Soup: The best weapon against this cold.

I spoke too soon. Since my last entry, snow has covered New York, it's getting colder by the day, and we still have parts of the front and back yards covered with snow. So my best weapon to fight this weather is definitely soup. The first day i had some chicken sauce reserved in the freezer from the last chicken osso buco I made. It's very easy to transform it into delicious tomato/vegetable soup: just add some stock to thin it and you're good to go.

But the cold is not going away, and I always get the same answer to my eternal question (what are we going to eat?) "Anything"! So, soup it is. I know my husband doesn't consider soup "food", but I took my decision hoping that the cold will help him make the right decision. Mom is a safe bet, she can live on soup just like me. No problem here. So let's have some soup.

CHICKEN CORN SOUP

                                                 

This is my favorite Chinese take out. But the last time I ordered it from my favorite restaurant, it was a bit fatty for my taste. They could have changed the cook or wanted to give me something extra, but the fat in it did not agree with my system. I decided to make it myself thinking "what is the worse that could happen? Nothing, we'll still have a soup, maybe a bit different, but it will still be comforting soup in this weather". It will be a good way to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.I'll make it with what I have in the kitchen, rotini or fusilli pasta, corn in a can and no need for the fried strips of dough that comes with the soup in the delivery, the pasta is enough.  It was a big success: my husband ate it all with no complaint whatsoever!! You'll need:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 handfuls of rotini pasta

1 (15.25 oz) can of corn

1 tbsp oil (canola or vegetable)

1 egg

Chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove any visible fat from the chicken breasts, rinse and pat dry. With a sharp knife butterfly the thickest part of the breast in 2 or more slices, depending on the thickness of this part. You will have several parts of the same thickness. Slice the breasts into strips as big as the rotini, or the thickness of McDonald's french fries. Season with salt and pepper. In a 5.5 qt pot, heat the tbsp oil, add the chicken and the pasta and stir frequently until the chicken strips are no longer pink. The pasta will also change color a little to become white. Add the stock. I added the liquid up to the handle of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high. Drain the corn, rinse it if you prefer, and drain it again. Add the corn to the pot and stir. Cover the pot with the lid halfway. When the pasta is done, beat the egg with a fork and add it to the soup while stirring. Your soup is ready.

ARTICHOKE AND CARROT SOUP

                                                         

This is the lighter version of a hearty soup, traditionally served in our family. It is usually made with vermicelli pasta (the very thin spaghetti cut in 3/4 inch bits), but when I discovered wild rice I thought it would be nice to use it in this soup instead. The original recipe calls for browning the vermicelli in oil or butter, and using butter and flour to make a thickening agent for the soup. I don't do that. I use a tbsp or two of sour cream, or a cup of skim milk with flour dissolved in it to get the same result. I usually use frozen Egyptian artichoke hearts, they come in 1 lb bags. But sometimes I have leftover bags, so I use what I have and add to it the other ingredients accordingly. The idea is to have a nice balance between the different colors: white, orange (the carrots) and black (the wild rice). So you can make it for one, two or 10 people by just adjusting the quantities. You can use any kind of stock, chicken or vegetable, or even water, the veggies will give you enough flavor. You'll need:

1 lb frozen artichoke hearts, cleaned

1 handful baby carrots or 1 large carrot

3/4 cup wild rice

2 tbsp sour cream (or 1 cup skim milk and 2 tsp flour)

Chicken or vegetable stock

Rinse the artichoke in cold water to defrost. When they are tender enough for you to handle, cut them in bite size pieces. Cut the carrots the same size as possible. In the mean time rinse the wild rice several times, then put it in a sauce pan and add enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil and keep it cooking. You may need to add more water until it is tender.

In the soup pot, bring the stock to a boil, add the carrots first and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the artichoke, drain the wild rice and add it to the pot. Let cook until the rice opens up. Adjust seasoning and add the sour cream while stirring to completely dissolve. Cover and continue cooking for 4 minutes or so until the soup is creamy and the veggies are done.

Chicken two ways.

Winter is here. Actually it is almost here, because until yesterday winter has been very kind to us here in New York. Temperatures started to fall only in the last couple of days, and with cold temperatures we need something hearty to keep us warm. In these cases I prefer to have one dish meals. Somehow they are the best way to fight the cold weather: it's comforting to have everything you need on one dish served hot, instead of going through several courses.

Today we are making a classic Italian recipe: Chicken cacciatore. It's a kind of peasant dish, where chicken is cooked with vegetables. This makes it a perfect choice if you have young children and you want them to learn to eat their veggies: being a one dish meal it will be difficult to separate the vegetables from the chicken, and since they are cooked together, everybody will consider them a package.

