Thai-Style Chicken Soup

Mmmmmm mmmm mmmmmm!

We eat a lot of Thai food, so I know the difference, and I gotta say-this is gooood. You will need some time for this one if you roast your own chicken for that ingredient. Otherwise, you can just buy a small roasted chicken, shred it in there, and the soup will be ready within an hour.

-Vegetable Oil

-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

-5 ounces rice stick noodles

-7 cups chicken broth

-1/4 cup fish sauce

-3 green onions, thinly sliced at an angle

-1 small carrot, peeled and sliced

-1 inch piece ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced

-1 teaspoon sugar

-2 - 2 1/2 cups shredded roasted chicken

-1/3 cup chopped fresh dill fronds

-1/3 cup torn fresh basil

-1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

-1/3 cup chopped fresh mint

-lime wedges

-Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden. About 15 minutes. Scoop the garlic from the oil, drain, and cool.

-While the garlic is cooking, soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. Drain.

-Put the chicken broth, fish sauce, green oinions, carrot, ginger, and sugar in a soup pot and bring to a simmer, uncovered over medium-high heat. Add the noodles and chicken, and simmer until the noodles are at your desired doneness.

-Stir in the dill, cilantro, basil, and mint. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle with the reserved crispy garlic. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over soup. Don't be shy with the lime-it really adds a lot of flavor!!

Cranberry Walnut Cookies

1/2 cup butter 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons orange juice or orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract plus 1-1/2 tablespoon water 1 large egg 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 2-1/2 cups coarsely chopped frozen or fresh cranberries, or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheets. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Stir in milk, orange juice and egg. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Drop dough by tablespoons about 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

Chicken and Veggie Roast

Can't wait until Thanksgiving for slow roasted bird? Try this delicious, skin stuffed chicken roast! You will want to give yourself at least a few hours to cook this dish. I did not tie the legs together, like I have seen done, but you can, if you know how to do that. Also, if you cannot find the sun - dried tomato paste the recipe calls for, just boil down some sun-dried tomatoes, then put them in the food processor. It worked just fine for me.

-1 chicken (5 pounds 8 oz.)
-a few rosemary sprigs
-3/4 cup coursely grated feta cheese
-2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
-4 tbsp butter, softened
-1 bulb garlic
-2 lb New potaoes, halved
-1 each red, green, yellow, bell peppers, seeded, chopped
-2 zucchini, sliced
-2 tbsp olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and drain chicken well. Carefully cut between the skin and the top of the breasts. Slide a finger into the slit and carefully enlarge it to form a pocket. Continue until the skin is lifted away from both breasts and the top of the legs.
2) Chop the leaves os 3 rosemary stems. Mix with the feta, sun-dried tomato paste, butter, and pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture under the skin. Put the chicken in a large roasting pan, cover with foil, and cook for 40 minutes.
3) Break the garlic bulb into cloves, but do not peel. Remove the roasting pan from oven and add vegetables and garlic. Drizzle with oil, tuck in a few rosemary sprigs, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 40 minutes, then remove the foil. Return to the oven uncovered and cook for another 40 minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Willow's Chicken Francaise

I got this recipe from The "Life At Willow Manor" blog. Every now and then I try her recipes. The photo of her final product looks much better than mine, but I am sure it tastes just as delicious. This dish is comfort food with a gourmet twist-and the sauce: pure liquid heaven. Make sure to make extra, and pour it all over the chicken and the rice.

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp half and half
1 tsp tarragon (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley)
1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
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Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently
pound with flat side of a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick.
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Heat oil in a 15 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat til hot.
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While oil is heating, stir together flour, salt, pepper in shallow bowl.
Dredge chicken, one piece at a time in flour mixture, shaking off
excess. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow bowl. When oil is hot,
dip floured chicken into beaten eggs to coat, letting excess drip off.
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Then fry, turning over once, until golden brown and cooked through.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and cover loosely with
foil.
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Pour off and discard oil, then heat butter over low heat until foam
subsides. Add wine, broth and lemon juice and boil, uncovered,
stirring occasionally until sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup or so.
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Whisk in about 1 Tbsp flour, then remove from heat and whisk in
about 2 Tbsp of half and half. (Sauce should be on the thin side.)
Add tarragon or parsley. Immediately spoon sauce over chicken,
top with lemon slices and serve.

Heirloom Tomato Soup

This recipe is equally as delicious as Michele's butternut squash soup recipe from last year (which,by the way, I made several time last winter..yum). This is easy and fast. Be sure to make the croutons-they add a lot of flavor.

-4 large heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
-olive oil
-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
-5 slices whole wheat french bread
-large splash of balsamic vinegar
-large pinch of rosemary
-handful of basil
-salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the tomatoes face side up in an oiled baking dish. drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lie the onion slices evenly on top. Bake for about a half an hour, uncovered, until tomatoes are soft.
Run the contents of the baking dish and two slices of toasted bread, through a food mill, puree it in a blender, or food processor. Which ever method is available to you.Pour into a bowl. Stir in a large splash of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.
To make the croutons:
Cut the remaining three slices of bread into cubes. Heat olive oil over medium/high heat in a skillet. Add the bread, salt, and rosemary. Stir frequently until bread has browned.
Top soup with croutons and basil garnish.