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!
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
Boil chicken in water, salt, pepper and bay leaf
When chicken is done remove and let cool, save water
When chicken is cool to touch shred and set meat aside
Use chicken water as stock
Add bay leaf, garlic and spices, salt and pepper to taste
Add carrots, celery, onion, tomato and hominy.
Bring to a simmer
When vegetables soften add chicken
Add red bell pepper
Add more spices to taste.
When chicken is brought to temperature of soup your soup is done.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Take out bag of innards from chicken
Rinse the chicken and take any extra feathers off
Place in pot with water
Add salt, information pills pepper, garlic and bouquets garnis
Bring to boil, then lower heat to medium
Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes
Meanwhile peel and cut carrots into ¼" slices, set aside
Chop celery and onion, set aside
When chicken is done remove and let stand and cool
While chicken is cooling off put veggies in the broth
Bring to boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes
When chicken is ready to handle, peel the skin, chop it up and set aside
Strip chicken of all meat, tear into desired size pieces, set aside.
Add chicken and skin when veggies are done.
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.
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.
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.
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