Chicken Udon

This is one of the meals I remember eating as a kid.  My dad was in the Navy. We spent quite a bit of time in Japan.  I saw the Udon noodles in the supermarket awhile back and decided to find a good recipe so I could share Udon with my kids.  As a kid, we just called this dish Udon.  On a menu you will likely find Udon called Pork Udon or Chicken Udon depending on how it is prepared.  I've even seen it called Chicken and Udon noodle soup. In Japan it is understood that Udon is a noodle soup so adding "noodle soup" seems a bit redundant, in my opinion.  Whatever you call it, it's a delicious meal.

 

1 shallot, roughly chopped
1 chicken breast
4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
2 Tbsp dried shiitake mushrooms
600g udon noodles
2 bunches of baby pak choy, rinsed and trimmed
1/3c mirin
1/4c soy sauce
green onion, rinsed and sliced

In a soup pot, add the chicken breast, shallot, ginger, and mushrooms to 7 cups of water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for 10 minutes.  Skim any scum that appears on the surface.  Remove from heat and stand (covered) for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.  Transfer the chicken and mushrooms to a plate.  Strain the chicken stock, discarding the ginger and shallot.  Return the stock to the pot.

Shred the chicken.  Slice the mushrooms into thick slices if necessary.  (The mushrooms I used were already sliced.) 

Reheat the stock over a high heat.  Add the noodles.  Cook for 2 minutes (or until the noodles are tender).  Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan.  Add the pak choy.  Cook for another 2 minutes. The leaves will have just wilted and the chicken will be heated through.  Stir in the mirin and soy sauce.  Garnish with green onion.

Alternatives: Fresh cilantro leaves are also a tasty garnish for Udon, but my family doesn't really care for cilantro so I pick my battles.

Butternut Sweet Potato Soup

Let's talk vegetables for a bit.  In my opinion, the butternut squash is an under appreciated vegetable. I think it gets the bad squash rap, but really it tastes more like a pumpkin than a squash.  When you are choosing a butternut squash, the skin should be a golden tan in color and matte (not shiny). A ripe butternut squash feels solid and heavy for its size. It will sound hollow when you tap it. It should feel firm and smooth.  It fact, a butternut squash can be difficult to to skin and chunk up when it's completely raw.  Sometimes I cheat, I will stab the squash a few times and roast it in the oven for thirty minutes or so until it is easier to skin.  You need to stab the squash so that the steam can vent while it's cooking.  If your forget, it may explode in your oven and that is no bueno. 

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chunked
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
1/8 c fresh ginger, shredded
8c chicken stock
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
Low fat Greek-style yogurt

Coat the bottom of your cooking pot with cooking spray.  Add onion and saute for about five minutes.  Add garlic and ginger.  Cook for about 1 minute.  Add squash, sweet potato and chicken stock, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are done.  Using a blender (or food processor), process soup until smooth.  Return soup to the pot.  Heat soup on med low heat until heated through.  Serve topped with black pepper and a dollop of yogurt.

Vegetable and Beef Soup

5-6 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can green beans
1 can corn
3 cans beef broth and 3 cans of water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp crushed Basil
1 Bay Leaf
1 lb. sirloin beef cut into bite sizes

In a soup pot, cook meat until done. (Sometimes, season the meat with a little seasoned pepper.) Add beef broth and water. Add carrots, potatoes, celery, corn, beans, tomato sauce, and tomatoes. Salt to taste. Add about 1 Tbsp of dried basil and 1 bay leaf, broken in half. Turn down heat and cook until the vegetables are finished (about 20 minutes). Serve hot.

Goulash Soup

The Goulash we ate growing up was a concoction of macaroni noodles, tomato sauce, and hamburger. Kinda like Spaghetti, but all mixed together and made with a mysterious packet of powder Mom bought on the spice aisle. It was alright, but imagine my surprise when I ordered this while stationed in Germany. Hmmmmm....the beef, the peppers, and potatoes simmered in this yummy broth and served with crusty bread. This was not my mother's Goulash, but it was heavenly!

