Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

It could be the vog (volcano fog) or maybe the poor weather, but there are days when you need a great soup to pick you up and one that doesn't take too long to make either.  After a long day of work, there's nothing better than a quick and delicious meal.

One of my favorites is "Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup" from Taste of Home's Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2004.  By far, this is one of my favorite recipe books because of some of the most amazing meals and here's one of them:

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
2 quarts water
8 chicken bouillon cubes or tsp. chicken broth base
6 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream (optional) or select a light version
Minced fresh parsley

1. In a large saucepan, bring water and chicken base to a boil.  Add the noodles; cook, uncovered, until tender.  Add soup and chicken until heated.

2.  Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream.  Sprinkle with minced parsley.  It should make enough about 10 - 12 servings.

I love comforting chicken noodle soup.  However, there are some things I would change.  For one, I wouldn't add the sour cream.  A cup is a bit much to stir into the soup.  Stir in the amount you want into your own bowl, so you have options. 

I would also stick to a "light" sour cream because it's basically the same! Also, if you want to reduce the fat content without changing the flavor, use 1 can of fat-free or low-fat cream of chicken and keep the other can original. 

The parsley really adds to the soup's flavor too, so add generous amounts.  I use Italian parsley and load it onto my bowl.  It's wonderful! 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe!  It really is good.

Slow-cooker Indonesian Beef Rendang

The other night, I wanted to try a Indonesian rendang recipe from "Today's Creative Crock Pot Cookbook, 2nd Edition."  I tossed together the ingredients for the recipe and kept it simmering on low for 12 hours.  How did it turn out?

Unfortunately, it didn't turn out too well.  I've had rendang before and it tasted nothing like it.  My teacher made it for our class once and it became one of my favorite Indonesian dishes.  However, the one I made from my recipe book was truly horrible.  The meat tasted gritty and it wasn't like how I remembered it. Anyone have a good rendang recipe to share?

I will continue to hunt for another rendang recipe.  Maybe when I go to Indonesia this summer, my host family will be able to teach me how to make the real stuff.  For now, here's the recipe I used.  But I wouldn't recommend it.  Then again, maybe there's someone out there who may enjoy it. In that case, I hope you like the recipe.

2 lbs. round steak, chopped

Using a food processer, blend:

2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, chopped
4 small red chili peppers
1/2 cup water
2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbs. tamarind paste
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp curry powder

Afterward, add the blended ingredients:

Then add the following:

2 cups coconut milk
stem of lemongrass, 4 inches long

Once all ingredients have been added, cook rendang on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10.

It wasn't my favorite recipe and I definitely will not make it again. In the future, I hope to have a much better recipe to share with all of you.

Thai Rice Soup

Thai Rice Soup  is a subtle tasting soup, one that is light and comforting, especially when you are feeling under the weather. 

From my Quick and Easy Thai Cuisine Lemon Grass Cookbook ....

Rice Soup - "a delicious breakfast soup or light snack." 

4 servings

2 Cups water
1 T seasoning sauce
1/4 t white pepper
1/2 t galanga powder
2 stalks celery

1/2 lb. (225 g) shrimp, shelled, deveined and butterflied
1 c cooked rice
2 T fish sauce

2 T oil
1 t minced garlic

cilantro for garnish

1.  Bring water to a boil and add seasoning sauce, white pepper, galanga powder and chopped celery.

2  Add shrimp

3.  Add rice and fish sauce.  Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.

4.  Heat oil in a frying pan and fry garlic on medium high heat until golden brown.  Serve the fried garlic with the rice soup.

 
I would recommend adding herbs such as cilantro and basil.  It adds much more flavor to the soup. 

The first time I made this soup, I really enjoyed it.  However, the second time around, I thought it tasted too much like seafood and pepper!  I will make this soup again in the near future to find a better balance of flavors because if you aren' accustomed to certain flavors (i.e. fish sauce), it may be overwhelming.  If you enjoy rice porridge dishes, you'll probably love this recipe. 

If any of you have a wonderful rice recipe out there, I would love to try it!

Easy Korean Tofu Soup

If you are in a hurry to make dinner, try making this simple Korean dish.

