Homemade Chicken Stock........by request

Hello friends.  I am in between cough medicine coma's to bring you a recipe that was requested by a couple of people.  Tonight I got it as a request by one of chefwannabe's biggest fans.  It must happen, and it must happen now!  This is gonna be a quick one, so hold on tight and use this recipe soon!  You can freeze extra stock in quart containers and it is awesome to have on hand!  I get quart soup containers from my
favorite Chinese restaurant the round clear plastic ones.  Perfection.  

HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK
1 whole chicken or 3-4 lbs of chicken pieces
8 cups COLD water (It may take more or less depending on the size pot you are using.  Just make sure the chicken is completely covered in water!)
2 large onions quartered
4 stalks of celery, halved
4 large carrots, peeled and halved
1 tsp dried poultry seasoning
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
3 tbsp dried parsley
2 crushed cloves of garlic (optional) sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

Get your chicken unwrapped and ready to go.  Remove gizzards and make sure to use the neck!  In your pot, put in 8 cups of COLD water. When your water is cold and the chicken and water heat up together, it draws more flavor from the bones as opposed to putting a cold chicken in boiling water.  Add your veggies and seasonings into the cold water and stir.  Add chicken and set your burner to medium, simmer for approx 3 hours on low to medium with a lid ON!

When chicken is fully cooked, remove into a bowl or plate.  Remove veggies and put in a bowl.  Put stock in the refrigerator to cool completely.  The fat will rise to the top and harden.  This process could take up to 4 hours. You can speed it up in the freezer if you like. Remove fat.  Take carrots, celery and onions, and process in your food processor until liquefied.  Add to stock. The flavor addition is amazing and I can sneak the veggies in and my husband has no idea!  It will give it a great rich color too!


At this point you can either use the stock right away or freeze it in containers or Ziploc bags. Stock can always be frozen in an ice cube tray as well if you may need small portions for gravy or sauces.

Remove your chicken from the bone and use or freeze as well.

Enjoy!!!

Your chicken noodle soup with homemade stock lovin' chefwannabe

Chris

Scapettes-Madonna Family Tradition

Hoping this finds you enjoying your evening.  Its Sunday evening but by the time you read this it could be Monday morning, or afternoon!  Regardless, I trust your weekend was full of fun and laughter!

This is going to need some explaining.  Well, I just really want to talk about how I got this recipe.  My husband's mother passed away 12 years ago.  We were fortunate to be blessed with a stepmother/mother in law who we adore.  (Good job dad).  Mary comes from an Italian family, and her mother Norma, was a first generation Italian, raised in South Philly. Norma made a soup dish called, "Scapettes" This soup was never to be served at the same meal pasta 

 was served at,  because it would be to many carbs in the meal.  OK, obviously I was never fortunate enough to meet Norma.  She would understand what a carb addicted fool her daughter got for a daughter in law.  I think it would make her proud!  Pasta amore!!!! Anyway, this was always served for their big  12 course holiday meals.  It was a family tradition as long as my mother in law can remember.  I am so thankful she made it that first big meal we had together!  I ask for it whenever we are going to be there which now that we live in Nebraska is never often enough.  She even brought me some when they visited last time!  

This is a crepe-like, very thin, somewhere between a crepe and pasta jewel that is loaded with cheese and parsley and rolled into a log, placed on the bottom of a soup bowl and drowning in chicken soup!  I will make some important notes at the bottom so don't stop reading at the recipes end!

Here is what you will need:
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
Locatelli Cheese *can substitute pecorino romano, or for a WAY milder flavor, Parm*
Fresh, FINELY chopped parsley

Combine all ingredients except cheese and parsley in blender or food processor.  I did it by hand because I didn't want to clean the processor again and it worked out fine.  Just make sure to blend COMPLETELY until smooth.  
Use a small 6 inch (approx) skillet and pour in enough batter until circle is about 3 inches across.  Then take your skillet and tilt it around until batter is spread as much as it will spread.  When the bottom is cooked carefully flip over *I use mini rubber coated tongs* and cook the other side. This whole process should take about 30 seconds to 1 min.  I filled mine immediately after I took it out.  Sprinkle it with your cheese and some parsley and roll up like a log.  Place 2 or 3 in the bottom of a soup bowl and pour chicken soup over the top.  

Cheese and parsley is to taste.  I used probably 1 3/4 cup of cheese and 1/2 cup of parsley.

