Easy Homemade Chicken Soup or Chicken n' Dumplings

Photo**

This chicken soup is so easy, I’m going to list all of the measurments in metric, just so you feel like you’ve done something special.

Ingredients

- 1 Whole Deli-roasted Chicken from the grocery store (day-old is good, if the price is marked down) NOTE 1: Roasted chicken, not fried. NOTE 2: Turns out, counting chickens is the same whether in imperial or metric systems. Go figure.

- 2 Liters Water

- Noodles, pasta or dumplings of your choice, amount by personal preference (I like a lot.) Try angel hair pasta broken into 2 cm pieces.

- (Optional) Mirepoix (chopped onion, celery and carrots)  As much or as little as you want, for both color and flavor. NOTE: Mirepoix (MEER-pwah) is the fancy-schmancy French cuisine name for this basic flavor combo, traditionally, two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery.

Preparation

- Drop the chicken in a large pot. (Add mirepoix)

- Cover with water (use more water as necessary).

- Bring to a boil and then simmer one hour, covered.

Kroger's roast chicken.

- Remove chicken and taste the broth, add salt, pepper or spices to taste. NOTE: Usually these deli-roasted birds are so heavily salted and spiced that no further seasoning is needed. If you think it needs more spice, try adding some poultry seasoning.

- Bring the broth to a boil and add your pasta, noodles or dumplings, cook according to their directions.

- While the noodles are cooking, carefully (it’ll be HOT) break apart the chicken and pull the meat into bite-sized chunks. Use two forks if the chicken’s too hot to touch.

- Add the meat back to the broth.

- Serve

Variations

Chicken and dumplings**

Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Add some mixed frozen or canned veggies to the broth with the noodles.
Chicken and Dumplings
- Including mirepoix and/or other vegetables, especially carrots and onions, is common.
- Stir in a little roux (you can always add more) to thicken the finished broth. (Presto! Broth becomes stew.)
- Cut refrigerator biscuits into bite-sized pieces, drop on top of simmering stew.
- Cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes.
- Pull the chicken into chunks, add back to finished stew.

;^)

Roux

A roux (roo) is a basic thickener for soups, stews, gravies and sauces.

A roux-based sauce.**

Ingredients

Equal parts, by weight (you can estimate)

- Flour

- Fat (butter, margarine, vegetable oil, animal fat, e.g., bacon grease or lard)

Preparation

- Heat the fat over medium-low until it is a liquid. If you’re using butter, cook it slowly until the bubbling stops.

- Stir in the flour, blending until smooth.

- Continue stirring over medium heat until the raw flour taste is gone, usually 3-5 minutes.

- The longer you cook a roux the darker it gets, imparting more color and flavor to the intended dish. Sometimes you want a roux to be white, sometimes darker.

- Add to intended sauce, soup, stew, gravy, stirring briskly into the dish to avoid lumps, then bring the whatever to a high simmer until thickening occurs, usually just a minute or two. It’s best to use a whisk and not to add to a very hot item. The more you add, the thicker it gets; best to start with just a little

A sure sign of a profes-

sional cook: the ability to
hold hot objects, bare-

handed, with impunity.

Variations

- Cowboy roux (also called a white wash) Blend equal parts flour and water, add as above. Since the flour is raw going into the final dish, it must be cooked longer than when adding a standard roux, usually at least five minutes. Taste test to be sure.

- Cornstarch (corn flour), used in lesser amounts when mixed with water, blends easier, doesn’t have a raw flour taste to worry about, and can impart a bit of shine to the finished product.

;^)

Eureka!

Uh, hot cocoa, anyone?

It's a, uh...uh, a Cajun

recipe I found on the net— 

Chocolat au Lait Carbonisé

—Blackened Cocoa!

Cooking, like other arts, occasionally depends on luck. Sometimes a screw-up will turn out to be an improvement, like my discovery that more butter and less milk makes mashed potatoes even better. Recently, trying to approximate the recipe at a local restaurant, I ended up with a meat loaf that turned out way too highly spiced. So I broke it into chunks and used it to make a spaghetti meat sauce—where it was just perfect. For that matter, it was much easier than making meat balls, and I may just use that method again.

