Chicken Noodle Soup.

I love making this soup. It's delicious, simple, and extremely comforting on a cold day, or when you're feeling a bit under the weather. My method takes a bit of time, but it's not extremely labor intensive, and you can take shortcuts at any point to make it even easier. Due to the nature of this recipe, there are no exact proportions. You can make a large batch, as I usually do, or simply use less and make enough for a single meal. The amounts I do list will be for a rather large batch intended to have extra for freezing. Adjust as needed, and enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts (or thighs) 3-4 for a large batch (or leftover cooked chicken, if you've got it)

butter

garlic (optional)

celery, with tops

carrots (save peelings!)

onion (save root and peeling!)

half recipe of homemade noodles (Recipe here) or egg noodles

chicken broth, about 8-12 cups for a large batch

oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley, bay leaves, or any herbs you like and have on hand. Fresh works best, dried will work too.

water

Directions:

I will note extra steps in italics. Please note, extra step=extra flavor, but it is not necessary.

If you are using leftover cooked chicken, skip this step. Chop chicken into small, bite-size pieces. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté two whole cloves of garlic in butter until brown. Discard (or eat the cloves, they're delicious). Pan-fry chicken till cooked through. Set aside.

In a large stock-pot, (or sauce pan if you're making a smaller batch,) pour 8-12 cups chicken broth or water, and add carrot peelings (not the carrots themselves) onion peelings and root, (not the actual onion), celery tops (not the stalks) and any herbs you care to use. I particularly like rosemary, bay, and parsley, but whatever sounds good to you will most likely work. Let the pot simmer for at least an hour, covered. Strain the broth when you are ready to add your final ingredients. Return to pot. Alternately, you can simply skip this step and add your final ingredients to the plain chicken broth. I highly recommend the former instructions, though, as they'll take this above and beyond delicious. :)

While the broth is simmering, chop your carrots, celery and onion to bite size pieces, or minced, if you like. Also prepare a half batch of your noodles now.  Add your chicken, carrots, celery and onion to the broth, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add noodles slowly, especially if using homemade noodles, so they don't stick to each other. Let simmer until noodles are cooked through (they'll swell a bit) and then remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Onion Sandwich.

This is not for the faint of heart. This is not a pretty dish, nor does it smell like, well, anything other than onions. No, this is not a sandwich for everyone. 

However. If you are one of those people, the people whose steaks are incomplete without sautéed onions, whose burgers are sadly lacking when not topped with this versatile vegetable, whose salads must have a bit of oniony crunch to them, well, let me say you and I are kindred spirits. And so, dear friends, I would like to share this with you.

The onion sandwich. It is beautiful in its simplicity, in its humble adornment. Bread, a touch of butter, and one whole sautéed onion. I like to toss in some greek seasoning as well, but you can season however you like. There's no real recipe to this, but the longer you sauté the onions, the sweeter they'll be. I'm not all that fond of blackened onions, but many people like to let them sauté that long, as it sweetens the onion greatly. Make this to taste, but if you are an onion lover like me, you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Asparagus Cashew Stir-fry.

This was a new recipe for us, but we'll be repeating it often. It's vegetarian, but you don't really miss the meat because there's so much other good stuff in it already! This will be a regular on our menu.

Asparagus Cashew Stir-Fry, from Best Light Recipes 2006, Taste of Home Magazine

(Recipe from Christine Sherrill)

Ingredients:

1 lb. asparagus (We used 1/2 lb. and then added 1/2 lb. broccoli instead)

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 t. canola oil (If using a wok, use peanut oil)

2 T. cornstarch

1 1/2 c. vegetable broth

3 T. soy sauce, reduced sodium if possible

1/4 t. ground ginger (what we used)

-or-

3/4 - 1 t. minced fresh gingerroot

1/2 c. cashews

1 t. sesame oil (alas, we had none, and so used sesame seeds instead)

4 c. hot cooked brown rice

Directions:

Begin cooking your rice.

In a large nonstick skillet or large wok, sauté the asparagus, onions, red pepper, garlic, and broccoli if using, in oil until tender. Combine the cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, and ginger until blended; add to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat; add cashews and sesame oil (or sesame seeds). cook two minutes longer or until heated through. Serve over rice. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Texas Meat Marinade from Former First Lady Laura Bush.

