Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup: The Italian Edition

Another edition of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, wishing you all good health this week. 

But,
if it where,
ever so slightly,
to creep in,
that creepy crud. 

I wish you fast healing with this soup packed with vitamin C and antibacterial properties.  The super C loaded secret is the Kale.  Also very specially undetected by all short ones under the age of 12.  Chop is so small they will just think it is parsley.  That is the powerhouse of this healing soup!  The oregano and garlic make this a germs worst enemy and will help your body fight off bacteria.   If you don't have noodles but have a can of white variety or garbanzo beans, save a trip to the store and add a can of drained and rinsed beans instead. 

I did not intend to originally post this recipe, it just ended up being so good that I had too share.  There are not many preparation photos.  If you are a visual person, see my 1st Edition of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup: The Cheatin' Edition for more prep photos. 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup: The Italian Edition
(AKA- Packed with Vitamin C Edition)
Print recipe here
4 TB pasture butter, divided
1 TB garlic, minced
1 pound free range organic chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (or leftover Faux-tisserie)
1 tsp celtic sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 C kale, chopped (about half a bunch)
1 ½ cup carrots, diced
1 TB dried oregano
1 TB dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried red pepper flakes
pinch of sugar
10 C low sodium chicken broth
2 C Reames frozen Homestyle Egg Noodles (or drained and rinsed can of white variety beans)

1. In a large soup pot, melt 2 TB butter and 1 TB garlic over medium heat, saute one minute and garlic is golden and fragrant.

2. Add bite size chicken, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Add another 2 TB butter, diced onions and carrots to pot and saute 5 minutes.

4. Pour in the chicken broth, mix in the chopped kale, oregano and parsley, thyme, red pepper flakes and sugar. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.

5. Turn heat to medium- low, add noodles and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, remove from burner or the noodles will become the size of your mattress! Add any more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

Top with fresh parmesan and crumbled pepperoni.  Dip with Grissini or any kind of breadsticks, Buon Appetito!



Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from: Saved by the Egg Timer: Original

Toffee Coffee Cake

It's another edition of the Cake Slice Baker's.  Today is the 20th of the month and I am glad to be back in with these bakers.  The original recipe for Laura Chattman's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake is here. 

Some things I changed to the original recipe: I eliminated the instant coffee granules because I did not have any on hand.  I am not the type of person to go to the store for one thing, partly because I will walk out with much more than one item, and also because I would never use instant coffee again and would be a waste.  There is always a solution, in this case a very good solution.  Brew some strong coffee.  I like real food, to me real coffee is real good and real food.

My favorite part of baking this cake, it smells like State Fair Mini Donuts! 

Toffee Coffee Cake
Print recipe here
1½ C white whole wheat flour, unbromated and unbleached
1½ tsp aluminum free baking powder
½ tsp celtic sea salt
½ C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened + 1 TB for greasing pan
1 C raw cane sugar, turbinado or brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ C organic heavy cream
½ C strong brewed coffee
½ C Heath baking bits or 2 Heath bars, chopped

For the Streusel
1 C Heath baking bits or 4 Heath bars, chopped
4 TB raw cane sugar, turbinado or brown sugar
4 TB white whole wheat flour, unbromated and unbleached
2 TB unsalted butter, softened
⅛ tsp celtic sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1 TB butter and pour into a 9 inch springform pan. Swirl butter around the pan until coated on bottom and all the way up the sides. Set aside.

2. Brew your coffee, measure out ½ cup amount and set aside to let cool until it is time for the coffee to make it’s entrance. Take the leftover brewed coffee, add a little Homemade Creamer and sip happily.

3. Prepare the topping by placing sugar, flour, butter and salt in a small bowl and smash with a fork until it forms little pebble size crumbs. Add the Heath bits and mix through. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

5. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, mix in just until combined. Pour coffee and cream over batter and mix on low until batter is same texture throughout. Spoon in the Heath bits and stir in.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Top with streusel, bake 55-60 minutes. Test with toothpick, when it is done you will pull out a clean toothpick with just a few crumbs. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from springform pan and slice to serve.

