Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

So we've been fighting off colds and sinus infections for the past month or so, really since Christmas now that I think about it.  No wonder I haven't posted.  I broke down and made this for a friend who was also sick, and left some for our own family.  It is a GREAT recipe, based off my brother in law's, Matt.  This is not the quick and easy one, it's a soup that's purely a bowl full of simple love.  Everything is from scratch, and using homemade stock really raises it to something special.

If you are thinking ahead, throw together a loaf of Jim Lahey's 18 hour No Knead Bread to serve alongside.  It's the easiest bread I've ever made, and the best.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

4 quarts of warmed chicken stock (homemade is best, I used 2 quarts Whole Foods 365 organic broth, 2 quarts of my own homemade because that was all I had)
8 stalks celery, diced (a note about the chopping, you want everything small enough to fit nicely on a spoon, a large dice is about right)
8 carrots, sliced small or diced
1 large onion, small diced
1 TB olive oil
meat from a roasted chicken, or roast four, bone in, skin on, breasts yourself in olive oil, salt and pepper
noodles (recipe following)
1 tsp. dried thyme, or 1 TB. fresh thyme leaves
1 dried bay leaf
At least 2 tsp. kosher salt, and 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper.  More, to your taste, at the end
1 & 1/4 cup whole milk (or whatever you have)
3 TB corn starch
the juice from half a lemon, or more, see what you think at the end
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Warm the stock.  Cut all your veggies.  Prep the chicken meat.  Make the noodles.  Then, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the carrots and celery, saute for about 5 minutes.  Add in the warmed stock, salt and pepper, bay leaf and dried thyme (don't add the fresh thyme until the end, if you're using that instead).  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes, until carrots are crisp-tender.  Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the milk in a separate small bowl.  Add that to the soup when the carrots etc. are finished, followed by the remaining 1 cup of milk.  Raise heat to medium and bring soup to a boil, add the noodles and cook them for about five minutes.  Add the chicken pieces, lemon juice, and minced parsley (and the fresh thyme, if you used it).  Taste for salt and add more, it will probably need it.  Keep adding salt until all the flavors come into focus, you should taste the veggies and a little lemon.

Homemade Egg Noodles
 2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 tsp. table salt
2 cups flour

In a kitchen aid mixer (or by hand, but it'll be a PAIN) beat the eggs.  Slowly add cream and salt.  Add the flour in about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on low until it is completely incorporated.  Divide the dough into two balls.  Roll each ball out on a floured surface until it is very thin.  Slice the dough into tiny strips with a pizza cutter, no longer then 1 inch, as narrow as you can make it.  Keep in mind you want the noodles to sit on a spoon, they will get really fat as they cook.

Sprinkle the noodles on a piece of wax paper and let them dry for about 30 minutes.  I make the noodles before I start the soup, after prepping the veggies and meat.  That way it all comes together pretty quickly once you actually start cooking.

New Favorite Discoveries

...this year.  The following items have brought my family and I (as well as a few friends) much joy.  I thought I'd make a list to share with some others.  Credit goes to Alison Chino for the FANTASTIC recommendation of item #1.

1. Slugs and Bugs Lullabies CD
Don't question this, just buy it if you have children under the age of 12 in your home.  I cannot think of another music CD where I both laughed out loud, spitting my coffee all over the car, (Tractor, Tractor; Beans) and cried with a lump in my throat (Hey Beautiful Girl) from the same record.  Alison says it's her favorite baby gift.  Be forewarned, it is now mine as well.
They're coming out with a Christmas CD this year too...

2. Smitten Kitchen's Apple and Cheddar scones
Need I say more?  Made them on Monday, froze them shaped, in dough form, then baked them right before Bible Study on Thursday morning.  Awesome.  Absolutely awesome.  I did not eat three.

3. And another food item of Smitten Kitchen's, her Sour Cream Cheddar Biscuits and the Beef Chili that went with them.  I diced the carrots small, how she recommends, and added ketchup to taste.  Added about a 1/4 cup of sugar to the biscuits, because we like things sweet in our house.

