Chicken Ala King

An oldie but a goodie.  Get on your aprons and your best pearls ladies.  Touch up your makeup and make sure you look your best while you are at the stove preparing this dish.  After all, June Cleaver would have looked pristine and perfect.  Right?

When I think of Chicken Ala King, I think of June Cleaver.  Why?  I don't know.  Maybe because I always wanted to be June Cleaver.  I think of supper clubs and boilin' bags.  Yea, I said it.  When I was little my mom didn't make this homemade.  She would sometimes buy the boilin' bags with it and we would have it on toast. 

Did you eat it on toast? Noodles?  Rice?  Biscuits?

I loved it and I knew, OBVIOUSLY it was going to be better homemade.  I needed some inspiration so I did my own private brainstorm session.  Things I ate as a kid.  Was interesting as I thought about it, some of the dishes I had forgotten about.  I wonder if mine is better than June's? 

I hope that you enjoy this easy, and OMGOSH delicious dish.  I had forgotten how much I loved it and to be honest, this is one of my favorite recipes to date.  I was hesitant as I knew it would be hard to photograph, to share, but fahgetaboutit........  It is crazy good and I hope you fall in love or fall in love AGAIN with this retro classic!!

You can really use more or less of the pepper and mushrooms, it is kind of just up to what you like. 

2 tbsp butter
1 bell pepper, cut into strips (I used red, use any color)
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup flour
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed or shredded
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In a large, high sided skillet, add in butter, peppers, and mushrooms. Stir constantly.  Saute for 3 minutes.   Add in flour and stir until the veggies are coated. 

Add in half and half, stock and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to combine and add in chicken, again stir.  Now let it your mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes.  It will thicken up and become creamy!  The smell will make you go out of your mind!

 Sprinkle over your parsley.  Serve over, egg noodles, rice, biscuits or toast!

Your "pearls the perfect apron accessory" chefwannabe

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

It has been no secret, I am the number one fan of chicken noodle soup.  Soup in general excites me in ways I can't explain but the overwhelming feeling of joy I get from chicken noodle soup is both awesome, and pathetic.

So many people think of different things when they think of their own personal "classic" version of the soup.  Some think of carrots and celery and onions, others think of just the chicken and just the noodle.  Which are you?  My mom always used to make it with just chicken and just noodles.  She would say, "if I wanted vegetable soup I would make vegetable soup".  Yes, MA'AM!  Over the years I have made it so many ways, I guess, I feel like it just depends on what you like.  Wasn't that spiritual and moving?  I wish I had the secret to the most real, original, perfect chicken noodle soup, but I gotta be honest, I have never met a bowl I didn't love.  Oh wait, yes I did.  It had lima beans in it.  Please tell me WHO makes chicken noodle soup with lima beans in it?  Gross, uncalled for, and down right fraudulent.

This recipe is so easy.  I call it my "Classic Chicken Noodle Soup" because it is just that.  This recipe uses very few ingredients but you get the best payoff.  This doesn't have to be difficult, but I am going to explain each part of this, so that you can make it more homemade, or more, SEMI homemade if you choose.  It doesn't matter to me and I doubt it matters to whoever is eating it, sometimes you have time for more in depth versions and sometimes you are lucky to get anything on the table, I get it, and as long as you own it, that is all that matters!

Stock- You can use stock from the store, I just suggest you buy low sodium and I buy no MSG.  You can make your own and you can learn to do that here.  I don't care if you use bouillon or flavor bases and water.  That is all your decision in your own kitchen.  Just GET the stock people!  You can also cut your stock with some water, do 8 cups of stock and 2 of water if you like.  You made need to add more at the end, again, soupier or lots of guts, the choice is yours

Chicken- You can use boneless skinless breasts, or thighs.  You can roast them first or cut them up raw and let them cook in your stock.  If you are putting them in your stock raw, make sure to cut them small enough that they will cook in the time you are working with! You can roast a chicken which I show you here.  I happened to have half of a roast chicken in the fridge so I took the meat off and used it.  There is no law about how much you can use, if you like alot, use alot.  My recipe is just a basic, general idea!

Veggies- Add them or don't.  If your perfect soup has no veggies leave them out.  If you perfect soup has tons of carrots and that is all, use tons of carrots my friends!  I LOVE celery so I use a bit more of that.  If you don't groove on veggies in your classic chicken noodle, feed them to the rabbits!

