Cure for the Common Cold Chicken Noodle Soup

I love the fall. As far as I'm concerned it is the best season, especially for baking and cooking. The only thing I don't particularly like about the fall season is that the change in weather can make me feel like I'm getting sick. For me the best cure for a cold is a nice bowl of spicy chicken noodle soup. I used to make this recipe chicken free when I was a vegetarian and it seemed to work just as well. I don't know if it is true or not, but spicy food always seems to help me get over a cold and I think wards them off as well. Believe it or not, but this soup is spicy and delicious and will warm you up on cool autumn nights.


Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 large onion, chopped
5 or so large carrots, peeled and sliced in large chunks
4 celery stalks chopped in large chunks
4 cups chicken broth, I like Swanson but I really should make my own
1/2 package of egg noodles
Cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano to taste
Fresh parsley to finish

1) In a large pot heat oil and add onions and salt, cook for 1 minute or so
2) Add carrots and celery, then add spices and cook until slightly softened, about 6-9 minutes

3) Add broth and simmer until vegetables are near your desired softness and add shredded chicken and cook for about 10 mintues
4) Add cooked egg noodles and fresh parsley
5) Serve and enjoy!

This soup, like most, is better the next day, after the flavors have combined. I made this soup Sunday and we had soup and sandwiches for dinner on Monday.

Chocolate Chip Cookies- A Classic

I love chocolate chip cookies, and really who doesn't? I am always willing to try a new, or old, recipe that I come across. I bought the Bon Appétit Desserts cookbook the other day. I couldn't resist the 600 pages of delicious, sweet recipes. We were having a lazy Sunday, we played some bocce ball in the park, grocery shopping, and I baked. I hadn't made chocolate chip cookies in a while and I thought that they sounded pretty good. Plus, I just bought a stackable cooling rack and I had to try that out.

These cookies were pretty good. I think other recipes I have followed have produced thinner and crispier cookies. These were a lot cakier than I am used to, but hey anything with chocolate and butter will still taste delicious.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from bon appétit desserts

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temp.
1 cup, packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 375 F
2) Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl
3) In separate bowl, cream butter and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla
4) Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and combine, then add the choco chips and walnuts

5) Spoon mixture onto baking sheets

6) Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly browned
7) Let cool, or if you're like me burn your mouth eating the ones fresh out of the oven

Mini Cupcakes with Alcohol

Friday night my friends had an engagement party and asked if I would bring some cupcakes. While I was trying to figure out which flavors would be the best, it suddenly hit me. Alcohol. But not just any, Margarita and Pumpkin Bourbon would be perfect. So I spent the early portion of the day trying to track down the perfect recipe. I wasn't entirely happy with many of them, but still managed to pull it off. In the end I decided to brush the warm cupcakes with the alcohol and add alcohol to the frosting. They were a hit. The happy couple enjoyed them as well as party-goers.

Margarita Mini Cupcakes
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. of salt
3 tbsp. of butter at room temp.
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Zest of two limes
Tequila

1) Preheat oven to 325 F
2) Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter until it turns into a crumbly mixture
3) Pour in half of the milk then whisk the remaining milk with the egg and vanilla, then pour into mixture
4) Fold in lime zest
5) Fill molds 1/2 full and bake for 12-15 minutes
6) Brush with tequila

For the frosting
2 sticks of butter
2 cups of sugar
3 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. (or more) of tequila
2 tbsp. lime zest
Salt to taste

Mix ingredients, then frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Bourbon Pumpkin Mini Cupcakes
1 stick of butter, room temp.
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp. bourbon

1) Preheat oven to 350 F
2) Mix wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients until combined
3) Fill molds 3/4 full
4) Bake for 12-15 minutes
5) Brush with bourbon and let cool

For the frosting
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, at room temp.
1 stick of butter, room temp.
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup (or more) bourbon

Mix ingredients and frost cupcakes

Pork and Ginger Dumplings

I made these a couple of weeks ago, but I keep forgetting to write down the ingredients from the cookbook. Oops. I decided to make my own dumpling wrappers because the last time I made anything with the store bought wrappers they wouldn't stick together properly. Plus, I was curious on how well it work to make them myself. Not surprisingly, they were amazing! I used ground pork from a local farm that sells meat at the farmer's market on campus. The other ingredients, sadly, were not local. I think this was a great recipe for such quality meat. Not too overpowering and very fresh tasting.

Homemade Dumpling/Gyoza Wrappers
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tbsp. salt
3/4 cups boiling water

1) Mix the flour and salt; gradually add boiling water and stir with chopsticks

2) Let dough rest in bowl, covered with a damp towel for an hour
3) On a floured surface knead the dough until tender, about 5 minutes
4) Divide dough into balls and dust with flour and put in plastic bag and place in refrigerator until ready to use
5) Now either roll dough very thin and cut out with circular cookie cutter, about 3 1/2 inch diameter. Or if you have a pasta machine you can run the dough through the pasta machine, just make sure you dust it with flour very well. Then cut into circles

6) Dust with flour and stack until ready to use or freeze

Pork and Ginger Dumplings
Adapted from Asian: The essential recipe collection

1 lb. ground pork
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. finely chopped scallions
1/2 tsp. fine ground pepper or white pepper

1) Mix pork with soy sauce and 1/2 salt to create a thick paste. Then add the sesame oil; cover and let rest 20 minutes

