Category Archives: Soups/Stews/Curries

March 21, 2019 · 8:25 am

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

One thing my kids like me to make after making Homemade Chicken Bone Broth is Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles. You can make it in a pot on the stove, or it is quick and easy to make in an Instant Pot pressure cooker.

The hardest part about the noodles is the cutting. They should be fairly thin and left for at least 30 minutes (up to a couple of hours) to dry. This recipe makes A LOT of noodles. I use about half in this recipe of soup, and then freeze the remaining raw noodles to use another day.

I use a round pizza cutter to cut the noodles. Separate them slightly and move them around occasionally so that they can dry all around before cooking.

Once your noodles are made, the soup takes about 30 minutes to cook in an Instant Pot, or closer to an hour in a regular pot.

RECIPES:

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

Servings: 6-8
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Egg Noodles:
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 egg + 3 egg yolks
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbs butter, melted

Soup:
2 Tbs butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock or bone broth
1 Tbs lemon juice
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
⅛ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Salt, to taste (amount will depend on saltiness of stock, about 1 tsp)
2 cups uncooked egg noodles (half of the recipe above)
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2 Tbs fresh parsley

Noodles:
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center. In a separate small bowl, stir together the egg, egg yolks, and milk. Add egg mixture and melted butter to the well of the dry ingredients. Mix until mixture forms a rough ball, adding additional milk, if needed. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8” thickness. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into thin lengths about 1-½ inches long. Separate slightly so that dough can dry on all edges. Let sit, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2-3 hours. Move dough around occasionally so that the noodles can dry on all sides before cooking.

Soup
Instant Pot Directions:
Add butter to Instant Pot and turn to Saute setting. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are just softened. Stir in broth, lemon juice, dried seasonings, and salt/pepper.

Place lid on Instant Pot and cook on Soup setting for 7 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, and then QPR (quick pressure release).

Remove lid and change setting to Saute. Add the noodles and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until noodles are just barely cooked through. Stir in shredded chicken and heat through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Stovetop Directions:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onions are softened. Stir in broth, lemon juice, dried seasonings, and salt/pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the noodles to the pot and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until noodles are just barely cooked through. Stir in shredded chicken and heat through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley.

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Homemade Egg Noodles

Servings: Makes 4 cups uncooked noodles
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2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 egg + 3 egg yolks
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbs butter, melted

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center. In a separate small bowl, stir together the egg, egg yolks, and milk. Add egg mixture and melted butter to the well of the dry ingredients. Mix until mixture forms a rough ball, adding additional milk, if needed. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8” thickness. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into thin lengths about 1-1/2 inches long. Separate slightly so that dough can dry on all edges. Let sit, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2-3 hours. Move dough around occasionally so that the noodles can dry on all sides before cooking.

Bring water or broth to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Slowly stir in noodles. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until al dente. Exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the noodles.

To Freeze: After drying noodles, arrange in a single layer on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and return to freezer. DO NOT thaw noodles before cooking. Add frozen noodles directly to simmering broth to cook, adding about 1 minute of cooking time.

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Filed under Instant Pot, Main Dishes, Soups/Stews/Curries

Tagged as bone broth, chicken, egg noodles, homemade, Instant Pot, pressure cooker, recipe, soup

March 20, 2019 · 8:18 am

Instant Pot Chicken Stock/Bone Broth

Making your own Chicken Stock or Bone Broth is simple and inexpensive using an electric pressure cooker, or Instant Pot.

You can start with raw or cooked chicken carcasses. I usually serve 2 rotisserie baked chickens (Yes-the precooked ones from Costco) to my family for dinner one night, and then use the 2 carcasses to make bone broth the next day.

If you are using a raw chicken with all of the meat still on the bones, cook for 60 minutes, then remove chicken from bones and set meat aside. Return bones to Instant Pot and cook again for another 60 minutes.

I freeze the bone broth in 1 or 2 cup containers to use in recipes later.

What’s the difference between chicken stock and chicken bone broth? In terms of preparation and cooking: just time cooked. In terms of taste and nutrition: bone broth is deliciously rich with all of the nutritional benefits of bone marrow. When refrigerated, the bone broth will become slightly gelatinous. I always go for the extra time and make bone broth.

Up Next: Chicken Noodle Soup made from homemade bone broth:

RECIPE:

Instant Pot Chicken Stock/Bone Broth

Servings: Makes about 12 cups
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1-2 chicken carcasses, cut up **(See Note)
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, cut into quarters
1 stalk celery, with leaves, cut into quarters
4 whole cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
2-3 sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley, sage, etc.)
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
Approximately 12 cups of water

Place cut chicken into pot of the Instant Pot. Add vegetables, herbs, seasonings, and vinegar. Fill with water to 1” below the Max line (in my Instant Pot, this is the 4L line).