3T butter or oil
1 lb beef (cut into 1" cubes)
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 green peppers, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp paprika
2 Bay leaves
1 Tbs lemon juice
4c beef stock
2c water
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
3T tomato paste

Brown meat in butter. Remove meat, leave the drippings. Saute onions in drippings until translucent. Add garlic, peppers, and tomato paste. Saute for 10 minutes. Add caraway seeds, paprika, and lemon juice. (The is where the original recipe tells you to run the soup through a blender and return it to the pot, but I like it better chunky so I skip this step.) Throw beef and all your sauted vegetables in a pot. Add beef stock, water, and bay leaves. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add potatoes. Simmer an additional 45 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Cheesy Potato Soup

A complete stranger shared this recipe on Facebook a few weeks ago. I knew that I needed to try it when she said, "That potato soup recipe and my oldest daughter are the ONLY decent things I got out of my first marriage." With a recommendation like that...how can you NOT give it a try.

5c potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
5c water
1 lb Mexican Mild Velveeta Cheese
2 cans cream of celery soup
2c ham, diced
salt and pepper

Combine the water, potatoes, and onion in a pot. Boil on medium high for about 20 minutes. Smash the potatoes with a potato masher until rough. Add cheese, soup, and ham. Mix together. Keep the soup on the heat to allow the cheese to melt. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Roasted Beet and Potato Borscht*

Beets are sweet and earthy roots that for years were under utilized in my house. When I was growing up, my mom would put pickled beets on the table from time to time in the same fashion that people put olives on the table at Thanksgiving. The first apartment I rented after college had a garden in the back. I was very poor and lived off that garden all summer long. Since the last homeowner had planted beets, I ate a LOT of beets that summer. They are so delicious that this summer I planted beets in my garden. I used some of my own beets for this recipe. They were delicious!

Ingredients:

2 lbs red beets, scrubbed, peeled and diced
1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
5 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Sour Cream and parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. On a cookie sheet, toss together beets, potatoes, shallots, and olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt, pepper, and thyme. Arrange in a single layer and roast for 45 minutes.

Add mixture to a medium pot along with chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. With a potato masher, mash the vegetables until soup is thick and chunky. Stir in red wine vinegar. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with parsley. (I didn't have sour cream today so I skipped that step.)


*Borscht is a fancy name for any of a variety of eastern European soups made with beets, cabbage, potatoes, or other vegetables and served hot or chilled, often with sour cream. It is pronounced: bore-sht.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

3 bacon strips, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
3c chicken broth
2 large baked potatos, cubed
1c half and half cream
Shredded cheese
fresh parsley, minced

In a medium soup pot, cook bacon until crisp. I usually cook 4 or 5 slices of bacon because I live near a bacon black hole. It starts to disappear as soon as it comes out of the pan. Drain the pan, reserving about a Tablespoon of the bacon drippings. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil, and pepper. Mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil and stir for two minutes. Add the potatoes and cream. You can peel the potatoes if you like, I just scrubbed them before I baked them. Heat through, but do not bring to a boil again. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley. Prepare for the marriage proposals that will follow.

Smokey Roasted Potato Soup

It must be the weather or the cold, but all I feel like eating lately is soup...delicious soup! It was a little too spicy for the kids, but Roger and I thought it was amazing.

3 red bell peppers
1 lb small red potatoes, any larger potatoes halved or quartered
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 Tbsp olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4c chicken broth
3oz chorizo (about 1/2c), diced small

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. In a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, toss together the red bell peppers, red potatoes garlic cloves, and olive oil. Arrange in a single layer and roast until peppers are tender and potatoes are cooked through. This is about 25 minutes.

Peel and chop garlic. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop bell peppers. Add garlic, peppers, and potatoes to a medium sized pot. Add chicken broth to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium high heat. With a potato masher (or the back of a spoon) mash some of the potatoes and peppers until the soup is thick and chunky.

Wipe your roasting pan clean. Add the chorizo to the roasting pan and roast for about 7 minutes. Add the chorizo and pan drippings to the soup. Serve and Enjoy.

Roasted Chicken and Butternut Soup

My youngest took one look at this soup and said, "Oh, Mommy, I can't like that." Well, she had to try it anyway...and quickly ate her way through the bowl. This soup was just a tad bit sweet which was a little surprising, but not too much. I think the sweetness is due to the ground coriander. This soup was really amazing and I love the bright orange color that the squash brings to the soup.