4. Stacey Kent's music.
Got her name from our fabulous friend Anthony, who is in tune with so much more pop culture and great music then I am.  She is my favorite artist discovery of this year, and we've bought three albums.  Listen to Ice Hotel on her Breakfast Tram one, it reminds me of a lighter, more cool and lyrical-french, Diana Krall.  If you like the sound and feel of Diana Krall, you will love Stacey Kent.

5. Bearpaw Boots for kids.
Thanks to my friend Katie P, I bought these boots for Sam this year and spent about half as much as what Ugg boots would have cost us.  They have a nice rugged sole, great for traipsing over ice and through Chicago snow, and are made of sheepskin, just like Uggs.

6. Intelligentsia's Black Cat Espresso Coffee Beans
Have I written about these coffee beans before?  I feel like I have.  They are a local Chicago roaster, and Rick Bayless uses these beans for making the espresso in his restaurants, Frontera and XOCO.  I love them as well, and it has been a saving grace on many a morning here, when getting in the car and driving to Starbucks (and shelling out $3.78 for a latte) is not an option.  I buy them at Whole Foods.

7. "Baked" Cookbook
This fabulous little bakery in Brooklyn came out with their first cookbook in 2008 and just released their second one this year, which is on my Christmas list.  (Ahem, Scott.)  I've noticed that this cookbook is the first one I've reached for this year when needing to make a dessert or breakfast goody.  Items that I could not live without, having now tasted them: the Baked Brownie, their chocolate chip cookie, Sweet and Salty Cake, and the Sour Cream Coffee Cake with chocolate cinnamon swirl.  Amazon sells it for $19.77 right now.

8. Lastly, (completely unrelated to music, food or clothing) How GREAT Clean Baby Peach-Fuzz Smells in the Sunshine.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Ok, so folks. I have made this recipe twice in the past week and can't get enough of it. Costco sells 16 oz. of super jumbo lump crab meat for $13.99 a can. Seriously! And it feeds four to five adults, or even more! I made 8 huge crabcakes out of this recipe and gave two to each person, it was a ton of food. Based off of Ina Garten's recipe, I doubled the meat, and tweaked it in a few other spots. It is a commitment to make, the dicing takes a good 20 min, but you can make the entire dish ahead of time, cool them to room temp, freeze them in a ziplock bag, and then reheat in a 350 degree oven when you are ready! Again, seriously! So stinking good.

Jumbo Lump Crabcakes
2 TB. olive oil
1 & 1/2 cups small diced celery
2 shallots, diced small
1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup small diced yellow bell pepper (or orange, whatever)
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. lump crabmeat, rinsed, drained, and gently picked through to remove any shells
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (Trader Joe's recently started carrying these, they're great)
1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup good mayo (I like the new organic one at Trader Joe's)
The zest and juice from one lime
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 eggs

For Frying: 4 TB. butter
1/4 cup olive oil

Heat a large skillet (great time to use your cast iron pan), and place 2 TB. of olive oil, the shallots, celery, bell peppers, tabasco, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt and pepper in it. Cook over medium low heat until vegetables are soft, about 15 min. Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix mayo, bread crumbs, mustard, lime juice and zest, parsley and eggs together. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Add the cooked vegetables and mix gently. Chill bowl in the fridge for about 30 min.

Wipe down your skillet with a paper towel and melt 4 TB. butter with 1/4 cup olive oil. With your hands, shape crab mixture into about 1/3-1/2 cup patties and ease gently into the hot butter and oil. Cook them over medium low heat, keeping a close eye on how dark they are getting. I find it easiest to use two spatulas, to help press and keep them in their shapes and to lift them out. Cook for about 6-8 min, until browned. Drain on paper towels, keep them warm in a 250 degree oven and serve hot. OR, cool to room temp, stick in a ziplock bag and freeze until you want them. When you're ready, place on a jelly roll pan and heat until warmed through in a 350 degree oven.