Mine are POSSIBLY a little thick since I didn't do the tilting thing the first handful of times but no matter, DELICIOUS!

For the chicken soup, as always I endorse making your own of everything.  However, if you don't have some homemade stock in your freezer *gasp* or time to boil a chicken for stock and meat, I am giving you the easy alternative.


Easy Chicken Soup for the top
10 cups good chicken stock
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 carrot grated and 1 stalk of celery chopped VERY fine  *I don't know if this is traditional but I did it to mine*
2 tbsp of finely chopped or grated onion
Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer for 30 min.  When chicken is done, remove and shred or chop and put back in soup.

This soup is delicious.  I have been intrigued by my inability to find anything about this soup online.  My mother in law says she has only seen it on a menu at one Italian restaurant in her whole life.  Not sure if its a regional soup of Naples or what.  All I know is its such an impressive soup to serve, heart and tummy warming to eat and a new tradition of my own family now.  

Thank you Norma, for your wonderful daughter, and thank you Mary for sharing your family recipe with me and allowing me to make it for my own family.  I wonder if your mom knew this recipe would spread so far and wide!  Grazie tanto!

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

That is the question for you ranch dressing lovers!  My husband and I love ranch dressing.  We dip in it, use it for salad sometimes, and I have even marinated in it.  You can use the dry packets of seasoning to mix in with breading, spice up chicken or roast or use to just make great dressing, now you can stop buying those packets and make your own!

Again, on my "make it myself" spree.  I decided to find a great dry mix recipe for ranch dressing.  Well I found one.  I usually like to write my own recipes.   I found one and decided to just try it, but to me it needed more of some things and less of some things.  I went to my local Dollar Tree and got a medium sized jar with a pop on lid to store it in.  You could use a regular jar but, what fun is that?!?!  Again, utilize your dollar store for SO many of these ingredients.  It may seem pricey but I am still working on the original batch I made 3 months ago.  Its not even half gone and for the first week after I made it my husband made ranch dip or dressing every single night!
I use this to sprinkle on chicken, I sprinkle it in breadcrumbs if I am breading something.  I have used it in turkey meatloaf, and dip for sour cream and onion chips!

Ranch Dressing Dry Mix Recipe

15 saltine crackers (squares)

2 1/2 cups dried parsley flakes

1/2 cup dried minced onions

3 tbsp dill weed

1/4 cup onion salt

1/4 cup garlic salt

1/4 cup onion powder

1/4 cup garlic powder

2 tbsp black pepper

Put crackers in your food processor or blender and process until they are dust!  Add the rest of the ingredients in and give just a quick process or blend (about 5 seconds worth) and place mixture into an airtight container.

For salad dressing, combine, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup sour cream and 1-2 tbsp of the mixture. 

For dip, combine, 1 1/2 tbsp of mix in 1 cup sour cream.

FOR LOWER SODIUM: replace "salts" with "powders"! 

Remember, it is up to you how much you put in. Start with some and add more if you like! Make it how YOU like it!

You can't see in the photo but I have the directions written right on the jar with a sharpie marker.  

Your "dip it, drizzle it,dipping queen" Chefwannabe

Chris

Chai Hot Drink Mix

Chai (pronounced as a single syllable and rhymes with PIE) means, simply, "tea".  For most Americans who refer to ordinary tea as "tea", the word chai has come to imply "masala chai". Masala meaning "spiced"  It is Indian/South Asian in origin.

You can purchase many chai tea mixes in the store, and I am certain some people even make their own at home with tea, milk or cream, spices and a sweetener.  My sisters Cathy and Karen are chai tea addicts.  When pricing the premix in the store, which I am sure is mostly sugar, I decided to find a recipe online and see how it worked out for the dry mix.  For some reason, maybe its just me, but if I make the premix at home, and its full of sugar, its not nearly as bad as when you buy it in the store!  It is a nice mental mind-game I like to play with myself!  I don't have the conversion for sugar and sugar substitute mastered yet but you could make this sugar free and almost fat free.  

