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Chicken Tomato Soup

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I don’t usually make hot food in the summer, unless it’s on a bbq.  But I had some tomatoes that needed to be used and some chicken breasts to cook.  I thought I would make chicken and rice with a tomato stew, but it quickly turned into a beautiful soup.   I threw in onions, carrots, mushrooms and some Mexican spices, along with the juice a lemon in for good measure.  It was easy and fun to make.  I love to let my instinct’s go and see where they take me.   I would add cilantro at the end but when I made this I didn’t have any.  But I will for the next batch!

 

 

Chicken Tomato Soup
Cuisine: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8 bowls
 
Easy weeknight dinner
Ingredients
  • 4 Chicken breasts, skin on, bone in
  • 1 Medium onion, chopped
  • 2 Carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • ½ Container of button mushrooms (more if you like mushrooms), sliced
  • 1 Potato chopped into squares
  • 6 Large vine ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 4 Cups homemade chicken stock
  • 1 Lemon, juiced
  • 1 Tbsp Olive oil, more if needed
  • 1 Tsp chile powder
  • 1 Tsp cumin
  • 1 Tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 Tsp Extra Bits from House of Zeta Hot Sauce
  • Salt & pepper
  • Cilnatro chopped for garnish
Instructions
  1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a dutch oven on medium heat
  2. Dry off the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper
  3. Place chicken skin side down for about 8-10 minutes
  4. Flip chicken over and turn down heat a little and cover with a lid.
  5. Cook till done.
  6. Set aside to cool
  7. Add onion on medium heat.
  8. Cook for a minute or two
  9. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes
  10. Add potato, cook for 5 minutes
  11. Next add carrots and cook for 5 minutes
  12. Add chile powder, cumin, taco seasoning and Extra Bits
  13. Add tomatoes and cook down on a low heat till they make a sauce
  14. If you like a spicy soup add more Extra Bits after tomatoes
  15. While that is cooking shred chicken breasts.
  16. When tomatoes have made a sauce add chicken stock, chicken and lemon juice
  17. Bring to a quick boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes till potatoes are fully cooked.
  18. Serve with brown rice at the bottom of bowls
  19. Garnish with cilantro

 

Chicken Pozole

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Chicken Pozole
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Chicken
  • ½ Red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 2 Carrots, search peeled and roasted
  • 2 Celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 Large can hominy
  • 1 Small tomato chopped or 10 cherry cut in half
  • 6-8 Cups chicken stock(use stock from boiling chicken)
  • 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • Cumin
  • Chili powder
  • Chipotle powder
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Red onion
  • Lime wedges
Instructions
  1. Boil chicken in water, salt, pepper and bay leaf
  2. When chicken is done remove and let cool, save water
  3. When chicken is cool to touch shred and set meat aside
  4. Use chicken water as stock
  5. Add bay leaf, garlic and spices, salt and pepper to taste
  6. Add carrots, celery, onion, tomato and hominy.
  7. Bring to a simmer
  8. When vegetables soften add chicken
  9. Add red bell pepper
  10. Add more spices to taste.
  11. When chicken is brought to temperature of soup your soup is done.
  12. Garnish with cilantro, red onion and lime wedge.
Notes
Roasting carrots before hand will give it a smokey flavor. You can also sauté the onions and add carrots, celery and tomatoes before adding chicken broth and use butter or olive oil to sauté vegetables

Pozole is total comfort food.  And with it being soup season,  the perfect hearty lunch or dinner.  So grab yourself some comfort and enjoy!

Chicken Pozole

Chicken Barley and Vegetable Soup

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I wasn’t going to do another chicken soup post, diagnosis but after requests for this recipe and some thought, diagnosis I realized that this is different then the last chicken soup I wrote about.  While I was writing, for sale I wondered how many versions of chicken soup must be out there?  I have at least 3 to 4 myself.   I will post more as they get remade or made for the first time.  Until then, here is another addition to the cannon of probably the most American soup out there.  I give you, my other chicken soup, which I will officially call; Chicken, barley and vegetable soup.

