Tag Archives: soup

February 20, 2023 · 7:57 am

Chicken Tikka Masala

After a week spent outside in the beautiful sunshine and warm weather (in mid-February!), the temperature has taken a nose dive this weekend. That makes this a perfect time to make a hearty curry for (maybe?) this last venture into winter.

Chicken Tikka Masala is a spice-filled, tomato-based Indian curry full of delicious tender chicken.

I use a Tandoori spice blend from Spiceology to marinate the chicken before roasting it and adding it to the curry base. You could also use a prepared tandoori paste, or a mixture of garam masala, turmeric, coriander, and Kashmiri chili powder.

Serve over rice with naan bread, if desired. Recipe for homemade Naan Bread:

RECIPE:

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Filed under Low Carb/Keto, Main Dishes, Side Dishes

Tagged as chicken, curry, Indian, keto, low carb, main dish, recipe, soup, tikka

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
Print

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.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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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
Print

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.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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
Print

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

March 12, 2018 · 8:21 am

Bacon Jalapeño Scones

Scones don’t have to just be a dessert food. Scone dough is perfectly suited to add savory ingredients and served for breakfast or brunch. Or as an accompaniment to soup, stew, or chili for dinner. These scones are stuffed full of bacon, green onions, gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, and chopped jalapenos.

I only used one jalapeño this time, which was hardly noticeable. Next time I will use 2-3. Heat levels of jalapeños vary widely, however, so it is wise to taste a small piece before committing to adding 3 full jalapeños.

You can eat these plain, slathered with butter or Clotted Cream, or topped with jam. I served them with a homemade sweet & spicy Mango Jalapeño Jam.

To form the scones, transfer your dough to a well-floured surface and use your hands to shape dough into an 8” round disc about 3/4-inch thick.

Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 wedges. This recipe makes 16 scones. Don’t make one large circle and cut into 16 pieces. Instead, divide dough in half and make 8 from each round.

An important factor in getting light, airy scones is not working the dough more than necessary. An easy and effective way to cut your butter into the dry ingredients is to use a cheese grater to shred frozen butter into your dry ingredients and then mix only briefly. You want there to still be strands of visible butter. That is what will create the air pockets and layers in your scones.

Tip for adding butter: This recipe calls for 8 Tbs (1 stick) of butter. Freeze TWO sticks, then take a pen and mark around the 4 Tbs line on each stick. (It is hard to grate slippery butter all the way down to the end of the stick without grating your fingers ) Fold back the paper on the sticks of butter to the line you’ve drawn. Holding the paper-covered end of the butter, grate the butter directly into your dry ingredients (briefly stir occasionally so that you don’t have a big pile of butter in one spot). Stop grating when you get to the line where you’ve folded back your butter paper. I usually use the larger of the two grating hole sizes on the grater.

You can also grate butter that is just refrigerated, not frozen, but it will hold it’s consistency longer if you freeze it for about 30 minutes first.

RECIPE:

Bacon Jalapeño Scones

Servings: 16
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2 ½ cups flour
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter (freeze TWO sticks for 30 mins for easier grating)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten lightly
½ cup chopped crisply-cooked bacon
¼ cup chopped green onion
2-3 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
2/3 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan

Egg wash: 1 egg, beaten + 2 Tbs heavy cream

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture to form coarse crumbs. Tip for adding butter: Freeze TWO sticks of butter, then take a pen and mark around the 4 Tbs line on each stick. (It is hard to grate slippery butter all the way down to the end of the stick without grating your fingers ) Fold back the paper on the sticks of butter to the line you’ve drawn. Holding the paper-covered end of the butter, grate the butter directly into your dry ingredients (briefly stir occasionally so that you don’t have a big pile of butter in one spot). Stop grating when you get to the line where you’ve folded back your butter paper. I usually use the larger of the two grating hole sizes on the grater.

Mix together the buttermilk and the beaten eggs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in milk just until moistened.

In a small bowl, stir together the cooked bacon, green onions, jalapeños, and grated cheeses. Mix gently into the scone dough.

On a floured surface, knead dough lightly until evenly mixed. Divide the dough in half. Pat each dough half into an 8-inch round about 3/4 inch thick. Cut each circle into 8 wedges.

Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Place dough wedges on prepared sheets and place in freezer for 30 minutes to chill.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove scones from freezer and brush lightly with egg wash. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve plain or with butter, Clotted Cream, or Mango Jalapeño Jam.

Yield: 16 scones

**TO FREEZE SCONES TO SERVE AT A LATER TIME:

Scones can be frozen either before or after baking.

To freeze before baking: Prepare scone dough. Cut scones and place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. DO NOT brush with egg wash. Freeze until firm. Place into Ziploc bag or freezer container and store in freezer. Place frozen scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush tops of scones with egg wash. Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.

To freeze after baking: Prepare and bake scones. Cool completely and place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Freeze until firm. Place into Ziploc bag or freezer container and store in freezer. Place frozen scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake at 300°F for 10-12 minutes.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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Filed under Appetizers, Breads, Breakfast/Brunch

Tagged as appetizer, bacon, bread, breakfast, British, brunch, chili, English scones, jalapenos, mango jam, recipe, savory scones, scones, Scottish, soup, stew

March 3, 2017 · 11:01 am

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.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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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