Archive for Comfort Food
Soup’s On: Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the challenges I face is when one has leftover rotisserie chicken, what do you do? There’s only so much chicken salad that a gal can make. Well, faced with a partial leftover chicken taking up valuable real estate in my refrigerator, I thought “Soup”. However, I was not in the mood for my normal Southwestern Chicken soup. Sadly, I found myself in a winter recipe rut. My tried & true recipes were not an option and add a case of the winter blahs and I found myself in a winter recipe rut.
Giada de Laurentiis had a recipe for a Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti but since I’m not much of a spaghetti fan (don’t ask – it’s a childhood thing), I looked in the pantry and substituted egg noodles. I also added the zest of one lemon and some garlic and celery and I found a new spin on an old favorite.
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Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe adapted Giada de Laurentiis, Food Network
Ingredients
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons) [I used one lemon and the zest]
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional [I just added some extra parmesan]
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 rib of celery, sliced into moons
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces, *see Cook’s Note [I used 2 cups of egg noodles]
- 2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt
Directions
In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind, if using, to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the carrots and celery and simmer until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind and discard. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
*Cook’s Note: You can use any short pasta from your pantry as a substitute for spaghetti.
Gather the ingredients
That bay leaf looks lonely among the chicken broth, garlic and lemon zest/juice, no?
No thumbs were butchered when slicing the veggies *phew*
Warm Comfort At Last – SO Good!
Arctic Chill Means Beef Stew Is On The Menu….
Posted by: | CommentsOne thing about being up north means more excuses to break in the new All Clad Slow Cooker that I found under the Christmas Tree. I do have to say that I love this slow cooker – I can brown everything in ONE POT and clean up is a breeze. Not to mention it looks phenomenal on my countertop if I do say so myself. See, isn’t it beautiful.
I digress, I know. Beef Stew just calls for chilly weather and I have to say over the past month, Philly has apparently angered Mother Nature so much that she has blanketed the city in waves of white snow a couple of times along with the northeast including New Jersey (perhaps she is also annoyed by the MTV show “Jersey Shore” and Philly got hit by default? – just a thought.) What it has done is sent this gal to the kitchen to try and make her own “Tried and True” version of Beef Stew. I found a recipe for “Slow Cooker Beef Stew” but I have to warn you, I changed it up quite a bit. The end result was a beef stew that has a bit of bite and warms you to the core on a cold winter’s day.
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BEEF STEW
Recipe adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. of beef stew meat cut into 1” cubes
- 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. paprika (I used smoked paprika)
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 potatoes diced
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 cup of whole button or baby bella mushrooms
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 sprig of Rosemary
- 1/4 tsp. of allspice
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt and pepper; dredge the beef in the flour mixture and brown the beef cubes. Put remaining flour to the side.
- After the beef is brown, put into slow cooker (or in my case, leave in the pot as I browned it on the stovetop). Stir in garlic, remaining flour mixture, bay leaf, paprika, tomato paste, allspice, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, onion, mushrooms, beef broth, potatoes, carrots and celery.
- Cover and cook on Low setting for 10-12 hours or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.
One Pot Meal: Nigella Lawson’s Cornbread Topped Chili Con Carne
Posted by: | CommentsOne of my fridge staples is Genuardi’s homemade chili. On those nights when I’m running crazy late, it has saved my butt. Making chili from scratch has not been a priority on the radar. However, during a burst of culinary creativity (and a repeat of Nigella Lawson episodes on the DVR), Nigella Lawson’s Cornbread Topped Chili Con Carne seemed like the perfect one pot meal. One confession – I did use cornbread mix instead of her homemade cornbread topping. I topped the cornbread mixture with shredded cheddar and I have to say this recipe was out of this world. Only one change I think I would make is to use ground cardamom instead of the pods because biting into those pods isn’t always a pleasant experience. Also, like any FoodNetwork.com recipe, please make sure to read the reviews and comments. I read that often the cinnamon in Nigella’s cornbread topping did not work out well. (Again, I’m thankful I improvised with a box mix). Do not – stress DO NOT skip the secret ingredient – you will thank me later….
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Cornbread Topped Chili Con Carne
Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson & FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients:
Chili
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried or crushed chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 5 cardamom pods, bruised
- 2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced
- 3 pounds 4 ounces ground beef
- 7 cups canned chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
- 1/2 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cocoa (DO NOT LEAVE OUT!!!)
- 3 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans
Cornbread:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups cornmeal
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (See reviews / Might want to reduce)
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups grated Cheddar
- Guacamole, recipe follows
Serving suggestion:
- 2 cups sour cream
- Ground paprika, for dusting
- 3 3/4 cups grated Cheddar
- Special equipment: Very large pan
Directions
Heat the oil in a very large pan and fry the onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add the chili, coriander, cumin, and crushed cardamom pods and stir well.