Makes 8-10 large crab cakes

Mustard Lime Cream Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup good mayo
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 TB. champagne vinegar
the zest and juice of one lime
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

So much of this sauce is to taste, I made it up after Anna mentioned one they made at Moveable Feast. I started with 1/4 tsp. salt and kept adding a little more until it started to taste right. Same thing with the vinegar, mustard and lime juice. Good luck. It's worth the hassle, so yummy.

Awesome, Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Run, don't walk, to your kitchen and throw together these enchiladas.  I am still thinking about them days later and am thankful I doubled it to freeze for a friend's baby meal.  Truly a great recipe, based off of the Cook's Illustrated recipe.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Prep time: 15 min

Total time: One hour

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco and used it)

4 cups shredded four mexican cheese blend

2 & 1/2 cups easy enchilada sauce

2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chiles, drained

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, more to taste

salt and pepper to taste

juice from two limes

12 (6 inch) soft corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Make enchilada sauce:

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

3 TB. chili powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup sugar, more to taste if desired

16 oz. tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

juice from one or two limes

pepper, to taste

Heat some olive oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering, saute onion and salt until softened, about 5 min.  Stir in spices, garlic and sugar.  Cook about 15 seconds, add tomato sauce, water and lime juice.  Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 min.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine shredded chicken, 2 & 1/2 cups of cheese, 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, the chiles and the cilantro in a medium bowl.  Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Stack tortillas and wrap in a wet paper towel.  Microwave for 60 seconds, it makes it easier to fold them without flaking.

Spray a 9x13 baking pan with Pam.  Place 1/3 cup of chicken mix into each tortilla and roll tightly, place seam side down into pan.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Lightly spray enchiladas with Pam.  Pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce over top and then sprinkle remaining cheese over top.  (You can freeze it at this point.)  Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20-25 minutes.  

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes until cheese melts.  Serve with sour cream, lettuce, remaining sauce and lime wedges.  Serves 4-6 people and freezes well.

Trying to Cook on Thanksgiving Eve

Why, oh why did Sam decide to drop his morning nap today?  I was attempting to start making this, along with a traditional sour cream cranberry coffee cake that my mom always makes (we cut it in half and share it with a neighbor) and apple sage stuffing.  And the gravy.  And a pecan pie.

My 18 month old sous chef didn't quite understand what his role was supposed to be in the process.  
I am anxiously awaiting Scott's return here within the hour and fully intend on taking a long hot shower during Sam's afternoon nap to recover.  Then I may escape to sit in Starbucks for an hour or two and make Scott vacuum downstairs.  
Hope your Thanksgiving is warm and full of family and good food!  Ours will be!

A Transitionary Soup

So our evenings this past week have been cool, like 53 degree cool.  I am loving it, needless to say, and am entirely on board with fall being around the corner.  This month's Everyday Food featured a bunch of broccoli recipes, one of which was this Broccoli Corn Chowder Soup.  After doubling the veggies and adding some grated sharp white cheddar cheese, it was delicious.  Comes together in just one pot, and only takes about 25 minutes to prepare and cook. 

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Potatoes (adapted from Everyday Food Sept '08)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup flour

2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth (or one quart of homemade chicken stock, it's the best)

3 white potatoes, or Yukon Golds, washed well and diced

2 heads of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced

10 oz. frozen corn (the frozen corn from Costco is awesome, only $5 for a massive bag)

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 cups whole milk

1-2 cups grated sharp white cheddar

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large pot, cook onion in a few TB. olive oil until it begins to soften, about 6-8 minutes.  Add garlic, cook one more minute being careful not to burn it.  Add flour, stirring constantly, cook for about 30 seconds.  Add broth and potato, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until potato is tender, about 10 minutes.  Add broccoli, corn, thyme, and milk; cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 8-10 minutes.  Add cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Pesto Pizza on the Grill

One of our favorite meals this summer has been pizza on the grill.  I make a triple batch of pizza dough at once, bake off the oval shaped crusts for 6 minutes in a very hot 450 degree oven (on a jelly roll pan well covered with corn meal), cut them in half and freeze the crusts in zip lock bags.  