There are two basic rules to dealing with cooking mistakes when presenting food to family, guests or customers:

1. Take full credit whenever anything turns out good, even if you screwed up. You simply say, "Thank-you. I had a feeling that it would be good this way."

2. When things turn out bad, blame the recipe. For instance, you can say "That is pretty bad, isn't it? I got this recipe variation on line; it was supposed to add a flavor layer, but not like this. Let's chalk it up to scientific research; that's one formula we know doesn't work. More wine?"

Trust me, all professional chefs know these two rules and follow

them assiduously. Chefs do not make cooking errors—it's just a

given. Cooking is a tough job, cooking well is even tougher. You need to give yourself a break whenever the opportunity comes up. Besides, it's an art, and art has always depended on luck. I don't reckon that prehistoric cave painter, when he was mixing pigments, was thinking, "I'll bet this hand print will still look good 10,000 years from now."

So, when it comes out great, you're an artist; when it fails miserably, you're a scientist. It will give your guests confidence and allow you to learn from your mistakes in peace.

This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook — try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun! Julia Child, My Life in France

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams, The Dilbert Principle

;^)

Bowl me over

So, the other day I was sitting outside my rig, staring at the mountains and I’d let my mind off its leash. The old gray mass was wandering around, listening to the wind, looking at cloud shapes, sniffing the fresh air—when all of a sudden it whirls around and rushes back to me with this question:

Why do we serve pancakes on a plate?

Then you spend the entire meal chasing down errant syrup with the pancake bits you’ve impaled on your fork. Even expending all that effort, there’re still puddles of pancake syrup scattered about the plate when all the pancakes are gone.

Now I’m sure you, like I, learned in high school physics that pancakes and waffles posses the requisite properties allowing them to soak up all but the most over-thickened, bland-tasting, maple syrup substitutes. And I’m sure you, like I, have carried out the experiments proving these properties, taking note of how the bottom-most pancake absorbs the sucrose or fructose suspensions (i.e., syrup) with which it may come in contact.

How best, I wondered, to take advantage of these properties?

Eureka! I thought, serve pancakes in a bowl!

Concentrate the syrup to the center. Then, when you cut down through a stack and lift a section past your lips, you’ll be transferring saturation-point layers fully laden with maximum syrupy succulence.

I tried this out, using fried shredded wheat (Yes, Fried Shredded Wheat.) as my test medium. Works perfectly.

;^)

Fried Shredded Wheat

Recipe: Prepare shredded wheat as you would French toast. Then eat it like French toast.

Large biscuit shredded wheat,
un-fried.

This was one of my favorites growing up. But I think only my Mom and I really liked it, so we didn’t have it that often. I found the nutty taste, the crunchy texture and a near-mushy interior to be an excellent vehicle for slurps and slurps of table syrup.

That was back in the day before spoon-size mini-wheats. And bite-size mini-wheats. And frosted mini-wheats. Back then, there was just one size of shredded wheat biscuit: large. One cereal company made them into oblong pillows, another into round pods. Either way, maximum occupancy by a large cereal bowl was two biscuits.

Those large biscuits still work best for this recipe, however, any size or type of shredded wheat will work. There are just two things to keep in mind:

1. The smaller the biscuit, the longer it must soak in the egg-milk mix.
2. Frosted biscuits will burn sooner because of the sugar surfaces.

Oh, one more thing. The big, old-fashioned biscuits were manufactured without any ingredients other than wheat. That means no salt. So check your brand’s ingredient list. If there’s no salt (“sodium” on the nutrition label) listed, adding some to the egg batter may improve the taste, depending on your own salt habits.

;^)

A Potato Primer

Photo credit**

So, you’re standing in the produce section of a typical American supermarket because your shopping list has “potatoes” on it. What do you need to know? Here are the basics.