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:

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Chicken Cobbler Haute Dish

***We are now back to our regular scheduled posting***

When I posted the Cream of Anything Soup, I said the next post would include the cream soup....but then came Valentine's and I got distracted by large amounts of chocolate.  Here is the dinner dish that I intended to put up right after.  It is wholesome, yummy and comforting. 
To me it is little Midwest mixed with a little culinary sophistication all while using items that should already be in your kitchen.  It's a Hot Dish, it's a Casserole.  It's a Haute Dish Casserole!

Chicken Cobbler Haute Dish
Print recipe here
1 stick (1/2 C) unsalted butter, melted
4 C sourdough bread cubes
½ C parmesan cheese, grated
1 TB dried parsley
2 TB unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
½ C celery, diced
½ C carrots, sliced
1 C dry white wine
1 ½ C Homemade Cream Soup (or 1- 11 oz can cream of anything soup)
2-3 C cooked chicken (leftover Faux-tisserie Chicken works great!)
½ tsp celtic sea salt
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
½ tsp dried thyme

1. Toss 1 stick melted butter with bread cubes, parmesan cheese and parsley. Set aside.

2. Saute onions in 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Add celery and carrots and saute another 5 minutes.  (If your chicken is not cooked, precook bite sized chicken in same pan until no longer pink and then add in the veggies.)

3. Stir in wine, cream soup, chicken and seasonings. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until bubbly.

4. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased baking dish and top evenly with bread cube mixture.

5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. 



Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  As close as you can get... and Southern Living.

White Hot Cordial Cocoa for Two

Valentine's Day is here!  Whether you feel hot or cold about this day.  Warm up with a cup of Hot Cocoa for two and snuggle up with your loved ones. 

Be kind to your heart on Valentine's Day.  Cherries are good for your heart no matter how your heart feels on the V-Day.  Pure Cherry Extract is wonderful and flavorful, also offering reduction in heart disease by acting as an anti-inflammatory, full of anti-oxidants to kick the free radicals behind and premature aging out the door!  Treat yourself and your body to this wonderful mug of cordial cocoa! 

See the post here for other ways to use cocoa butter and how good it is for you. 
To see my love of the milk frother, visit this post! 

White Hot Cordial Cocoa for Two
Print recipe here
1 ½ C organic whole milk, almond milk or coconut milk
½ C heavy cream
2 TB raw cane sugar or 1 TB of pure maple syrup or 15 drops of stevia
1 ½ TB cocoa butter (make sure it is food grade)
2-4 TB pure cherry extract/ concentrate

1. Heat milk, cream, cocoa butter and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until starts to steam and cocoa butter is melted. Make sure sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat. Add the cherry extract, taste as you go until you reach a desired flavor.  To make light and frothy, use a milk frother to whip it in.  Pour into two mugs (or one large) and enjoy with someone you love.

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from: Saved by the Egg Timer: Original

Beurre Noisette Brownies (Browned Butter Brownies)

This got the Bon Apetit magazines best brownie.  I had to try it.  Perfect chocolate, chewy, fudgey and deep flavor from the browned butter.  A+ in my kitchen trials.  This is hands down going into My Favorite and My Best file.

Instead of walnuts I used pecans and dried cherries to fit this week of love and hearts and turned them into a Cherry Cordial Brownie.  I also love the fact that you use one pot to make these besides the pan.  Less mess is always a plus, the pan even stays clean from the foil.  This is a wonderful brownie just plain too.  I honestly don't know if I will ever try another brownie recipe.  They are just that good!  I am not kidding here, if you have a family favorite be prepared to cheat on your old recipe with this new one.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and weekend!  Being heart healthy has never been so easy or delicious!

See here for an extended How To: Beurre Noisette (Browned Butter) along with a wonderful muffin recipe.

Beurre Noisette Brownies (Browned Butter Brownies)
Print recipe here
10 TB (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 C raw cane sugar
3/4 C natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp celtic sea salt
2 eggs
1/3 C + 1 TB flour, unbromated and unbleached
1 C chopped nuts- walnuts, pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, etc.

1. Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with a little butter or spray.

2. Make your Beurre Noisette (Browned Butter) by melting butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often for about 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat; immediately add in sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot).

4. Add eggs to hot mixture one at a time, whisking vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

5. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean, about 25-35 minutes. (There will be some fudgey chocolate on the toothpick and will not be like checking a cake.)  Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into any size squares you desire.

