Chicken Noodle Soup: In sickness, and in health

As my father would say, "Feel the health!"

For our family, this soup has become the soup of all seasons. In sickness and in health. Currently, in sickness here. Nothing like a bout of hand, foot, and mouth piggy-backed onto colds to get one re-evaluating diets and the amount of sugar we've been eating lately... never mind that it's 104 right now, and I'm not sure how anything is surviving this heat. 

I stumbled across this chicken soup recipe last winter during pregnancy.  Jack had a series of colds, and he just so happens to love chicken noodle soup.  Without further ado, I'll share the quick broth recipe, compliments of Paula Deen, and then soup two ways... slightly adapted from the Lady's Chicken soup recipe.  

Stock Ingredients: 

2 1/2 lbs. chicken (we used bone-in, skin on breasts)

3 1/2 quarts water

1 onion, peeled and diced

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 bay leaves

3 chicken bouillon cubes

To do:

• Add all the ingredients to your stock pot, cooking on medium-high heat until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 165ish, approximately 40 minutes. 
• Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool. Importantly, remove and discard bay leaves. Paula Deen suggests removing the onion, but I usually let it be or remove some of it. 
• After the chicken has cooled, pick it off the bone, setting aside yet again.

"In Sickness" Soup Ingredients: 

2 c carrots, sliced

2 c celery with leafy green tops, sliced

2 1/2 c egg noodles or whole wheat noodles

1/2 red pepper, sliced

1/2 green pepper, sliced 

1 c mushrooms, sliced (I recommend shitakes. Why shitakes?)

8 garlic cloves, minced

3 TBSP fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

1/3 c cooking sherry

2 tsp. rosemary

salt and pepper, to taste

To do: 

• Here's to hoping and praying you have a food processor: slice and dice all veggies! 
• Bring the stock back to a boil. Add the carrots, cooking for about 3 minutes. 
• Add the celery, garlic,  and peppers, cooking for an additional 8 minutes. 
• Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
• Once the noodles have cooked, add the chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry, and rosemary. You could even add a little more garlic here at the end. 
• Cook for another couple of minutes, tasting and adding salt and pepper as needed along the way.

"In health" Soup ingredients

Also known as: "Soup the second way" or "an exciting way to spice up the leftovers..." You get the point.

All of the above

3/4 c whipping cream

1 c parmesan cheese

To do: 

• Follow all the above steps, adding the parmesan and whipping cream when you add the chicken, etc. 
• Sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese on top of the bowls just before serving! 

And so, my friends,  you have Chicken Noodle Soup for every occasion and for every soul!

Happy cooking!

8-10 servings

Notes: If you have more time and plan ahead... neither of which were applicable to me with this round of soup, make your own stock in advance to pack in even more nutritional benefits! Once you've got this stock in the pot, go ahead an add the lemon pepper, rosemary, etc. that the above recipe calls for to add more flavor. 

Balsamic Chicken Salad

We are forever indebted to Aunt Cat for introducing us to the wonders of Balsamic Chicken. Thank you, thank you! It's our favorite salad topper! It's also pretty amazing over pasta or all by its lonesome.

Ingredients:
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil
fresh garlic (one clove per breast, minced)
crushed rosemary
salt and pepper

chicken breasts, pick your number (boneless skinless or bone-in)

Favorite Salad Toppers:

blueberries and strawberries

or 

apples and raisins/craisins

feta/blue cheese/goat cheese 

pecans/almonds/walnuts

Balsamic vinaigrette/Red wine vinaigrette

For the chicken: 
Place the chicken breasts in a casserole dish and lightly coat them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Rub your garlic onto the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with crushed rosemary.

Bake at 350 approximately 45 minutes or until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees.

Once cooked, allow to cool slightly and then slice. Dredge each slice in the juices in the bottom of the pan for all those flavors that are too good to be missed.