There are four common types of potatoes found in many U.S. grocery stores. Each one has distinctive characteristics that suit
particular uses, mostly based on starch content.

1. Russet (sometimes called “Idaho” or “Baking” and several regional names, e.g., "Burbank") Probably the most common potato found in American markets. They have a sturdy brown to dark-brown, finely “netted” skin and tend to be an oblong, irregular shape with deep eye pits. They are likely to be the largest potatoes on display, but are sold in all sizes.

Clockwise, from upper left:
Russet, Red, Yellow and Purple
(Credit Colorado Potato Administrative Committee)

2. Red (sometimes called “Bliss”) Likely the second most common potato in your local produce section. Reds have a more tender skin than russets, somewhat glossy light red to brownish-red in color, rounder and with fewer eyes.

3. White Tend to be regional. A round version with tan to brown, sometimes speckled skin is grown in the northeastern U.S. An oblong type with light tan to brown skin is grown in California. Whites have very few discernible eyes. Market distribution is concentrated nearest where they are cultivated and diminishes with distance.

Photo credit**

4. Yellow (Also called “Gold”) These have a national distribution, but production levels sometimes limit supply. They are mostly round and have a thin, tender, yellow-tan to light brown skin with few eyes.

Other potato terms “New potatoes” are any early harvested potato, usually small in size and with a thinner skin; the most common variety marketed is new red potatoes. “Fingerling,” “Purple” and “Blue” potatoes are heritage varieties and are described by their names; the latter two also have like-colored flesh, though the basic potato taste is not affected (they can add some interest to a potato salad). “Sweet potatoes” aren't potatoes—nor are they yams.

Best uses for common potato varieties are indicated by the number
of dots; starch content is for comparison.

Some notable attributes of common potato varieties,
with starch content for comparison.

The accompanying charts can be a guide when it comes to using different varieties of potatoes, but don’t get hung up on them. In many instances the differences are minor and other qualities may counterbalance primary uses. In even a mild pinch, most potato varieties can substitute for one another. And if you don’t like the way it turns out, just call it “science” and try something different next time.

;^)

Bean Salad

Also known as Three Bean Salad, Five Bean Salad, Seven Bean Salad, etc. (In some quarters it's bad form to use an even number of bean types; I've heard it said an even number can mess with your bean Ch'i. Just sayin'.)

A bean salad dressed up with
red bell peppers, peas and onions.
(Image courtesy**)

This is another salad that can escape notice because of the somewhat atypical base ingredients—canned beans. It can also serve as a side dish and will meet most vegan standards. Essentially, this recipe is a marinade for beans; therefor, some post-assembly wait-time is involved.

Ingredients
~ Three (or more) 15 oz. cans, one each of any of the following: kidney beans, navy beans, red beans, black beans, fava beans, lima beans, green beans, yellow (wax) beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), pinto beans, soybeans, and in Half Cup amounts, corn (can, fresh or frozen), green peas (ditto), diced carrots (ditto again), diced (fresh or frozen) bell peppers (red, green, orange or yellow), diced (fresh) onions or green onions—or whatever strikes your fancy. Onion is probably the most common non-bean addition. Go for good color and texture variance.
~ Half Cup apple cider vinegar
~ Quarter Cup vegetable oil
~ Quarter Cup sugar

Preparation
~ Drain the beans well. If they are packed in a sauce, rinse them with water.
~ In a mixing bowl, combine the vinegar and sugar and whisk together thoroughly to dissolve the sugar. Add the oil and whisk again. Taste the marinade and adjust the ingredients to your preference. Whisk again as necessary.
~ Mix in the beans (and what-all), gently. All of the beans and any other veggies should rest in the marinade; if you need more, whip some up.
~ Put the bowl in the 'fridge to chill for at least 90 minutes.

Serve
Drain about half the marinade (for service, we don't want the beans swimming in marinade) and put the beans in a serving bowl. A slotted serving spoon is preferred. Serve cold.