As usual I tweaked the basic recipe to make it lighter, and I am giving you two versions of the basic recipe. You can mix and match ingredients, quantities and how to cook, according to your taste. To give you an example, today I made the first recipe: I used 4 thighs, mini sweet peppers that I had on hand, and some Lima beans, just because my mom likes them. Instead of tomato sauce, I used half a can of crushed tomatoes, and didn't need to add the paste.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE 

                                                 

I like to think that this dish was born out of necessity. There are some staple dishes in every culture that are some kind of "catch all", and they are served on days when the family is otherwise occupied. I remember that way back when washing machines were not that common, they used to have a "laundry day" where everyone was busy doing something related to this huge endeavor, so dinner had to be something they had at hand in the pantry or in the kitchen. So, if the name tells us anything, I think the "chicken cacciatore" was created for the days when everybody went to hunt and this is what came out of that necessity.

When making this dish you have a lot of choices: you can use whole legs, thighs only or thighs and drumsticks. You may consider one leg per person or one thigh and one drumstick or two thighs, maybe even breasts, but make sure to cut them in half at least. Use any combination you like. You'll need:

3 thighs and 3 drumsticks (with or without skin)

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 green bell pepper sliced

1 ½ cup sliced mushrooms

3 stalks of celery chopped

½ to 1 cup frozen small Lima beans thawed (optional)

1 16 ounces can tomato sauce (or chopped tomatoes) + 2 tbsp tomato paste

½ cup green olives sliced (optional)

1 to 2 cups chicken stock or water

2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

                                                      

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside until you prepare the vegetables.

In a large skillet slightly brown the chicken pieces in 1 tbsp of oil until there is no blood near the bone. If you are using chicken with the skin on, start with the skin side first, then turn the pieces to cook on the other side, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a dish. In the same skillet add the 2^nd tbsp of oil, stir the onion until translucent and then add the garlic. Stir for a moment, then add mushrooms and salt/pepper. Stir. Mushrooms will render their liquid. When it’s almost absorbed add celery and bell pepper. Stir. Add Lima beans. Stir and when liquids are almost all absorbed add back the chicken and any liquid that may have accumulated in the dish. Stir to mix well, then add olives, tomato sauce. In ½ cup of water or stock dissolve the tomato paste and add to the skillet. Stir to check on liquids. The sauce should be of medium thickness to allow for the vegetables and chicken to cook until done. Add more liquid if needed, and adjust seasoning as needed. (Remember if you used green olive they are salty, so don't put too much salt at the beginning).

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over yellow rice or small pasta.

Note: You can change the ratio of the ingredients according to taste.

You may also change the vegetables and use bite size asparagus pieces, or ½ inch quartered zucchini slices. Do not use potatoes in this dish.

When adding the vegetables you have to take into consideration the time each one needs to cook and add them to your skillet accordingly.

Ex: start with mushrooms, then peppers, then asparagus, zucchini and finally frozen veggies. Zucchini slices should be rather thick so that they don’t become mushy.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE II

1 whole chicken cut in 8 to 10 pieces

1 medium onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 can chopped tomatoes, or whole tomatoes 

2 to 3 tbsp capers, drained

1 cup red wine (optional)

Chicken stock

½ tsp dried oregano

2 to 3 tbsp all purpose flour

2  tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

You can use chicken with or without skin.

Lightly flour chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper. In a non-stick skillet brown the chicken in one tbsp oil until there is no more blood near the bones. Start with the skin side first if you are using chicken with the skin on. When done, remove to a plate. In the same skillet add the remaining oil, the chopped onion and stir. Next add the garlic and follow with the red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and add the wine, followed by the tomatoes. Break the tomatoes with a spoon, sprinkle with oregano, then add the capers and 1 cup of stock. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back to the skillet, the liquid should be almost covering it. Add stock if you need. Bring again to a boil, then let simmer on medium heat covered until done.

Serve over rice or small pasta.

NOTE: You may have noticed that I used a finely chopped onion in these recipes. The reason is that in such recipes the onion pieces will disappear when cooked, so I have no problem with that.

YELLOW RICE

This is a delicious way to make a different side dish of rice. By now you already know that I don't like to boil rice or make it simply white, except for special dishes. So, cooking it this way adds a little something extra to your side dish. I usually serve it with fish cooked in tomato sauce, or chicken, also cooked in sauce. I like the contrast in colors. You'll need:

1 small onion finely chopped

1 good pinch of saffron threads or 1 tsp of turmeric

2 cups of rice

1 tbsp ghee (at Indian stores) or clarified butter or vegetable oil

Liquid (water or chicken stock) according to rice package

Salt to taste

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Drain well.

In a non-stick pot melt the ghee, add the onion and stir until translucent. Add saffron and stir to coat and release the flavor and color. Add the rice and stir to completely coat and to make sure that all the liquid from rinsing is absorbed (you will hear crackling). Add water according to package directions and salt to taste. Cook covered over high heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Lower the heat, fluff the rice, adjust seasoning, cover and let simmer until completely tender.

TIP: You can replace the ghee with a mix of equal parts of butter and oil. The aim here is to prevent butter from browning during all the dry stirring and thus giving a bitter taste to the rice.

Stirring the rice until you hear it crackling will guarantee that grains will be separated  and rice will be fluffy, not sticky.