I had to trust the taste testing of my sister.  I do not drink this, I am a coffee girl from way back and do not enjoy any hot tea.  It sure makes the house smell cozy and very "fall".  I figured if you utilize your dollar store, it will cost you approximately, 10.00 initially.  Of course if you have unsweetened ice tea, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and white sugar or sugar substitute it will be cheaper.  My sister said she pays almost 5.00 for a container the size of a soda can.  This makes about 5 times that much (in my guess).  
If you are a chai tea contessuir, you will notice this recipe has no cardamom.  Don't like it, it was hugely expensive and took such a tiny amount, I am told, you can't even tell its not in there.   You can add it if you like, I will write the recipe and put it as OPTIONAL.  

Chai Tea-Dry Mix

1 cup nonfat dry milk

2 cups french vanilla non dairy creamer (powder)

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant iced tea

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamom (OPTIONAL)

 

Combine thoroughly in a large bowl.  To ensure no undissolved "stuff" at the bottom of your cup, put into food processor and process approx 1 minute to make a fine powder.

Add 1/4 cup of mixture into your cup of hot water.

Enjoy!

 

Excuse the clumping look on the sides, I had just washed my processor and obviously didn't get it dried completely!!

Against my better judgment, I made a casserole.

I know, can you believe it?  
 

Let me explain to my new readers...I loathe casseroles.  Most casseroles look like a dogs dinner to me and are about as unappetizing to look at as such.  I have never been big on casseroles and even challenged some friends to go no a 30 day NO CASSEROLE challenge!  But my sister wanted this casserole, that I had eaten once before so I thought heck, in order to please everyone, I will need to resign myself to making an occassional casserole.

That being said, the casserole I made is called a "Runza Casserole" which is a whole other explaination in itself.  If your not from the midwest,  Wiki has this to say about the "Runza".

 A runza (also called a bierock, fleischkucheor Kraut Pirok) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, pork, cabbage, or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. They are baked in various shapes such as a half-moon, rectangle, round (bun), square, or triangle. In Nebraska, the runza is usually baked in a rectangular shape. The bierocks o Kansas, on the other hand, are generally baked in the shape of a bun. 

 

We have a fastfood chain here in Nebraska called, "Runza".  It is in fact exactly what it says above.  I have observed that people love them or hate them, there is no inbetween.  My husband, hates them, I love them.  I order a runza with cheese and he orders mini corndogs.  Go figure.  He has all kinds of jokes about the name.  Yes, insert a wifely eye roll here.  

These were brought down to the midwest from Canada by the Germans and the rest as they say, is history.  My recipe is just a take on the idea of the Runza.  I try not to use lots of cream soups and such but this recipe is just a total departure from my norm.  I am just going to close my eyes and type and when its over, I will pretend it never happened!  OK, OK, in all seriousness I must admit to enjoying this casserole regardless of its semi-home made nature which bring me to thoughts of Sandra Lee from the food network and then I almost have to delete the entire blog before it's even started.  

Runza Casserole

 (makes approx a 9x9 casserole)

1 lb ground beef

1 reg size back of shredded cabbage with carrots

1 med onion-chopped fine

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 8oz can of crescent rolls

8 slices of swiss cheese (may substitute cheese of choice)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown hamburger, and onion together.  Salt liberally, and pepper.  When onions are transluscent and meat is browned, drain and put back in skillet.  Add bag of shredded cabbage and carrots and let cook together for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add cream of mushroom soup, turn off and set mixture aside.  Take half of your crescent rolls and lay in the bottom of greased or sprayed casserole dish.  You can use a rolling pin or just press them out to fit in the pan, make sure to seal up perforations.  Add mixture on top of pressed out crescent rolls.  Lay slices of cheese covering all of the mixture, then put remaining crescents on top.  I find it easier to use a rolling pin and roll out the top layer out and then lay it on top.

Bake @ 350 for approximately 35-45 minutes, until top crust is golden brown.  

So here it is, a casserole, a RUNZA casserole.  It even includes ONIONS!  Let me know if you try it, or if you changed the cheese up!

Your, "I'm headed to my happy place where casseroles don't exist" chefwannabe

Chris

French Onion Soup! And you thought I hated onions!

I do hate onions.  I hate raw onions, and only like them grated or chopped SO fine its unrecognizable in other dishes.  Even though I am not sure where my dislike came from.... oh wait, YES, I DO!  One time, (you thought I was going to say, "at band camp" didn't you?) my sister Anne, made homemade Salisbury steak.  She had SO many onions in it!  It happened that I got a stomach bug and well....do I need to go on?  I swore off onions for the rest of my life and that was that.  Remember, my cooking knowledge and skill was virtually nonexistent beyond warming up a can of Beefaroni.  