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
4c chicken broth
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp of lemon juice

In a roasting pan, toss together chicken thighs, squash, and onion. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the ingredients in a single layer on pan. Roast in oven at 425˚F for 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and allow to cool. Transfer squash and onions to a medium pot and add chicken broth and spices. Bring to a simmer over med-high heat. With a potato masher, mash some of the vegetables until soup is thick and chunky. Discard skin and bones from the chicken and cut meat into small pieces. Add to soup. Stir in 1 to 2 Tbsp of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Before serving, garnish with cilantro.

Black Bean Soup

I'm beginning to understand why magazines tote reduced calorie recipes in January. My jeans are protesting against a comment I made in December about hating low-cal recipes. So I'm eating my words. I still hate food that tastes like card board, but every recipe box should include some recipes that fill you up without filling out your jeans.

This black bean soup recipe has a little burst of flavor. I think it's the jalapenos. Although the feta cheese that you sprinkle on top bring a little salty combination that really compliments the soup. This soup is so delicious. My husband, who doesn't like beans of any kind, accused me of being selfish because I made this soup, packaged it up in individual servings, and didn't share with him. Maybe I'll share this batch.
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped into tiny pieces
2 (15oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (15oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2c chicken broth

For garish
fresh cilantro, chopped
green onion, chopped
feta cheese

Spray Pam into your skillet. Sauté onions and garlic and transfer to your Crockpot. Add shredded carrot, cumin, jalapenos, beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth to the Crockpot. Cook on low all day. Sometime in the afternoon, transfer half the soup to the blender and puree. Pour back into the Crockpot and mix. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and feta cheese.

If you don't have a crockpot: Pam the bottom of your pot. Add onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute until softened. Mix in cumin and jalapeno. Add beans, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Puree 1/2 of the soup and return to pot. Mix well. Garnish each bowl with cilantro, green onion, and feta cheese.

Split Pea Soup

I spent my whole childhood hating Split Pea Soup. I don't know why. I don't remember ever having tried Split Pea Soup. I think it the color of the soup that was so off putting for me. When I was in college, I worked with a woman who taught me a lot about the kind of woman and wife I wanted to be (when I grew up). She also shared a few recipes with me. I've since lost touch with her, but I think of her whenever I cook the foods she taught me to cook.

12c water if cooking stovetop, 8c water if using a crockpot
2c split peas, rinsed
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 carrot, grated
Butt portion or ham hock (This time I used the bone from my Christmas Ham with whatever meat was still attached.)
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Stove top: Toss all the ingredients into a pot. Simmer for four or five hours or until peas are mushy. You will use more water if cooking stovetop because some water boils off as the soup simmers. Stir occationally, adding additional water if necessary. Remove the ham bone before serving.

Crockpot: Toss all the ingredients into your crock pot and cook on low all day long. I usually stir it up every few hours, but it's really not necessary. Remove the hambone before serving.

White Chili

I had the most amazing white chili at a baby shower a few months ago. I've been looking for a good recipe ever since. Now that I think about it, I should have asked for the recipe, but I didn't know the hostess very well and sometimes people get really offended when asked to share their recipes. Not me. I'll share 'em with the world.

I took a few White Chili Recipes and blended them. I think that means I'm becoming an experienced cook. It could also mean that my children have learned to suffer in silence. I think it's the combination of green chilies and cilantro that make this chili so yummy.

1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, sliced thinly
4 cups chicken, cubed or shredded
4 cups water with 3 chicken bouillon cubes added
4 cans green chili peppers, chopped
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (I used fresh)

For garnish
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
green onion, sliced

There are two ways to cook this recipe. The first is to sauté the onions in Pam, then toss all the ingredients into your Crockpot and cook slowly all day long. If you don't have a Crockpot:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions and celery. Cook until onion is translucent. Add chicken, beans, chicken broth, green chilies into the pot. Season with cumin, oregano, and cilantro. Cover and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes.

Whichever way you cook it, garnish with shredded cheese and green onions. I also tossed in a few more cilantro leaves as garnish because I really like cilantro.

Pork Stew with Pears

I thought this stew was super tasty. The kids gulped it down easily. They loved the idea of pears in their stew. Roger says it's just weird to put fruit in your soup, but he didn't cover it in BBQ sauce, either, so I'm calling it a win all around.

