Chicken Noodle Soup - Oklahoma Style!

Andy calls my chicken noodle "Oklahoma Style"... I always make it for him when he's sick with the homemade noodles my mom always used to make for me. :)

If you are like me, make and store good healthy chicken or turkey stock, and end up w/ 5 or 6 jars in your freezer - here's a good use for it!! So much better than the canned soup and almost as easy.

If you're using your reserved stock for your soup base, get it out now and defrost it. I also chop up extra carrots, celery and onion and freeze them to have on hand as well. So throwing together this yummy soup is super fast. The ingredients listed are approximate so just use whatever you have available (except for the noodle recipe).

You'll need:
About 5 C chicken or turkey stock
3 -4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
A few of each - carrots and celery, chopped
1/3 - 1/2 C or so onion, chopped

1. Start your stock to boil in a good sized pot.
2. Add the chicken, cover and bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Leave pot covered to allow chicken to finish cooking, about 15 minutes.
3. While chicken is finishing, prepare noodles as follows:

For the noodles, you'll need:
1 1/3 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 T water
1 T oil

4. In small mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
5. In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, water and oil then add to flour and blend well.
6. Turn out onto a well floured surface and knead until the dough is not sticky.
7. Roll out to the thickness you'd like your noodles. Roll into a log and cut 1/4" strips. Unroll them, coat well with flour and allow to dry until you're ready to add them to the soup.

NOTE: For creamier soup, use more flour. For waterier (is that a word?) soup, use less.

8. When the chicken is done, remove to a cutting board and strain broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove any chicken "residue" that's floating around. Pour broth back into pot and add veggies. Bring to a light boil.
9. Cut chicken into small pieces - it's really whatever size you prefer.
10. Once broth is rolling, add noodles and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
11. Add chicken to heat through and serve!

NOTE: If you don't feel like making a mess with the noodles you can use egg noodles, just cook them right in the broth! But homemade noodles are so very well worth the time!!! :)

The Absolute Easiest "Cobbler" Ever!

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Sara. I just tried it and it's awesome! Note that you can use several combinations of fruit and soda (Sara used blueberries and 7-up) but I'll write what I did. You could even combine different fruits... Be as creative as you want!

16 oz. frozen peaches
1 yellow cake mix
1 can Diet Cream Soda

Preheat oven to 325. In a square baking dish, layer fruit, then cake mix (dry). Pour soda evenly over the top. (No need to even stir!) Cover and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 40 minutes.

Voila! Super easy!! :)

Easy Beef Stroganoff

1# lean ground beef
1 packet Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can beef broth
1 small container (8 oz) light sour cream
10-12 oz. egg noodles

1. Start water to boil for noodles. When ready, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in skillet and drain off fat.
3. Add Lipton seasoning and stir to cover evenly.
4. Add Cream of Mushroom soup and beef broth. Combine well and bring to a simmer to thicken a little.
5. Stir in sour cream to taste - I don't usually use the whole 8 oz.
6. Combine with noodles and serve!

What to do with that carcass!

Never throw away your roasted turkey or chicken carcass!!! It's super easy to make a delicious broth that can be used for soup or in other recipes in place of canned broth.

1. Place your carcass and whatever is left from the pan drippings, skin and all in a stock pot and add about 2 quarts of water (depending on the size of your carcass). I recently used a little over 2 qts for a 5 lb turkey breast carcass.
2. Add a couple celery stalks and carrots cut into large pieces and some fresh thyme if you have it on hand. A couple shakes of dried thyme would work fine, too.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours. I usually just taste it occassionally to see if it's strong enough.
4. Let cool and strain broth into a lidded container. Refrigerate to let the fats solidify on top so you can skim them off.
5. Now, you know all those jars you keep "because you'll need them someday"?? Measure broth out in 1 or 2 C amounts, label your jars and freeze!

SO much better than the canned stuff!!

