Soup Number 1 - Creamy Cauliflower Soup
I accomplished something I have never done when cooking. Something wonderful. Something amazing...
I followed the directions.
That's right, folks. I did what I was supposed to do! And, boy am I glad because this soup is to die for. Yummy chunks of cauliflower. Celery. Carrots. Fresh herbs. Creamy goodness. This is the Ph.D. of all soups - yumzo!
The recipe filled four Ziploc containers which are probably about two servings each.
Soup Number 2 - Chicken Pepper (a Small Town Girl creation)
During my senior year of high school, I got really sick with the flu and all I wanted to eat was chicken noodle soup. Now, for as much as I love soup, I'm a bit of a soup snob. It has to be hearty, full of chunky pieces of meat and vegetables, with a very savory flavor. No soup could do the job. Then, during my freshman year of college, I got the flu AGAIN! This time, there was no one around to bring me soup - and I mean, the soup had not met my expectations anyway.
Super sick and not feeling well, I journeyed to the grocery store and bought celery, carrots, chicken broth, and an already cooked rotisserie chicken. I shredded the chicken, cut up the carrots and celery, and mixed it into the broth. My go-to soup was created. Over the years, I have perfected and changed this soup to be more sophisticated, but it meets all of my requirements for what a soup should be.
The soup I made today is inspired by this simple recipe but with a little more flair and sophistication. Here's how I did it:
1. In the crockpot, add 2 quarts of water, salt, pepper, a chicken bouillon cube, and 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook on high power for 4 hours. (This cooks the chicken while making homemade chicken broth!)
2. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from crockpot and allow to cool.
3. Pour the chicken broth into a large pot on the stove.
4. Add half a stick of butter, half of an onion (diced), and a little salt and pepper.
5. While the butter is melting and the onion cooking, shred the chicken.
6. Cut up 2 green bell peppers.
7. Add the bell peppers to the pot and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
8. Add one can of diced tomatoes (with the juice).
9. Add two cans of hominy, drained.
10. Add chicken.
11. Finely chop some oregano and parsley and add to the pot.
12. Allow this glorious mixture to reach boiling. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. (This allows everything to cook through and the herbs to flavor the veggies and chicken.) If your soup is too thick, add water or chicken broth.
13. After the 20 minutes are up, taste the soup and add seasonings as you like.
I then let the soup cool and transferred it into Ziploc soup containers. Again, this recipe filled 4 of those containers with 2-3 servings per container. This is a perfect, easy soup. It'll also be great for cold winter days - it's one of those soups that can sit on the stove and cook all day. It just keeps getting better the longer it simmers.
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Muffins
As a reward for good behavior, I tried out a Cinnamon Swirl bread I found on the Internet. Except, I added a few things (of course) and made the bread into muffins. Here's how I did it:
1. Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl.
2. Add 1 cup of milk, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 egg, and a splash of Vanilla (I love Vanilla!). Mix well.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and a handful of chocolate chips.
4. Pour into muffin pan or bread pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (for muffins) or 45 minutes (for bread).
YUMZO!
Today was a great day of cooking. I have a freezer filled with delicious goodness to last me through the beginning of the semester and muffins to get me through this week. Now, off to finish a literature search, transcribe a reading session, and update my CV before bed!
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