Place lid on Instant Pot and close valve. Cook on High Pressure:
-Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes for chicken stock
-Cook on high pressure for 120 minutes for bone broth

Allow pressure to release naturally (NPR) for at least 30-60 minutes.

Cool slightly, and then strain bones and seasonings from broth. Divide into containers and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Note on chicken: You can use raw or cooked chicken carcasses. I usually serve 2 rotisserie baked chickens to my family for dinner one night, and then use the 2 carcasses to make bone broth the next day. If you are using a raw chicken with all of the meat still on the bones, cook for 60 minutes, then remove chicken from bones and set meat aside. Return bones to Instant Pot and cook again for another 60 minutes.

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Hearty Beef Minestrone Soup

As a polar vortex takes hold of the country, there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hearty beef minestrone soup and warm homemade bread.

Chock-full of tender ground beef, vegetables, beans, and pasta, this soup is very filling and is especially good topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Some of us here are avoiding pasta these days, so I sometimes cook the pasta separately and let people add it to their soup when they dish it up.

This soup also freezes wonderfully. So make a big crock-pot full and set some aside to eat another day. The one thing you need to do when freezing this soup is to freeze the soup WITHOUT the pasta stirred in. Freeze the cooked pasta separately and add the pasta when you reheat the soup. If you freeze the pasta in the soup, it will be mushy when you reheat it.

For a delicious bread to serve with your soup, try one of these recipes:

Whole Wheat Bread, or Rolls:

Crescent Dinner Rolls:

Crescent Rolls 2

RECIPE:

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Servings: 12
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2 Tbs olive oil
1-2 lb ground beef (use 2 lb for a thick soup)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef broth
1 can white beans, drained
1 small can (6oz) tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet or beef bouillon base
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup small pasta shapes
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a large pot, brown ground beef in olive oil; drain excess fat. Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook until tender. Add broth, beans, tomato paste, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, carrots, celery, and cabbage. Bring to a boil; simmer 30 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook about 10 minutes, just until pasta is tender. Add additional water if soup is too thick. Remove bay leaf. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

To cook in crock pot: Brown ground beef, onions, and garlic as above. Place in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients (except for Parmesan) and cook on low for about 8 hours. Turn to high heat, add pasta, and cook until pasta is tender, about 30 minutes.

To freeze soup: Prepare as above, but do not add pasta. Place in freezer containers and freeze. Cook pasta separately in water. Drain, cool, and freeze pasta separately. Add cooked pasta to soup after thawing and reheating.

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Filed under Main Dishes, Soups/Stews/Curries

Tagged as beef, crock pot, ground beef, main dish, minestrone, pasta, recipe, slow cooker, soup, vegetable

October 2, 2017 · 9:19 am

Ratatouille

The transition from summer to fall is my very favorite time of the year. I love the cool mornings and sunny (but not humid) days. It is the perfect time for making my favorite comfort food: Ratatouille. Like all good comfort foods, it is warm and filling and permeates your house with delicious smells as it cooks low and slow on the stove. And during this change of seasons, I love that I can still get great fresh garden vegetables and herbs to use in this recipe.

Ratatouille is not always the most visually appealing dish, but is bursting with flavor. It is full of hearty vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and lots of fresh herbs Then cooked down on the stove until the flavors blend and meld into the most delicious vegetable stew. Eating healthy has never tasted better!

This is Little A’s very favorite side dish. His face just lights up when he smells it as he comes into the house. All of the kids love it except for Little J (but she hardly counts as she turns her nose up to EVERY vegetable in this dish).

Ratatouille makes a perfect side dish to grilled or roasted meats. I love to serve it this time of year, when we still like to grill chicken, pork, or other things outside. Grilled meat is wonderful, but also begs for something juicy to eat with it. Ratatouille fits that bill perfectly. It is also great later in the winter with a roasted pork tenderloin, roast chicken, or beef roast.

This recipe makes a good-sized pot of ratatouille. You could always scale it back if you don’t want to make that much, but I love to have leftovers of this dish. It makes a perfect lunch all on its own the next day. Or as a sauce for pasta for an easy meal later in the week.

I never measure things when I make this recipe. It is very flexible based on your personal tastes. Below is a good approximation of the amounts that I use.

RECIPE:

Ratatouille

Servings: 8-10
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½ cup olive oil
1 large eggplant, skin on, diced
2 onions, chopped
1 red/orange/yellow pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 zucchini and/or yellow squash, sliced and quartered
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
3 cups chopped tomatoes
½ tsp Tabasco sauce (adjust to taste)
3 Tbs chopped fresh basil*
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley*
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme*
1 Tbs chopped fresh oregano*

Heat olive oil in a large saucepot. Add eggplant to the hot oil and cook until eggplant begins to soften. Add onions, red pepper and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, salt, pepper, and dried herbs; cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add chopped tomatoes and Tabasco sauce and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, until mixture is cooked down and thickened (30-40 minutes). Stir in fresh herbs during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Taste and add additional salt, if necessary.

