I have received a request for my chicken soup recipe. Alas, I cannot take credit for this delicious and incredibly useful recipe, as it is by Pam Anderson, from her book Perfect Recipes for Having People Over. In name-dropping mode, I am proud to report that in the Six Degrees of Separation game I am only two degrees of separation from Pam, as I know at least two people who are former parishioners of her husband, one of whom, a great lady in her own right, called her "a great lady." You will surely agree when you try her soup or other recipes. :-)
Pam Anderson's Chicken Noodle Soup
2 quarts chicken broth (I use Swanson Natural Goodness or reduced sodium)
1 store-bought roast chicken, meat picked from bones and pulled into bite-size pieces, bones and skin reserved
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, cut into medium dice
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half-rounds, depending on size
2 large celery stalks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 cups egg noodles (the very wide "homestyle" noodles are particularly nice for this)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup frozen green peas (optional)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional but good)
salt and pepper
Bring broth and 4 cups water to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add reserved chicken bones and skin, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until bones release their flavor, about half an hour. Strain broth into a large bowl; discard bones and skin. (At this point, if you have time, you can chill the soup and discard fat; because this is a chicken soup for when I'm in a hurry, I usually use my trusty fat separator.)
Return pot to burner set on medium-high. Add oil, then onions, carrots, and celery, and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and broth and bring to a simmer.
Add noodles and thyme. Simmer until tender (according to noodle package directions). Stir in peas and parsley, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy.
Now this is very definitely not Jewish chicken soup, and as I am an authentic Jewish mother, I have my own way of making chicken soup. And I don't usually make it like my own Jewish mother, although her soup is superlative. She uses more carrots and far less green stuff and ends up with a nicely golden soup. Mine has a greenish tint, I'm afraid, but I like it.
Jewish chicken soup is usually served as a clear broth with matzo balls or noodles, perhaps with a couple of slices of carrot floating in the soup for color. You can make very good matzo balls by following the instructions on a box of matzo meal. It's important to refrigerate the dough for exactly as long as directed.
Florence's Jewish Chicken Soup
1 chicken, plus any extra necks/wings/giblets you may have saved (I keep a bag in the freezer)
3 large carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
1 or 2 parsnips, peeled and cut in chunks
2 celery stalks, cut in chunks
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly crushed (optional)
1 bunch parsley, washed
1 small bunch dill or half a large bunch, washed
Place the chicken in a stockpot and cover it with water by about an inch (2 to 3 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer and skim away the proteinaceous scum that has risen to the top. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and several grinds of pepper or a few peppercorns, then add all the vegetables, lay the bunches of herbs on top, partially cover, and cook until the chicken is well-done (joints very loose), maybe 45 to 60 minutes (not sure of timing, alas).
Remove the chicken from the pot. Allow it to cool enough to handle, then remove the best meat (breasts, legs) and return the bones and the rest to the pot. Cook two more hours. (Alternatively, you can cook the whole chicken longer and skip this part, but the chicken will be really overcooked and less usable. To get a flavorful broth and a whole usable chicken from a supermarket bird, you have to start the soup with half chicken broth/half water.)
Strain the broth twice, the first time just to get out all the cooked bones and veggies and the second time carefully, through a fine strainer or a double layer of cheesecloth.
Remove fat, either by chilling or with a fat separator. Correct seasonings and serve with matzo balls or noodles (the noodles can be cooked in the broth if you like, but matzo balls are best cooked separately in salted water). Enjoy.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Jack-o'-lantern soup
(Cautionary note: We didn't carve our jack-o'-lanterns until Halloween, and I brought them in for cooking the next day. I also cut away the inner layer that was presumably contaminated by burning candle wax.)
Remove flesh from your pumpkin, and cook it however you like (oven, microwave, stovetop). My technique was to put the pumpkin in my soup pot with about an inch of water. When the water was gone and the pumpkin was beginning to caramelize, it was also perfectly done.
Mash your pumpkin (you will need 3-4 cups mashed, or use canned pumpkin, which is better and easier but will not make you feel as virtuous in the preparation).
In a soup pot, melt a tablespoon of butter and saute an onion, a stalk of celery, and an apple (all diced fairly small) until they are soft. Add your pumpkin and 3-4 cups chicken broth. (I used a can of chicken broth and a cup of water, but the soup was a little thick.) Also stir in 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, along with salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper). Cook gently a few more minutes, then puree soup with immersion blender to desired texture. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and reheat if necessary, but do not boil.
