Asian Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup

I always love a good chicken soup but I was craving something a little out of the ordinary.  This hit the spot.  A broth that I could literally drink from a cup with thin rice noodles, chicken and some veggies.  Hope you give this a try, totally worth it.

Adapted from Kathleen Daelemans's Asian Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.
Ingredients:
4-5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce
2-4 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, either micro-planed or minced very finely
1, 1 to 2 inch piece of peeled ginger, micro-planed or minced very finely
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 carrots, shredded
1 container of button mushrooms, shitake would be great too
1 stalk celery, cut thinly
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (great for rotisserie left-overs)
Half box rice noodles
3 scallions, chopped

Directions:

In a small bowl mix the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Don't be afraid to taste it and adjust to your liking!  That's why most measurements have the dash.  You need to taste in order to pick your salty~sweet~heat levels. 

In a soup pot, heat a little olive oil and add carrots, mushrooms and celery and let cook on a medium-low flame for about 8 minutes.

Add in the chicken broth and water and then add sauce mixture.  Throw in the chicken.  Allow to simmer on low for about 10 minutes.  While that is simmering, cook your rice noodles according to the box directions. 

Once the noodles are ready, add to your favorite soup bowl (i then cut the noodles, cause I stink at eating any noodle longer than an inch, lol)  then add the soup and top with the chopped scallions.  

Perfect.  Don't be surprised when you find yourself drinking the broth right from the bowl. 

I took this picture because I wanted to share with you how I store my ginger.
After watching Melissa D'Arabian on the food network, she mentioned to peel and freeze ginger.
I was dumbfounded because I should have thought of that.  I always end up chucking some if I don't
get a chance to use it all.... Maybe you will find this helpful!!!!

Simple Sugar Cookies =)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

A litte something sweet for my two sweeties.  =) 

The second trimester has arrived but I am still feeling quite icky.  I thought it was supposed to be getting better!!!  Oh well.  I still wanted to make my two special guys something sweet today.  Sweet and really easy.  I found this recipe online on Food.com named, Grandma's Soft Sugar Cookies.  I had to go with it because silly me forgot to buy butter and these are made with oil!!!  Perfect.  Of course I added my own twists, as usual.  The recipe called for vegetable oil but I used olive instead and added some cinnamon and lemon zest.  You must give them a try!

Most of the ingredients....

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup olive oil (NOT extra virgin)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

The red is optional, but you should
use some sugar to top them.  Adds a
litte texture.

Red colored sugar, (optional) or just plain ol' sugar







Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together into a bowl.  Add oil and sugar to mixer and mix for a minute.  Add eggs, zest and vanilla and beat on high for about one more minute.  Add in flour and mix until combined.  Do not over mix.

Oil and sugar

with eggs, vanilla and zest

just about there...

Using a tablespoon, spoon out dough and roll into balls.  Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet ( I ALWAYS use parchment paper) about three inches apart. Take a glass, press the cookie down lightly, add the glass to the colored sugar, and press down on the cookie.  It will leave the perfect, neatly arranged amount of sugar.

Bake for about 5 to 6 minutes until very lightly browned.  They will get more crunchy the longer you bake.  

Logan kept looking in saying, "mmmmmmmmmmm..."

Let cool and enjoy!!!!

One reason for making them!!! Love him. 

Inspecting his cookie...lol

Spiced Pineapple Upside Down Cake

A nice ripe pineapple was sitting on my shelf and I knew if I didn't use it right away I would end up wasting it.  Sooooooo, I figured I could use the pineapple and try baking something new.  Pineapple Upside Down Cake was the first thing that came to mind.  This is my first go at it and I must admit, it did not disappoint.   It is a rich, dense cake with a caramel-y, spiced pineapple topping.  Addicting really.  It tastes the best when it's still slightly warm.  Not hard at all and doesn't call for too many ingredients so there is no excuse not to try it, unless of course, you dislike pineapple.

Recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Smells as wonderful as it looks and tastes.  So worth making!

