream, cheese

Boil chicken and shred.  Place in frying pan with a bit of olive oil.  Stir in beans, corn, spices and salsa.  Bring to boil and remove from heat.  Broil the corn tortillas until hard (you will have to flip them over).  Serve chicken atop tortillas with garnishes of your desiring.

Pound Cake

If you're not sure what a pound cake is, think strawberry shortcake but soooo much better.  Sara Lee actually does a decent frozen pound cake, but it pales in comparison to this one.  In terms of cooking, it can either be separated into two bread pans (I usually freeze one, uncooked), or one bundt pan.  It is delicious eaten warm with strawberries and whipped cream.

Note:  eggs, butter, and cream cheese all need to be at room temp, so leave them on the counter for a bit.

Pound Cake
1 pkg. cream cheese
1-1/2 c. butter (yes, 3 whole cubes)
6 eggs
3 C. sugar
3 C. flour
2 t. vanilla

Cream together butter and cream cheese, beat in eggs, sugar, flour, and vanilla.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 min or until a knife comes out of the center clean.

chinese chicken salad, please!

dressing:
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon hot chile paste
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
*dressing is pretty thick, I add a little juice from the mandarin oranges to thin it.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
16 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers, shredded
4 cups romaine lettuce - torn, washed and dried
shredded carrots
1 bunch green onions, chopped

*I hardly ever use green onions or the wonton wrappers, but I almost always add corn and mandarin oranges

To prepare the dressing, whisk together the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili paste, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil.
Grill or broil chicken until cooked, slice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large shallow pan and arrange shredded wontons in a single layer. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, wontons, lettuce, carrots and green onions. Toss with dressing and serve.

My Favorite Kitchen Tools

Admittedly, I love to cook.  This fact has necessitated better cooking tools, and let me just say, it makes ALL the difference.  Invest.  You won't know how you lived without them.
  (My apologies on the formatting of this.  New Blogger is not very cooperative).

The Garlic Press

Mine is from The Pampered Chef.  Note:  If you put it through the dishwasher, don't run the dry cycle because it is hard on the finish.  I use garlic in almost everything and it's so cheap if you buy it in the produce section.  Plus, you CAN'T beat the flavor of fresh garlic.  So much better than the powder.

Meat Mallet

I got mine at T.J. Maxx for under $5.  Make sure you get a metal one, the plastic ones just don't suffice.  I pound out all my chicken breasts, yes every one, and here is why. They are just too darn thick!  If you pound them out they are more tender, it seems like you have more meat, and it cooks more quickly.  Using a meat mallet is essential if you are grilling.  There's nothing worse than eating a big thick piece of chicken. As an aside: no, I don't know this fellow but I couldn't pass up using this swell picture.

 A couple of good knives:
I have one from The Pampered Chef and two made by Wusthof.  They were an investment but so worth it.  They make cutting so much easier.

Amazing Chex Mix

My friend Mandy makes this and we request it for every gathering.  It is soooooo good.  Kind of reminds me of cereal treat with a twist.  Not a low calorie food, but great for a party.

1 box of golden grahams


1 box chex cereal

3 cups of shredded coconut

2 cups of cashews (I think it would be delicious with almonds)

mix together in a large bowl

2 1/2 cups of sugar

2 1/4 cups of karo syrup

3 cubes of butter

boil together for 4 min

remove from heat and add

2 1/4 tsp vanilla

pour over chex mixture and mix until coated. place ingredients spread out on wax paper to cool.

warning it makes a ton!