Sick & Noodle Soup

So everyone in my house has been sick since Thanksgiving... thank goodness I have been the healthiest one this round... but then all of a sudden I started sniffling a little bit and decided that I needed soup. Noodle Soup... but not the kind from the can. So off to the market I go with an Asian theme in mind and what did I come up with???

A glorious, fabulous, wonderful broth based soup with noodles. Make a lot, ya'll... It's gonna go fast.

Here is what you will need:


1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4th tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 baby bok choy, chopped
5 oz chinese noodles (about half a package)
sriracha sauce for serving (optional)
chopped cilantro for serving (optional)
Directions:
Heat the sesame oil over medium high heat in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the minced garlic and ginger and briefly saute for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and bok choy, sprinkle with salt, and saute for another three minutes until chicken has turned white but not completely cooked all the way through.
Add the chicken broth, jalapeno and green onions to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until chicken is done.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling salted water, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
OR you can do what I did and buy the stir fry noodles that are ready to go and just add in a couple of packages to the broth... simmer for a minute or two so the noodles pick up some of this awesome flavor and then serve it up in big bowls topped with cilantro and a little srirachi sauce on top.


People... this soup is seriously delicious and you will find your sinuses clearing up in no time! It is surprisingly filling too!!!

Chili and Cornbread

Chef had a few fireman buddies over last night to sit around a bonfire, have a few drinks and to enjoy some homemade chili. I think it did them some good to get together in a setting that was not job related, have a few laughs and relax. I had to retire to bed pretty early because I am still pretty congested from this week long respiratory infection... but I think that overall it was a great time!

Here is our chili recipe and man, it was good!!!!

In a heavy pot saute the following:

1 chopped onion
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped jalepenos (we use the ones from a jar)
1/4 cup olive oil

Stir this around until onions are cooked through and then add your meat!

2 lbs ground deer meat
1/2 lb sausage
1 lb ground turkey

Now, you can use ground beef if you want...we just happened to have some deer meat and homemade sausage and it was REALLY good....

Cook all this meat up together and add the following:

2 BIG cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2-3 cups water
few dashes of Worcestershire

Spices:
Paprika
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Chili Powder
Salt
Pepper

(I keep a combo of this spice already made up to season lots of things)

I use about 1/2 cup of the mixed seasoning.

Simmer on the stove for a couple of hours and you are good to go! This is a SIMPLE chili... Feel free to spruce it up with anything you can think of....

We served with fritos, cheese, minced onion, salsa and hot sauce....

And Cornbread:

This is my cheat recipe for cornbread:

3 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread mix, prepared according to directions
Add in 1/4 cup of those chopped jalepenos from a jar
Add in about 1/2 cup shredded cheese
A few dashes of garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix Mix Mix

Now, get out your old cast iron skillet and get it hot on the stovetop with a little oil in it....
Pour the mixture in and cook until puffed up and golden. I like to cut up into nice hunks and put in a pretty little basket.


You can feed firemen or your momma this meal! Sure to please!

Let me know how you like it... we are having leftovers today.

Sick Soup

So I have been sick. REALLY SICK. I caught this respiratory stuff that is putting people down left and right... and it has totally messed up my whole entire week. I haven't been able to go to work because I work in Healthcare and we have the "24 hour fever free rule." Plus, my mother is the Chief Nursing Officer at the facility where I work- so I have to follow her commands. This is day 5. I am bundled up on the couch, it is quiet and I think we are expecting rain today... and all I can think about is SOUP. I want a thick, spicy, comforting soup. I think that I will drag myself in the kitchen later and at least tell my husband what to throw in the soup pot... if not he will chef it up and it will not be what I have envisioned....

This is a really inexpensive soup that is hearty and really fabulous with crackers or cornbread. I tend to favor crackers when I am under the weather... something about saltine crackers...can't you just eat a whole sleeve of them? I prefer Premium crackers.... the blue and white box. So please, don't bring me off brand crackers or Zesta... I just can't take it!

OK- here we go- get ready to be comforted... and your whole family will love this concoction!