Noodles- Here is where my taste gets a bit more precise.  In my perfect soup, I have homemade noodles, like I show you here.  I find making homemade pasta is not at all time consuming or difficult for me, but sometimes I have to use a package of dried noodles.  There are so many kinds.  You can also add in cheese tortellini or any pasta you like really.  I just stuck to the old dare I say, "classic".

Now, let's get on with my recipe:

10 cups chicken stock
1/4 of an onion finely minced
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
2 stalks of celery, chopped (use the green leafy tops too!)
2-3 cups of chicken (see above for explanation)
1- 12oz package of wide egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (1 tbsp dried)

In a medium-large pot, add in stock.  Bring to a boil and add in all of your veggies, onions, carrots, celery, poultry seasoning and pepper.  Let simmer 2-3 minutes with the lid on and then add in chicken.  Let simmer 15 minutes, with the lid on, you don't want your stock evaporating out!  Bring to a full boil and add in egg noodles.  Cook per the directions on the package.  When it is done, stir in chopped parsley and serve.

Now we all know you need crackers or a buttered roll to eat with this.  Just make sure to put the bowl up to your nose, take in the beautiful smell of the fresh veggies and chicken.  Slowly lift your spoon and lose yourself in the goodness of a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup!

Did that almost sound sexy?  Yea, didn't think so.

Your "CLASSIC" Chefwannabe

Smothered Fried Chicken

It is no secret.  I love chicken.  Like, LOVE chicken.  My mom makes the best fried chicken I have ever eaten, and I love that too.  I, however, can't seem to get it right.  I have tried everything, make it to the letter like she did, but I tell you, some things just aren't meant to be made by anyone but mom.  Agree?

Anyway I was really hungry for fried chicken and potatoes and gravy.  So, I decided to combine it, kind of.  There is no amazing twist to this very simple, common recipe of mine.  It is just how I do it, and how I wanted it this night.  You know how that goes when you are hungry for something and you don't get it?  It is like someone has awakened a beast inside of you that can't be tamed until you get it.  I KNOW you have been there!!  Once said food has been ingested, the world is perfect again.  Yea, it was one of those kinds of days. 

This dish takes some help from the store, but you know, I won't apologize for that anymore.  I am done feeling less than human if I open a can to include in a recipe sometimes.  So don't even go there with me. Don't. Do. It.  K? HAHA!  Let me give you the recipe, you can do with it, what you want!  I served it of course with mashed potatoes and green beans. YUMMO, my fav combo, chicken and green beans.  OH, I love it!  Ok, look in the PS below to find a less sodium alternative.  I can't guarantee your outcome but it is what I would do if I didn't use the cream soups.

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups flour
3 eggs well beaten
3-4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs (I always use my homemade fresh ones)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Now, find your best frying skillet, add in about an inch of oil.  You may need to add more later so keep it handy.  Now take your chicken breasts, dip them in your flour, then the egg and then cover in breadcrumbs. Place the chicken in the skillet.  Fry on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side.  Make sure to only do a couple of pieces at a time.  You are just working on a great crust, not worrying about cooking the chicken the whole way through at this point.  When it is done, remove to a rack on a cookie sheet to drain.  Do this with all chicken breasts. 

Now, in a 9x13 pan, arrange all chicken breasts.  It is OK if they are overlapping here and there.  In a large bowl mix soup, pepper and chicken stock.  You will need at least 1 cup of stock but up to 2, depending on the thickness of the gravy you prefer.  I used  1 1/2 cups.  Use a whisk and combine completely.  Pour over all the chicken, making sure they are all covered in gravy!  Bake for 30-40 minutes COVERED with foil.  Remove and serve!

I hope you enjoy this simple, but so satisfying meal that takes some help from the store!  I know you busy parents will appreciate it and served with mashed potatoes, it is heaven!!  Leftovers of this are even BETTER than the first time you ate it!

Your "makes no apologies"chefwannabe

 

PS.  If the cream soups are just more than you can take or you or someone you are cooking for just simply can't do all the sodium, Try using 3 cups of low sodium or homemade chicken stock.  While ti is still cold whisk in 3-4 tbsps of cornstarch.  Bring to a boil, and add in 1 cup half and half or milk, or cream.  Keep whisking until thickened.  Pour over your chicken!  You guys KILL ME!   Is there ANYTHING I won't do for you?!?!  HAHA!  xoxo

Asian Chicken and Vegetable Soup w/Egg

There isn't much background on this one.  I am tired of plain vegetable soup, I love Chinese food, (my husband is OBSESSED going on like 35 years now and no end in sight as you all know).  And it is DIVINE my friends.  It reminds me of when I mix half Hot and Sour Soup and half Egg Drop Soup.  Yea, it is a marriage of sorts..........a beautiful one at that!

