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Rotisserie Chicken Soup

February 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Rotisserie Chicken Soup

Rotisserie Chicken SoupA few weeks ago, I was half listening to Giada DeLaurentis prepare a chicken soup recipe on TV. Craig was watching it while on his exercise bicycle and I was in the kitchen doing something else.  I picked up her basics and adapted them into this recipe, which bears only slight resemblance. Giada introduced me to a seasoning mixture called Herbs de Provence. I’m going to mix up a batch to keep in my spice cupboard one of these days.  Since I didn’t have any on hand the day I made this soup, I selected fennel seed and fresh thyme as the flavors I most wanted to feature and just went with them.  This turned out to be a great idea and this rotisserie chicken soup got rave reviews.

This recipe makes a very large pot of soup.  Make it when you’re feeding a crowd, want lots of leftovers, or intend to freeze in portions for the next cold day.  It will last in your fridge for about 3 days before it starts to look cloudy and the rice is too mushy.  I made this much because my neighbors had just returned home from a 3-week ordeal in Memphis involving a car accident, leg surgery that included plates, pins, and screws, and way too much hospital food.  Taking in their mail every day just didn’t seem like a big enough gesture to welcome them back to their home.  Chicken soup was totally the ticket!  It was easy to just pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket and shred it, having removed the skin.  I collect the chicken carcasses and freeze them, too.  There’s some great homemade stock just waiting to happen!  For the rice component, I used a beautiful blend I’d picked up at Whole Foods.  Since I got it from the bulk bins, I don’t remember the name.  For this recipe, I recommend using a rice that will cook in under 30 minutes, which leaves out some brown and wild varieties.  If you do prefer to use those, simply cook the rice separately and add it with the last batch of ingredients. I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you make the soup.

Ingredients
4-5 medium carrots, sliced into coins
5 stalks celery, sliced thin
1 large onion chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1 rotisserie chicken (I like lemon pepper flavor), skinned and shredded
1 TBS fennel seeds, crushed (just to release flavor — don’t powder them)
1 tsp dried basil
8 cups chicken broth or stock
4 cups water
1 bundle fresh thyme (about 8 3-4 inch sprigs, tied with butcher’s twine or with another sprig)
1 cup uncooked rice (I prefer basmati)
1 can cannelini beans, with canning liquid
1 6-oz jar sliced mushrooms, drained (I use Green Giant)
10-oz bag of fresh baby spinach (or chopped fresh kale)
salt, pepper

Instructions
In a large stock pot, saute the carrots, celery, pepper, onion, garlic, and shallots in 3 TBS olive oil until tender and fragrant, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the shredded chicken, fennel seeds, basil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper and continue to cook 2 more minutes.  Add the chicken stock, water, thyme bundle, and rice. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the beans, mushrooms, and spinach (or kale) and simmer 5-10 more minutes.  If you used low sodium chicken stock, you’ll need significantly more salt at this point.  I prefer to keep my soups low-sodium and let the other seasonings do the heavy lifting. This is the point where you’ll want to taste and adjust. Remove the thyme bundle before serving.

This soup is fairly hearty, and thickens further in your refrigerator overnight. The flavors also marry nicely if you can resist eating it until the next day. It’ll look almost like a stew and you may think you don’t have enough broth, but don’t add more.  It heats to the right consistency. Thyme and fennel notes should be noticeable but not overbearing. For a real twist, consider squeezing a wedge of lemon into your bowl.

Your Daily Bread

John 10:22 Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 Jesus was walking in the temple complex in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and asked, “How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”  25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in My Father’s name testify about Me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

 

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You CAN make restaurant quality Indian food

February 11, 2011 by 1 Comment
Butter_Chicken

Click to enlarge

We’re BIG fans of Indian cuisine, and have always enjoyed the “curry rush” that you get from eating the complex spice mix used in these dishes. Between just the curry powder and the garam masala in this recipe, there are 15 different spices. If you enjoy Indian food, this recipe is a winner. Its relatively simple, doesn’t take long to make, and will deliver a restaurant quality dish if you use quality ingredients.

I have tried a few recipes for what is typically characterized in Indian restaurants as “Butter Chicken”. Most have been only so-so, until I “customized” this one to my own preferences . Having eaten in many good Indian restaurants, I would put this one up against any of theirs.

It bears repeating to say that if you want a quality result you have to use quality and fresh ingredients. For this recipe, I bought a “better” brand of chicken than the grocery store brand and a premium brand of tomato puree that is very highly rated in taste tests from one of the cooking magazines I subscribe to. I also used fresh spices from Penzey’s – and if you use their spices you know the seasonings they sell are top shelf and very affordable. If there is no Penzey’s store near you, go to penzeys.com and order online. Once you start with their products you will find yourself tossing out all your old spices and re-stocking with Penzey’s. It makes that much difference – seriously. OK, commercial over.

