Chicken Noodle Soup

Around these here parts (lol), the flu is going around like crazy, and people are dropping like flies.  Literally.  My four older kiddos were all down for the count 2 weeks ago, and my sweet Gabriel only started to feel better last weekend.  Poor little guy!  After making homemade applesauce and letting the kids nosh on graham crackers and sprite for about a week, I decided to make a pot of soup.  I mean...who doesn't want chicken noodle soup when you're getting over the flu, right? 

I firmly believe good chicken soup starts with good stock, and that means cooking the chicken with the skin on and bone-in.  None of that "boneless, skinless chicken" stuff here!  You wanna make some hard core soup?  Stick with me...and we'll make a pot with a lot more flavor if you have the bones...all righty?  Trust me, there's nothing to it...just takes a wee bit more time.  

I used just chicken drumsticks (I had two big family sized packs in the freezer), but you can use a whole, cut up chicken, bone-in thighs, whatever you fancy.  Just please...for the love of heaven get you some chicken with bones in it...they sell cut up chickens right in the poultry case at the grocery store.  I promise...I saw some at my local Kroger just today.  ;-)

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (bone-in thighs, breasts, legs, or a combination)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 stalks celery, diced

2 cups diced carrots 

2 medium onions, diced

2 teaspoons fresh sage or thyme, chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes (seasoned with basil, thyme, and oregano) 

12 ounces wide egg noodles +

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot, place the chicken and enough water to just cover the meat.  Bring to a boil and let gently simmer for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender (juices should run clear if pierced with a knife). 

Remove from the pot, and let cool. 

SAVE THE BROTH!  Shred the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones.  Chop coarsely into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside. 

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the celery, carrots, and onions and saute until tender, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  

Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.  Remove from the heat. 

At this point, the broth will have settled a bit, and you may see some fat at the surface.  Skim it off, along with any visible bits of marrow or skin.  You can leave them in, but it makes for an unattractive broth...and if you kids are like mine, you will hear cries of, "EWW...what's THAT!" at the table.  So if you want a peaceful dinner, I would skim it out.  Just sayin'.  ;-)

 Now, add the cooked vegetables to the broth, along with the chicken and the undrained tomatoes.  Bring back up to a boil and add the egg noodles.  Cook the noodles in the soup according to the package directions (probably about 8 minutes or so).  At the last minute, stir in the fresh sage, dill, and parsley.  

Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with some crusty bread for sopping if desired.  

My kids were grateful for warm bowls of comfort to ease their achy throats and stop the fever shivers.  Even the baby (who was the only one to escape the flu bug) happily slurped down a few noodles.  Yeah! 

I pray everyone at your table is healthy and stays that way!  Enjoy, and God bless your table tonight!  

Baked Chicken Flautas with Spanish Rice, Refried Beans, and Cilantro Cream Sauce

Yesterday, I got a serious craving for some Mexican food.  I'd pinned a yummy looking recipe for Baked Chicken Flautas some time ago...and decided to make them last night for dinner. 

Wow...these were really good.  Baked...not fried!  Which means they are healthier...but not short on flavor at all.  I did make a few changes from the original.  I added some canned, diced green chiles instead of jalapeno...less heat for my kiddos.  I used half a package of taco seasoning for 8 chicken thighs because every time I leave the spice cabinet open, my little wee one runs off with a (gasp!) glass jar of something.  I decided to play it safe!  And I used fajita sized tortillas instead of burrito sized ones cut in half...just because I though it would be less prep time. 

There's plenty of meat leftover to make more, or you can freeze it to make something else later.  We are definitely going to make these again sometime!

Baked Chicken Flautas with Spanish Rice, Refried Beans, and Cilantro Cream Sauce

FOR THE FLAUTAS:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (use chicken breasts if you prefer)

1 bottle of beer

2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups fresh spinach
Fajita sized tortillas
1/2 to one whole package of taco seasoning mix (I usually go light on it)
8 ounces (1 large can, or 2 smaller cans) diced green chiles 
Queso quesadilla (found right in the shredded cheese section)

Bring the beer and chicken broth to a boil over high heat.  Add the chicken.  When the liquid comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Let cool and shred meat with your fingers.  Mix in the taco seasoning and green chiles.  Reserve 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the cooking broth.  Bring it back to a simmer, add the spinach and stir for a couple of minutes or until bright green and wilted.  Remove from the pot, drain excess liquid, and roughly chop.  Set aside.