Purchase packets of soondubu soup mix and add the necessary ingredients, such as tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables. It takes 10 minutes or less to enjoy this satisfying meal.

The directions are on the back and are easy to follow. For one soup mix package, there are three packets inside.











Add side items to your soup. Besides rice, you can pick up side dishes at any local Koeran grocery store. There are so many options.

Southwestern Vegetable Soup

I really wanted something similar to chicken tortilla soup, except with more vegetables.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but when I tasted this thown together recipe, I loved it!  I didn't use any meat.

I can't call this recipe vegetarian though because I used chicken broth, but i'm still in the process of modifying it to make it even better.  It's my first attempt, but I will continue to modify it.  Next time I will use black beans (more) and will omit the garlic salt.  It's not necessary.  I also used some taco seasoning, but I think I will stick to natural ingredients to enhance the flavor next time.

1/2 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 (14 oz)  can    
1 (14 oz) can chili beans
1/4 hot salsa
1/2 bag of fiesta blend frozen vegetables
1 can diced green chiles
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion
1-2 clove garlic
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
pepper
taco seasoning (1/4 package)

Cook garlic and onions.  Add chicken broth, diced and whole tomatoes, salsa, green chiles, and seasoning.  Then, add the beans and vegatables.  Simmer.

Afterward, add the toppins.  The soup is further enhanced with the toppings.  They are a must.

Toppings:
mexican cheese
cilantro
green onions
avocado
tortilla strips (optional)

Yummy.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I had a great time a Chili's tonight, celebrating a friend's birthday.  But after drinking two cokes and a mojito, I need to rehydrate.  I normally don't drink, but today was the exception.  I never thought a mojito could taste so good...  It reminded me of sprite. 

Earlier in the day, I had a vegetable panini.  By the time we got to chilis though, I ended up indulging in artichoke and spinach dip with chips, cheese fries, and fried jalapeno and onion strips.  It sure is difficult to find meatless entrees on their menu, but at least they exist.

Although I didn't eat any meat today, I did the other day when  I made chicken tortilla soup.  The recipe is from "Today's Creative Crock Pot Cook Book," written by Robin Taylor Swatt.  It's a definite keeper.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
14 oz. can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted, if available)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
6 corn tortillas, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tbs. fresh cilantro, minced
1 large ripe avocado, diced
6 oz. crumbly fresh cheese, such as feta
2 cups tortilla chips, crumbled, for garnish
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place the chicken, tomatoes, peppers, chopped tortillas, garlic, onion, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and chicken broth in the Crock-Pot slow cooker.  Cover; cook on Low 4 to 6 hours ( or on High 2 to 3 hours).

Carefully remove the chicken and, when cool enough to handle, shred using two forks.  Place the shredded chicken back into the stoneware and add the cilantro.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with avocado, cheese, and crumbled tortilla chips.  Squeeze the juice of a lime wedge over the top of each serving.

I put all the ingredients needed into my slow cooker.  I blasted it on high for 2 hours.  In the mean-time, I had a good run in the neighborhood up and down hills, passing homes full of scary barking dogs.  I don't know if I should run that route again.  By the time I came home, however, I was happy to have dinner ready and waiting.  I even had left overs for work the next day.   There's nothing like chicken tortilla soup.

The slow cooker version of Chicken Tortilla Soup turned out incredible.  It was simple to toss everything into a slow cooker, but still have a flavorful dish in the end.  I love this recipe much more than the one I tried to make from the Food Network Magazine.  I can't wait to make it again.

I added some corn tortillas, which I broiled for a couple of minutes.  I made it into strips and added it to the soup.  I also used mexican cheese and added a bunch of cilantro for garnish.  You can always adjust a recipe to fit your needs and you should because it will make your soup that much better.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

I just came back from an intensive workout.  Now, I'm ready to pass out.  I can barely move my arms, my butt hurts, and I don't know how I will be able to walk tomorrow.  In class, the teacher is wonderfully mean, which is the perfect combination for a fitness class.  I absolutely love it.  I am pushed to my max.  In fact, even if you are in pain, you cannot quit or else you'll be called out.  It really helps you to keep going! 