Brined Turkey Breast

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I decided to try this for the 1st time recently and it was the best turkey I've ever tasted! It takes a little planning and preparation but is well worth it! This recipe is the perfect size for a small family dinner or dinner for 2 + great sandwich or casserole makins with leftovers.

It could also be doubled for a full-size turkey if you have a pot big enough to hold it!

5-6 lb whole turkey breast
vegetable oil
Emeril's Turkey Rub (I used poultry seasoning and regular Emeril seasoning)

For the brine:
3/4 gal water
2 C white wine
1 1/2 C orange juice
1 C kosher salt
1 C light brown sugar
1 T black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Mix all brine ingredients together in a stock pot and stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Wash turkey breast well and place into pot.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but no longer than 24.

4. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
6. Rub with vegetable oil and seasonings, then place in a roasting pan.
7. Cover and roast for 1 hr and 20-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
8. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carving.

Serve with your favorite turkey sides!

NOTE: See "What to do with that carcass!" for a delicious broth made from turkey scraps.

Chicken, Broccoli & Cherry Tomato Fusilli

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 T kosher salt
6 cloves garlic, 2 smashed and 4 minced
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
14 oz. small brocoli florets
12 oz. spinach fusilli pasta (hard to find... I use vegetable spiral pasta)
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp chile flakes
2 C grape tomatoes, halved
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 C grated Pecorino Romano, plus more to pass (also hard to find... I use parmesan if necessary)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan with tight-fitting lid, combine chicken, broth, 1 tsp salt, smashed garlic and parsley. Bring just to a boil, remove from heat and set aside, covered, until just cooked through - about 15 minutes.
2. While chicken is finishing, bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat then salt generously. Add the brocoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
3. While waiting on the water to boil, remove the chicken and strain the broth. Reserve the broth. Pull the chicken into strips and put in large serving bowl with about 1/4 of the broth.
4. When brocoli is done, transfer with a slotted spoon into the serving bowl and cover to keep hot.
5. Return water to a boil and add pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes.
6. While pasta cooks, combine the minced garlic, oil and chile flakes in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
7. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until somewhat soft, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 C broth, 2 tsp salt and stir in the butter and 1/3 C pecorino until incorporated. Stir in the chicken and broccoli, bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
8. Drain pasta, transfer to serving bowl and toss with remaining 1/4 C pecorino. Pour the sauce, chicken and brocoli over the pasta, season with pepper and toss to combine. Note: if there's not quite enough sauce, add a little more broth.)

Also, whatever broth is leftover is great for use in other recipes! I put mine in the freezer for future use.

Anniversary Chicken

This is actually my sister's recipe, relayed to me by my mom, so who knows how similar to the original it actually is... but it's yummy!!

The amount of ingredients listed is an estimate. I just use what I have and haven't ever written down specific numbers. Anyway, it always turns out great... and is wonderful left over.

10-12 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
or 3-4 breasts cut into strips
1/4-1/3 C Teriyaki sauce
3/4 lb bacon, cut into bits (kitchen shears work great)
1/2 C shallots or red onion, chopped
2-3 toes garlic, minced
3 T flour
1 can chicken broth
1 C buttermilk, mixed with 1/2 packet Ranch seasoning (or 1 C Ranch dressing)
2 C cheddar, shredded
4 green onions, chopped

1. Marinate chicken in Teriyaki sauce (just enough to coat) for about 20 minutes.
2. Cook bacon in non-stick skillet. Set aside, leaving grease in pan.
3. Sear chicken in bacon grease. Set aside in baking dish that is just big enough for your chicken.
4. Saute shallots (or red onion) and garlic in remaining grease until tender. Pour off grease.
5. Sprinkle flour and coat shallots, cooking about 1 minute longer.
6. Add chicken broth, stir well and simmer to make a gravy.
7. While simmering, mix buttermilk and Ranch seasoning and pour over chicken.
8. Pour gravy over chicken.
9. Sprinkle cheese and bacon over top, adding green onions last.
10. Cover and bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes.
11. Serve over rice or wide noodles, if desired.