2) Combine the remaining salt with the cabbage to draw out moisture; add ginger, scallions, and pepper and knead to make a thick paste, about 5 minutes; then combine with pork mixture
3) Have wrappers ready and fill one side with about 1 tbsp. of filling then seal the edges and make pleats along the edge

4) Place on floured surface until ready to cook

5) Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add as many dumplings that will fit without sticking; depends on pot size, but try and use the largest one you have
6) Cover and cook for 2 minutes and add scant 1 cup of cold water then bring back to a boil and cover; cook additional 2 minutes then drain
7) Serve with dipping sauce of choice

Ricotta Gnocchi

The other day I was searching the internet for recipes that called for ricotta. I had a lot left over from when I made those Butternut Squash Raviolis. I stumbled across a few recipes for Ricotta Gnocchi and I thought these would be perfect. I had never made gnocchi before, but they are one of my favorite dishes to order when I see them on a menu. The best potato gnocchi I have ever had were from the fusion restaurant Pronto in La Paz, Bolivia. I have no idea how the chef made them so light and fluffy. These ricotta gnocchi were really easy to make and were great with a roasted tomato sauce mixed with sauteed zucchini. Enjoy!
Recipe is in grams because I finally bought a kitchen scale and the recipe I liked best was in grams

Ricotta Gnocchi
250 grams ricotta
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
30 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
50-75 grams flour

1) Mix the ricotta, egg yolk, Parmesan, and salt until combined

2) Gradually add in the flour until just combined, be careful not to over mix them, the less mixing the lighter they will be
3) Grab a ball of dough and on a lightly floured surface begin to roll dough into a skinny log, about 1/2 inch round

4) With a pastry scraper (or a knife) cut log into little pillows

5) Dust with flour until ready to use
6) Place gnocchi in salted, boiling water and cook until done (2-4 minutes)
7) Drain and serve with sauce

Roasted Tomato and Zucchini Sauce
7 Plum tomatoes, halved
3 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into thin pieces
Crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Splash of white wine

1) Preheat oven to 400 F
2) Place tomatoes in pan and coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper
3) Wrap garlic in foil and place alongside tomatoes and roast for 1 hour

4) Let tomatoes and garlic cool slightly then add to food processor and blend until desired thickness

5) Meanwhile, saute zucchini in olive oil with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and thyme until softened

6) Add pureed tomatoes and garlic into pan with zucchini and let cook down with wine for about 25 minutes

7) Add ricotta gnocchi and serve

Macaroni and Cheese

I am always amazed by dishes that appear so simple, yet to find the perfect way of preparing it always seems like an impossibility. Like pizza, so simple, yet so complex. For this dish is macaroni and cheese. I came close the other night in preparing my perfect macaroni and cheese. After searching all over the internet and through cookbooks for the perfect recipe I decided to combine a bunch together and add things as I went along, just to see how it came out. Well, this method seemed to work for me. Of course, this is a work in progress. I keep meaning to make a mac and cheese that has a spicy pepperjack sauce. I'll leave that for next time.

Ingredients
1/2 lb (or more, I accidentally added a little too much) dried macaroni noodles, cooked until al dente
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk (when I was done with the sauce and poured it over the noodles I decided to pour a little more milk in)
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese (in the end I probably added more, what can be better than more cheese?)
Cayenne (too taste)
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
Salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F
1) Cook noodles in salted water until al dente
2) Drain noodles and pour into casserole dish
3) Melt butter in pan, then add the flour until it thickens and slightly brown
4) Add milk and cayenne, salt, pepper, and dried mustard
5) Add cheddar cheeses
6) Cook sauce until thick and flavors have combined

7) Pour sauce over cooked noodles, adjusting milk if desired to make creamier
8) Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan

9) Bake for 20-25 minutes then broil until top is crispy
10) Enjoy!

Grilled Cheese Roasted Tomato Soup

This is another recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I don't know how she does it, but every recipe she uses turns out great! I made a smaller batch for lunch last weekend and regretted not making a huge batch. This is one of the best soups, mainly because it is a way to merge grilled cheese and tomato soup together. I had baked a loaf of bread the day before so I decided to slice that up and make crostini for a party we were going to later in the day. So I used a crostini on top. This recipe is so simple, yet it tastes like it took forever to prepare.

Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 3-4 (remember, next time I need more tomatoes)

For the soup
6 plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
3 cloves of garlic
Olive oil to coat tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes, I like a lot, but as many as you prefer
1 tsp thyme, or just about
3 cups of chicken broth, or until you have reached your desired consistency

For the grilled cheese top
3-4 slices of bread cut into 1/2 inch slices, or your desired slice
Olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, for me the sharper the better

1) Preheat oven to 400 F
2) Place halved tomatoes on baking sheet and coat in olive oil and salt and pepper; wrap unpeeled garlic in foil and place on same tray; roast for 35-45 minutes

3) Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes then add tomatoes and roasted garlic (remove peels) to a food processor (or blender) and blend until desired thickness; I like mine a little chunky
4) Place mixture into dutch oven (or any large pot) and add thyme and red pepper flakes, and chicken stock and simmer, uncovered, for about 25 minutes

5) Meanwhile, as the soup is simmering, brush slices of bread on one side with olive oil and bake in 400 F oven, turning once, until crispy; remove and let sit until soup is ready
6) Spoon warm soup into ramekins, or mugs, until almost full; place a crostini over the top and then add cheddar
7) Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown
8) Add crushed black pepper to the tops and enjoy! And you will enjoy... these are amazing!