Chicken 'Noodle' Soup

This is not your traditional chicken noodle soup...but I would like to argue that it is just as good, if not better! The reason it is 'Noodle', is there really aren't any noodles...they are closer to a kind of dumpling...it is easier to understand when seeing the pictures! All together it has all the traditional elements of a chicken noodle soup though....so if your weather is anything like where I live, every day is a good opportunity for being a soup day!

Chicken 'Noodle' Soup

Soup:
3/4 lb. Chicken breasts
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
Olive oil
Water
Lemon juice (dash)
Salt & pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/3 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots
3 stalks of celery

'Noodles'/'Dumplings':
*3 eggs
*Flour


Begin by filling a large pot 3/4 full with water.  Set on the stove top and set to a medium heat to begin to boil.  Add 2-3 chicken bouillon cubes into the water.

Mince half an onion.  Then, in a separate pan, add a bit of oil on the bottom and add the onions.  Saute them until they turn slightly transparent.  While they are cooking, mince the garlic cloves and add to the onions during the last minute or so of cooking.  Set aside.  (you can add the onions to the water at any point, but I don't like soggy onions, so I add them absolutely last)

Cut your carrots and celery stalks into appropriate pieces (mine are usually 1/4-1/2 mm in width).  Add to the pot of water and bouillon cubes.

Taking your chicken breasts, cut them into cubes or small chunks--the actual size depends on how large you like your chicken in your soup--personally I cut them into fairly small cubes.  This step is optional, but I recommend lightly frying your chicken beforehand.  To do so, put a small amount of oil in your pan, and add your chunks of chicken breast.  As they are cooking, add your spices--the dash of lemon juice, rosemary, oregano, basil, celery salt, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.  Once lightly fried (beginning to turn a white colour) add to the pot of water and bouillon cubes.

The final step is to create the dumplings.  While the soup is simmering on the stove (I usually keep it on a very low temp., especially if I am going to be keeping it on the stove for a long time.  The longer you let it simmer, the longer the chicken and everything has to absorb all of the flavors aka more delicious!) beat three (3) eggs in a bowl.  Next, begin to add flour.  The amount of flour differs, but keep adding a little bit at a time until the eggs cannot take any more flour.  The texture should be appropriately sticky--it should stick to your fingers/spoon but not be soggy.  After this is accomplished, fill a small pan on the stove 3/4 with water and turn to medium heat. Once the water begins to heat up, create small spoon-sized conglomerates and drop them into the water until the pan is full.  Please note that these conglomerates do not/should not be perfect in size or be able to be rounded.  Fortunately their shape is not noticeable once in the soup.  Allow to cook until the dumplings are cooked through the middle.  Then take out, draining the water, and place in a bowl.  Continue this process until all of the dough in the mixing bowl is gone.  The final step to do is personal preference--you can add the dumplings into the soup and allow to simmer, or keep in a separate bowl and allow yourself/guests to dish up their own desired amount of dumplings into their own bowls.


Enjoy!

**A great addition to this meal, if you are a garlic fiend!, is to serve with Texas Toast--it's easy, relatively cheap, and of course delicious!

Honey Apple Bars

As a present to myself for officially moving into my new apartment back in the states, I decided that baking was necessary to alleviate at least some of the stress of the past few days.  With just the basics in my new kitchen, I wanted to create something delicious without the hassle of being fancy or including too many obscure spices or other ingredients.  J got a book for Christmas--which I might add I am really jealous of--from the Love Food brand of cookbooks called 1 Mix, 100 Cakes.  The basic cake mixture that they use in all of the recipes I tend to find a bit too dry for my personal taste, but in general it is a good solid recipe including kitchen basics.  Additionally, this recipe was great considering I was craving fruit and winter isn't exactly the best time for yummy berries and such.  Enjoy!