Add the peppers then break up the ground beef into the pan and, using a fork, keep turning it to separate it as the meat browns. Add the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, tomato puree, and water stirring to make a rich red sauce. When the chili starts to boil sprinkle over the cocoa and stir it in. Add the beans and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. At this point you can cool and freeze the chili, or just keep it in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Pour the chili into a large, wide dish or keep in the pan you cooked it in if it is ovenproof.
Combine the salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and oil in a jug, and then stir into the dry ingredients mixing to make a vivid yellow batter.
Pour the cornmeal topping over the chili con carne, or blob it over to cover the top as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the cornbread and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cornbread topping is risen and golden and the chili underneath is bubbling. How long this takes depends on the how cold or hot the chili was when it went into the oven. Since it’s such a huge vat, you may find it easiest to reheat it on the stove in its pan first.
Let the chili stand for about 5 minutes once out of the oven before cutting the cornbread top into squares or slices to serve with a helping of chili underneath.
Guacamole:
- 4 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned and chopped
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Mash the avocados with the scallions and add the juice of up to 2 limes, to taste. Stir in most of the cilantro and turn into 2 bowls, sprinkling each with the remaining cilantro.
Divide the sour cream into another 2 bowls, and dust with a little paprika and, into another pair of bowls add the grated Cheddar so that people can take clumps and add the tangy cheese to their plates of guacamole and sour cream splodged chili.
Gather Your Ingredients….
Time For The Secret Ingredient…
The Secret Ingredient….
Pre-Cornbread Topping…
Add The Cornbread Topping and LOTS of Cheese…
Hot Out Of The Oven…..
Chili Hits The Spot….
Ultimate Comfort: Cheesy Baked Tortellini…
Posted by: | CommentsDuring a cold winter arctic blast there is nothing better than a piping hot dish of baked pasta. While watching Everyday Italian the other day, Giada made Cheesy Baked Tortellini and since I had company, I needed to get dinner on the table fast. Thankfully, most of the ingredients were already in my pantry so I only had to go track down the smoked mozzarella. This dish was perfect. The flavors of the roasted chicken tortellini that I selected went well with the smoked mozzarella and fresh marscapone from Claudio’s in the Italian Market (ahhh – love that place!). This is one of those recipes that will make you want to curl up on the couch and say “Ahhhhhh”
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Recipe courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pound purchased cheese tortellini (I used a roasted chicken tortellini I had on hand)
- 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella ( I wound up using 4 oz – much cheesier and made up for the non-cheese tortellini, right?)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.
- Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend.
- Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.
- Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.
- Enjoy – but let cool or you’ll burn the roof of your mouth off – not that I speak from experience *ahem*.
A Little Comfort…
Posted by: | CommentsThere are times when a gal needs a little comfort food and, after this week from hell, comfort was on the agenda. Nothing screams Massachusetts than a bowl of warm clam chowdah and there is NO better than Legal Seafoods.
Now that I reside in Central Florida – that’s not an option. The only other *gasp* is Friendlys and that’s only because it’s from my childhood – not necessarily an accurate reflection of true home goodness that is Legal Seafoods.
You can imagine my surprise when I found Legal Seafoods Clam Chowder in the refrigerated section of Costco. Yeah, I know – warehouse super club but still – LEGAL SEAFOODS.
So tonight, I grabbed some freshly baked ciabatta and a bowl of Clam Chowdah with a bit of added touches i.e. freshly cracked black pepper, a bit of sea salt and Italian flat leaf parsley.
Now that, my friends is a bowl of comfort.
Comfort, Southwestern Style…
Posted by: | Comments
One thing I always have in my pantry are organic chicken stock, beans (black or cannelini) and salsa. That way I can always make my favorite Southwestern Chicken Soup.
I have to say that I’m spoiled. When I have tortilla or southwest chicken soup at various places, I always think “mine’s better” because mine is always different each time around and allows for adaptation.
I first got wind of the Southwestern Chicken Soup recipe courtesy of Grown Up Girlie and when I make a batch, I always make sure that there will be extra for lunch or dinner during the week. I adapted the recipe from Real Simple (where the photo is from because I was too hungry to take pictures) and this recipe kicks butt time and time again…
Southwestern Chicken Soup (adapted from Real Simple)
1 12-ounce jar salsa verde
3 cups cooked chicken pieces (1 small deli-counter rotisserie chicken or leftovers)
1 15-ounce can cannellini or black beans, drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
Pinch of Cayenne (optional)
1 small yellow onion, sauteed
1/2 cup sour cream
Tortilla chips (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Spritz of lime juice (optional)
- Dice the onion and saute in olive oil
- Empty the salsa into a large saucepan.
- Cook 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add the chicken, beans, broth, and, if desired, lime juice, cayenne and cumin.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Top each bowl with a sprinkling of cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some tortilla chips (if desired). For a soupier dish, use 4 cups of broth.
Can’t go wrong with Chicken soup when you are looking for a bit of comfort-y goodness. Buon apetito!
