A friend of mine is feeling a bit under the weather...sore throat, headache, runny nose, all that rubbish. So this recipe is for her: nothing soothes a cold like homemade chicken soup.
Illness aside, this is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. Fresh herbs and spices really bring a lot to this recipe...so try to use them as much as possible.
Trav's Homemade Chicken Soup
1 whole chicken, cooked
2 quarts of water
3 carrots
2 red potatoes
3 stalks of celery
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1, 3" sprig of fresh thyme
1, 3" sprig of fresh rosemary
1, 4" clutch of fresh sage leaves
1 t. whole peppercorns
2 t. salt
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
1 t. grated lemon zest
First, make a stock from the chicken. Start with a whole roasted chicken from the grocery deli. Pull the meat from the chicken, dice it up, and refrigerate it in a plastic container. Put the skin and bones in a large stock pot, and cover with water. Scrub the vegetables thoroughly under running water. Peel and dice the vegetables, refrigerating the good parts and putting the peels and end pieces into the stock pot with the chicken bones. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 to 4 hours.
Strain the broth, and discard the solids. Bring the liquid to a medium boil, and cook uncovered until it is reduced to about 4 cups. Add the chopped chicken meat, carrots, celery, potato, and onion.
Tie the rosemary, sage, and thyme sprigs together with cotton string, and toss them into the soup. Crack the peppercorns coarsely with a mortar and pestile, and add them as well. Stir in the salt, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Return the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bundle of herbs, adjust the salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately with fresh crusty bread and a glass of pinot noir (or herbal tea and fuzzy slippers, if you are Heather.)
VARIATIONS
Don't have any fresh herbs handy? Use 1 tsp. of dried rosemary, 1 tsp. of dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. of rubbed sage, and 1 Tbsp. of dried parsley.
To make a hearty chicken stew: double the amount of vegetables and chop everything into larger, fork-sized pieces.
For chicken noodle soup, omit the potatoes. Cook your favorite pasta according to the package instructions, drain it, and stir it into the soup a few minutes before serving. Use as little or as much of it as you like; I like to use about 2 cups of macaroni.
For chicken and rice soup, omit the potatoes. Cook your favorite rice according to the package instructions, and stir it into the soup a few minutes before serving. Use as little or as much of it as you like; I use about 2 cups of wild rice.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Chili Verde
I have no problem with the hearty and beefy red chilis of south Texas. But there is something to be said for the green chilis of New Mexico...fresh, lively, delicious.
This is just your basic, no-nonsense green chili: no tomatoes, no cans, no beans, no wierdness.
TRAV'S GREEN CHILI
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless pork chops, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp. masa flour
2 Tbsp. corn oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 large onion, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 C. cooking sherry
1 lb. roasted green chilis, thawed
Broth (about 4 cups, more or less)
Put the onion and garlic into a bowl. Add the flour, sugar, salt, lime juice, and spices, and toss to coat. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy stock pot. Add the pork, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the cooking sherry. Stir in the onion-flour mixture and the green chilis, and add enough broth to cover everything. Turn the heat up to "high," and bring to a boil.
The chili will thicken quickly, so add more broth (a half-cup at a time) until it is as thick as you like it. Taste the chili, and adjust the salt/spice levels. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender...about an hour.
Serve over rice, with a giant pile of fresh corn tortillias.
NOTES:
Chilis: Use fresh ones if you can find them. You can use canned ones, but your chili will taste like it came out of a can.
I use a one-pound block of frozen green chilis from the supermarket. The best ones, IMO, come from Hatch, New Mexico. Be warned: if the package says "HOT," it means business. Best to start with "MILD," because you can always add heat later.
Broth: use whatever kind of broth you have handy...chicken, vegetable, and beef are all good. Mix and match, if you like. One time, I used the liquid from a batch of pinto beans that I had cooked the night before. It was freaking *amazing.*
This is just your basic, no-nonsense green chili: no tomatoes, no cans, no beans, no wierdness.
TRAV'S GREEN CHILI
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless pork chops, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp. masa flour
2 Tbsp. corn oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 large onion, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 C. cooking sherry
1 lb. roasted green chilis, thawed
Broth (about 4 cups, more or less)
Put the onion and garlic into a bowl. Add the flour, sugar, salt, lime juice, and spices, and toss to coat. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy stock pot. Add the pork, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the cooking sherry. Stir in the onion-flour mixture and the green chilis, and add enough broth to cover everything. Turn the heat up to "high," and bring to a boil.
The chili will thicken quickly, so add more broth (a half-cup at a time) until it is as thick as you like it. Taste the chili, and adjust the salt/spice levels. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender...about an hour.