*Or substitute an additional 2-3 tsp dried Italian seasoning for the fresh herbs.

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Thai Green Curry

After spending the month of February with temperatures in the 70s, we are having a brief cold snap. Perfect weather for a bowl of hot Thai Green Curry. Although around here, any temperature is good weather for a delicious curry.

Curry pastes vary widely in their spiciness. My favorite green curry paste is this variety from Maesri. It is, however, extremely spicy. As you are adding your curry paste to the broth, add in small amounts, tasting before adding additional paste, until you reach your desired spice tolerance.

RECIPE:

Thai Green Curry

Servings: 6-8
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about 3 Tbs coconut oil, divided
3-4 Thai eggplant, cubed (or 1 medium zucchini, cubed)
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup diagonally sliced asparagus
3-4 Tbs green curry paste (divided)
1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 cans coconut milk
1 cup water (or Swanson Thai ginger broth)
1 tsp fish sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 red chilies, thinly sliced
1 package firm tofu, cubed
¼ cup Thai basil leaves, sliced
Lime wedges
Hot cooked rice

Heat 1 Tbs coconut oil in a large pot. Add eggplant to hot oil and cook for 3 minutes (eggplant will not be completely cooked). Remove eggplant from pan and set aside. If necessary, add an additional tablespoon of oil to the pot and cook mushrooms and asparagus for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Set aside in a separate bowl from the eggplant. Add 1 Tbs coconut oil and 1 Tbs curry paste to the pot. Cook until fragrant. Add chicken to pot and cook until outside is no longer pink, but chicken is not completely cooked.

Add coconut milk and water to the pot with the chicken and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in partially cooked eggplant, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, red chilies and tofu. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until chicken and eggplant are cooked through. (If using zucchini, instead of eggplant, do not return to the curry until just before serving).

Add additional curry paste until desired level of spiciness is reached (add in small amounts and taste after each addition). Return asparagus and mushrooms to the curry. Add additional water if curry is too thick.

Stir in sliced basil leaves just before serving. Serve with lime wedges over hot rice, if desired.

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Filed under Main Dishes, Soups/Stews/Curries

Tagged as coconut milk, curry, entree, main dish, soup, spicy, Thai, Thai basil, Thai eggplant

March 11, 2014 · 11:22 am

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin Curry is one of my favorite things to order at Thai restaurants. Luckily, it is also a meal that you can make at home and end up with restaurant-quality results.

I usually use a butternut squash, but if you have an Asian grocery store nearby, kabocha squash works really well. It is a small green pumpkin that doesn’t get mushy or stringy when cooked. The squash is roasted before adding it to the curry. Half of the squash is pureed with coconut milk and the other half is cut into chunks to stir back into the curry before serving.

I love the thicker texture that the pureed squash gives to this curry. Leave out the chicken and you still have a hearty vegetarian meal.

Choose your favorite vegetables to pair with the squash. I like shitake mushrooms, carrots, red peppers, fresh spinach and zucchini (if you can find decent ones in the winter). In the summer, I add Thai basil from my garden. In the winter, I either use regular sweet basil, or just leave it out.

RECIPE:

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Servings: 6
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1 butternut squash or kabocha
olive oil, salt and pepper

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into very thin strips
1 Tbs Thai red curry paste
2 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced
½ red bell pepper, julienned
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 medium zucchini, julienned
½ cup sliced shitake mushrooms

2 cans (14 oz) coconut milk
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar (or low-carb golden sweetener)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs lime juice (or 4 kaffir lime leaves, chopped)
2 Tbs Thai red curry paste (adjust amount to personal taste)
1 cup fresh spinach or other greens
1/3 cup fresh basil (Thai basil preferably), coarsely chopped

Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F for 20-30 minutes, or until soft and cooked through.

While squash is cooking, combine sliced chicken, 1 Tbs curry paste and 2 Tbs soy sauce in a Ziploc bag. Let marinate at room temperature while squash cooks.

Heat 1 Tbs oil in wok or large saucepan. Add onion, red pepper, carrot, zucchini and mushrooms. Cook over high heat until crisp-tender. Remove from pan. Add remaining 1 Tbs oil to pan. Add chicken and cook over high heat, stirring until chicken is cooked through.

Peel and cut half of the cooked squash into cubes. Set aside. Place remaining half of the roasted squash (peeled) in a blender with one can of the coconut milk. Puree until smooth.

Add the pureed squash, remaining can of coconut milk (use to rinse out blender), 2 Tbs soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, lime juice and remaining 2 Tbs curry paste to the chicken in the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in squash cubes, spinach, basil and cooked vegetables. Heat until spinach wilts. Serve in bowls with or without rice.

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