Fast forward to New Jersey, one of my best friends, Mel and I in Applebee's, where she was slurping up some soup that smelled and looked SO good.  I was at war in my mind, how could this soup taste good, if it was ONION soup?!?!   I decided the cheese melted on the top, that had formed a nice crusty ring around the bowl needed my lips on it immediately.  I fell in LOVE.  This was probably, well over 10 years ago, and like I said, before my cooking knowledge and skill had really even been born.  

So now, even though I don't like raw onion, and I don't like big hunks of onion in anything, I love French Onion Soup.  Do you think you don't like onions?  Try caramelizing them!  The world is a beautiful place when caramelized onions are a part of it!  They become so sweet, so mild.  It's just so delicious, I can't believe what I had been missing.  Although, let's be honest, I am not sure anyone in Ord, Nebraska was serving French Onion Soup in the 80's or 90's.  Sadly, our local French bistro was.... oh wait, we never had one!  

This soup screams fall and winter to me, and I think with the fall weather already almost here, it's a great soup to make and have alone as a light meal or as a starter for a larger meal.  Here is my recipe.  I omit some things you might think are a must in French onion soup and I add a few things you might think are odd.  It took me a few tries in past years to perfect the recipe I think is better than any French onion soup I have ever eaten.

French Onion Soup

 (will serve 4 generously)

4 med to large onions. Sliced

1 clove of garlic

3 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning or thyme

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp flour

4 cups beef stock

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in large deep skillet.  Add all of the sliced onions and 1 popped and peeled clove of garlic.  Cook on med-high heat stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.  Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  Reduce to medium and let onions become brown and caramelized, this could take up to 45 minutes.  Keep them covered!  I like to let them get there slowly!  After onions are caramelized and sweet, add flour and let cook for 1 min stirring constantly. Add beef stock and let simmer for 15-30 minutes.  You can serve when it's at the consistency you like.  Simmer longer for thicker soup and let simmer only 10-15 for thinner soup.  If it gets too thick for you, just add a little water or more stock. Add last tbsp of butter to "gloss" the soup and make it nice and rich and shiny. Turn to low and prepare topping.

Topping

4 thick slices of baguette

8 slices of provolone or 2 cups Gruyere cheese

To serve using oven safe crocks:  Fill crocks with soup, float sliced baguette on top and top with cheese, 2 pieces of provolone or 1/2 cup Gruyere.  Broil in oven until cheese is bubbly and brown on top.  Keep your oven door opened slightly, the second you leave it, it will burn!!!

To serve in regular "NON oven safe bowl"  Fill bowls with soup.  Put bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese, slide under broiler for a couple of minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly, remove and float on to of soup.  OR toast bread in oven or on a grill pan.  Float on top of soup when toasted.  Put cheese on top and use a creme brulee torch to melt the cheese and make it brown and bubbly on top.  *I did this method tonight*

You will LOVE this recipe.  Make sure to use LOW or NO sodium stock!!  Otherwise omit salt and just salt to taste, if needed.  

Enjoy your soup....while you watch a great French film!

Your, "onions are my new favorite food" chefwannabe

Chris

If you like this recipe, you might love these too!

Rustic Baguettes
French Onion Panino

Is it bread, or is it cake?

 

OK, so I occasionally get this hankerin' for cinnamon rolls.  Actually, anything that is even remotely like them, or cinnamon in flavor.  My sister Patty is, in my world the queen of Monkey Bread and makes the greatest!  Since I couldn't get any of that, and I was stuck at home, I was thinking of what I could do to monkey bread, to make it like a cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting.  I wanted an ooeeyy, goooeeyy, sweet, caramel oozing roll topped with some sort of Cinnabon type of frosting.  A couple of days passed and with my growing craving, I had to come up with something and it had to be now.  You know the kind of urgency you feel in the morning when you have to put off your first cup of coffee for a couple of hours?  I finally came up with what I think is the perfect combination of a cinnamon roll and monkey bread.  I think I did it, at least I am pretty sure I did it, try it and see what you think!!  This recipe is not for the health conscience.  It's a very rich, ONCE IN A WHILE treat, that will leave your arteries...err....your tummy begging for more!  You can use reduced fat cream cheese without it affecting the recipe.  I know, seems pointless, but none the less, the option is yours!