Serve over rice, with a giant pile of fresh corn tortillias.
NOTES:
Chilis: Use fresh ones if you can find them. You can use canned ones, but your chili will taste like it came out of a can.
I use a one-pound block of frozen green chilis from the supermarket. The best ones, IMO, come from Hatch, New Mexico. Be warned: if the package says "HOT," it means business. Best to start with "MILD," because you can always add heat later.
Broth: use whatever kind of broth you have handy...chicken, vegetable, and beef are all good. Mix and match, if you like. One time, I used the liquid from a batch of pinto beans that I had cooked the night before. It was freaking *amazing.*
Monday, December 07, 2009
Curry ala Asif
This recipe came from my friend Asif. He would cook this spicy Pakistani dish for us on special occasions, when we lived back in Colorado Springs. I've been meaning to post this recipe for years...it's one of my all-time favorite chicken dishes. I cook it about three times a month.
Asif's Red Curry
2 lbs. yellow onions, slivered
3 lbs. roma tomatoes, chopped
3 lbs. turnips, peeled and diced
3 lbs. chicken thighs
2 T. minced garlic
1/4 C. olive oil
1 T. salt
1 T. tumeric
1 t. paprika
1 t. garam masala
1 t. ground red pepper
2 t. chicken bouillon powder
1 C. water
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
10 fresh mint leaves
1 C. plain Greek yogurt
6 C. steamed Basmati rice
Chopped parsley and mint (garnish)
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot. Add the garlic and onions, and cook over medium heat until the onions are very dark. Add the tomatoes, salt, bouillon, tumeric, paprika, garam masala, red pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the turnips, then lay the chicken over the top. Return to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all is tender.
While the curry is simmering, put the cucumber, mint, and yogurt into a blender. Process until smooth, and refrigerate until needed.
To serve, place about a half cup of rice in a bowl. Ladle the tomato-turnip mixture over the rice, and rest a piece or two of chicken on top. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or mint. Serve with a chilled sparkling wine and plenty of warm flatbread (naan, if you got it.)
VARIATIONS:
Like it hot? Asif uses almost a tablespoon of red pepper when he cooks this recipe, and the result is probably too hot for most American palettes. One teaspoon gives it a pretty good kick, in my opinion. Add more or less to taste.
On a diet? Use skinless chicken breasts, fat-free yogurt, and reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons. It won't taste as rich, but it'll still be good.
Vegeterian? Skip the chicken, and use vegetable bouillon powder. Resist the urge to replace the chicken with tofu...it doesn't work right.
Vegan? I've never made this one vegan, because I love the yogurt sauce. But I suppose you could use your favorite mint chutney to cool it down a bit, and it would be awesome.
Hate turnips? I've made this recipe with butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflour, rutabega, parsnips, and pumpkin, and it's pretty good. (Bell peppers, broccoli, potatoes, and celery? Not so much.)
Asif's Red Curry
2 lbs. yellow onions, slivered
3 lbs. roma tomatoes, chopped
3 lbs. turnips, peeled and diced
3 lbs. chicken thighs
2 T. minced garlic
1/4 C. olive oil
1 T. salt
1 T. tumeric
1 t. paprika
1 t. garam masala
1 t. ground red pepper
2 t. chicken bouillon powder
1 C. water
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
10 fresh mint leaves
1 C. plain Greek yogurt
6 C. steamed Basmati rice
Chopped parsley and mint (garnish)
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot. Add the garlic and onions, and cook over medium heat until the onions are very dark. Add the tomatoes, salt, bouillon, tumeric, paprika, garam masala, red pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the turnips, then lay the chicken over the top. Return to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all is tender.
While the curry is simmering, put the cucumber, mint, and yogurt into a blender. Process until smooth, and refrigerate until needed.
To serve, place about a half cup of rice in a bowl. Ladle the tomato-turnip mixture over the rice, and rest a piece or two of chicken on top. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or mint. Serve with a chilled sparkling wine and plenty of warm flatbread (naan, if you got it.)
VARIATIONS:
Like it hot? Asif uses almost a tablespoon of red pepper when he cooks this recipe, and the result is probably too hot for most American palettes. One teaspoon gives it a pretty good kick, in my opinion. Add more or less to taste.
On a diet? Use skinless chicken breasts, fat-free yogurt, and reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons. It won't taste as rich, but it'll still be good.
Vegeterian? Skip the chicken, and use vegetable bouillon powder. Resist the urge to replace the chicken with tofu...it doesn't work right.
