Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Evan called me this afternoon and wasn't feeling very well. So I decided to make some chicken soup. My "Good Houskeeping" cookbook has a recipe for Greek Style Lemon Chicken Soup (also none as avgolemono in Greece). I decided to try it. The prep time is fast (15 minutes).

Ingredients:

1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast half (6 ounces)

1 small onion, peeled and studded with 2 whole cloves ( I didn't have cloves so I skipped this part)

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 stalk celery, cut into 2-inch pieces (I bought the already cut carrots and celery, Mirapoix, from trader joe's)

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth or you can dilute the "Better than Bouillon" chicken base in water

2 1/2 cups water

2/3 cup regular long-grain rice

3 large eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)

1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

1. In non reactive 3-quart saucepan(I love my Le Crueset pan), combine chicken, onion, carrot, celery, broth, and water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Remove chicken and vegetables from saucepan. (I poured over my strainer into a bowl, but you can also use a slotted spoon.) Discard the vegetables. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into thin strips.

3. Meanwhile, add rice to simmering broth; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, with wire whisk, mix eggs and lemon juice until combined.

5. Slowly whisk 2 cups simmering broth into bowl with egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return broth mixture to saucepan; heat just to simmering, whisking constantly, until broth has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in  shredded chicken and butter. Makes about 7 cups of soup.

Evan and I loved this soup and it definitely helped his cold. I also served it with toasted french bread. Enjoy!

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

Tonight Evan made Chicken Mulligatawny Soup. This recipe is courtesy of Williams Sonoma and their "Food Made Fast, Soup" cook book. We love this recipe, it is fast easy and delicious. It is a curried chicken soup with vegetables. This soup includes yogurt as one of its ingredients which adds a nice thickness to the soup. The ingredients are fresh and easy to obtain and it is super easy to put together. 

Ingredients:

3 Tbsps Unsalted butter

1 1/2 lbs chicken (you could also use turkey breast) cut into bite size cubes

1 finely chopped yellow onion

3 stalks of celery finely chopped

2 carrots finely chopped

1 clove of garlic minced

1 Tbsp of curry powder

4 cups of chicken broth (we like the campbells soup cans or swansons)

1/2 cup of long grain white rice

1 cup plain yogurt (we prefer greek yogurt)

1/4 fresh  cilantro minced

salt and pepper to taste

First Evan melts the butter in our Dutch oven over medium heat. Then he adds the chicken and sautes until brown on all sides. He removes the chicken and sets it aside when thoroughly cooked. Next he adds the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to the pot and sautes until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Then he stirs in the curry powder and cooks for 2-3 minutes longer to blend the flavors.

Next he adds the chicken broth and chicken to the vegetables in the pot and brings them to a simmer over high heat. Then he reduces the heat to medium. The next step in the recipe calls to add the rice and cook the rice in the soup. We prefer to cook the rice in our rice cooker and toss it in. It makes it go a little faster, but it works either way. After it simmers for 10-15 minutes stir in the yogurt and simmer over medium for 10 more minutes. Then season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish each bowl with cilantro.  

Even though it was 90 today we still continue are week of comfort food. I must admit this one is delicious and I am glad I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Comfort Food

Ever since the weather cooled down a tiny bit and it barely sprinkled, I have been in the mood for comfort food. Evan and I planned our weakly menu as we usually do on Sunday. I ran to the farmers market bought all of our fresh produce and bread and picked up our other ingredients at Trader Joe's on Hyperion. 

This weeks menu (in no particular order):

1. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans

2. Chicken Mulligatawny (a type of hearty stew)

3. Hamburgers, corn on the cob, asparagus

4. Something with turkey, we haven't sorted that one out yet

This menu does sound heavy, but we are good about portions and only buy what we need for one meal. Also as I said, "Comfort Food"

Tonight I made Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

I always start with the potatoes since they take the longest to cook. For Evan and I we only need 8 small to medium potatoes. I put a large pot of water on to boil and after they are clean toss them in. Tonight I left the skins on. Then I set up my plates and bowl for dredging my chicken. I prepare one plate with flour and seasoning, this time I used paprika and some black pepper. Then in a bowl or pie plate I beat one egg. On the third plate I mix bread crumbs (already bought) and toss them with chopped cilantro and  a little parmesan cheese. I heat up a frying pan with about 1/2" of vegetable oil. I use medium heat (a 5-7 on your range). If the oil is too hot it will instantly burn the chicken. If it is too low the chicken will not cook fast enough and turn into an oily mess. I then clean my chicken (we usually it 1/2-3/4 lb. between the two of us). It is important to always rinse any chicken and dry it off with paper towels. I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them into chicken tenders. First I run the chicken through the flour plate and make sure it is completely coated, then I dip it in the beaten egg mixture and coat all sides, then I finally toss in the breadcrumbs and pat on until they are all covered. When they are all ready begin to fry. If you over crowd your frying pan it will also lower the temperature of the chicken, be sure to watch that it is frying and not just sitting in the pan. If it is not sizzling turn it up a little.

For the green beans I toss a little butter in a saute pan with crushed garlic. After the garlic has cooked a little, I toss in the beans. I let them saute for a second and then add some chicken broth. I turn the heat up a little and put a lid on and let them cook. Then I check the potatoes if a fork easily goes in they are done. I take the potato pot off of the heat and place a kitchen towel over the top of the pan(this prevents them from becoming mealy). I flip the fried chicken to make sure I cook it evenly on both sides. I always set a plate a side with a few paper towels for when the chicken is finished. Then it is time to mash. I add a little milk and butter to the potatoes. As I mash, I continue to add milk until they reach the desired creaminess. I also always toss in salt and pepper. Then I check the chicken in the center with a knife and fork to be sure it is completely cooked and no pink remains. I Pull out of the oil and place on the paper towel plate. The green beans are also finished. Then I plate it up and we eat. We also usually make a mixture of mayo and mustard to dip our chicken fingers in. 

I won't lie it was exactly what I had been craving. I hope you enjoy.