Remove flesh from your pumpkin, and cook it however you like (oven, microwave, stovetop). My technique was to put the pumpkin in my soup pot with about an inch of water. When the water was gone and the pumpkin was beginning to caramelize, it was also perfectly done.
Mash your pumpkin (you will need 3-4 cups mashed, or use canned pumpkin, which is better and easier but will not make you feel as virtuous in the preparation).
In a soup pot, melt a tablespoon of butter and saute an onion, a stalk of celery, and an apple (all diced fairly small) until they are soft. Add your pumpkin and 3-4 cups chicken broth. (I used a can of chicken broth and a cup of water, but the soup was a little thick.) Also stir in 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, along with salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper). Cook gently a few more minutes, then puree soup with immersion blender to desired texture. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and reheat if necessary, but do not boil.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Butternut squash lasagna
This was a hit at a potluck last night. I typed it up for the recipe requesters, and present it here for your pleasure.
Note that this is a more time-consuming dish than my usual, but worth the effort when you feel like spending a couple of hours messing around in the kitchen. And, although it is by no means a light dish, it does not weigh on the stomach the way the usual ricotta-based lasagna does.
I got it from http://mikes-table.themulligans.org/2009/10/15/butternut-squash-and-sausage-lasagna/ and made some small changes.
I think it would also be good (although no longer very "Italian") with breakfast-type sausage and a different cheese combination.
Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagna
1 lb. Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb. sausage (1 ½ lb would be a better amount; I used Martin’s mild Italian turkey sausage)
1 bunch chard (a bag of spinach or box of chopped frozen spinach would work)
1 bag (8 oz) shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend – I used Four Cheese blend)
Shredded/grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese for topping (I used straight-from-the-supermarket shredded Parmesan)
Squash sauce:
1 medium butternut squash (could have been two)
½ head garlic (I roasted the whole thing but used half)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 leek (an onion could easily be substituted for the leek and shallot)
1 shallot
1 small red bell pepper
1 carrot
about ¼ cup white wine
3-4 cups chicken stock (I used 2 cans Swanson Natural Goodness broth)
2 tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried thyme
few dashes cayenne red pepper
Béchamel sauce:
2/3 stick of butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups whole milk (warmed)
4 eggs (room temperature)
2/3 cup Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese (I used same old Parmesan)
Salt and pepper to taste (I used a scant teaspoon of salt and about ¼ tsp pepper)
¼ - ½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg (or probably ¼ tsp ground nutmeg)
1) Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds and fibers. Rub with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place (cut side up) in a shallow baking pan. Cut a little of the top off the head of garlic, rub it with olive oil, and put it in same pan. Roast at 400F for about 45 minutes; remove garlic, then continue roasting about 15 minutes more until squash is very tender (test with fork).
2) When squash is done, dice shallot, leek, pepper, and carrot. Sauté in a little olive oil in a large pot until fairly soft. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and chicken broth. Add the garlic flesh, the roasted squash (minus its skin), the sage, thyme, and cayenne. Simmer the sauce for 15-30 minutes, then puree it (roughly) with an immersion blender.
3) At the same time (or before), sauté the sausage (in a little olive oil, if needed). Chop the chard (I included the stems) and add it to the sausage when it is mostly done; cook together until sausage is well done and chard is completely wilted down.
4) Melt the butter in a 3-qt saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Whisk in the milk. Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat.
5) In another bowl, beat the eggs with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Very slowly, pour the eggs into the white sauce, whisking constantly. Whisk in the 2/3 cup Parmesan.
6) In a large pan, layer as follows (bottom to top):
About 1 cup squash sauce
4 lasagna noodles
1/3 remaining squash sauce (about 1 ½ cups)
1/3 sausage/chard mixture
2 cups béchamel
4 lasagna noodles
1/3 squash sauce
1/3 sausage/chard
2 cups béchamel
4 lasagna noodles
1/3 squash sauce
1/3 sausage/chard
2 cups béchamel
4 lasagna noodles
The rest of the bechamel (about 1 ½ cups)
Shredded Parmesan (a couple of handfuls)
7) Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 50 minutes, then uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more, until bubbly and beginning to brown. Let it sit for at least half an hour before serving.