After an intensive work out though, it's always nice to eat a healthy snack.  Fresh Tomato salsa is such a great side dish for your health.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

4 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped (2 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (1/2 medium)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lemon juice

t tablespoon lime juice

1 large jalapeno chile, seeded, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)

Tortilla chips, as desired

1.  In medium nonmetal bowl, mix all ingredients except tortilla chips.  Cover; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to blend flavors.

2.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Cover and refrigerate any remaining salsa up to 5 days.

The Fresh Tomato Salsa recipe is from Pillsbury's Fast & Fresh Salads magazine.  There will be more to come from this magazine for all of you who want to eat better!

Herbed Quinoa & Kale Bean Soup

It finally hit me that I must eat better and truly take care of my health.  It's a long story.  All I can say is that I don't want to eat ice cream for dinner anymore or indulge in limitless amounts of chocolate just because it tastes good. 

A food that I recently tried is Quinoa.  It is considered one of the most nutritious grains out there!  It's a superfood with a balance of protien and amino acids excellent for one's health.  Yesterday, I made Quinoa Tabouleh. 

It's easy to make!  Quinoa is also one of the fastest cooking grains.  Believe me, it is.  It only took nearly 15 minutes to cook.  Afterward, I chopped some garlic cloves, cilantro, basil, green onions, and sparingly added ground garlic pepper salt for flavor. 

I added enough herbs for it to be nutritious, yet flavorful.  Add the amount you want to make it a salad just right for your taste buds.

Afterward because I was in my obsessive health mode, I made a kale bean soup.  I found the recipe on the Whole Foods Website.  Here it is:

Ingredients


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 (32-ounce) box 365 Organic Everyday Value™ Vegetable Broth
4 cups packed chopped kale
1 (14.5-ounce) can 365 Organic Everyday Value™ Italian-Style Diced Tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can 365 Everyday Value™ Sliced Carrots, drained; or two large carrots, peeled and sliced

Method

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth, kale and tomatoes (and fresh carrots, if using) and cover. Cook 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Add beans and canned carrots and heat thoroughly. Serve hot.
Nutrition

Per serving (about 20oz/567g-wt.): 230 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1120mg sodium , 32g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 8g protein

 
I did have to modify my recipe a bit, but I still enjoyed it.

Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Last night, I tossed all the ingredients for my corned beef and cabbage into a slower cooker.  I decided to make slow cooker corned beef and cabbage for my co-workers today, so that we could enjoy a St. Patrick's Day meal at work.  I was planning to try another recipe, like the one below, but I am all corned beefed out!  I've had it twice this week, so I decided NOT to make it for the third time.  But I still wanted to share this recipe with all of you.  It was featured on allrecipes.com

The one I made last night was with a slow cooker, but the recipe below is for the stove top. 

I scaled the recipe for two, but if you need to increase the amount of servings, click on the posted link below, and type in the amount of servings you would prefer.  It will automatically adjust the recipe to fit your needs.

All Recipes Corned Beef and Cabbage II

Ingredients (2 servings)



1-1/4 pounds corned beef brisket
1-1/4 black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 onion, peeled and left whole
1/2 bay leaves
1/4 pinch salt
1/4 small head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
1-1/2 large potatoes, quartered
1 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons butter

Directions

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 8 servings.

1.In a 6 quart Dutch oven, Place the beef brisket, peppercorns, garlic powder, onion, bay leaves and salt. Fill pan with water to cover everything plus one inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Skim off any residue that floats to the top. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until meat can be pulled apart with a fork.

2.Once the meat is done, add the cabbage, potatoes and carrots, pressing them down into the liquid. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Skim off any oil that comes to the surface. Stir in the butter and parsley. Remove the pot from the heat.

3.Remove meat from the pot and place onto a serving dish and let rest for 15 minutes. Also remove vegetables to a bowl and keep warm. Slice meat on the diagonal against the grain. Serve meat on a platter and spoon juices over meat and vegetables.

The funny thing about corned beef and cabbage is that so many people in Hawaii enjoy it, but many I discovered, had no idea it was Irish food.  But I also learned something today ... Corned beef and cabbage is not really Irish, but an Americanized Irish meal ...  I definitely need to google to confirm, but I thought it was pretty interesting.