Cinnamon Monkey Cake

For the CAKE you will need:

1 cup softened butter

2 containers of GRANDES biscuits

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. LIBERALLY butter 2-9 inch round cake pans and lay the bottom with parchment paper. Take your biscuits and cut each one into 4 or 6 pieces. *I did 6*. Do one can at a time so you keep the pans even in their amounts. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a bowl. In a Ziploc bag, combine white sugar and cinnamon, shake to mix. Dip one container of your biscuits in butter and then drop in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Toss inside bag and place into your prepared cake pan. Repeat with next can of biscuits.

Next, melt another 1/2 cup of butter in a bowl and then add brown sugar. Combine and divide between both cakes. Drizzle on top and spread around for even coverage.

Bake for 25-30 min. Check often! Yours may take more or less time.  
 

 

 

While the cakes are baking prepare your frosting/filling: 

1/2 cup of room temp butter 

1-8oz pkg cream cheese 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla
  

Combine all ingredients and set in refrigerator until ready to use.

 

When cakes are done let cool 5 min IN pans. Carefully run a knife around the edges and invert one cake onto a serving plate.  Use 3/4 of the frosting/filling to spread on top and then invert second cake on top of filling.  You can put the remaining frosting on top or thin it with a little milk and use as a drizzle over all the top.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Don't just save it for dessert, have it for breakfast with your morning coffee!

Chicken Salad WITH Options!

"The American form of chicken salad was first served by Town Meats in Wakefield, Rhode Island in 1863. The original owner, Liam Gray, mixed his leftover chicken with mayonnaise, tarragon and grapes. This became such a popular item that the meat market was converted to a delicatessen which still stands to this day."

So lets talk chicken salad.  I was never a fan of chicken salad, mainly because I remember it as drowning in mayo, full of onions, and under seasoned.  I love you mom, lets just clarify... its nothing personal!  You, by the way have learned 2 important facts about me, I hate onions AND mayo.  I eat them both when necessary but never choose either for ingredients if I don't have to.  Smell mayo sometime, really, try it, tell me that unless you knew what it was you would choose to put it in your mouth.   Anyway after moving back to Nebraska, my sister made chicken salad one night and I decided to try it.  I loved it, and have made some of my own variations.  Karen the glory is yours sistah!

It seems chicken salad has become sort of trendy these days.  What used to be a cheap and cheerful quick sandwich salad or salad served up in a bed of iceberg is suddenly expensive and gourmet.  How do you prefer it?  On a bed of salad greens?  A toasted bun or toasted bread?  In a wrap?  Its not just your plain old chicken salad anymore folks, its CHICKEN SALAD!   I want to share my recipe with you, on ONE condition.  You must try the recipe this week, with new additions you have NEVER tried before!

It all starts with the chicken.  I prefer white meat chicken for my chicken salad and I prefer my chicken cut into cubes, not shredded like a pack of hungry wolves got ahold of it first.  If you can, buy your chicken ON the bone and thaw it out before roasting.  Line your baking sheet with tin foil for easier clean up and liberally drizzle your chicken, skin on, with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Don't be skimpy on any of these seasonings!  Roast your chicken at 300 degrees for approx 1-1 1/2 hrs, or until clear juice runs from them.  People always think chicken breasts or white meat is dry.  News flash, ONLY if they are OVERcooked!  Never eat chicken that is not fully cooked.  Remove from your oven and let come to room temperature before DE-boning and cutting up.  You will want approx 4-5 cups of chicken cubes.  

Add to your bowl of chicken..

1/2 cup of REAL mayo (Hellman's)

1/2 cup sour cream

As always....salt and pepper to taste.

Combine thoroughly.

Now, is where your options come in.  Yes people, you have choices in your chicken salad!  There are many choices for add-ins.  Maybe you can try something you have never tried!  Some of these add-ins you will not have thought of, or think you don't like.  I urge you to step outside your safe zone, and go wild!  I know, I know, for some of you that's tiring to even think about, and for some of you its the scariest thing you have encountered in the last 12 months but I know you can do it!  For your add-ins you will need 1/3 cup of your chosen items.  Here are some of my suggestions, all tried and delish!

*Capers 

*Celery

*Hard boiled egg

*Mustard

*Halved grapes, green OR red.  No seeds please!

