Cooking today inspired me to share with you some of my family's favorite recipes. I'll just start off with two today and add more as I think of them. These are both pretty basic recipes and you can easily change them to suit to your taste. The first one is Chicken Soup, followed by a French bread recipe. You'll have to remember that some of my recipes make enormous amounts, but I do feed 6 people and three of those people are growing boys! It should be easy enough to adjust the recipes down if you need a smaller amount.
Chicken Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil (or any oil you prefer)
1/2 of an onion, chopped
top half of of a bunch of celery, chopped with the leaves
4 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. Thyme
1 Tbsp. Herbes de provence
2 Bay leaves
12 bone-in chicken thighs--skin removed
10 C. water
Chop onion, celery and carrots. For the celery, I just take a bunch, cut the top half off with the leaves, then chop it up. The leaves add a lot of flavor. While I'm chopping up the veggies, I heat up a stock pot on med. high heat. I add the oil once the pan is hot, then immediately add the veggies. Add about a tsp of salt to veggies and stir. Cook veggies until softened and the veggies have "sweated out". Add the garlic, herbs and bay leaves. Stir until veggies are coated with herbs. Add the chicken, then the water. Add about another tsp. of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool enough to take the chicken off the bone. Chop or tear the chicken pieces and return them to the soup mixture. Serve immediately.
Variations on Basic Chicken Soup
For Creamy Chicken Soup: Follow basic Chicken Soup Recipe. While chicken is cooling, whisk together 2 C. milk and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. Add milk mixture to boiling soup and stir together until combined. Boil for 1 -2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add chicken back into soup and serve.
For Chicken Tortilla Soup: Follow Chicken Soup Recipe through salt and pepper. Omit herbs and bay leaves. Add two cans of Ro-tel tomatoes, 1 can chopped green chilies, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 1 Tbsp. chili powder and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Add chicken and water and cook until done. When chicken is cooling, mix 1/2 C. cornmeal with 1 C. water and stir. Slowly whisk into boiling soup mixture and continue stirring and cooking for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir chicken into soup. Serve with tortilla chips, guacamole, cheese, cilantro or sour cream (optional)
For Chicken and Dumplings: Follow Basic Chicken Soup Recipe. While Chicken is cooling, mix together 2 C. flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 C. milk. Mix together. (Mixture will be very gooey) Drop by spoonfuls into boiling broth. Cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes. Add chicken back to mixture, remove from heat and serve.
A couple of notes:
I have used bone-in chicken breasts and boneless chicken breasts. They also make good soup, so if that is your preference, go for it. I prefer the thighs because they have a bit more flavor, but it won't make that much difference if you don't like dark meat.
I love using fresh herbs, but I rarely have them on hand, so I use dried herbs. Just remember that dried herbs tend to have stronger flavor, so don't over do it.
If you love garlic, add more! If you're not a fan of garlic, you can leave it out or you can chop the garlic coarsely The larger the pieces of garlic are, the less potent the flavor will be in your dish.
Super Fast French Bread
2 1/2 C. warm water (110 degrees)
2 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 T. oil
5 1/2 - 6 C. flour
Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until mixture is bubbly. Add salt, oil and flour. Mix in as much of the flour as you can. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until dough becomes soft and elastic. Place into a greased bowl (I used cooking spray) and cover with a warm, wet towel. Let sit in a warm and draft free place for about 15 minutes. Another option is to heat a bowl of water in the microwave for 2 minutes. Remove bowl of water and put the bowl with bread dough in the microwave. Let sit for about 15 minutes. (The heat and the moisture in the microwave make the dough rise very fast!) Divide dough in half and form two long loaves. With a sharp knife, make about 5 diagonal slits on each loaf. Place on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. Yummy!
Enjoy!
Chicken Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil (or any oil you prefer)
1/2 of an onion, chopped
top half of of a bunch of celery, chopped with the leaves
4 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. Thyme
1 Tbsp. Herbes de provence
2 Bay leaves
12 bone-in chicken thighs--skin removed
10 C. water
Chop onion, celery and carrots. For the celery, I just take a bunch, cut the top half off with the leaves, then chop it up. The leaves add a lot of flavor. While I'm chopping up the veggies, I heat up a stock pot on med. high heat. I add the oil once the pan is hot, then immediately add the veggies. Add about a tsp of salt to veggies and stir. Cook veggies until softened and the veggies have "sweated out". Add the garlic, herbs and bay leaves. Stir until veggies are coated with herbs. Add the chicken, then the water. Add about another tsp. of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool enough to take the chicken off the bone. Chop or tear the chicken pieces and return them to the soup mixture. Serve immediately.
Variations on Basic Chicken Soup
For Creamy Chicken Soup: Follow basic Chicken Soup Recipe. While chicken is cooling, whisk together 2 C. milk and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. Add milk mixture to boiling soup and stir together until combined. Boil for 1 -2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add chicken back into soup and serve.
For Chicken Tortilla Soup: Follow Chicken Soup Recipe through salt and pepper. Omit herbs and bay leaves. Add two cans of Ro-tel tomatoes, 1 can chopped green chilies, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 1 Tbsp. chili powder and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Add chicken and water and cook until done. When chicken is cooling, mix 1/2 C. cornmeal with 1 C. water and stir. Slowly whisk into boiling soup mixture and continue stirring and cooking for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir chicken into soup. Serve with tortilla chips, guacamole, cheese, cilantro or sour cream (optional)
For Chicken and Dumplings: Follow Basic Chicken Soup Recipe. While Chicken is cooling, mix together 2 C. flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 C. milk. Mix together. (Mixture will be very gooey) Drop by spoonfuls into boiling broth. Cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes. Add chicken back to mixture, remove from heat and serve.
A couple of notes:
I have used bone-in chicken breasts and boneless chicken breasts. They also make good soup, so if that is your preference, go for it. I prefer the thighs because they have a bit more flavor, but it won't make that much difference if you don't like dark meat.
I love using fresh herbs, but I rarely have them on hand, so I use dried herbs. Just remember that dried herbs tend to have stronger flavor, so don't over do it.
If you love garlic, add more! If you're not a fan of garlic, you can leave it out or you can chop the garlic coarsely The larger the pieces of garlic are, the less potent the flavor will be in your dish.
Super Fast French Bread
2 1/2 C. warm water (110 degrees)
2 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 T. oil
5 1/2 - 6 C. flour
Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until mixture is bubbly. Add salt, oil and flour. Mix in as much of the flour as you can. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until dough becomes soft and elastic. Place into a greased bowl (I used cooking spray) and cover with a warm, wet towel. Let sit in a warm and draft free place for about 15 minutes. Another option is to heat a bowl of water in the microwave for 2 minutes. Remove bowl of water and put the bowl with bread dough in the microwave. Let sit for about 15 minutes. (The heat and the moisture in the microwave make the dough rise very fast!) Divide dough in half and form two long loaves. With a sharp knife, make about 5 diagonal slits on each loaf. Place on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. Yummy!
Enjoy!
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