Variations
Limited only by your imagination. Both the vegetable ingredients and the marinade are primed for creativity. Pimento, diced avocado, sliced olives, sliced bananas (just kidding), diced chiles, diced jicama, minced garlic or, just before serving, add some diced pepperoni, ham or corned beef. Of course, there goes your vegan crowd.

;^)

Paczki – Polish "Doughnut Holes" the Easy Way

Traditional, carefully-prepared pączki

awaiting final coatings. Don't worry.
yours don't have to look like this.
(Courtesy **)

Pączki (pronounced POHNCH-kee) are a traditional treat on Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins). The recipe here, however, isn't traditional; it includes a major shortcut that should make this treat even more popular. Maybe they're not as good as some egg-rich dough recipes, but they’re still delicious, prep time is cut from hours to minutes and dishes and clean-up are practically done away with, so there’s a lot to like.

Ingredients

~ Pot of hot oil for deep frying, 350^o-360^o (F) Maximum caution when using hot oil, especially if kids are in the area.

~ 1 (or more) 7.5 ounce refrigerator breakfast biscuits tubes. These smaller-size biscuits work best. They’re ten to a tube and the tubes often come in packs of four.

~ Powdered (confectioner) sugar, a bunch

~ A lunch-sack size paper bag (or a large bowl)

~ Pot of coffee, large glass of milk, or even apple cider to accompany the eating

Preparation

~ Open the biscuits, separate them and allow them to rest at room temp for 10-15 minutes (allows better rise). Don’t mash or handle them more than necessary.

~ Heat the oil to temp.

~ This next part will happen fast, so you’ll want to have handy a spider, large slotted spoon or tongs to retrieve the pączki from the hot oil and some brown paper or paper towels on which to drain them afterward.

~ Assuming a full-sized pot (if smaller, “fry-baby” size, go with two batches), carefully drop the biscuits into the hot oil. Try not to drop them on top of one another.

~ After about one minute, flip or prod a biscuit to turn it over. We’re looking for a dark brown carmelized color (color = flavor). If it’s not there yet, turn it back for another half minute, then check another biscuit. Frying time can vary depending on unspecified factors. When good color is achieved, flip all the biscuits and fry for not-quite the same length of time.

~ Remove the pączki to the draining paper. Allow to drain about a minute.

~ Put ¼ Cup powdered sugar in the paper sack.

~ Drop three pączki in the sack, roll the top tight and shake until the pączki are coated. Repeat with the remaining pastries, adding more sugar as necessary.

~ Alternate (Green) method: Think of the powdered sugar as what it really is—insulation. Pour a layer of the sugar into a wide-bottomed bowl. Carefully place the pączki in the bowl. Cover with another thick layer of powdered sugar. Now both warmth and flavor are retained by the insulating powder. (May even be eligible for energy-conservation tax rebates. Try including it in your tax return; let me know what happens.) Carefully probe for the pastries with your fingers, then lift carefully, retaining maximum sugar coverage (and R-value) right to your mouth. After biting, quickly dip exposed portion into insulating powder.

~ Other alternates: Pączki can be rolled in granulated sugar, sprinled with cinnamon, or even glazed. If you feel ambitious, you can pipe fruit paste into them.

Serve fresh and hot. Pączki’s peak flavor has a half life of about 20 minutes.

;^)

Five Cup Salad

A fancy-dress version of the
Five Cup Salad (Image **)

(also known as: Ambrosia)

This is an easy one that many people know, but, because of the somewhat unusual combination of ingredients, folks tend to overlook it when shuffling through their on-board memory files. It can serve as a side,  salad or even dessert. It's always popular at potlucks, too.

Ingredients

~ Canned mandarin oranges (15 ounce can, or more)

~ Canned pineapple, small pieces (15 ounce can, or more)

~ 1 Cup shredded, sweetened coconut

~ 1 Cup miniature marshmallows

~ 1 Cup sour cream

Preparation

~ Drain the fruit well. (The juice can be saved for other purposes, basting, for instance, or even for drinking, with the addition of a proper thinning agent, like, ohhh, maybe vodka, tequila or rum.)  