Oil a large baking sheet, and preheat the oven to 450.  Spread out one flour tortilla and put 1 tablespoon of chicken in the middle.  Add 2 tablespoons of queso quesadilla and a bit of spinach (you can leave it out for all the spinach haters in your house).  Roll up very tightly, and place seam side down on the baking sheet.  Repeat until you've made enough for your crew...I made 12, and it was just enough.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, turn the flautas over, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until light golden brown and crispy.  Mine only needed 15 minutes of baking.

Serve warm with salsa, guacamole, or this awesome Cilantro Cream Sauce.  It's our favorite! 

FOR THE SPANISH RICE:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, diced small

1 cup long-grain white rice (substitute brown rice if you prefer, but add and additional 1/4 cup broth and at least 30 minutes to the cooking time)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 envelope Sazon seasoning mix (optional--I really like the flavor and color it adds to the rice.  You can find it in the international/mexican aisle)

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over moderate heat.  Add the onion and carrot and let it saute for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and rice, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Carefully pour in the chicken broth, the tomato paste, salt and pepper, and Sazon if desired.  Stir once or twice, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender, and all the broth is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and serve. 

FOR THE REFRIED BEANS:

Open a can of premade refried beans.   Or make some from scratch.  Either way, there's no judgement here.  :-) 

Four out of my 5 kids gobbled these flautas up.  Rebecca ate nearly 3, with rice and beans...I only ate 2!  Goodness gracious.  Didn't someone invent a way to stop kids from growing yet? ;-).

Okay...I hope you satisfy your own craving for some tasty...and healty...Mexican food.  God bless your table tonight!

Basil Pesto Roasted Chicken

Now that Easter is over, and you've had all the ham you ever wanted (at least until next Easter), I wanted to show you a quick, delicious chicken recipe that's as simple as they get.  

I still have plenty of basil pesto in the freezer, which I put up nearly every fall, and I use it in pasta, sandwich spreads, bruschetta, soups...just about anything I want!  It's perfect for seasoning a whole, butterflied chicken, roasted in the oven and there's seriously very little effort involved. 

If you don't have homemade pesto, rest assured, store-bought pesto is just fine.  Once you try this, you will kick yourself for not having done it sooner.  And when you do...not try using my cilantro pesto recipe to roast a chicken...it's really good too! :-)

Basil Pesto Roasted Chicken

One recipe basil pesto, homemade or store-bought

One whole chicken, 3-4 pounds, butterflied and patted dry
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt and black pepper to taste

To butterfly the chicken, lay it on a large cutting board backside up.  Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut out the backbone.  Never done this before?  It's a piece of cake.  Here's a tutorial if you're nervous:

http://www.finecooking.com/videos/butterfly-chicken.aspx

Once you've cut out the backbone, flip the chicken back over and press down on the breastbone until you hear it crack.  See, nothin' to it!  Show that chicken who's boss! Prepping the bird this way helps it cook more evenly that if you left it alone.  Of course, you don't have to butterfly the chicken, but I like to do this when I'm seasoning it...it helps me ensure the pesto gets into every nook and cranny. 


Now spread some basil pesto all over the chicken.  Make sure to gently work some in under the skin too!  I probably used about 1/3--1/2 cup total.  I honestly didn't measure. ;-)

If you can, do this ahead of time and let the chicken chill out in the fridge for a few hours before roasting.  This gives time for the meat to marinate and soak up some of that delicious flavor. 


Before you're ready to cook it, season the exposed skin of the chicken with salt and pepper.  You don't want to go overboard. The cheese and basil in the pesto are often enough for flavor, so you can skip this step altogether if you'd like.  


Now, remember that weird looking broiler pan your oven came with when you moved into your house?  You know...this funny lookin' thing?  

You can use the broiler rack and tray, or a rack like mine. I like to line the bottom tray with foil for easier cleanup later. Spray the top tray/rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.  Don't have a broiler pan?  No problem.  Just use a rimmed baking sheet and a cooling rack or a 9x13 baking pan with a rack inside.  The point is to use something that will allow heat and air to circulate all around and underneath the chicken. 


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  


Lay the chicken breast side up on your prepared rack. Place the legs out with the ends close together, and tuck the tips of the wings underneath the breasts, like this:

This will help the whole bird cook evenly. 


Roast at 375 degrees until a meat thermometer registers 165 in the thigh.  Just remember the temperature will rise 5-10 degrees as it rests.  I usually go to 160, take it out, and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving it.  I also leave the meat thermometer in to ensure the temp gets to 165.  