*Onions (white, yellow, green, chives, leeks) chopped finely or grated in

*Sliced or slivered, almonds or cashews

*Olives (sliced)

*Grated carrots

These are my suggested add-ins.  Consider using several and serving them separately so you have your basic chicken salad and your family or friends can add in their own choices.   

Now for your choice of herbs.  Here is a good rule of thumb.  If you use fresh herbs, use 3 tbsp. if using dried, use 1/3 as much, so 1 tbsp.  

*Tarragon

*Dill

*Parsley

*Rosemary

*Thyme 

*Lemon juice  (no bottle stuff)

These, again, are my suggestions for possible herbs that would be delish with chicken, in your salad.

Regardless of how you are serving your chicken salad, I urge you to try something different this time.  Like..one of my favorite things, butter lettuce also known as Boston Bibb.  Its hydroponically grown, and you will find it with your regular lettuce in a clear plastic container.  Its buttery and so good!  Also if you choose to add a slice of beautiful fresh tomato and you have no more in your garden....try an heirloom tomato!  Maybe it will be purple or brown or green or a few different colors in one!  They taste great and will make good conversation around your supper table.  

Well, there you have it.  Everything you need to know about Chicken Salad!  I mean, did you know it could be so exciting and versatile?  I challenge you to make it for lunch or dinner this week.  Let me know what you chose and how you like it or what you might do differently next time!  Use the comments below to share what you do with your chicken salad!

Have a great week, work hard, sleep good, and eat well!

Your friendly chefwannabe

Chris

..

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Italian Wedding Soup

Soup.  I have been called many things in my life, but being the "Queen of Soup" is my proudest title.  I LOVE soup, in a way that could only be compared to a mother, seeing her first borns face for the first time.  I am not kidding, my love of soup has been ongoing for as long as I can remember.  Chicken noodle soup is by far, my favorite soup.  I must eat it on at least a bi-weekly basis.  In fact, I eat soup many days of the week.  My second favorite soup.....Italian Wedding Soup.  Italian Wedding soup in fact is not a soup served at weddings.  The "wedding" part of the soup pertains to the marriage of the meat and the greens.  They go well together. Another interesting fact is that it is said it actually was a soup original to Spain.  That the "modern" Italian-American version is a much lighter soup.  Regardless of its origin, its name or its meaning, it is a beautiful thing.  

I make several variations of this soup.  This however is my solid recipe, I occasionally stray from. Its like the soup battle of poultry and beef.  I will give you the recipe and discuss variations afterward.  WARNING, you WILL want to make this immediately, its going to be chilly here in the Midwest and its a PERFECT weekend for ZUPPA!

Italian Wedding Soup

Mixture for meatballs-
2 lbs ground turkey or chicken
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, seasoned or plain
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried oregano  
1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tbsp garlic salt
1/4 of small onion-GRATED
1 pinch of dried thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine mixture.  Roll into small meatballs.  Bite size.  I am pretty adamant that these are tiny.  In this instance, impatience and hunger over took my OCD.  This makes a lot of meatballs, freeze the ones you don't use flat and then put in a Ziploc and you have meatballs for your next pot!

For the soup-

2 quarts of chicken stock

2 quarts of beef stock

1 lg carrot cut into a SMALL dice or grated

1 stalk of celery, finely diced

2 cups spinach - fresh or  1 cup frozen that has been drained of all liquid

2 cups pastina (uncooked)  Pastina=small pasta.  Orzo, ditalini,  Acini De Pepe

Bring stock to boil and add diced carrots, celery,  and meatballs. Let simmer up to 1 hour, but at least 30 minutes.  10 minutes before serving, add pasta and just before serving add spinach.   If you will not be eating this soup all at one time, you can choose to cook the pasta separate and add it in, however, I never do and the pasta doesn't bloat and stays fairly firm.  

OK.... lets talk about some possible variations.  

1.  I commonly use all ground turkey or chicken.  I do that in many dishes whenever I can sneak it in and it doesn't change the integrity of the soup and ground beef is to strong of flavor in my opinion.  I might use pork, maybe

2. I use the carrot and celery for color only. That is its sole purpose, although I enjoy both in soup, I am a bit of purist.  I think food needs color, you eat with your eyes first!

3.  This is commonly made with only chicken stock.  I like the depth of flavor adding beef stock gives it and since I can't buy pork stock its my way of making my own!