Note that this is a more time-consuming dish than my usual, but worth the effort when you feel like spending a couple of hours messing around in the kitchen. And, although it is by no means a light dish, it does not weigh on the stomach the way the usual ricotta-based lasagna does.
I got it from http://mikes-table.themulligans.org/2009/10/15/butternut-squash-and-sausage-lasagna/ and made some small changes.
I think it would also be good (although no longer very "Italian") with breakfast-type sausage and a different cheese combination.
Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagna
1 lb. Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb. sausage (1 ½ lb would be a better amount; I used Martin’s mild Italian turkey sausage)
1 bunch chard (a bag of spinach or box of chopped frozen spinach would work)
1 bag (8 oz) shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend – I used Four Cheese blend)
Shredded/grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese for topping (I used straight-from-the-supermarket shredded Parmesan)
Squash sauce:
1 medium butternut squash (could have been two)
½ head garlic (I roasted the whole thing but used half)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 leek (an onion could easily be substituted for the leek and shallot)
1 shallot
1 small red bell pepper
1 carrot
about ¼ cup white wine
3-4 cups chicken stock (I used 2 cans Swanson Natural Goodness broth)
2 tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried thyme
few dashes cayenne red pepper
Béchamel sauce:
2/3 stick of butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups whole milk (warmed)
4 eggs (room temperature)
2/3 cup Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese (I used same old Parmesan)
Salt and pepper to taste (I used a scant teaspoon of salt and about ¼ tsp pepper)
¼ - ½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg (or probably ¼ tsp ground nutmeg)
1) Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds and fibers. Rub with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place (cut side up) in a shallow baking pan. Cut a little of the top off the head of garlic, rub it with olive oil, and put it in same pan. Roast at 400F for about 45 minutes; remove garlic, then continue roasting about 15 minutes more until squash is very tender (test with fork).
2) When squash is done, dice shallot, leek, pepper, and carrot. Sauté in a little olive oil in a large pot until fairly soft. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and chicken broth. Add the garlic flesh, the roasted squash (minus its skin), the sage, thyme, and cayenne. Simmer the sauce for 15-30 minutes, then puree it (roughly) with an immersion blender.
3) At the same time (or before), sauté the sausage (in a little olive oil, if needed). Chop the chard (I included the stems) and add it to the sausage when it is mostly done; cook together until sausage is well done and chard is completely wilted down.
4) Melt the butter in a 3-qt saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Whisk in the milk. Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat.
5) In another bowl, beat the eggs with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Very slowly, pour the eggs into the white sauce, whisking constantly. Whisk in the 2/3 cup Parmesan.
6) In a large pan, layer as follows (bottom to top):
About 1 cup squash sauce
4 lasagna noodles
1/3 remaining squash sauce (about 1 ½ cups)
1/3 sausage/chard mixture
2 cups béchamel
4 lasagna noodles
1/3 squash sauce
1/3 sausage/chard
2 cups béchamel
4 lasagna noodles
1/3 squash sauce
1/3 sausage/chard
2 cups béchamel
4 lasagna noodles
The rest of the bechamel (about 1 ½ cups)
Shredded Parmesan (a couple of handfuls)
7) Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 50 minutes, then uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more, until bubbly and beginning to brown. Let it sit for at least half an hour before serving.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Buffalo chicken pizza
I sometimes take my children to Ceci's pizza buffet. The food is pretty awful, but it's cheap and pleases the kids. Julia took a liking to their Buffalo chicken pizza, so I made my own version at home the other day.
Our supermarket sells fresh pizza dough. You can substitute Boboli or whatever you like for the base.
In this case, I prebaked the crust on a lightly oiled cookie sheet for 5 minutes at 475 degrees F. I topped it with Marie's light blue cheese dressing, probably about a cup. For the next layer, I melted 2 Tbsp butter and mixed in 1/4 cup hot sauce. This was not Tabasco, but rather from an aging bottle of Crystal hot sauce, which is less powerful...adjust to your own taste). To this, I added about a cup of leftover cooked chicken. A little more would have been better. I spread this over the blue cheese dressing, then topped the pie with mozzarella cheese and baked it for 15 more minutes.