1 lb Ground Hamburger (or turkey)
1 medium Chopped Onion
1 can Tomato Paste
2 cans Veg- All or Mixed Vegetables
2 cans Whole Kernel Corn
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
2 tbsp. Homemade taco seasoning
2 tbsp. Homemade ranch seasoning
(These Homemade seasonings are featured in my blog)
Dash of Salt
Dash of Pepper
2 cups of water

OK- so this is pretty basic.. but it turns into the most glorious, thick, yummy soup! If you like more veggies, add more... if you like noodles, feel free! But I like it just like this....

Brown the meat in a big ole soup pot with a little oil along with the chopped onion, drain excess grease and then start adding your other ingredients. Just go down the list... get your kids in there and tell them to just pour this stuff in the pot! Then just simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes and you are done! I tend to drain the water from my canned vegetables so that the soup doesn't get too thin... the tomato paste makes a nice consistency... and feel free to add crushed tomatoes too... I just happened to be out the last time that I put this together and it turned out great...

Then... cook you some  cornbread or get a sleeve of Premium crackers and go to town... this is just what you need to clear up those sinuses! Not too spicy, but just enough to help you breathe!

Let me know how you feel after you try this soup!

The Chef's Wife

Minute Meal Monday

Mondays are my least favorite day. Work is always miserable... except maybe every third Monday...just about every third Monday is pretty bearable for some reason. Not that I hate my job... I love my job.. but Mondays just suck.

This morning the kids missed the bus- we all got off to a late start and it just pretty much messed up my day. I really don't know how I got to work at all... I put on my sunglasses, pointed my Jeep in the general direction of my job and put my foot on the gas.

Chef has school on Monday nights and so it is always just me and the kids. They call me every five minutes until I get home from work wanting to know what is for dinner. Some days I break and tell them to eat Ramen noodles, or cereal, or a granola bar. No, really... I am not that kind of a mom...except sometimes...On Mondays. Ha.

So today I decide that we will have a quick meal.. and one that Chef is not crazy about... so I like to make it on HIS school nights so that he doesn't have to eat it.

EASY FRIED RICE


3 cups rice, prepared
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces
1 package frozen stir fry
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce

Cooking Instructions:

1) Prepare rice according to package instructions to yield 3 cups cooked rice. ( I use boil in bag)
2) Heat sesame oil in a large skillet on medium heat.
3) Add onion, garlic, stir fry mix. Stir fry until tender.
4) Crack eggs into pan and scramble, mixing throughout vegetables.
5) Add rice, chicken, and sesame oil to pan. Stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

How easy is this??? And the kids love it... Throw in some eggrolls and you have a great meal to eat while watching "Dancing With The Stars" on Miserable Mondays....

Fall Weather and Sunday Spice Day

So as I entered the front room of our home this morning, I threw open the front door and breathed in the first smells of fall. The weather is perfect... So I made coffee, requested that the husband make homemade biscuits while I made Chocolate gravy... and we sat listening to NPR and Baroque Sunday.

Days like these I wish that I lived in a larger city so that we could peruse a Farmer's Market, have lunch at a food truck, drink lattes and wander through book stores. But I live in Northeast Texas.... and there is nothing like that in the area... we literally have to drive 200 miles to experience ANYTHING exciting.

Today I decided to organize my spice cabinet and look into my homemade spice collection. Have you ever looked at the back of a spice packet for taco seasoning or ranch dressing or anything like that? There are ingredients that I cannot even pronounce! I started making my own last year when I realized that, being the wife of a chef, we have EVERY spice known to man in our pantry. Making your own blends is so simple! The kids can help, you can make up a ton and store in a Mason jar and they are also great gifts!

Today I am going to list a couple of my favorite spice blends and how to make them!


Taco Seasoning:

Cup Chili Powder
Cup Paprika
1/2 Cup Cumin
1/2 Cup Onion Powder
1/2 Cup Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Cayenne
1/4 Cup Black Pepper

Let's make this simple.. I make a bunch and just mix in a bowl... so measuring is easy.

Mix all this up and store in a Mason jar with a tight lid!!! Use a Tbsp or so to every pound of meat.

Enchilada Seasoning:

Same as Above Except Add the Following:

1/2 Cup Chicken and Beef Boullion ( I just crush them in the food processor and add the other spices and blend)


Homemade Ranch Seasoning

1/4 Cup Dried Parsley
1 Tbsp Dill
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Basil (If you like it)

Mix 1 Tbsp of this mix to 1/2 cup Mayo or Greek Yogurt along with a little low fat milk.


