Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a super easy recipe.  I don't do mine in the crock pot but you easily could.

Ingredients:
About 40 ounces of Chicken Stock
2 Chicken Breasts
1/2 Tbsp of Salt
1/2 Tbsp of Pepper
A few shakes of Oregano and Basil
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery sticks, chopped
1/3 of a bag of Egg Noodles


In my cast iron pot, I add about 40 ounces of Chicken Stock and 2 Chicken Breasts and seasonings.  I put the lid on and cook in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.  I take it out and shred the chicken into large chunks.  I then add the vegetables and cook for 20 minutes.  I take that out and add the noodles and cook for another 10 minutes.

If you wanted to do it in the crock pot, you basically just follow the same directions but obviously cook each interval for longer.  Don't add the veggies in the beginning of you will end up with pure mush.  And let's be real, no one likes mushy veggies.  Or hard ones so don't put them in too late, either.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of my friends, Stephanie, brought me some of her Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I loved it!  One night, I was desperate to make it but didn't have her recipe.  So I googled it and the first one I came to was The Pioneer Woman's recipe.  Of course it would be awesome, so I did it.  Kind of.  Since it was so last minute, I didn't have all of the ingredients so I made it my own.  And I loved it.  Plus she cooks hers for a really long time and I am not that patient.
Now, there are a lot of ingredients but it's not that hard.  Don't be deterred, just do it.  You'll thank me later.

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 T. Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt

1 T. Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, diced
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 clove of Garlic, minced
1 can Rotel Tomatoes & Green Chilis
32 oz Chicken Stock
1 can Black Beans, drained
1 can Pinto Beans, drained
4 Tortillas, cut into strips
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped

Garnishes (optional):
Sour Cream
Avocado
Red Onion
Pico de Gallo
Cheese

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt.  Drizzle 1 T of Olive Oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of your spice mix onto both sides.  Use about half of it.  Set aside the rest of the spice mix for later.  Wrap the chicken in foil to make sure it is perfectly moist.  Place wrapped chicken breasts onto baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.  Use 2 forks to shred then set the chicken aside.
Heat 1 T of Olive Oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Add onion, peppers and garlic.  Stir and then mix in the rest of the spice mix.  Then add the shredded chicken and stir.
Pour in the tomatoes, chicken stock, and beans.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add more spices if needed.  At the very end is when you will want to add your tortilla strips and cilantro.  Stir in and serve.  Top with any garnishes you might like.  I only added cheese to mine but that was mostly because of lack of ingredients.

Gumbo

My inspiration comes from Princess and the Frog. I've never had Gumbo, never really thought about trying it. In the movie, it's her dream to open her own restaurant and serve her daddy's Gumbo.
I looked at about 5 million recipes for Gumbo. Each one is different. Everyone has their own take on Gumbo. I took what I liked from each one and made my own.

Ingredients:
1/2 C. Flour
1/3 C. Vegetable Oil
1 Can Beef Broth
2 Cans Chicken Broth
1 Clove Garlic - minced
2 Stocks of Celery
1 Medium Green Bell Pepper
1/2 White Onion
3/4 Tbsp. Salt
3/4 Tbsp. Pepper
1 lb Shrimp
1/2 lb. Hot Italian Sausage

Directions:
Wash and chop veggies. Put them in a frying pan to cook a little.
Put oil and flour in a separate frying pan. Brown for a few minutes. Then add beef broth and whisk until thick.
Brown the sausage in a separate frying pan.
Add all ingredients except Shrimp to crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. About 2 hours before serving, brown shrimp with a little oil in a frying pan. Then add to Gumbo.
Serve with rice and crunchy bread.

I'm not sure that making the roux is crucial. It's supposed to thicken the gumbo but it really wasn't that thick. Maybe I didn't make enough. But I thought it was fine how it was.

Also, I am not a huge fan of spice. This is super spicy! But we still really liked it. To make it less spicy, just use mild Italian Sausage instead.

The perfect way to end this meal, Deep Dark Chocolate Moist Cake. Mmm!

The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

I got this recipe from my mom. It is one of my favorite meals and always has been. The only thing missing here is a bread bowl. I've been craving it since it's cooled down. And since I'm in Arizona by "cool down", I mean in the 60's. I've been freezing! :)

2 large or 3 smaller heads of Broccoli or
a bag of frozen broccoli that you can steam in the microwave
6 Tbsp Butter
3/4 Cup Flour
6 Cups Milk
8 oz of shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 Chicken Bouillon cubes
Salt & Pepper to taste


If you are using fresh broccoli, wash it and cut it up. In a big pot, cook your broccoli in a couple inches of water.  If you are using frozen steam-able broccoli, then wait until further instructed.

Pour 6 cups of milk into microwave safe bowl and heat for about 5 minutes or cook in a pot on the stove over medium heat, careful not to curdle it.

To make a roux (to thicken the soup), get a large pot and melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour to melted butter and whisk for about a minute to get rid of the floury taste.

Add the warm/hot milk slowly and whisk until thick (10-15 minutes).  If you add cold milk this process will take much longer and your arm will be very sore.

While you're doing this put the frozen broccoli in the microwave and cook as directed.

Once the roux has thickened, take it off the heat and stir in the cheese.

Cut up the broccoli as small as you would like it and add it.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.  If it is too thick you can add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup more milk or water to thin it.