When Chris and I were wed, my mother gave us a lovely gift. She wrote to friends and family, as well as our current politicians in office, and asked for well-loved recipes. Pres. George W. Bush was in office at the time, so she wrote to First Lady Laura Bush as well. Some of the recipes received are of the sort that my family simply will not touch; this is not one of those.

This marinade is amazing, and simple to boot! There are no photos as I didn't think to snap one before we sat down to dinner, and also because, delicious as it is, it dulled the color of our steaks to a shade that would not make for a nice photo. :)

Any meat can be used for this, but I do highly recommend using beef. As I've not access to Yucatan Sunshine Habanero Pepper Sauce at my supermarket, I simply use Tabasco sauce. 

Texas Meat Marinade, from Former First Lady Laura Bush

Ingredients:

1/2 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. thyme

1/2 t. marjoram

1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

1 t. Yucatan Sunshine Habanero Pepper Sauce

1 T. Worcestershire sauce (I sub in soy sauce here)

2 t. chopped garlic

1/4 c. corn oil

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

Directions:

Mix the dry mustard, thyme, marjoram, and pepper together. Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce), hot pepper sauce, corn oil, and olive oil. Mix well and pour over your meat of choice covering entire piece of meat with mixture. Marinate for a few hours. Sprinkle with salt just before cooking. Enjoy!

Steak Chimichurri.

This is my new favorite steak recipe for the summer.  Actually, the first time we made it was in January! We had to relight the grill a few times, and it took three times as long as it should have to make, but it was delicious even then! I love it because it's quick, easy, (especially if you have a food processor, but even if you don't), and oh so tasty. I'm not a great fan of cilantro, but, even though its a major player in this dish, it doesn't bother me here. Serve with grilled tomatoes and grilled garlic bread for a complete meal.

 

Steak Chimichurri from So Easy, by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:

For the chimichurri sauce:

1/3 c. packed fresh cilantro

1/3 c. packed fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

3 T. olive oil

1 lg. clove garlic

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. water

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 t. salt

To continue:

cooking spray (optional, only for indoor grills really)

1 1/4 lb. shoulder center steak (ranch steak) or top sirloin steak, about 1 1/4 in. thick

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper

1 recipe Grilled Garlic Bread (see below)

1 recipe Grilled Tomatoes (see below)

Directions:

Puree all the ingredients for the chimichurri sauce in the small bowl of a food processor until it reaches the consistency of a sauce. Transfer to a bowl. Chimichurri will keep in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.

To continue, spray a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium high heat. Season the steak with the salt and pepper. cook the steak, turning once, for 5 minutes per side for medium rare, or to your desired degree of doneness. (We always do medium, which takes just a minute or two more.) Allow the steak to sitfor 5 minutes before slicing thinly.

Serve the steak with the chimichurri sauce, grilled garlic bread, and grilled tomatoes.

Grilled Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

4 large slices crusty whole grain country bread

1 T. olive oil

1/4 t. salt

-

1 clove garlic, cut in half

-or-

1 t. garlic bread or garlic salt seasoning (if using garlic salt, omit regular salt)

-

cheese (opt.)

Directions:

Preheat grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Brush both sides of each slice of bread with oil. Grill until toasted and grill marks are formed, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Rub both sides of the toasted bread vigorously with the garlic. Sprinkle with salt and serve. (I find this to be to strong for me, with raw garlic. Instead of rubbing the garlic clove on, we simply sprinkle garlic bread seasoning and sometimes cheese on top and serve.)

Grilled Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 large ripe but firm tomatoes (We use romas, since they're meatier, but use your favorite type of tomato)

1 T. olive oil

1/4 t. salt

Directions:

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze them gently to remove the seeds. Brush the cut side of each tomato with olive oil and season with salt. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Place the tomatoes into the pan cut side down and grill until warm, softened, and browned on the cut side, but still retaining their shape, about 10 minutes.

*Note: I'm not fond of tomatoes. I admit it. I don't like their seeds or their juice, which is why I cook almost exclusively with romas, which have less of both, and more meat. Despite this dislike, I do very much enjoy these grilled tomatoes. They turn out delicious, trust me. Enjoy!