~ To combine, first thoroughly stir together the sour cream and the coconut. Next, stir in (gently) the fruit. Finally, mix in (gently) the marshmallows.

~ Chill (the salad, not you). (Well, you too. After all there is that leftover juice.)

You will be tempted to eat this right away. Don’t. If you chill it in the ‘fridge for at least six hours, the flavors will meld and the cold will bring up the sweetness. It will taste 47.5% better. Guaranteed.

If you want to dress this up

Drain a small jar of maraschino cherries (no stems), then let the cherries rest on a paper towel for at least 10 minutes. (If you don’t get all the juice drained off, the cherries will bleed messily on the salad.)

Put the salad in a decent-looking serving bowl or container and smooth the top. Dot the cherries in a pleasing pattern on top.

Serve cold.

Variations

Yogurt or whipped topping can be substituted for all or part of the sour cream.

Other fruits can be added or substituted, including grapes, bananas, strawberries or other sweet berries, or crushed pecans.

;^)

Some like it hot

So the other morning, being a mite chilly here in Tucson, I decided to make some hot chocolate. Not hot cocoa, mind you; there’s a difference.

Hot chocolate is what you make from a powdered mix of chocolate, sugar and multitudinous other ingredients, like Nesquik or

HOLY GUACAMOLE!

STOP THE PRESSES!

I just discovered that the Hershey company has discontinued Hershey’s Chocolate Milk Mix! This is beyond incredible! It's right up there with New Coke.

Someone there in Hershey, Pennsylvania has been standing way too close to the chocolate-powdering machines without respiratory protection. What, for pity's sake, is going on?! Is nothing sacred?

This is just too sad to continue to write about. I’m going to go to bed and pull the covers up over my head.

No wonder I haven't been able to find it for months now. I thought I was just hitting the wrong grocery stores. I just don’t believe….

To protest this travesty, click here to go to Facebook.

:,^ (

Thick, Rich 'n Easy Tapioca Pudding

While it is still a cooked pudding, this recipe lets you bypass the tricky
parts—it's cheek-to-cheek tapioca grinning with vanilla flavor.


Ingredients
~ 1 Box of Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding (4 half-cup servings size)
~ 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk + 4 ounces (half cup) water
~ 2 or 3 Tablespoons Tapioca

Preparation
~ Combine ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pan, whisk together thoroughly
~ Allow to stand 5-10 minutes.(this softens the tapioca)
~ Whisk thoroughly again (the tapioca likes to clump together; you have to train it not to).
~ Cook according to package directions, stirring thoroughly and often.

Serve hot, warm or chilled.

I imagine this approach might work with other flavors of cooked pudding as well.

;^)

Uncle Genie’s BaconEgg Battercakes

Pancakes luxurious with egg flavor and bacon-y crunch.

Ingredients (For one hearty serving)

~ Two large Grade A eggs. (It might be possible to use pasteurized eggs—no guarantees.)

~ Two strips of bacon. (Ditto on using alternatives.)

~ Self-rising flour (Self-rising, not all purpose. Read the front of the bag*.)

~ Maple syrup or topping of choice (warmed)

Preparation

~ In a skillet or sauté pan, fry the bacon crisp. Reserve some of the drippings for cooking the cakes.

~ While the bacon is cooking: Beat the eggs well in a mixing bowl. Add salt to taste and a pinch of sugar for each egg.

~ Beat in small amounts of the self-rising flour until you have a smooth, viscous mix, not as thin as 30-weight oil, but not as thick as joint compound. You’ll want it to flow gently when you pour it in the pan, not be runny. If you over-thicken it, add quick dribbles of water just until you recover a decent fluid movement. But remember, the water is diluting the flavor. Adding another beaten egg would be the preferred recovery plan.

~ Add a teaspoon of drippings or vegetable oil or melted butter to the batter and blend in.