I hope that you enjoy these... and remember that these mixes would be AWESOME Christmas gifts for friends and family.

I'm the Wife, Not the Chef

Chef and I have been married for three and a half years....and I do most of the cooking.

Seriously. I do.

Chef is well, a Chef. He is temperamental. He is moody. He throws things....but only in the kitchen. He can take a pantry full of mismatched ingredients and turn them into something magnificent. He makes me sick....but he cooks all the time and he doesn't want to cook at home so that leaves me to do all the cooking. I decided that I would start this blog about how I deal with being married to a Chef, how I feed him and his two kiddos, along with our friends and family... and sometimes just ME!!

People think that we eat gourmet every single day.... it could not be farther from the truth. Although we cook really great things for our clients and for the restaurant... we tend to eat just like everyone else when we get home... and there are several nights when we are just like you and we pick up a roasted chicken or a pizza and call it a meal. Did I mention that Chef is also on the local fire department and he is gone a lot? I never know if I should cook a big ole meal or something light because he just worked a huge grass fire for four hours.

Earlier in the year we made a decision to cut back on eating out because we were literally eating out every night of the week. Not only were we traveling over twenty miles each way to get to a restaurant, we were spending at LEAST forty dollars a pop. That is a lot of money. So we have limited our dining out experiences and we stay in more often. We also decided to send the kids to school with a healthy lunch everyday, in reusable containers with reusable drink containers. It really is easy to make a creative lunch for your kids each evening, pack the lunchbox and just grab it out the door every morning.

I have also made it a personal goal to teach the kids how to cook. I want them to learn how to cook Southern favorites but also healthy alternatives so that we can watch what we eat. So each week we plan a tentative menu, we shop and the kids help me cook. Chef sits in his recliner and tends to watch anything that has to do with Fast and Loud, Duck Dynasty or Razorback Football.

So for this first blog I wanted to give an indication of a normal meal in THIS Chef's home... tonight we had the following:

Tequila Lime Chicken
Cilantro Rice
Mexican Street Corn

Here goes the easy recipes!!!!

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup tequila
handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
dash or two of black pepper
two cloves of garlic
drizzle in olive oil

OK- take those chicken breasts and cut them in half... then get a big ole Ziploc bag and throw them in there...
Now, get your food processor (or blender) out and add the rest of the ingredients and pulse a few times... add more or less tequila ( I like more) and you can even toss in a dash of cayenne pepper or a seeded jalepeno if your family likes heat. I tend to add about 1/2 cup of olive oil to make a nice marinade.
Then you just pour this tasty mixture in the bag with your chicken and zip it up.... lay the bag in the fridge , making sure that the marinade is touching every bit of the meat.... and let it chill for a little while (I do a couple of hours or so)
Heat up your grill or griddle on the stove, toss that marinated meat on there and cook away... now don't cook it to death.. you want to experience the yumminess that this tequila has imbibed your chicken with.
Slice up some lime wedges and get that chicken on a plate... squeeze lime juice over the top and I am telling you, you are going to love me for sharing this recipe and your family will ADORE you!!!!

And PLEASE, for the love of all things with salt, lime and tequila.... don't think that you are feeding your family something that is full of alcohol. It evaporates out during the cooking process. The only way you are gonna get intoxicated is if you drink one or three margaritas with this chicken... I totally suggest doing that, by the way.



Cilantro Rice- The total and complete easy way.....

Get some boil in a bag rice... cook it according to the directions. When it is done just throw it in a pan, add a squeeze of ginger paste (found in the produce section of grocer), the zest of two limes, a handful of cilantro leaves that have been chopped (no stems, please) a little salt and a dash of garlic powder.

Done! Now put this stuff under that chicken that you just made and watch the looks at the table as they taste it!

Mexican Street Corn

I just take some petite corn on the cobs and cook on my griddle until there are some nice grill marks/caramelization going on...

In a bowl add some light mayo, greek yogurt, dash of cumin, paprika, salt and chili powder and stir together.

Take that grilled corn and roll it in this yogurt mixture... then top with a shake or two of parmesan cheese and cilantro... honey, this is the best corn you will ever eat!

Now let me know what you all think!
Questions and results are welcome.....