I think some chopped celery might be nice on this, or maybe some very thinly sliced tomato, but daughter rejected these ideas. I put a little red onion on part of it before baking, which was good.
Next I need to figure out how to make a slightly healthier version of the Buffalo chicken cheesesteak from Hoagie Haven in Princeton. If I use the Marie's light blue cheese dressing and those good Bell and Evans breaded chicken cutlets and make sure to get bread from Italian Peoples Bakery (that's what Hoagie Haven uses), I may achieve something that will please the daughter without putting too many excess pounds on her.
Our supermarket sells fresh pizza dough. You can substitute Boboli or whatever you like for the base.
In this case, I prebaked the crust on a lightly oiled cookie sheet for 5 minutes at 475 degrees F. I topped it with Marie's light blue cheese dressing, probably about a cup. For the next layer, I melted 2 Tbsp butter and mixed in 1/4 cup hot sauce. This was not Tabasco, but rather from an aging bottle of Crystal hot sauce, which is less powerful...adjust to your own taste). To this, I added about a cup of leftover cooked chicken. A little more would have been better. I spread this over the blue cheese dressing, then topped the pie with mozzarella cheese and baked it for 15 more minutes.
I think some chopped celery might be nice on this, or maybe some very thinly sliced tomato, but daughter rejected these ideas. I put a little red onion on part of it before baking, which was good.
Next I need to figure out how to make a slightly healthier version of the Buffalo chicken cheesesteak from Hoagie Haven in Princeton. If I use the Marie's light blue cheese dressing and those good Bell and Evans breaded chicken cutlets and make sure to get bread from Italian Peoples Bakery (that's what Hoagie Haven uses), I may achieve something that will please the daughter without putting too many excess pounds on her.
Salmon teriyaki
This one was a winner (i.e., my husband really liked it). I wanted to use up some more greens - baby bok choy this time - and thought salmon would go well alongside.
Sauce: 2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce (I had all these, but I think sherry + sugar + soy sauce would work fine, as would bottled teriyaki sauce)
You're really supposed to cook them together a bit, but I didn't bother. I removed the skin from some salmon fillet (about 1 1/2 lb.) then sliced it about an inch thick (not necessary, but I didn't take long marinating the fish, so wanted more sauce on it). I put it in the sauce for a few minutes, then quickly sauteed it in a nonstick pan with a drop of peanut oil. Then I put the fish on a plate, dumped the rest of the sauce in the pan, and cooked it down until it was a bit syrupy. I poured that over the fish. Quick and good.
The "correct" way to do it would have involved cooking the sauce down a bit to start, marinating the fish longer, and brushing the fish with sauce while it cooked.
The huge bag of baby bok choy cooked down to a reasonable amount as well. I sauteed two minced cloves of garlic in a bit of peanut oil (same pan as the fish but before I cooked the fish), then added the bok choy and a little chicken broth and soy sauce (probably 1/4 cup broth and a tablespoon of sauce). I covered the pan and let it cook down until the veggies were wilted and tender. Delicious.
Some rice to go with, and you have a very nice and easy meal.
Sauce: 2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce (I had all these, but I think sherry + sugar + soy sauce would work fine, as would bottled teriyaki sauce)
You're really supposed to cook them together a bit, but I didn't bother. I removed the skin from some salmon fillet (about 1 1/2 lb.) then sliced it about an inch thick (not necessary, but I didn't take long marinating the fish, so wanted more sauce on it). I put it in the sauce for a few minutes, then quickly sauteed it in a nonstick pan with a drop of peanut oil. Then I put the fish on a plate, dumped the rest of the sauce in the pan, and cooked it down until it was a bit syrupy. I poured that over the fish. Quick and good.
The "correct" way to do it would have involved cooking the sauce down a bit to start, marinating the fish longer, and brushing the fish with sauce while it cooked.
The huge bag of baby bok choy cooked down to a reasonable amount as well. I sauteed two minced cloves of garlic in a bit of peanut oil (same pan as the fish but before I cooked the fish), then added the bok choy and a little chicken broth and soy sauce (probably 1/4 cup broth and a tablespoon of sauce). I covered the pan and let it cook down until the veggies were wilted and tender. Delicious.
Some rice to go with, and you have a very nice and easy meal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)