Note:  To make these into Cherry Cordial Brownies like I did,
here are the substitutions: replace 2 teaspoons water with Organic Cherry Concentrate, replace 1 cup walnuts with 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup dried cherries. 
Simply divine and simply addictive!  I will never make a pan of these with no one around, it would be far too dangerous.  I could barely stop myself enough to bring them to share at a birthday dinner! 

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:   Bon Appetit 

Beef and Broccoli

Happy Chinese & Vietnamese New Year!  (including all other countries that celebrate this day too!)

My Chinese (year of the rabbit) New Year's Resolution will be:  to break you of the habit of bad Chinese take-out!  Not to be confused with good Chinese take-out.  There is a huge difference between the good, the bad and the very ugly of Chinese take-out.  I am sure you will agree.  Regardless, this will be the end of the road for the bad and very ugly for you. 

Go home and make your own very good Chinese take-out instead.  To make it more authentic, you are even allowed to eat on the coffee table in front of your television.

Let's start with a good basic.  This passes the test in my my house, not too hard either.  Once you get the steps down, it's just stirring everything in at the right time. 

Beef and Broccoli
Print recipe here
1 ½ lb. top sirloin or top round steak (Cut thin across grain)
2 heaping TB corn starch
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp. peanut oil
1 TB garlic, minced
¼ C water
¼ C soy sauce/ tamari
¼ C organic brown sugar
½ tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp chili garlic sauce (like this)
1 medium onion, sliced
1- 16 oz. bag frozen broccoli florets
¼ C peanut oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
fresh steamed jasmine rice

1. Slice meat thin (Kitchen Technique #7), put in bowl, sprinkle with cornstarch and mix in. Pour sesame oil over and mix to coat, set aside minimum of 10 minutes. This must be done first so the meat has time to tenderize with the starch.

2. Slice onion and set aside. Cook 1 whole bag of frozen broccoli for only half the cooking time on instruction, drain water and set aside. (If the bag states it will take 8 minutes to cook then only cook 4 minutes.)

3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in small sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant and golden. Add water, soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger, stir until sugar dissolves and slight boil for 2 minutes. Take off heat and stir in chili garlic sauce. (This amount does not make it very spicy.  Add to your taste or can add more over dish when plated and served.) Set sauce aside until later.

4. Add ¼ cup peanut oil to large frying pan or wok on high heat, add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant and golden. Add beef, stir fry until almost done and meat juices are coming out and thickening from corn starch. This time will depend on how thick you cut it. Add onion and broccoli, stir fry 2 minutes. Add sauce and stir fry 2 minutes, turn off heat and let bubble and thicken but careful not to overcook broccoli.

Serve over fresh steamed jasmine rice There will also be enough sauce for spooning over rice and trust me you will want to!  
 

良好的食物- Liánghǎo de shíwù,  meaning good food!

 

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:   Saved by the Egg Timer: Original

Smokey Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken Wings

*We interrupt the next post to bring you a Superbowl recipe.* 

I know the next post was supposed to include part of this yummy Cream of Anything Soup.  But, I made these last night and had to post for you immediately.  Just in case your looking for a wing recipe for Sunday or any day.   Perfect sweet, smokey, spicy ratio. 

Other great party serving ideas: tangy, beefy and manly sandwiches, this dressing for a fab wing, veggie and chip dip, everyone loves pizza, and a warm, smokey beans recipe that will wow.  All these can be prepared ahead of time too! 

Smokey Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken Wings
Print recipe here
3 ½ lb. family package chicken wings, split into wing and drummette
1- 10 oz. jar raspberry jelly/jam
4 oz. canned jalapenos, diced
4 TB (½ stick) unsalted butter
1-½ TB honey
1 TB apple cider vinegar
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp chipolte powder

1. Separate your chicken from whole wings to wings and drummettes, discard the tips. Add to a large bowl. Pour all ingredients over chicken and stir until thoroughly mixed together.

2. Place on foil lined baking sheet, drizzle sauce from bottom of bowl over the wings.

3. Place in a preheated oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 45-60 minutes until desired crispness is achieved.
 

Take another look...sooo good.

 

 
 
 

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  My Homemade Life