Look at that..."winner winner, chicken dinner, right? :-)

Once the bird is cool enough to handle, carve it up and serve immediately.  I made roasted green beans and pan-fried polenta on the side.  

I'm nearly at the point where one chicken isn't enough for us anymore.  There's just enough for 2 meals for our family of 7.  Pretty soon, I'll have to roast 2 birds instead of one.  What can I say...my kids love roast chicken.  I mean seriously, who doesn't?  And BTW, leftovers make amazing sandwiches, with some basil pesto mayo (just mix a bit of pesto into some mayonnaise!).  Rebecca always makes herself a sandwich like that the next day.  Smart girl. ;-)


So that's another tried a true chicken recipe for ya.  If you're like me, you can never have enough good chicken recipes in your arsenal. 

God bless your table tonight!

White Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

We went to a potluck dinner a couple of weeks ago.  David took one look at the food table, and didn't think there was enough, so he took a quick trip to the closest grocery store.  He came back with 2 rotisserie chickens, a bag of rolls, and a package of cookies.  Turns out there was plenty of food, after some latecomers dropped off their dishes.  So the 2 chickens he bought came home with us. 

Now, having 2 whole chickens already cooked makes for a lot of possibilities in the kitchen, right?  I love this soup that uses cooked chicken but it's really too hot for soup right now.  I could also make one of my favorite chicken casseroles, and Rebecca requested quesadillas, but ultimately, I decided to make enchiladas.  I'd been researching white chicken enchilada recipes for a few days, and wanted to try at least one out.

Well, this recipe ended up making two full, 9x13 pans!  I divided the 2nd pan into 2 smaller pans so David could take one to work and heat it up for lunch.  There's a full kitchen where he works, so all he had to do was put the aluminum pan in the oven.  The smell generated comments from 2 of his coworkers, and they got samples as well.  One person liked it so much, she requested the recipe and I emailed it the next day.  So I guess they were pretty good. ;-) 

White Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

Serves 10-12
1 package white corn tortillas (30 count)
1 whole chicken, boiled until tender, meat picked free of skin and bones (or use 1 whole rotisserie chicken, meat picked free of skin and bones). You will have around 4-5 cups of shredded meat
4 cans mild green enchilada sauce
2 cans mild diced green chilies (I used roasted chopped Hatch chilies, but either one is fine)
1 yellow or green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salsa seasoning mix (I used Penzey's, taco seasoning mix is fine too)
4 ounces light cream cheese
1 cup light sour cream
4 cups Monterey Jack cheese
Additional sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, and green salsa for serving, if desired

Saute the bell pepper and onion in 1 tablespoon oil until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cumin and salsa/taco seasoning. Add the green chilies and stir to combine. 

Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.

Pour in one can of enchilada sauce, then add the shredded chicken, and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick, drizzle in a little more enchilada sauce. Set aside.

I originally wanted to make this a "lighter" enchilada dish, but while I stirred the veggies, I read the back of the can of enchilada sauce.  It had a recipe for enchiladas, and one ingredient was cream cheese.  I just happened to have exactly the right amount in the fridge...it needed to be used up, and it was not "light" cream cheese.  Oh well. :-)

In a separate pot, combine the remaining 3 cans of enchilada sauce and 1 cup of sour cream over low heat. Stir until the sour cream is well incorporated. Add in 1 ½ cups of the Monterey Jack cheese, and stir again until the cheese has melted. Don’t do this over medium or high heat, or you’ll curdle the sour cream in the sauce. Keep warm.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave or on a griddle. 

I liked using my grill pan (it's grooved on one side, flat on the other), because then I can put one tortilla on the pan to warm while I'm assembling an enchilada.  Once the first enchilada is done, the second tortilla is warm and ready to go. 

Place ¼ cup of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, top with 1-2 tablespoons of Monterey Jack cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Continue until you’ve used all the chicken mixture. Pour the sour cream sauce over the enchiladas.

At this point, you can freeze the enchiladas.  Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.  Otherwise, bake right away!

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  I don't have to tell you how good these smell coming out of the oven!

Garnish with sour cream, green salsa, and chopped fresh cilantro if desired.  I made black meals and mexican rice on the side (Nothing fancy, out of a can, and out of a box!  Something's gotta give when you have a baby and 4 other kids to take care of). 

*This makes approximately 24 enchiladas, enough to fill two 9x13 pans. Half the recipe if you don’t need to feed an army. ;-)  If you do need to feed an army, this is the recipe for you!  David's pan was enough to feed him for 3 days at work...which he really appreciated and enjoyed.  He's never been one for cold lunches. 