4. If you use frozen spinach, defrost it and then wring it out in a lint free dish towel, HARD.  Any spinach juice will discolor your stock.  If you use regular spinach, make sure to get rid of the tough stems, baby spinach is fine to put it all in.

5.  Orzo, is the most common pasta used for this soup in my opinion.  I prefer ditalini.  Use any short cut pasta or pastina *little pasta* We always called the star shaped pasta at our house "pastina".  

6.  I always use dried herbs for THESE meatballs.  Use garlic salt and GRATE your onion, nobody wants to bite down on a hunk of onion in a delicate meatball.

7.  I am in total disagreement with some "chefs".  I do not believe parm cheese is salty.  I find regular salt to hit a totally different note on your tongue than the "salt" in parm cheese.  I also do not believe  "overworking" meat is terrible.  I want my meatballs tough enough to hold up to a pot of soup, constant stirring and simmering for possibly hours.  

Enjoy and let me know how it turns out for you or if you have other twists you have eaten or seen!

Your "QUEEN of ZUPPA" chefwannabe

Chris

Chicken with 40 Cloves (of garlic)

Hello my faithful cooking friends!

Wanna talk garlic?  Wanna cook with garlic?  Wanna, wanna, wanna?  The midwestern in me has taken over the easterner in me, thus, the "wanna".  My apologies.  

In my house its a garlic battle, constantly.  My husband USED to like garlic, suddenly in the last 3 months he has decided he does not enjoy it.  I thought perhaps he just didn't like biting down on a piece of garlic in any particular dish so I started rubbing the pan I was cooking in, with a piece of cut garlic.  Hint of flavor and no pieces to chew on.  Even that has him all in a mess. I tried elephant garlic which really is hardly garlic at all.  Its a member of the leek family.  It tastes of mild onion with a faint taste of garlic.  I enjoy it.  In fact I love it.  But it's a member of the ONION family...should have been my sign my dear husband wouldn't like it.  

 I on the other hand, eat garlic raw.  There is nothing better than memories of my mom's homemade dill pickles, because I could fish the garlic out and eat it.  Slowly roasted garlic cloves spread on crusty bread.  YUM!  My mouth is watering, for the record, I think its a possible psychiatric disorder.  Same thing happens when I dream of pickles!  The point being, there is likely no garlic I don't love.  I recently tried some garlic with a little zip, called Rocambole Garlic. It was awesome! 

Without further adieu, let us get to the recipe at hand.

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

4-6 pieces of chicken.  Bone in or out.

40 cloves of peeled garlic.

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning

Salt

Pepper

1 cup chicken stock

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a shallow, oven safe pan on LOW heat,  melt 2 tbsp of butter and 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss in all 40 cloves of garlic and toss around.  Allow to heat in the pan as long as it takes to prep chicken.  DO NOT BURN.  Low heat is fine, you do not want it to brown, just cook.  Using paper towels dry chicken pieces.  Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and dried seasoning of choice.  Remove garlic from pan, put on a cookie sheet and put into oven to roast while you cook your chicken.  Put chicken in pan and brown, approx 3-4 minutes on each side.  When you turn them over on the second side, put your garlic from the oven back in the pan, all over the top of the chicken.  Add remaining 2 tbsp of butter, chicken stock and sprig of thyme, put a lid on and put in preheated oven for 1 hour.  Remove chicken from oven, and put skillet on medium heat and reduce stock for a nice pan sauce..  

Garlic should be whole but very soft.  Serve with crusty bread and use garlic to spread on it.  

This recipe is not for the faint of heart when it comes to garlic.  It is an intense garlic flavor, your house will smell better than Christmas!!!!  OK , just my opinion.  

Make sure when you buy your garlic you look for, tight skin, tight cloves that aren't loose.  No shriveled up garlic or crumbling garlic.  If the garlic has sprouted....its my opinion you should not use it.  Garlic should feel heavy, and not be wet!  I think it would be nice to use a variety of garlic in the dish, some a little hot and some a little milder.  

So get up, and run to the store.  Add garlic to your shopping list!  Get some extra...you DO realize Halloween is coming and the vampires will be out in full force!!!

Your, "garlic breath ROCKS" Chefwannabe

Chris

Note from chefwannabe's husband, "This chicken is truly not for anyone who doesn't LOVE garlic.  I do not LOVE garlic.  I like it...well I used to like it."  Ok, I am cutting him off there.  He obviously considers this a MISS in our kitchen.  I begged him to lie to me when he took his first bite, but alas, a truth teller he is, even when he shouldn't be!
Notice how tiny I made this writing?  Pffftttt!