Vegan? I've never made this one vegan, because I love the yogurt sauce. But I suppose you could use your favorite mint chutney to cool it down a bit, and it would be awesome.
Hate turnips? I've made this recipe with butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflour, rutabega, parsnips, and pumpkin, and it's pretty good. (Bell peppers, broccoli, potatoes, and celery? Not so much.)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Trav's Tomato Florentine Soup
One of my most favorite soups...and it's just about perfect for these late autumn weekends.
Trav's Tomato Florentine Soup
1 C chopped onion
1 t. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
8 C vegetable broth, divided use
1 t. oregano
1 t. thyme
2 t. basil
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 C red wine
2, 14 oz. cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
1, 12 oz. can unsalted tomato paste
1, 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until onions are limp. Stir in oregano, thyme, basil, pepper, and red wine. Add broth, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and thawed spinach (be sure to squeeze the liquid out of it first). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar and serve immediately with hot crusty bread and a lighter red wine (shiraz, for example.) Garnish with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and croutons.
Makes about 14 servings.
Trav's Tomato Florentine Soup
1 C chopped onion
1 t. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
8 C vegetable broth, divided use
1 t. oregano
1 t. thyme
2 t. basil
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 C red wine
2, 14 oz. cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
1, 12 oz. can unsalted tomato paste
1, 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until onions are limp. Stir in oregano, thyme, basil, pepper, and red wine. Add broth, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and thawed spinach (be sure to squeeze the liquid out of it first). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar and serve immediately with hot crusty bread and a lighter red wine (shiraz, for example.) Garnish with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and croutons.
Makes about 14 servings.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
I got this one a while ago from my chemistry lab instructor. I had forgotten all about it, until I found it in an old notebook last week.
If this is "Basic," I'd hate to see the "Advanced" recipe.
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
532.35 cc gluten
4.9 cc NaHCO3
4.9 cc refined, pulverized halite (#200 sieve)
236.6 cc partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride
177.45 cc crystalline C12H22O11
177.45 cc unrefined C12H22O11
4.9 cc methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde
2 CaCO3-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein units
473.2 cc theobroma caco
236.6 cc pulverized, sorted,and de-encapsulated legume meats (#10 sieve)
To a 2-L capacity jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1), combine the gluten, NaHCO3, and refined halite. Pass this mixture through a #150 sieve, and set aside.
In a second 2-L capacity reactor vessel (reactor #2), add the partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride, the methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde, and both species of C12H22O11. Agitate reactor #2 with a variable-speed radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm until the mixture is homogeneous.
Add the contents of reactor #1 to reactor #2. Mechanically extract the avian albumen-coated proteins from the CaCO3 capsules and add to reactor #2 (discard encapsulation.) Agitate the mixture thoroughly until homogeneous. Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may result from exothermic reaction or mechanical friction. Slowly add the theombra caco and de-encapsulated legume meats, and combine with constant agitation at 15 rpm until homogeneous.
Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piecemeal on a 316SS sheet (300mm x 600mm). Heat in a 460K oven until moderate carmelization is achieved and the albumen has sufficiently bound to the gluten. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table and allow the product to achieve thermal equilibrium.
If this is "Basic," I'd hate to see the "Advanced" recipe.
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
532.35 cc gluten
4.9 cc NaHCO3
4.9 cc refined, pulverized halite (#200 sieve)
236.6 cc partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride
177.45 cc crystalline C12H22O11
177.45 cc unrefined C12H22O11
4.9 cc methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde
2 CaCO3-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein units
473.2 cc theobroma caco
236.6 cc pulverized, sorted,and de-encapsulated legume meats (#10 sieve)
To a 2-L capacity jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1), combine the gluten, NaHCO3, and refined halite. Pass this mixture through a #150 sieve, and set aside.
In a second 2-L capacity reactor vessel (reactor #2), add the partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride, the methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde, and both species of C12H22O11. Agitate reactor #2 with a variable-speed radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm until the mixture is homogeneous.
Add the contents of reactor #1 to reactor #2. Mechanically extract the avian albumen-coated proteins from the CaCO3 capsules and add to reactor #2 (discard encapsulation.) Agitate the mixture thoroughly until homogeneous. Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may result from exothermic reaction or mechanical friction. Slowly add the theombra caco and de-encapsulated legume meats, and combine with constant agitation at 15 rpm until homogeneous.
Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piecemeal on a 316SS sheet (300mm x 600mm). Heat in a 460K oven until moderate carmelization is achieved and the albumen has sufficiently bound to the gluten. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table and allow the product to achieve thermal equilibrium.
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