I find that in my quest to create cooking classes I sometimes get lost in the “fancy” recipes that I am researching and developing. Perusing the French Laundry cookbook makes being satisfied with simpler fare difficult. The truth is my family prefers simpler fare as does my wallet. While I love trying to duplicate the Black Truffle Mac N Cheese recipe from Nick’s Fish Market in Maui, my true passion is to get everyone at home to break away from those pre packaged or frozen meals they are buying at the grocery. With the snow blowing repeatedly these past few weeks I made a few meals that are not at all gourmet, they are just good food.
The first recipe is for Chicken Tortellini Soup. This is so simple and actually both of the recipes start with the same ingredient, chicken. I cook boneless skinless chicken in my crock pot on the 4 hour setting. I always use all natural chicken. It is not injected with salt solution, it’s free range, and it is fed diet free of antibiotics and animal by-products. It does cost a bit more, but there is a definite difference in flavor. It cooks it at a fairly low temperature which makes the chicken very moist and tender. You never want to “boil” chicken unless you like eating rubber! Put the chicken in the crock pot, cover with water and add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. When the chicken is done remove to plate and it should easily pull apart into chunks. For the soup you will need a good quality frozen tortellini, chicken stock, spinach, fresh garlic, shallot, and some good parmesan cheese. Sauté one clove of garlic and a finely minced shallot in 2 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil until tender, add 32 ounces of chicken stock and 1 or 2 cups of water and bring to low boil. Add tortellini and cook until done per package. Add 2 cups of spinach and cook until wilted. Turn down heat to low simmer and add chicken. Cook for about ten more minutes and you’re done. If you like you can also add carrot and celery when sautéing the garlic and shallot. Use a vegetable peeler to shave some parmesan cheese onto each bowl and serve. This is a lovely and simple soup for cold snowy days.
The second recipe is for Creamed Chicken and Biscuits. Start with chicken prepared in the crock pot and chunked. You will also need butter, flour, 3 cups chicken stock and 2 cups of milk. In a sauce pan melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add about 6 tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and bring to low boil/simmer and then continue to cook until thickened, add another cup of stock and cook until thickened. Add 1 cup of milk and continue cooking until thickened again then repeat with 1 more cup stock and 1 more cup milk. When it reaches a creamy gravy consistency add salt and pepper to taste, and then add chicken. Serve over biscuits with a nice salad. I prefer to make biscuits myself which can be done ahead of time, but you can use a good quality frozen biscuit just check your ingredients.
I hope this serves as inspiration to get back in the kitchen and cook some simple comfort food for dinner tonight!
The first recipe is for Chicken Tortellini Soup. This is so simple and actually both of the recipes start with the same ingredient, chicken. I cook boneless skinless chicken in my crock pot on the 4 hour setting. I always use all natural chicken. It is not injected with salt solution, it’s free range, and it is fed diet free of antibiotics and animal by-products. It does cost a bit more, but there is a definite difference in flavor. It cooks it at a fairly low temperature which makes the chicken very moist and tender. You never want to “boil” chicken unless you like eating rubber! Put the chicken in the crock pot, cover with water and add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. When the chicken is done remove to plate and it should easily pull apart into chunks. For the soup you will need a good quality frozen tortellini, chicken stock, spinach, fresh garlic, shallot, and some good parmesan cheese. Sauté one clove of garlic and a finely minced shallot in 2 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil until tender, add 32 ounces of chicken stock and 1 or 2 cups of water and bring to low boil. Add tortellini and cook until done per package. Add 2 cups of spinach and cook until wilted. Turn down heat to low simmer and add chicken. Cook for about ten more minutes and you’re done. If you like you can also add carrot and celery when sautéing the garlic and shallot. Use a vegetable peeler to shave some parmesan cheese onto each bowl and serve. This is a lovely and simple soup for cold snowy days.
The second recipe is for Creamed Chicken and Biscuits. Start with chicken prepared in the crock pot and chunked. You will also need butter, flour, 3 cups chicken stock and 2 cups of milk. In a sauce pan melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add about 6 tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and bring to low boil/simmer and then continue to cook until thickened, add another cup of stock and cook until thickened. Add 1 cup of milk and continue cooking until thickened again then repeat with 1 more cup stock and 1 more cup milk. When it reaches a creamy gravy consistency add salt and pepper to taste, and then add chicken. Serve over biscuits with a nice salad. I prefer to make biscuits myself which can be done ahead of time, but you can use a good quality frozen biscuit just check your ingredients.
I hope this serves as inspiration to get back in the kitchen and cook some simple comfort food for dinner tonight!
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