R.D.K holdings S.A

dimanche 13 janvier 2013


One of my New Year’s resolutions in 2013 is to eat more homemade meals and drink a bit (notice, I said “a bit!) less – and trust me, that is hard for someone like me who lives in the city and whose professional life involves lots of business meals at restaurants. Not to mention my obsession with scotch and speakeasies – sigh!
But since we are only a few weeks into January, it is too soon to give up on those resolutions quite yet…so I am spending some time reacquainting myself with my kitchen and remembering that, indeed, I DO love to cook. In that spirit, I thought I might share one of my easy go-to recipes: quick and easy chicken soup.
This is a recipe I “created” through trial and error, and like all recipes, it steals liberally from others that came before it. When I initially learned to make chicken soup, I followed my grandmother’s instructions to a tee – but found the process of cooking a stock from scratch to be too time consuming for everyday life (though I still make homemade stock sometimes on a cold weekend when I have time). You can concoct a pretty decent chicken soup by using a good quality box broth (I like Pacific brand) along with a mirepoix base (a mirepoix is combination of sautéed onions, carrots, and celery).
Another short cut – canned chicken. I know, I know… I hear you scowling as you read this. But dear reader, I tell you that a good quality canned chicken (I like to use Valley Fresh 100% natural chicken breast in water) is just fine to use in a chicken soup that you are making for an everyday meal. It is easy to use, stores for months, and tastes good in a soup.
Finally — my secret flavor weapon – tarragon!  Tarragon imparts a sweet herbal quality to the soup that will give it depth, leaving the impression that the stock was simmered for hours on your stove… when in fact, you threw the meal together in an hour.
This recipe has very little fat, lots of healthy veggies, fiber (if you use barley or certain types of rice) and the broth is proven to help you get over that nasty cold virus circulating in mid-winter.
Enjoy – I hope this recipe helps you ring in a healthier 2013!

Jane’s Quick and Easy Chicken Soup

  1. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-45 minutes tailored to the ingredients you use (longer if you use barley – less time if you use pasta)....More at Jane's Chicken Soup: The Perfect Health Food for the New Year ...




It feels as though everyone I know has come down with seasonal colds and flues over the last week! Thankfully, we've been spared so far. I'm sure our turn is coming though so I made up a stockpot of Chicken Soup on the weekend for when the time comes.



Grandma knew what she was talking about when she said chicken soup is good for the cold! When chicken is cooked in a soup or broth, it releases an amino acid called cysteine that helps break down mucous and heal the lungs. The addition of other vegetables (garlic, onion, leeks, carrots, and celery) provide vitamins A, B, C, and E, and provide antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.

So if the family's feeling queasy, simmer up this traditional favorite and enjoy the flavorful health benefits! There are a zillion variations to Chicken Soup. This is how I make mine (and how my Mom made hers). Gluten-free.

Healthy, Healing, Old-fashioned Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken
water
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large onions, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1/2 stalk of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp oregano
2 tsp Herbamare (or sea salt)
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 cups prepared GF Chicken Boullion (I use the Epicure brand)
4 bay leaves

Directions:
Place whole chicken in a large stock-pot and cover with water. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes or until the meat is ready to fall off the bone. Remove chicken from stock-pot until it's cool enough to handle. Carefully pick apart the meat and return it to the soup in small, bite-sized pieces. Discard the bones. Simmer soup for several hours - the longer, the better! Remove garlic cloves and bay leaves before serving.

If you're feeling well, nothing beats a bowl of warm soup served with crusty white bread, sharp cheddar, and a handful of saltines. :-)

Makes 20+ servings. Freezes well.


For more healthy recipes, I highly recommend The Cottage Mama eBooks. This is the one set of eBooks I continually go back to for recipes (especially the homemade BBQ sauce!). They are to simple to prepare and are generally loved by the whole family....More at Growing Home: Healthy, Healing, Old-fashioned Chicken Soup
Is it bad that I devote 120 of my 1,200 calorie limit to a glass of moscato every night? Id take alcohol over food anyday!

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