Ingredients:

Topping:
1/2 medium pineapple, chopped into 1/2 inch slices.  REMOVE core
3/4 stick salted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar (I didn't have brown sugar, but I had sugar and molasses...which is what brown sugar is, so I just added about a teaspoon of molasses)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Batter:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons buttermilk powder*
3/4 stick salted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum (I used Captain Morgan...it's what I had, lol)
1/2 cup water

Now most of the recipes call for a cast iron skillet... I don't have one so I just used a 9.5 inch pyrex pie plate.  Worked awesome.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Topping Directions:

Plop the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice into a sauce pan.  Cook on medium-low heat for about 4 minutes until bubbly.  Pour into your greased pyrex dish.

already looking really healthy, lol

I could have just eaten this part

Add pineapple, overlapping slightly as you go. 

Batter Directions:

Sift the flour, baking powder and buttermilk powder together and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar for about 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy.  Add in the two eggs and mix for an additional minute.  Add in rum and vanilla while mixer is on low.  Alternately add in the flour and water, beginning and ending with flour.

Pour the batter over the pineapple, being sure to evenly cover.  The batter is thick, so don't just dump it in the middle.  Even it out and it's ready for the oven.

Crispy, caramel-y edges of goodness.  Making me
want to go get another piece.....

Bake for about 45 minutes, until browned.  Take out and allow to cool for about 8 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge and then place a plate on top of the pyrex dish and turn over.  Tap the dish and it should all come out nicely.  (An added benefit of a clear pyrex dish is that you can see the cake release from the pan so you know you can remove the baking dish without removing half your cake along with it.)




Serve slightly warm.  Ooooooh Soooooooo Gooooooood!

Right after removing from dish.  I was impressed. lol

*Most recipes call for 1/2 cup pineapple juice.  I missed that part but wasn't about to forgo cake-y goodness just because of a little missing juice.  I just improvised and it tasted awesome anyway.  Also, most recipes call for 2 tablespoons of rum to be sprinkled over the cake after turning it out.  You may add that, but I didn't cause I wanted my son to enjoy the cake too.  =)

Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Roasted carrots and sweet potatoes already taste great all by themselves.  So I thought why not make a soup out of it!  I looked up some recipes and finally decided to just wing it.  This version is a little sweet and spicy with lots of "roasty" flavor.  Although it takes a little time, it is very easy and so worth the little effort!  FYI, my son loved this soup, just make sure not to add too much spice prior to feeding.  That's why I sprinkle on the chipotle once in my own bowl.  I like it SPICY!

Pretty veggies

Ingredients:
6 to 8 medium carrots
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon molasses
kosher salt
pepper
1 medium yellow onion
1 to 2 teaspoons red curry powder (you could just use cumin and cayenne pepper if you don't have this, just go LIGHT on the cayenne and remember to taste as you go!)
1 can chick peas (I swear you don't taste them, even though I LOVE chick peas, they just add some body and protein to the soup)
4 cups or 1 box chicken stock
1/2 to 1 cup additional water
Touch of cream or half and half
Few pats of butter

Directions:

Lots of wonderful beta-carotene and antioxidants!  =)

Start by washing, peeling and cutting the sweet potatoes and carrots into small chunks.  The more surface they have, the more "roasty" flavor they will have.  Place all of the veggies in a large bowl.  Add the molasses, heavy pinch of kosher salt and black pepper.  Toss to coat evenly.  Place into 2, 9x13 pans so they have room to brown.  Place into a preheated 425 degree oven and roast for about 20 minutes total, making sure to give them a toss at around 10 minutes.

Already smells yummy...

While the veggies are roasting, add a swirl of olive oil then the chopped onion to a large pot and add a small pinch of salt, pepper and curry powder.  Allow to lightly brown.

Add roasted veggies to the pot with the onion.  Dump in the can of chick peas. Toss around for a few so that the chick peas take on a little flavor.

Best chick peas EVER!
Plus, no BPA lining in the can.  =)

Tasted great just like this!

Add the chicken stock slowly.  After adding about 3 cups, begin using your immersion blender on the mixture.  You will see that you probably need to add the additional 4th cup as well as some water.  You can add as much as you like, just make sure you keep blending in between so you can tell what the texture will be.  I like mine to be a little thick, but still soupy.

Once blended, I add a about 1/4 cup half and half and a few slabs of butter and let it sit for about 10 minutes just so the flavors all "marry".

Add to you favorite soup bowl and top with a pinch of chipotle pepper powder and maybe a drizzle of honey (my honey's favorite =) )