Soup's On!

Ahhhh, fall has finally hit the Great Plains after the longest, hottest summer on record!  I say, bring it on.  I'm ready for tumbling in autumn leaves, wearing boots and jackets, and eating steamy pots of soup.  Lately I have been slightly fixated on chicken noodles soup.  I'm not sick.  I'm not sad.  Maybe a little stressed but what else is new?  Anyway, it just sounded...good.  So today I hauled out the soup pot and started cooking.  Here goes:

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, mine was 1.2 pounds
1 box chicken stock
1 C water
1 lemon, halved
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 onion, halved and trimmed of ends
2 bay leaves
Several black peppercorns

Clean and trim chicken.  Add to pot with other poaching ingredients.  Poach gently on medium low for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove chicken to a large bowl and strain out solids from poaching liquid.  Reserve the onion and garlic, chop and add back to the pot with the other veggies.  Shred chicken with two forks and set aside.  Now onto the veggies!

2-4 large carrots, chopped, diced, sliced, whatever
4oz. white mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 small Fresno pepper, finely diced (this adds a nice fruity, mild spice to the dish)
Notice I did not use celery, 'cuz I don't like it.  Toss some in if you want to be "authentic."
Reserved chopped onion and garlic from poaching liquid


Add veggies to the pot and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Add chicken back in.  Add black pepper, paprika, and cumin.  While veggies are simmering, boil a pot of water and cook 6-8oz egg noddles.  Check seasonings  (you may need to add salt if you used unsalted stock).  Scoop noodles out of boiling water with a slotted spoon and add to soup.  It doesn't  matter if you get some noodle water, it is soup after all and the starchy water will add an extra consistency to the soup.  Cook, stirring, for a few more minutes until everything comes together.

Ladle into large soup bowls and top as desired (I used parmigiano reggiano and chopped chives) and serve with bread or crackers.  Mmmmm....mmmmm.....good!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Today just seemed like a soup day.  Perhaps because I found myself screaming at my children before 8 am.  Perhaps because my 2 year old ate the camera's memory card but not one of his Cheerios (so don't expect any pictures here - my phone is not smart).  Perhaps just because it's Monday.  So, here is a "use your imagination on how yummy this looks" recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed, trimmed, patted dry, and cut into 1 inch cubes.
A good mix of your seasonings of choice - I used cumin, paprika, coriander, black pepper, oregano, and chili    powder.  I tend to heavily season the chicken here and then just let it seep into the broth.  Saves a step!
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1/2 a large or a whole medium red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped.  Yep, still using these beauties!
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies.  You can mix this up with whatever tomatoes you like.
1 can beans, drained and rinsed.  I used kidney but I really prefer black.
4-6 cups chicken stock or broth, boxed or homemade
6-8 green onions, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 lime
Cheese of choice (pepper jack for me...mmmmm)
Tortilla chips

Heat large dutch oven or soup pot to medium high heat with olive oil.  Season chicken liberally and brown in pot.  Remove chicken and add veggies, except garlic.  Stir and cook veggies until semi-browned (about 6-8 minutes), then add garlic.  Stir and cook a minute or two more.  Then add canned tomatoes, beans, liquid, bay leaf, and half of the green onions.  Bring to a boil, check seasonings, then turn to low and let simmer for 1 hour.

When soup is ready, ladle into a bowl.  Mix the remaining onions and fresh tomato with the juice of half a lime and sprinkle over the top of soup.  Add cheese, maybe a "dollop of Daisy" and crumbled tortilla chips.  Avocado would be super yummy too.  Or cilantro, if your husband doesn't have cilantro hang-ups, which mine does.  Or jalapeno if you really want to get wild.  Really, the possibilities are endless!  Yummy for the tummy and the heart.  Again, a picture would be fabulous but not today.  Sigh....

Turkey, turkey, turkey...

A few weeks ago turkeys were on sale at my local grocery store and for some reason, I bought one. Even though I tried to buy the smallest one available, I still ended with a big ol' bird for one little family! So, here is my three days of turkey, just in case you are a sucker for a sale like me.

DAY 1

Turkey Brine:
6 Cups water
1 Cup sea salt
1/4 Cup brown sugar
Small handful of peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 lemon

Bring water to a boil in large stockpot and add remaining ingredients.  Cook a few minutes until salt and sugar has absorbed.  Cool completely with ice or very cold water.  Drop turkey in (you can use an ice chest if turkey is very large), and brine for at least 6 hours or overnight.  Rinse brined turkey and pat dry.

For turkey:
Preheat oven to 350
In a small bowl, mix 3-4 T butter, a few minced cloves of garlic, pepper, herbs de provence, and additional fresh minced rosemary and parsley (use the Italian kind).  Gently tug up skin around bird and tuck smears of butter under skin (yes, it's messy...get over it).  Rub remaining butter mix and extra pepper over bird.  Shove some aromatics up the bird's cavity (I like to say a little apology first).  I typically use a cinnamon stick, 1/2 an apple, and 1/2 an onion but you can also use lemon, fresh thyme, bay leaves, anything that will add yummy flavor and aroma.  Roast turkey at 350 for 30 minutes, then knock back temp to 325 and roast an additional 3-4 hours for a small bird (8-10 pounds). Take out of oven, check for doneness, and let rest 30 minutes before carving. 
I served this with good old Stovetop Stuffing and a green salad.

DAY 2

Turkey sandwiches!  Done!!!

DAY 3

Turkey Noodle Soup:

Drop what's left of the bird back into stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to low simmer and cook several hours with more bay, peppercorns, herbs, lemon, and sea salt.  If you have time, cool completely as this makes skimming fat easier.  Strain stock back into pot.  Pick remaining meat off of turkey and add to stock (also messy and something I swore I would never do...sigh).  Add your choice of veggies.  Carrots, celery, and onion would be traditional but I don't dig the celery.  I like carrot, sliced mushrooms, green onions, and a bit more garlic, all sauteed for extra color and flavor.  Add to soup and simmer with extra herbs de provence, pepper, and a rind of parm. cheese if you've got one.  Cook for about an hour, then add 1/2 bag of egg noodles and cook until noodles are desired tenderness. 

Yes, it's a process, but most of it is just occasionally babysitting something on the stove or in the oven.  And, you've got at least three days of food.  Granted, you might never want to see a turkey again, but it's tasty while you've got it! 

A nice, steamy pot of soup

Potato and Chorizo Soup 1 8oz stick of Spanish-style chorizo, chopped 1 lb red skinned potatoes, cubed 1 cup carrots, sliced 1 medium onion or 2 leeks, chopped 1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 cup spicy red wine, such as zinfandel or shiraz 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 box unsalted chicken stock 1 rind parmaggiano reggiano 1 bay leaf cracked pepper Extra grated parm and chopped parsley for topping In deep soup pot or dutch oven, brown chorizo in 1 T olive oil until it is crispy and some of the fat has rendered off. Drain meat in a bowl lined with paper towels. Discard all but a thin layer of oil in pan and add veggies. Cook veggies several minutes or until they form some color. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up bits from bottom of the pot. Add everything else, stir, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 1-1 1/2 hours or until veggies are tender. Remove parm rind and bay leaf. Top individual bowls with extra cheese and parsley and serve with crusty bread. *Buy meat labeled Spanish or Italian chorizo in the deli or cured meats area. I should be a fully cooked product similar to salami or pepperoni. Mexican chorizo is raw, grey, and would be with the other raw meats. I'm sure it's wonderful, but it sort of frightens me and seems to have permanently scarred my sister when I was less clear to her about the ingredients!