Chicken, Barley and Vegetable Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 lg onion or 3 small
  • 4 carrots
  • 4 ribs of celery
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 can of corn
  • 1 cup cooked barley
  • 2-3 bay leafs (1 or 2 if big)
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • Couple sprigs of Savory
  • 1 Tablespoon of garlic chives chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil
Instructions
  1. Chop onion, separate into thirds or if you have three small onions keep separated
  2. Peel and chop carrots
  3. Chop celery and zucchini.
  4. Open corn and drain liquid
  5. Sautée ⅓ or one of the small onions in olive oil, salt and pepper
  6. Salt and pepper both breasts in same pan as onions, on medium high heat place breasts skin side down
  7. Cook for a couple minutes, or until you get a good sear.
  8. Flip breasts over cover and cook on low till done.
  9. Check every once in a while to make sure they don't burn
  10. Meanwhile cook barley according to directions, minus 5-10 minutes - it will fully cook later when you add it to the rest of the soup.
  11. Once chicken is done set on a plate to cool
  12. You should have some good drippings left in the pan.
  13. Add another third of onions and a handful of carrots and celery and sautée
  14. When onion is translucent add this to your stock pot, along with broth and veggies
  15. When chicken has cooled off tear from bones (using the skin is up to you, I love it).
  16. Add chicken and barley to soup.
  17. Add savory and garlic chives to soup
  18. Bring to boil then lower to a slow simmer for about 10 minutes or until veggies are how you like and barley is done.

 

Curry Chicken Salad

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images

 

I love taking leftovers and reworking them into something else.  Fried chicken into chicken salad, symptoms roasted veggies into soup, order tortilla chips and salsa into chilaquiles con huevos and the list goes on.   I learned this from my father who would take the previous nights dinner and make it part of breakfast.  It was completely common to have spaghetti and eggs or enchiladas and eggs in the morning.  I have taken that one step further and turn leftovers not only into breakfast but lunch or dinner.  I know a lot of people do this especially if your a parent or a chef.  I find it to be a fun challenge and really get into it.  You may recall a posting where everything was round.  All leftovers.  If I’ve made you brunch or you’ve come over to a bbq, cure there is a good chance some part of it was a leftover.  My latest is was very simple.  Curried corn that had previously been grilled con on the cob.  I just cut the corn off the cob added curry powder, lime juice, red onion, a seeded jalapeno, salt, pepper and some melted butter.  Simple, easy and a crowd pleaser.
Chicke Curry Salad

The title says it all.  This is a very simple recipe and great in a salad, more about
in a wrap or a sandwich.  Perfect for that summer picnic.  It can also be kept in the fridge for days, so you can make it in advance.

Curry Chicken Salad
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 clove of garlic chopped
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 celery rib
  • 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • Sriracha
  • Curry powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
  1. Cut chicken in to small pieces set aside
  2. Chop celery set aside
  3. Chop onion
  4. Saute onion in frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil
  5. Add a little salt and pepper
  6. When onion starts to caramelize add chicken
  7. Add garlic
  8. Add curry powder(use as much or as little as you want).
  9. Add lemon juice.
  10. Cook till chicken is done(make sure it is done)
  11. Let chicken cool a little before continuing
  12. In a mixing bowl, add chicken, mayo, celery and Sriracha
  13. Sriracha- amount depends on how hot you like it
  14. Salt and pepper to taste
  15. Serve or store for later use
Notes
You can add other ingredients too. Like raisins or radishes or cucumbers. Go crazy!!! This can also be made with smoked paprika!