I used my favorite Asian inspired veggies, homemade stock, but please feel free to use store bought.  Instead of using some flavor boosters I would get at the Asian Market I decided to keep it simple with things I know you ALL can get near and far, city and country, etc.  Aren't I nice?  No, I really try to always do that, I am not always successful but, I think I keep it pretty real, real food, real folks that whole thing.  I would also love this with pork.  I would not love this with beef.  If you use pork, make your stock a half and half combo of chicken and beef, it makes it pork like.  Or just use chicken.   I also used ginger powder and onion powder, I don't like biting down on bits of either, but I wanted the flavor in this soup.

I also took the time to julienne  my veggies in long(ish) thin strips.  I like the look, I like the texture, and to me, it matters.  I also cut my water chestnuts into sticks.  I got the already sliced ones, stacked a few and made sticks.  If you want a chunkier soup, well you just cut things the way YOU like them!

I am hoping you will love this as much as we do, you can really change the veggies out for whatever you want but you will then turn it back into vegetable soup and didn't we say we were bored of plain old veggie soup?  We as in "I"?  Doesn't it bug you when people say that.  A waitress will as just you, "what are WE having today".  Why does that bug me?  Anyhoodle, onward we go, to Asian Chicken and Vegetable Soup.  Super love!

You will need:
2 1/2 quarts of chicken stock
1/4 cup shao hsing wine (optional)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp ground ginger
3 eggs
1 cup (8ozs) bamboo shoots
1 cup (8ozs) water chestnuts
10-14 ounces bean sprouts
1 lg carrot (mine was HUGE)
3 stalks celery
1 cup of sliced mushrooms.  I prefer and only use fresh, you canned if you like
2 cups COOKED chicken cut SMALL!
Salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes, optional

Prep all veggies.  Heat stock, wine (if using), soy sauce, onion powder, and ginger until boiling.  Add in all veggies and let simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes.  In a small bowl whisk eggs with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove lid after 20 minutes and using a spoon stir in circles while drizzling in the egg mixture.  Add chicken and let simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve!

Remember my veggies were cut long and thin so you may need an extra 10 minutes if you left them chunkier!

Enjoy this healthy and DELICIOUS soup!

Chicken w/Stuffing Casserole

Stuffing.  Not homemade stuffing, none of that stuff with oysters that my mom insists on making...but.  Stuffing straight from the box kids!  No meat, no apples, raisins, cranberries or other disgustingness.  No sausage or bacon either.  I only doctor it up with some sauteed carrots, celery and onions, sometimes.  I can taste it right now!
  

 

This recipe is a great use up, which is how it came to be.  I am trying to USE UP some stuff in the cupboards, and freezer and not let anything go to waste!  I had some chicken left from General Tso's chicken, and some herb stuffing mix leftover from only God knows when!  I needed to use up some veg in the fridge and I had some chicken stock in the freezer I wanted to use up.  I also am usually firmly against casseroles, however, I want to give some mom's and dad's recipes that are quick, and easy!  When the natives get hungry, we must deliver, quickly!

Here is what you will need:

4 cups of chicken (cooked and cubed)
1 1/4 cup chicken broth/stock
1/3 cup carrots chopped
1/4 cup celery chopped fine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 cups stuffing mix or 2 boxes of boxed stuffing
1/4 cup butter melted
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup carrots, peas, green beans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
In a medium pot, saute carrots and celery in 1 tbsp butter until soft. Pour in chicken, cream soups, salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly.  Add optional veggies at this time. 

Pour into a sprayed or buttered casserole dish of adequate size for your mixture.  I used a 9x9 baking dish. 

In the same pot as you mixed your filling in,  pour in stuffing mix, chicken stock, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Mix until stuffing mix is moist and top chicken mixture with it.  Even it out and drizzle melted butter all over the top.  This is for flavor and to make the stuffing get that great crunchy bite! Bake for 30-35 minutes.  

I hope you enjoy this easy, tasty little casserole!  Serve it with a salad and call it dinner!!  I did!

Your "stuffing is more than just stuffing" chefwannabe

Chris

Homemade Chicken Stock........by request

Hello friends.  I am in between cough medicine coma's to bring you a recipe that was requested by a couple of people.  Tonight I got it as a request by one of chefwannabe's biggest fans.  It must happen, and it must happen now!  This is gonna be a quick one, so hold on tight and use this recipe soon!  You can freeze extra stock in quart containers and it is awesome to have on hand!  I get quart soup containers from my
favorite Chinese restaurant the round clear plastic ones.  Perfection.  

HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK
1 whole chicken or 3-4 lbs of chicken pieces
8 cups COLD water (It may take more or less depending on the size pot you are using.  Just make sure the chicken is completely covered in water!)
2 large onions quartered
4 stalks of celery, halved
4 large carrots, peeled and halved
1 tsp dried poultry seasoning
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
3 tbsp dried parsley
2 crushed cloves of garlic (optional) sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

Get your chicken unwrapped and ready to go.  Remove gizzards and make sure to use the neck!  In your pot, put in 8 cups of COLD water. When your water is cold and the chicken and water heat up together, it draws more flavor from the bones as opposed to putting a cold chicken in boiling water.  Add your veggies and seasonings into the cold water and stir.  Add chicken and set your burner to medium, simmer for approx 3 hours on low to medium with a lid ON!

When chicken is fully cooked, remove into a bowl or plate.  Remove veggies and put in a bowl.  Put stock in the refrigerator to cool completely.  The fat will rise to the top and harden.  This process could take up to 4 hours. You can speed it up in the freezer if you like. Remove fat.  Take carrots, celery and onions, and process in your food processor until liquefied.  Add to stock. The flavor addition is amazing and I can sneak the veggies in and my husband has no idea!  It will give it a great rich color too!


At this point you can either use the stock right away or freeze it in containers or Ziploc bags. Stock can always be frozen in an ice cube tray as well if you may need small portions for gravy or sauces.

Remove your chicken from the bone and use or freeze as well.

Enjoy!!!

Your chicken noodle soup with homemade stock lovin' chefwannabe

Chris

French Onion Soup! And you thought I hated onions!

I do hate onions.  I hate raw onions, and only like them grated or chopped SO fine its unrecognizable in other dishes.  Even though I am not sure where my dislike came from.... oh wait, YES, I DO!  One time, (you thought I was going to say, "at band camp" didn't you?) my sister Anne, made homemade Salisbury steak.  She had SO many onions in it!  It happened that I got a stomach bug and well....do I need to go on?  I swore off onions for the rest of my life and that was that.  Remember, my cooking knowledge and skill was virtually nonexistent beyond warming up a can of Beefaroni.  

Fast forward to New Jersey, one of my best friends, Mel and I in Applebee's, where she was slurping up some soup that smelled and looked SO good.  I was at war in my mind, how could this soup taste good, if it was ONION soup?!?!   I decided the cheese melted on the top, that had formed a nice crusty ring around the bowl needed my lips on it immediately.  I fell in LOVE.  This was probably, well over 10 years ago, and like I said, before my cooking knowledge and skill had really even been born.  

So now, even though I don't like raw onion, and I don't like big hunks of onion in anything, I love French Onion Soup.  Do you think you don't like onions?  Try caramelizing them!  The world is a beautiful place when caramelized onions are a part of it!  They become so sweet, so mild.  It's just so delicious, I can't believe what I had been missing.  Although, let's be honest, I am not sure anyone in Ord, Nebraska was serving French Onion Soup in the 80's or 90's.  Sadly, our local French bistro was.... oh wait, we never had one!  

This soup screams fall and winter to me, and I think with the fall weather already almost here, it's a great soup to make and have alone as a light meal or as a starter for a larger meal.  Here is my recipe.  I omit some things you might think are a must in French onion soup and I add a few things you might think are odd.  It took me a few tries in past years to perfect the recipe I think is better than any French onion soup I have ever eaten.

French Onion Soup

 (will serve 4 generously)

4 med to large onions. Sliced

1 clove of garlic

3 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning or thyme

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp flour

4 cups beef stock

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in large deep skillet.  Add all of the sliced onions and 1 popped and peeled clove of garlic.  Cook on med-high heat stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.  Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  Reduce to medium and let onions become brown and caramelized, this could take up to 45 minutes.  Keep them covered!  I like to let them get there slowly!  After onions are caramelized and sweet, add flour and let cook for 1 min stirring constantly. Add beef stock and let simmer for 15-30 minutes.  You can serve when it's at the consistency you like.  Simmer longer for thicker soup and let simmer only 10-15 for thinner soup.  If it gets too thick for you, just add a little water or more stock. Add last tbsp of butter to "gloss" the soup and make it nice and rich and shiny. Turn to low and prepare topping.