Hope you make these soon.  God bless your table tonight! 

Bow Tie Pasta with Basil Pesto, Marscapone, and Grilled Chicken

We had family in town the last week of August, right when the basil in the garden had reached MONSTROUS heights.  I really should have taken a picture of it...but didn't...sorry about that.  You will have to use your imagination.  This one basil plant had branched out into a bush about 12 feet long, 4 feet high, and about 5 feet deep.  It covered at least 1/3 of our entire garden bed.  Land sakes alive people!

I decided to enlist the help of my SIL and she helped me pick 2 huge bowls of basil (she later told David she'd never seen basil grown so big before).   I've always loved pesto, and having so much basil in the back yard called for major pesto production.   

Basil pesto can be used in so many cooking applications.  Besides being tossed with hot, freshly cooked pasta, try a dollop in a bowl of soup.  Add it to mayo for a great sandwich spread, use it on baguette slices for bruschetta...you can even mix it into mashed potatoes.  Yum!

I do think using a good quality cheese, like Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano results in a better tasting pesto than using the regular grated Parmesan you get in the canisters at the grocery store.  I know it's more expensive, but you only need 3 tablespoons of cheese per batch of pesto...so a little goes a long way.  I also don't add salt or pepper to my pesto--the cheese adds enough of a salty punch, and the spicy basil can hold it's own without any additional pepper. 

One more thing...a good food processor is a must for making pesto.  I used my big one because I nearly always make multiple batches...but a mini food processor will work if you're making a single recipe. 

Bow Tie Pasta with Basil Pesto, Marscapone, and Grilled Chicken

FOR THE PESTO (Makes about 1/3 cup):

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons pine nuts, sliced almonds or walnut pieces

2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons grated cheese (pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano is preferred)

1/3 cup olive oil

FOR THE REST OF THE DISH:

4 chicken breasts, grilled to your liking

1/3 to 1/2 cup marscapone cheese (found next to the regular cream cheese in your grocery store)

1 pound bow tie pasta, cooked al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce

Additional grated cheese (paremsano, romano, etc.) for garnish if desired

Bring a large pot or deep skillet of water to a boil.  You don't need to fill up the whole thing...just enough to submerge the basil.  Have a large bowl of ice water ready nearby.  Now...I'll bet you're thinking, why are we blanching the basil?  (Try saying that 3x fast. ;-)

I've learned if you blanch the basil first, it will help the leaves retain their bright green color.  I would always freeze my leftover pesto, and was disappointed when it would turn a muddy greenish-black after it thawed.  So I did some research...and now I blanch the basil first.  It's a quick, easy step...you'll be glad you did.  Plus...any tiny bugs that didn't get washed off will be boiled out of existence. 

I was making multiple batches, so you'll see there are more ingredients in the pictures below. 

 Once your water is boiling, drop in your basil and gently push the leaves under the surface.  Turn off the heat, and just let the basil hang out for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  All you have to do is essentially wilt it...which takes no time at all.

 Use a large slottted spoon or spider strainer to remove the basil to the bowl of ice water.  We want to shock the basil so it stops cooking. 

After about 5 minutes, drain the basil and gently squeeze it dry.  You don't have to get every last bit of water out, but it shouldn't be drippy at all. 

Now, in your food processor fitted with the chopping blade, combine the basil, nuts, garlic, and cheese. 

Process until everything is in very small bits, about the size of fresh bread crumbs. 

With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil through the feeder until you have a thick paste.  Some people like their pesto a bit looser...so add more olive oil if you'd like.  I like it thicker, and often use only half to 2/3 of the olive oil. 

At this point, you can use the pesto right away, or freeze in small containers for future use.  Thaw at room temperature before using. 

Isn't that PURTY???

The simplest way to use pesto (in my opinion) is to serve it with pasta.  I boiled up the bow ties, and immediately tossed it with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of pesto, the pasta water, and the marscapone cheese.  Make sure you do this when the pasta is HOT...this helps distribute all the yummy goodness of pesto and cheese and pasta water together to make the sauce. 

Slice up the grilled chicken, and serve with the pasta.  Grate some more cheese on top if you'd like. 

My SIL and BIL loved this dish...and so did my nephew Ben.  I think he had seconds in fact! ;-)

I know some of you have already had fall blow in, but we're still in the low to mid 80's here in south Texas.  So go beg, borrow, or steal some basil and make some pesto to enjoy now and in the winter when you're wanting something fresh and green that reminds you of summer's bounty. 

God bless your table tonight!