 

Good for What Ails You

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What Ails You Chicken Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 chicken
  • 1 bouquets garnis
  • 3-4 quarts of water (enough to submerge a chicken)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 ribs of celery
  • 3 carrots
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, diagnosis peeled and chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Take out bag of innards from chicken
  2. Rinse the chicken and take any extra feathers off
  3. Place in pot with water
  4. Add salt, information pills pepper, garlic and bouquets garnis
  5. Bring to boil, then lower heat to medium
  6. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes
  7. Meanwhile peel and cut carrots into ¼" slices, set aside
  8. Chop celery and onion, set aside
  9. When chicken is done remove and let stand and cool
  10. While chicken is cooling off put veggies in the broth
  11. Bring to boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes
  12. When chicken is ready to handle, peel the skin, chop it up and set aside
  13. Strip chicken of all meat, tear into desired size pieces, set aside.
  14. Add chicken and skin when veggies are done.
  15. Bring soup back to a slow simmer and serve.
Notes
You can add rice, noodles, or barley, just make sure you cook these before adding them. I like to cook them just under the desired time so they finish in the soup. Bouquets Garnis is Oregano, Thyme and Savory wrapped up in Bay Leaves tied with kitchen string. I use this in all my stocks and soups. It is a great time saver and adds the perfect amount of flavor. You can make these yourself or get them at http://www.oliviersandco.com/ or at one of their stores.

Image01052013152900 chickensoupstuff

Chicken broth and chicken soup are said to be good for what ails you.  So with the Flu being particularly bad this year, and Jason being struck down by it, I decided to make chicken soup.  Years ago I got a tip from a mother from Catalan Spain.  She said to boil a chicken with one or two cloves of garlic.   Strip the chicken of it’s meat and put back in the pot.  Then serve.  She also pointed out that the skin must be in there also.  It supposedly has healing properties.   Being one who does not argue with mothers, especially when they come from my ancestral homeland,  I nodded my head and said yes ma’am.  Of course I asked if I should add anything else?  Salt and pepper, nothing else was her short but firm answer.  Keep it simple, it’s what the body needs.  Well, if you know me, then you know I can’t help but tinker with a recipe.   I have added a few things, like bouquets garnis, onions, celery, carrots  etc.  I’ve also been known to throw in some ginger, barley, rice, cilantro and even alphabet noodles.   Now I understand the reasoning for keeping it simple, it makes sense, and I have made it that way and it is very good.  What I find when I am asked to make chicken soup  is that everyone has something special they like in it.  This last time was the alphabet noodles.  Whether you like it simple or complex, there is one thing that does seem to cure or at least make being sick bearable, that’s homemade chicken soup.  I feel the most important healing thing about making this soup isn’t just fresh ingredients, but the care that comes with it.  Maybe that’s what the healing properties are.

Enchiladas!!!!

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This wonderful heartwarming dish is the anchor in our comfort food week.  Originally from Mexico, adiposity in an area called Valley of Mexico, salve the practice of rolling meat(usually fish) in tortillas dates back to the Mayans.  But it was Hernan Cortes from Coyoacan who first shared this with Spanish Conquistadors, who gave the rolled maize it’s name, Tortilla.   The definition of enchilada is “a rolled maize tortilla stuffed with meat and covered in a tomato chile sauce”, according to the Real Academia Espanola.  Sound familiar?  Not much has changed.  For a while it was street food and consisted of tortillas dipped in chile sauce, not quite the same thing if you ask me.  To me making enchiladas is another family moment of  coming together sharing knowledge and enjoying a meal.   My dad would cook the chicken, and when it cooled we would tear the meat off it’s bones.  As a kid that was the fun part.  We would then grate the cheese and  chop the onions.   Eventually combining these with chopped black olives, to make the inside of our enchiladas.  We would then heat up the tortillas in oil and dip theme in sauce, fill with chicken mixture, roll them up, put them in the baking pan and wait for the goodness to cook.   I still make them the same way except the oil part.  Now I microwave the tortillas, it’s much quicker and makes for easier cleanup and added bonus, less fat.  Pair them with beans and rice and you have the makings of one of my all time favorite comfort foods.