2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 lb pork tenderloin (well trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch chuncks)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions (cut into 1 inch chunks)
2 green bell peppers (cut into 1 inch squares)
1 red bell pepper (cut into 1 inch squares)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium pears (peel and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/3c dry sherry
1/2c chicken broth
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Combine flour, paprika, and cumin. Dredge the pork in the flour mixture and shake off excess flour. Add olive oil to the Dutch oven and cook pork approximately 2 minutes per side. Do not overcook. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside. Add onions, peppers, and garlic to pan. Cook until the peppers are tender crisp, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). Add pears and sherry. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Add broth, salt, pepper, and about 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Return pork to the pan, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes (uncovered) until pork is cooked through and the pears are tender. This stew can be made up in advance and gently reheated at serving time.

Turkey Noodle Soup

I opened my fridge this morning and couldn't decide what to do with all the leftover turkey. Our host and hostess sent us home with the second turkey, a nine pounder that we hadn't even sliced into! (Many thanks to the Alpuches cause this soup was delicious.) Since there is more than enough for sandwiches for a week and because my kids lose interest very quickly; I decided to make soup.

Ingredients
5 carrots, sliced
5 celery sticks, sliced
1/2 onion, because it was hanging out in the fridge looking innocent
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp sage
5 bouillon cubes
3c leftover turkey, shredded or cut into bit sizes
6oz egg noodles


Start by putting 5 cups of water and 5 bouillon cubes in a pot. Slice the vegetable and throw them in the pot with the poultry seasoning and the sage. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the vegetables for about twenty minutes. Cut or shred the turkey and add to the soup. Toss in about half a package of egg noodles (about 6 oz) and summer for an additional 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add more water as needed, but I don't like my soup to be too watery.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I've had this recipe forever. I think my friend April gave it to me, but I'm not sure. I'm definately in a soup mood this week. Must be the weather.

Ingredients

onion, chopped
1/4c flour
1/4c butter
2c chicken stock
2 heads of broccoli, cut up
2 carrots, chopped
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1c cheddar cheese

Pam the bottom of your pan. I use a big pot so I have fewer dishes. Saute onion and set aside onion. Melt butter in the bottom of the pan and add flour. Whisk flour into butter. Add chicken broth and simmer for twenty minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, and onion. Cook over a low heat until vegetables are done, roughly twenty minutes should do it. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into blender and puree. Return to pot. Over a low heat, add cheese and nutmeg. Let the cheese melt a little before serving.

Tortilla Soup

Don't be fooled by this soup. By looking at the ingredients, you'd think this soup is going to need a side or you'll be hungry in another half an hour. This soup stands alone. It very filling and yummy, too.

1 small onion
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbsp oil
1 c. tomato, diced
1 can beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c tomato juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
3 corn torillas
1/4 c. cheddar cheese
avacado*
sour cream*

Saute onions, green chilies, and garlic in oil. Add tomato, beef and chicken broth, water, juice, spices, and Worchestershire sauce. Say Worchestershire five times really fast. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for one hour. Cut tortillas into strips. Add tortillas and cheddar cheese to soup. Simmer for ten minutes. Serve with warm tortilla, avacado, and sour cream. I like to sprinkle a little cheese on the soup right, too.

*These ingredients are optional. They look pretty, but the soup tastes great with or without them.

Pumpkin Soup

When we were in Germany we went to a Pumpkin Festival. We had some Pumpkin Soup that was AMAZING! I've been searching for a good Pumpkin Soup recipe ever since. This is the first Pumpkin Soup recipe that has brought back memories of Autumn in Germany. This soup is amazing. I really love the flavor of the pumpkin and onions. I think I can taste the mace, too. I think this soup would well complimented with some cheesy or buttery dinner rolls.

3 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and diced
5 cups chicken broth or 5 cups of water with 5 bouillon cubes
1 onion
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp syrup
1/2 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth to a boil. Add pumpkin and simmer until tender. Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add onion to pumpkin mixture. Move soup to blender and puree it. Return soup to pot and add salt and black pepper. Add the honey, syrup, mace, and nutmeg. Stir in the cream for a richer flavor.