Chicken Noodle Soup

Please read my Chicken Stock post before reading this one. This post is a continuation of that one. Thank you!



EVOO or Butter
1 Leek bottom white and lite green parts only - sliced and cleaned
2 Celery Ribs - cut into small pieces
Garlic - chopped
Ginger - chopped or grated
10 cups Chicken Stock
Fresh Parsley - chopped
2-3 Carrots - sliced
2 cups Chicken (cooked) - shredded or chopped
3/4 - 1 1/2 cups Noodles (depending on how noodlely you like your soup)
s/p



Heat the oil in a large pot.

Add your leeks and celery. Cook for two minutes.



Stir the garlic and ginger into the pot. Cook for another two minutes.



Carefully add the stock to the pot.



Bring the stock to a boil.

Chicken Stock

Tony was sick last week and requested chicken noodle soup. It's nice and light and good for your belly, even if you are feeling well.

I started by making chicken stock. I think that in a soup like chicken noodle where the broth is a star it's important to have a lot of flavor in the stock. When you make your own, you can add lots of vegetables. I use left over bits from previous meals. The same veggies that can be used in vegetable stock can be used in chicken stock. Use any that you have on hand. You also have better control over the amount of salt and fat that go into your own stock. But if you must, you can use a store bought one.



1 T EVOO
1 Onion - roughly chopped, peel on
3 Carrots - roughly chopped
4 Celery stalks - roughly chopped
6 Garlic cloves - crushed
Ginger trimmings (peel)
Bell Pepper trimmings (tops and bottoms)
Bay Leaf
s/p
1/2 Chicken* (1 leg, thigh, wing, breast, back, neck)
Water
Green tops of Leeks
Parsley stems
Rosemary stalks

*The neck, back bone, giblets, and wing tips are great for stock. I don't use the kidneys, liver, or heart. I removed the skin from the chicken before I cooked it to lower the fat that I'd have to skim out later. Always rinse your chicken in the sink under cold water, then pat it dry with a kitchen or paper towel. Remember to clean all surfaces that come in contact with raw chicken!

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a stock pot, or any large pot.

Add the next eight ingredients to the pot and sauté for a few minutes.



Salt and pepper the chicken and place it in your pot.



Fill the pot with water, be sure the chicken is covered.



Bring the water to a boil.

Lower the heat so that the stock will simmer and add the rest of the ingredients. (Your herbs and soft vegetables.)

Rosemary Skewered Shrimp

I took these little guys to my friends Alisha and Molly's dinner party. I served them with my Creamy Herb Dip. They were easy, tasty and very pretty! There were ten people at the party, so I only put one shrimp per rosemary stem. If you're cooking for more people, or have less rosemary to work with, add two or three shrimp per stalk.



Rosemary Skewers

You'll need a lot of thick rosemary steams. Clean and dry them. Then trim them, if needed.

Firmly hold the top of a rosemary stem between your fingers. Use your other hand to grab the bottom of the herb. Slid your fingers down away from the tip of the rosemary, removing the needle like leaves. You want to clear a space large enough for your shrimp to fit on it.

Set the skewers aside.

Chop the rosemary that you remove from the stalk and use it in the marinade, stalk, and dip.

Marinade

24 Shrimp - peeled and deveined (reserve the heads and shells)
1/5 cup Evoo
1 T Soy Sauce (I used gluten free)
Lemon Juice from 1/2 a lemon (reserve the squeezed lemon)
3 cloves Garlic - crushed and peeled
Black and White Pepper
Cayenne
Smoked Paprika
Thyme
Rosemary
Chives
Sugar
splash of White Balsamic Vinegar
splash of Water

Mix everything together in a bowl. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Creamy Herb Dip - Dressing

I made this for a dinner party appetizer of Rosemary Skewered Shrimp. The dip was great with the shrimp, and I have used the leftovers for lots of things since then.



2 c Mayo
1/2 c Buttermilk
8 oz Sour Cream
Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
2 T Fresh Chives - thinly sliced
2 T Fresh Parsley - chopped
2 T Fresh Rosemary - finely chopped
1 T Fresh Thyme
2 T Capers - drained and chopped
1/2 t Smoked Paprika
1/4 t Cayenne Pepper
1/2 t Garlic Salt
White Pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

Thyme for Biscuits

The smell of fresh bread is always a crowd pleaser. Biscuits are quick and easy, but still give you the same satisfaction as freshly baked bread.



1 Egg
2/3 c Cold Milk
2 c Flour
4 t Baking Powder
3 t Sugar
3/4 t Garlic Salt
2 t Fresh Thyme (leaves only)
dash White Pepper
1/4 c Shortening
1/4 c Cold Butter

Preheat oven to 450°.

In a small bowl, beat an egg and the cold milk together. Then place it in the fridge.

Mix the next six ingredients together in a bowl.

Rainbow Trout with Lemon and Herb

This trout was cooked on an indoor grill. An outdoor grill will work just as well. Be sure not to place the fish directly over the flames, so that the skin doesn't burn. You could also dust the fish's skin with flour and then cook it in a tablespoon or two of oil and/or butter, in a sauté pan.



This recipe is for one fish. I served it with half a lobster tail and pasta, it was the perfect amount for the two of us. If the people you're feeding have larger appetites, cook one fish per person.



1 pan-dressed Rainbow Trout
s/p
1 Green Onion (green part only) - sliced
1 stalk Oregano
2 slices of Lemon - cut in half
Cooking String (optional)
Melted Butter (optional)

Rinse the fish and pat it dry. Lay it flat, skin side down.



Season the trout with s/p.

Place half of the onions and oregano on one side of the fish.

Top the herbs with your lemon slices.



Add the rest of the onions and oregano on top of the lemon slices.

Vegetable Stock

People keep asking me how to make stock, but they just stare blankly at me when I tell them. So, here it is. Just as easy as I said it would be.

Vegetable stocks do not need to cook as long as meat ones. It only takes about half an hour to make a nice flavorful veggie stock.



Method:
1. Put all the veggies, bay leaf and sturdy (or dried) herbs in a pot.
2. Cover with water.
3. Season with s/p. Try different peppers; black, white, or red.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add tender herbs and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Taste. Add more s/p if needed.
8. Strain into a large bowl, pushing all of the liquid out of the veggies.
9. Throw the vegetables away.
10. Store or use your stock.

Polenta

Polenta is a simple dish made by cooking cornmeal in water. After it's cooked, you can add any flavors that you like to it. Fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese are traditional, but jalapeño and cheddar, or asparagus and lemon zest would also be great flavors to add. Let your imagination run free.

Instead of serving the polenta freshly cooked, you can chill it, slice it and then fry it up. Yumm! It will have a nice crispy fried outside that holds the creamy filling in. Fried polenta is great with any sauce and can be made without the flour coating for a gluten free dish. The polenta slices can also be grilled, if you're outside, or not into fried food.



Basic Recipe
6 C Water
2 t Salt
1 3/4 C Cornmeal
2 T Butter



Additions
Basil
White Pepper
Salt
Oil for frying

Bring water to a boil. Add salt.

Slowly pour in the cornmeal while continually whisking.



Once all of the meal is mixed in and there are no lumps, lower the heat.

Switch to a wooden spoon and stir often, cooking for 10-20 minutes.



The cornmeal will be cooked and thick when it's done. (Your spoon should leave a trail behind it in the pan.)

Finish with butter and your choice of seasonings. You can also add cheese or cream to the polenta, if serving it soft (not fried).



The polenta is now ready to eat, or you can continue on and make fritas.