~ Using a weapon or tool of choice, reduce the crisp-cooked bacon to pea-sized chunks. Mix the bacon chunks into the egg batter.

~ Pour the batter into the medium-hot, bacon-greased pan, making one large or two smaller cakes. Cook over medium heat until bubbles rise through the batter and the edges begin to look lightly browned. Turn once, cook for about half the time as the first side. (If side 1 is undercooked, fry side 2 a little longer. Serve the prettier side up.)

Serve.


*If all you have is all-purpose flour, add about a quarter teaspoon baking powder--no guarantees, I'm just eye-balling it here. If you don't have baking powder, either, then go to IHOP for breakfast.

;^)

Epworth Sunday Morning Scrambled Eggs

At Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, these eggs (or something very much like them) were the reward for early risers on Sunday mornings back in the 1960s and 70s. This was a rich, moist concoction, thick with small chunks of smoky bacon—the best breakfast of the week.

Ingredients

~ Bacon (Real bacon, please.)

~ Eggs: The more the better; it helps keep the final product moist. To attempt this with anything less than three large Grade A ova of the Gallus domesticus will be to little purpose. (Real eggs, por favor, not the pasteurized milk-carton version.)

~ Warm buttered toast (If you need a recipe for this, you’re in trouble.)

~ Jelly. jam, preserves, marmalade and/or orange juice

Preparation

~ In a sauté pan or skillet, fry the bacon crisp; use at least one slice per egg. Do NOT drain the bacon drippings from the pan.) Keep the pan warming (not smoking or burning) on the stove afterwards.

~ While the bacon is frying: In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs; make sure the yolks are broken and blended in.

~ Break, crunch or cut the crisp bacon into pea-sized chunks and mix them into the eggs. Salt and pepper (nothing exotic) to taste.

~ Pour the mixture into the skillet or pan (the one with the drippings still in it) on medium heat. Work the eggs gently, turning to their uncooked side. DO NOT OVERCOOK. These eggs should be very moist, but not slimy. It won’t take long. (If you overcook the eggs, put ketchup or jelly on them and go ahead and eat them. Try again next week.)

Serve.

(You should exercise appropriate caution in considering eating undercooked eggs; there is a risk of salmonella or other contaminant poisoning. Read other Disclaimers.)

;^)

Caramel Apples

Real Easy Carmel Apples (Original post)

(Updated graphic)

Ingredient List
~ 1 bag wrapped caramels (for this recipe, I prefer Brach's)
~ 8-12 (pending size) apples (I prefer Granny Smith)

Preparation
Sit in a comfortable chair (I prefer a recliner). Unwrap 1 caramel, place in mouth.
Take a bite of apple. Chew.
Add additional caramels or apple to taste.

;^)

Horchata (an essay)

Like white on rice (Posted on Uncle Genie 11/22/2010)

There’s a peculiarly refreshing drink that becomes more commonly available the closer one comes to the Mexican border. It’s called horchata. Recipes for horchata include a variety of ground grains or nuts, but the version most commonly found along our southern border is made with ground rice.

I was introduced to horchata at a farewell luncheon held at a Mexican restaurant in Denver in 1995. I was leaving my job there and, at the lunch, one of my colleagues pointed it out on the menu and recommended I try it. I was hooked from the first taste.

Often called agua de horchata, it’s lighter than the so-called rice milks sold in grocery stores and actually has a more pronounced rice flavor. Its origins go back to Spain; there are even indications of Moorish influence.

There are numerous formulas on the net, but the only really tricky steps are grinding the rice and then straining the ground rice from the final beverage. After that process, generally it’s sweetened and usually flavored with cinnamon.

Of course, the simplest thing is to buy horchata already prepared. Some Mexican restaurants serve it and bottled varieties can be found in some groceries. My favorite brand is Kern, which is carried by Albertson’s here in Tucson.

Then all you need is a tall glass filled with ice and you’ve got a real thirst-quencher. In fact, there’s some horchata in my refrigerator right now—and I think I can hear it calling my name.

 ;^)