From there, they can go straight onto the grill.  Grill one side for 4 minutes, turn over and cover with your favorite toppings (in this case, homemade pesto, provolone, tomatoes, sea salt and fresh pepper) and finish grilling until cheese is melted and crust is crispy.

Other topping ideas that require no cooking, only assembly:

1) Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce

    Mozzarella

    Frozen pineapple from Trader Joe's

    Boar's Head Tavern Ham

2) T. J.'s Pizza Sauce

     Mozzarella

     Fresh tomatoes

     Fresh basil

3) Pizza Sauce

     Mozzarella

     Boar's Head Pepperoni

4) Brush crust with olive oil or garlic olive oil

     Figs, pears, boursin or goat cheese

     Sliced red onion

A Three Page Turkey Recipe-The Details

For those interested in all the grimy details of what went into this turkey and gravy, I typed it all up so I could remember for next year...this is a collection of tips and ideas from six different sources.

The Best Turkey I’ve Ever Had

The Day before:

Prepare the Brine of 2 1/2 gallons of apple cider

                                 1 1/2 cups kosher salt

                                 1/2 cup table salt

                                 2/3 cup honey

                                 1/2 cup brown sugar

                                 1/2 cup sugar

Heat apple cider/juice on the stove until all salt and sugar dissolves.  Cool outside or in the fridge.  Add the washed and dried turkey (don’t forget to remove and discard the giblets and neck inside the cavity) to the brine so that it can soak 12 hours.

Prepare a Compound Butter of 8 TB. softened butter

                                                freshly ground pepper

                                                4 TB. chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage,

                                                parsley 

Make the Apple Syrup Reduction

-Bring 4 cups of fresh apple cider and 1/3 cup brown sugar to a boil.  Simmer gently until reduced by half, about 40 minutes.

Make Apple Cider Gravy

-Melt 8 TB. butter in a medium saucepan.  Add 8 TB. of flour and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 3 minutes.

-Add 2 cups of the apple syrup reduction and 3 cups of chicken or turkey stock (homemade is best) to butter and flour mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes.

-Add salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 tsp of finely chopped fresh rosemary to finish it

The Day of:

Preheat a clean oven to 500 degrees.  It will take a while, so leave plenty of time for this.

Pull a long piece of heavy duty tin foil off and fold it into a triangle.  Oil the inside of the foil well. 

Take the turkey out of the brine and rinse it off in cold water.  Pat dry.  Press the tin foil triangle onto the breast of the turkey, shaping it into a “shield” of sorts.  Remove foil shield and set aside.

Rub the turkey all over with half of an orange or two.  Sprinkle the cavity with kosher salt and pepper.  Rub the softened herb butter underneath the skin and on the outside, all over the bird.  Sprinkle outside of the bird with plenty of pepper, kosher salt and Old Bay seasoning, if you wish.

Stuff the turkey with: onion halves, orange halves, chunks of carrots, celery, fresh sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary and anything else that sounds good.  Allow turkey to sit out at room temp for about an hour, no longer then that.

Place turkey in bottom third of the oven, and roast for 30 min at 500 degrees.  

After 30 min, take the bird out, turn the oven down to 350 degrees, and place the tin foil shield over the breast.  Put a remote thermometer into the breast, being careful not to touch the bone with the tip, and set the thermometer at 161 degrees.

A 19 & 1/2 lb., thoroughly thawed bird will take about 3 or 3 1/2 hours of total roasting time to reach 161 degrees.

Remove cooked turkey from oven, leave the thermometer in the breast and cover tightly with tin foil.  Allow the bird to rest at least 20 minutes, or as long as you want.  We left it about 45 minutes and it was still plenty hot and wonderfully juicy.  Make sure the final temperature of the breast is at least 165 degrees, it will continue to cook as it sits.

Carve the bird according to the video on the NY Times website, a butcher from one of NYC’s markets gives a great demonstration.

Put the pan drippings into a gravy separator and pour the dark drippings into your previously prepared apple cider gravy.  Adjust seasonings in gravy if needed.