Topping

4 thick slices of baguette

8 slices of provolone or 2 cups Gruyere cheese

To serve using oven safe crocks:  Fill crocks with soup, float sliced baguette on top and top with cheese, 2 pieces of provolone or 1/2 cup Gruyere.  Broil in oven until cheese is bubbly and brown on top.  Keep your oven door opened slightly, the second you leave it, it will burn!!!

To serve in regular "NON oven safe bowl"  Fill bowls with soup.  Put bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese, slide under broiler for a couple of minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly, remove and float on to of soup.  OR toast bread in oven or on a grill pan.  Float on top of soup when toasted.  Put cheese on top and use a creme brulee torch to melt the cheese and make it brown and bubbly on top.  *I did this method tonight*

You will LOVE this recipe.  Make sure to use LOW or NO sodium stock!!  Otherwise omit salt and just salt to taste, if needed.  

Enjoy your soup....while you watch a great French film!

Your, "onions are my new favorite food" chefwannabe

Chris

If you like this recipe, you might love these too!

Rustic Baguettes
French Onion Panino

Chicken with 40 Cloves (of garlic)

Hello my faithful cooking friends!

Wanna talk garlic?  Wanna cook with garlic?  Wanna, wanna, wanna?  The midwestern in me has taken over the easterner in me, thus, the "wanna".  My apologies.  

In my house its a garlic battle, constantly.  My husband USED to like garlic, suddenly in the last 3 months he has decided he does not enjoy it.  I thought perhaps he just didn't like biting down on a piece of garlic in any particular dish so I started rubbing the pan I was cooking in, with a piece of cut garlic.  Hint of flavor and no pieces to chew on.  Even that has him all in a mess. I tried elephant garlic which really is hardly garlic at all.  Its a member of the leek family.  It tastes of mild onion with a faint taste of garlic.  I enjoy it.  In fact I love it.  But it's a member of the ONION family...should have been my sign my dear husband wouldn't like it.  

 I on the other hand, eat garlic raw.  There is nothing better than memories of my mom's homemade dill pickles, because I could fish the garlic out and eat it.  Slowly roasted garlic cloves spread on crusty bread.  YUM!  My mouth is watering, for the record, I think its a possible psychiatric disorder.  Same thing happens when I dream of pickles!  The point being, there is likely no garlic I don't love.  I recently tried some garlic with a little zip, called Rocambole Garlic. It was awesome! 

Without further adieu, let us get to the recipe at hand.

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

4-6 pieces of chicken.  Bone in or out.

40 cloves of peeled garlic.

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning

Salt

Pepper

1 cup chicken stock

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a shallow, oven safe pan on LOW heat,  melt 2 tbsp of butter and 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss in all 40 cloves of garlic and toss around.  Allow to heat in the pan as long as it takes to prep chicken.  DO NOT BURN.  Low heat is fine, you do not want it to brown, just cook.  Using paper towels dry chicken pieces.  Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and dried seasoning of choice.  Remove garlic from pan, put on a cookie sheet and put into oven to roast while you cook your chicken.  Put chicken in pan and brown, approx 3-4 minutes on each side.  When you turn them over on the second side, put your garlic from the oven back in the pan, all over the top of the chicken.  Add remaining 2 tbsp of butter, chicken stock and sprig of thyme, put a lid on and put in preheated oven for 1 hour.  Remove chicken from oven, and put skillet on medium heat and reduce stock for a nice pan sauce..  

Garlic should be whole but very soft.  Serve with crusty bread and use garlic to spread on it.  

This recipe is not for the faint of heart when it comes to garlic.  It is an intense garlic flavor, your house will smell better than Christmas!!!!  OK , just my opinion.  

Make sure when you buy your garlic you look for, tight skin, tight cloves that aren't loose.  No shriveled up garlic or crumbling garlic.  If the garlic has sprouted....its my opinion you should not use it.  Garlic should feel heavy, and not be wet!  I think it would be nice to use a variety of garlic in the dish, some a little hot and some a little milder.  

So get up, and run to the store.  Add garlic to your shopping list!  Get some extra...you DO realize Halloween is coming and the vampires will be out in full force!!!

Your, "garlic breath ROCKS" Chefwannabe

Chris

Note from chefwannabe's husband, "This chicken is truly not for anyone who doesn't LOVE garlic.  I do not LOVE garlic.  I like it...well I used to like it."  Ok, I am cutting him off there.  He obviously considers this a MISS in our kitchen.  I begged him to lie to me when he took his first bite, but alas, a truth teller he is, even when he shouldn't be!
Notice how tiny I made this writing?  Pffftttt!