Easy Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

As St. Patrick's Day quickly approaches, I'm in the mood to make classic recipes fitting for the ocassion.  Corned Beef and Cabbage, a favorite even in Hawaii, is a recipe that I will attempt to make for the first time from scratch!  It's actually very easy. 
Here's a recipe inspired from the TasteofHome, posted on allrecipes.com (note: if you need to adjust the servings, follow the link below)

Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

2/3 medium onion, cut into wedges
2-3/4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
11 ounces baby carrots
2 cups water
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 bay leaf
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-3/4 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
2/3 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Directions
This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 6 to 8 servings.

1.Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over the vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Corned Beef and Cabbage is one of my favorites.  I never realized it's popularity until I asked people at work if they wanted to have corned beef and cabbage or Irish Stew.  Everyone I asked agreed "Corned Beef and Cabbage!"  A lot of people were excited about eating it too, so for St. Patrick's Day, I will be making corned beef and cabbage for my friends at work. .

I only hope this recipe turns out wonderful! 

I brought my gumbo to work today and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that the corned beef and cabbage will be just as good.

Follow-up:  After making this recipe, it's a keeper!  It turned out wonderful.  I will be making this for St. Patrick's day tomorrow to share with my co-workers!  I tried looking for other recipes and realize this is the easiest to make.  It's fast and delicious.

Emeril's Low-Fat Seafood Gumbo To Satisfy A Craving Without All The Fat

I love to eat and sometimes, I go through mini food phases.  At the moment, I want gumbo and of all things, macaroni and cheese!

I've never made gumbo before and I've only had it once or twice (from a soup can!), so I want to challenge myself to make the real deal gumbo and satisfy my craving for a good soup. I decided I would rely on an Emiril inspired Food Network recipe for seafood gumbo.
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups clam juice
8 ounces fresh okra, tops trimmed and halved lengthwise
3 bay leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
3 blue crabs, quartered, optional
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 dozen shucked oysters, liquid reserved
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 pound lump crabmeat

Serving suggestion: cooked white rice

Directions

1.  "Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put the flour on a baking sheet and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour is a dark nut brown."

Let me tell you, when you open that oven, do it slowly or you might end up inhaling a ton of flour.

2. "Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil with the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, pepper, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them through your fingers into the pot with their juices and cook for another 5 minutes. Gradually sift the browned flour in the pot until the vegetables are coated, cook for 2 minutes more. Slowly pour in the stock and clam juice, stirring constantly. Add the okra, bay leaves, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, thyme, and crabs. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes."

Add the shrimp, oysters with their liquid, green onions and parsley; cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Add the lump crabmeat and season the gumbo, to taste. Serve with rice.

While baking the flour, melt butter.  Cook vegetables until clear.  I couldn't find a poblano pepper, so I added jalapenoa pepper.  You might want to also chop everything well ahead of time, so you don't scramble (lesson learned).

I added bell pepper too

There's no way I'm buying living crabs!  They scare me.  Instead, I bought canned blue crab.

If it wasn't for this recipe, I would've never known about "Clam Juice." I  actually only used two bottles for the recipe which was about 2 cups.

What's more convenient than frozen okra?  I shouldn't have used the whole bag, but I did because I thought it would add more vegetables to the soup.  However, I now realize I can't tolerate slimey foods, so I ended up having to pick out half the okra in my soup once it was done.  A little goes a long way!

Boil and then simmer for the next 15 minutes ...

I had so much soup, I had to split it into two pans!

1 pound of shrimp costs about $6.00 ... It isn't a cheap recipe to make.  That's for sure ...

Seafood Gumbo!

The seafood gumbo recipe I attempted tonight was actually faster than most recipes, although it did take me quite sometime to make.  I started cooking since about 0630 p.m. and finally ate half an hour ago.  I'm happy to say that I could at least squeeze in a workout tonight.  I can't believe it's already time to go to bed.  The day definitely creeps up on you.

The soup turned out great, with the exception of the additional okra.  I also discovered that I don't like oysters either.  But everything else was perfect and the time spent making it was worth the wait.

I would make this recipe again.  I love the crab in the soup and it's wholesome too.  I can't wait to share it with everyone tomorrow!