Ingredients:
2.5 lb bone-in split chicken breasts (I used Whole Foods)
1 Tbsp clarified butter (otherwise known as ghee, but its easy to make this yourself.)
1 quarter of a large Spanish onion, finely chopped
½ tsp powdered ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped ( about 3 Tbsp) – leave out the seeds or the dish will be too hot
¾ cup tomato puree (I used Muir Glen)
2 tsp curry powder – not the hot kind (I use Penzey’s Maharajah Curry Powder)
2 tsp Garam Masala (Penzey’s is great)
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
4 oz unsalted butter (1 stick)
Heavy cream (for adjusting sauce consistency)
¾ cup good quality whole milk Greek yogurt (Cabot dairy makes a great one, don’t even think about Dannon)
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Procedure:
Roast your chicken pieces in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and let them cool down while you are making the sauce. If its more convenient, you can cook the chicken ahead of time and store it until you’re ready to complete the dish.

Start out with the clarified butter in a non-stick frying pan. Cook the onion over medium –high heat until it starts to turn golden. Add the garlic, and jalapenos. Cook briefly, to get the spices aromatic and then add the tomato puree. Take the pan off the heat for a moment and add the curry powder, garam masala, cumin, chili powder, and powdered ginger. Put the pan back on the heat and cook for another few minutes. Bring the heat down to low, add the butter, and stir continuously until it is completely melted. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the yogurt. Cover and put aside while you prepare the chicken.

Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Cut the meat into good size 2 inch chunks and discard the bones. Put the chicken in a baking dish with a lid, and add the sauce. Mix well. At this point, you will probably find that the consistency of the mixture is very thick. Adjust the consistency by adding 1/3 to ½ cup of cream depending on your preference. Remember that the sauce will thicken a little more during final cooking.

Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake another 10 – 15 minutes. Serve over plain basmati rice, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

While the flavor of the complex spice blend in this dish is outstanding, we had some leftover and reheated it the next day. Wow! Even better. Be sure to save some for leftovers.

Lynn added her special version of Indian chick peas to this dish, for a perfect compliment.  That recipe is coming soon!

Your Daily Bread

Proverbs 30:32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.”

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Chicken Paillards with Clementine Salsa

January 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
chicken_paill_clem_01

How it looked on our table tonight

We just finished dinner and are so excited about this dish, I had to sit right down and share it with you!  Since we’re at the end of Clementine season, I suggest going right out to your local supermarket and grabbing yourself a crateful so you won’t have to wait a year to try this amazing recipe!  The delicious fruit and fresh herbs make this healthy dish light, bright, and worth the prep time!  Craig got this recipe delivered to his inbox from “bon appetit,” to which we subscribe.  For proper credits, see the recipe in it’s natural habitat here.

Ingredients
4 5-ounce chicken breast halves
4 clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used Camparis, diced)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, seeded, minced (I used half of a large jalepeno)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 6 clementines)

You can follow the link above to read the official cooking instructions.  Here’s how I did it, with some photos I took along the way. Click on them to enlarge.

I did this first step in the morning to save a little time.  Rinse the chicken breasts, pat dry and trim away the “tender” portion if present. Pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap (using the flat surface of a meat tenderizing mallet — not the textured ends) until they are about 1/4 inch thick.  I suggest pounding 1 chicken breast at a time to insure you have enough room for the meat to spread out.  Stack the breasts and slide them into a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Chill.

About an hour ahead of the time I wanted to serve dinner, I prepared the salsa.  This is what takes most of the prep time.  Combine the clementines, tomatoes, onion, celery, basil, cilantro, and pepper in a large bowl.  Toss with the fresh lime juice and 2 tbs. olive oil and set aside at room temperature.  Don’t refrigerate this or your meal will get cold as you’re eating.

Squeeze the juice of 6 or 7 more clementines into a measuring cup to 1/2 cup.  Since I used more oil to cook the chicken than the recipe calls for (I used a large commercial frying pan), I think I should have used more juice here.  The resulting reduction looked more like oil than orange juice even though I removed half the oil from the pan before deglazing.  But, the flavor was still outstanding.

Lay the chicken breasts on a platter and season with salt & pepper.  Heat the remaining 2 tbs olive oil (I probably used more like 1/4 cup) on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and STAND BACK!  The meat will splatter the entire time you’re cooking, so if you have a splatter screen, have it at the ready!  Wear an apron, too.  Cook the chicken until slightly browned and cooked through.  This recipe said that should be 3 minutes on each side, but I probably had the meat a little thicker than 1/4 inch and I had a very large pan, so mine took more like 6 minutes per side.

Here’s what it should look like:

Drain the chicken on paper towels. Add the clementine juice to the skillet (remove most of the oil if there’s still a considerable amount there) and boil until reduced by half, stirring often.  That took me about 3-4 minutes.

Plate the chicken, drizzle the clementine sauce over it and top with a generous amount of salsa.

We try to have a couple of carb-free dinners each week, so this was one of them.  I served this with steamed green beans tossed with slivered almonds sauteed in butter for about 2 minutes.   This felt like a vacation meal to us.  We just smiled all the way through it.  There was salsa leftover and I’m thinking about tossing it with some red and black beans and some garbanzos to make a salad for lunch tomorrow.

I promise, if you make this dish once, you will make it again and you’ll probably want to invite some guests to impress!  This one is a real winner!

Your Daily Bread:

Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

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