A couple days ago I realized I had the creeping crud. It has marched it's happy self into my chest where it is having some kind of a party. Well look here crud...YOU are not going to win! I decided to bring in the heavy artillery to fight this thing!
The recipe is very simple and does take about 2 hours to make. But, it is so worth the effort.
Homemade Chicken Soup
Broth:
1 whole chicken (rinsed-gizzards removed)
2 onions quartered
2 carrots
3 ribs of celery
1 head of garlic cut in half
1 lemon cut in half
1/4 bunch of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. black peppercorns
Rinse the chicken and remove the gizzards. Place in the bottom of a large pot, and then add all the other ingredients. Cover with water just until it is over the chicken. Too much water will make your broth weak.
Bring to a boil, then turn to to medium-low heat, cover partially and let simmer 1 1/2 hours. As the chicken cooks, skim the rim for the impurities that rise to the surface.
Remove the chicken and set aside. When it is cool, remove all of the meat.
Drain all of the broth from the stock pot, and whatever is left you can discard it. Look at all the stock! You can save or freeze the rest to use in another recipe.
Soup Ingredients:
1 whole chicken shredded
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 carrots
2 ribs of celery
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
12 cups of the STOCK you just made
8 oz. wide egg noodles
1 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper
fresh parsley to garnish
In same pot where you made the broth, saute cut onions, carrots, and celery for a few minutes over medium heat. Then add chopped garlic.
Pour in chicken stock and bring this to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Add the chicken and continue to simmer for another 2 minutes to heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Now serve this up to that creeping crud and tell it to GET LOST! The soup is really delicious, and it is making me feel better already. Maybe it's time for another bowl...
The smell of pinto beans simmering on the stove always takes me back to my Mom's kitchen. She would always say, "I've put on a pot of beans y'all" and the whole family would get excited. Sometimes Mom would make cornbread to go with the pintos, but most of the time we would all grab a couple of pieces of white bread and use it to soak up all those yummy pinto bean juices. We always had some cheddar cheese to put on top too.
When I started making my own pots of pinto beans, I discovered that I liked making them a little different than my Mom...GASP!! I know! I enjoy bolder flavors, and I love topping my pintos with fresh pico de gallo. Now you can leave out this topping. It's all in how you enjoy your bowl of beans, and by all means top that bowl with whatever makes you happy!
It's like my southern roots in a bowl...
Get a look at the pride and joy of my kitchen! It's a 1940's AMERICAN made vintage pressure cooker. When I'm whippin' up a big ol' pot of ANYthing, I pull out this lovely contraption. Just so you know, I do not use it as a pressure cooker. I just love cooking with it, because it is so large. And I can drop, stir, and go crazy with this thing and not worry about ever making a mess all over my stove because my pot is too small.
Pinto beans are easy to make, but they do take all afternoon. Also I never presoak my beans, because I never plan it ahead of time.
Good Ol' Southern Pinto Beans
1 lb. pinto beans
10 cups water (more as the beans cook)
1 ham hock
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
Pico De Gallo
1 red onion
1 carton grape tomatoes
1 juice of lime
1 cup of cilantro
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
First pour all the pinto beans out on the counter and sort through them for rocks. Rinse beans under water, then add beans to a large pot. Cover with water. I used 10 cups. Let beans come to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Add water as needed. You water should always be above the beans.
Add ham hock to the beans and continue to simmer for 2 hours with the lid on. Continue to add water as needed. Remove ham hock and pull all the meat off the bone and return to pot.
In the last 30 minutes add salt and pepper.
To make the pico de gallo, chop all ingredients and add together in a bowl. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Make the cornbread according to the package.
Serve the pinto beans with your favorite toppings. I love pico de gallo, maybe some cheddar cheese, and cornbread. Or you could rock some hot sauce in there or dunk the juice with some white bread. They are YOUR beans, make em' the way you love em'! And enjoy a huge bowl of Good Ol' Southern Pinto Beans! YUM!
It's that time of year when I get that hankerin' for chili. I've made a lot of different types of chili over the years, but my Not Yo' Mamma's Chili always calls my name.
I shared this recipe with some friends who were competing in a chili competition and had no idea what type of chili to make. They ended up winning 2nd place out of 60 pots of chili. That was confirmation to me that this chili is a crowd pleaser!
Now if you are not one to eat spicy food, then this recipe is not for you. You can ease up on the spicy ingredients, but I feel as though the chili will lose most of its' charm. I've eaten chili at a friend's house who hated spicy food, and God bless her the chili tasted like spaghettios. Not my cup of tea...
So if you're still with me, and you wanna eat an "award winning" chili then let's get started!
This chili has two stars: Chipotle peppers & CHOCOLATE!!! Yes, I said chocolate!!
Not Yo' Momma's Chili
1 lb. 96% fat free ground beef
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 Anaheim chilies
2 poblano chilies
2-6 chipotle peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 bomber Rogue Chipotle Ale
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 can whole tomatoes
2 cans black beans
2 cups beef stock
1 tbsp. cumin
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. clove
4-6 oz. dark chocolate bar
salt and pepper to taste
In large dutch oven brown the ground beef. Chop all peppers, onion, and garlic. Once the meat is browned, I move the meat over a little then add onions to the pan.
Let the onions saute for a few minutes, then add all of the chopped peppers.
Mince the chipotle peppers and add to the pot. I like to salt and pepper a little as I go, but I never over do it. Maybe a 1/4 of a teaspoon at a time as I layer in the peppers. Add the garlic and let saute for about a minute.
Deglaze the pot with the Rogue beer and 2 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let reduce for 10 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by half.
Drain and rinse black beans. Add them to the pot with the whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Add all of the spices and the chocolate, then let the chili simmer for 30 - 45 minutes. You can taste this as you go and add a little more spices. I always just kinda eye ball it, so this recipe is a general starting point depending on just how spicy you want the chili.
Serve with your favorite toppings. I like cheddar cheese and cilantro with some multi-grain scoop chips. You could top it with sour cream or slices of fresh avocado and wheat crackers.
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