Are you spicy or herbalicious?

As I type this the aroma of fresh thyme is making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside because I just put a stem in some tortellini soup.  FYI don’t waste time stripping thyme leaves, they are so tiny already.  Throw a sprig in your dish and they will all fall off and you can just fish the stem out before serving.  Yummy.

 Anyway, one of my sisters (for the record, I have 6 of those) recently told me, “I have no idea what spice your supposed to use with what or any of that stuff”.  I thought about it and decided that it’s very possible that a lot of people don’t know what spice your supposed to use on things.  Granted I use “supposed to” lightly.  You can use anything you want ON anything you want, but some classic pairings are certainly in place.  Its like wine…who cares what color you serve with what.  Drink wine, be happy! 

Ok, back to the subject at hand.

There is a difference between spices and herbs.  So lets clarify:

SPICES are aromatic seasonings that come from…bark (cinnamon), buds (cloves), fruit (paprika), roots (ginger), or seeds (nutmeg) of plants.  They should be tossed after 6 months as they lose their potency.  Keep in a cool dark place. 

HERBS are the leafy part of plants, like sage, basil, oregano, thyme, cilantro, parsley, etc.  They should be wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.  Use as soon as possible, they will also lose flavor quicker after being harvested.  Fresh herbs should be added near the end of the cooking time to your dish of choice.  They tend to turn black or lose their flavor if cooked or simmered to long.  If your herbs are DRIED they can be added at the beginning of cooking.  Give them a little smoosh in the palm of your hand or with your fingers to get them revived just before adding to your dish! 

For those of you who have never meandered over to the produce aisle where the fresh herbs are kept.  DO IT NOW.  The difference between fresh and dried herbs is night and day.  Trust me its worth the extra minute you might spend washing and chopping them.  Some fresh herbs are very different from their flavor dried.  Fresh oregano, not my favorite, dried oregano…the bomb.  So you have to judge for yourself.  In order to do that you must get some dried herbs.  Grow them!  They are cheap and easy!  That didn’t really come out right, but you get my point.  Parsley for me, isn’t so much a flavor addition as a “brighten upper” for all dishes.  A bright fresh splash of color and a fresh flavor. 

My rule of thumb is whatever amount of fresh herbs you use, you use 1/3 the amount for the dried version.  1 tbsp of fresh thyme, 1 tsp dried.  Get it?  I am sure there are far more accurate gauges, probably even something scientific if you look hard enough but I think I am pretty close on this.  Its what I use and I am sticking to it. 

Now as far as “what goes with what“.  This is totally up to you but I will share some classic pairings for meat, poultry and fish.
Lamb-rosemary or thyme
Salmon-dill
Tomato dishes-basil
Chicken-rosemary, sage, thyme, dill, basil, cilantro, paprika, etc.
Beef-oregano, bay leaves, rosemary
Pork-sage, rosemary, thyme,

My favorite of all time….garlic.  Garlic goes with everything.  Garlic is everything in one.  Some consider it a spice and some consider it an herb.  I consider it perfection in a little package.  Raw, cooked, roasted or pickled.  Garlic is perfect in practically every way! (my next recipe is chicken with 40 cloves of garlic actually)

Make sure to remember that you not only can you season your food with spices and herbs but you can marinate your fish, poultry, meat AND veggies in them.  You can dry rub your protein with them as well.  Let it sit for an hour or so and prepare as planned. 

What I have offered is an example of everyday herbs you have heard of and likely use.  There are many specialty ones and most herbs are associated with certain cultures and flavors of various countries.  Basil, oregano, and garlic are usually associated with Italian food while cilantro and cumin are associated with Mexican cooking.  Curry, is associated with Indian cooking, etc.  Easy, typical examples.  Cilantro is the bane of my existence so I pretend it doesn’t have a place in the world.  I like it in small doses in salsa, otherwise, I pretend there is no such thing.  Coriander the seed of the cilantro plant, I love.  Very different flavor to me. 

So go crazy, try any herbs you like!  This is only a sample of what I believe is the most common herbs and the most readily available in your local food market.  

Do you have any favorites that you use regularly or in a unique way?  Share with us!  

Your spicy chefwannabe
Chris