Honey Apple Bars

Ingredients:
*Oil or butter for greasing
*1 1/2 C All-Purpose flour
*2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp ground allspice
*3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
*1/2--3/4 C granulated or caster sugar
*3 eggs, beaten
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*2 TB apple juice
*3 apples (I used braeburns and they were perfect!)
*4 TB honey, warmed

Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C).  Grease and line a 12x9 in (I used 10x15 in and it was fine).

Sift the flour, allspice, and baking powder into a large bowl, and then add butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Beat until the mixture is smooth, and then stir in the apple juice.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.  Core and slice apples and arrange them on top of the cake mixture.  Make sure to NOT press the apples into the mix.  Brush or drizzle lightly with half of the honey.

Bake for 30-35 min or until risen, firm to the touch, and golden brown.  Let the mixture cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before cutting it into bars.  For the final touch, brush over all of the bars with the remaining honey.  For a sweet and delicious optional topping, you can mix a bit of cinnamon and sugar to be put on after the honey!

Blackberry Swirl Sponge Roll

Although I discovered while making this cake that I may be lacking some key fine motor skills, this cake I would suggest to even beginners.  The best part about it, is that you can eat it the day you make it, or just wrap it and save it for the next and it's just as good! Enjoy.

Blackberry Swirl Sponge Roll

Cake Ingredients:
*Oil/Butter for greasing
*1 1/3 C All-Purpose Flour
*1 1/2 tsp baking powder
*3/4 C unsalted butter
*1/2--3/4 C Caster Sugar, plus extra for sprinkling***
*3 eggs, beaten
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*2 Tb milk
*1/2 C blackberry jelly, warmed****


Frosting Ingredients:
*Powdered sugar
*Milk
*1 1/2 tsp blackberry jelly

***I used only 1/2 C and it tasted fine; Additionally you can substitute granulated sugar for the caster sugar if you don't have any available
****You can use any type of jelly or preserves, I just specifically chose blackberry




Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C).  Grease and line a 9x13 inch (or 10x15 inch) pan with the paper 1/2 inch above the rim.  Lay another sheet of parchment paper on the counter and sprinkle a fine layer of sugar on top.  Set aside.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then add the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat well until the mixture is smooth, then beat in the milk.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth into the corners with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until risen, firm to the touch, and golden brown.

Once it is finished being baked, carefully turn out the cake onto the sugar parchment paper and spread with the jelly.  Roll the cake firmly from one short side to enclose the jelly. IT IS IMPORTANT TO keep the paper around the outside to hold the cake and roll in place.


Move the roll to a wire rack to cool.  You may remove the parchment paper when the cake is firm.  


I found that this cake mix can be a little bit dry, so once I removed the parchment paper I decided to use frosting over the top.  To create the frosting, simply put the desired amount of powdered sugar into a small bowl--for me, I used ~1/2 C.  Next mix in the milk.  When doing this, be sure to only add a little at a time--a little goes a long way.  Once you have created a thick paste like texture, add in the jelly.  Again, please note that you can use whatever kind of jelly, just keep it the same from what you used inside the cake for the frosting.  After it is mixed, gently spoon over the cake.  You may additionally add a touch of dusted powdered sugar on top for looks.  Slice and enjoy!

Fudge Truffle Cheesecake

So recently I went to a friends folk's house.  Eager to make a good impression, my friend J and I decided on this decadent cheesecake to appease the crowds.  Despite several problems including too small mixing bowls and several messes, we were able to create this delicious cheesecake!  Enjoy but beware--this is extremely rich so make sure you have some milk and people to share this with!

Fudge Truffle Cheesecake

• 1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 C butter [softened]
• 2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C).  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the graham crackers, powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa by hand.  Press this mix into a 9" springform pan.

On the stove, carefully melt the chocolate chips in a bowl over boiling water.  Watch carefully to make sure that they don't burn!  Melt them until very smooth.

In another large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy with an electric mixer.  Gradually beat in the condensed milk until the mixture is smooth.  Next mix in the melted chocolate, eggs, and vanilla.  Continue to beat with electric mixer on low until the mixture in thoroughly blended.  Finally pour over the crust in the springform pan.

Bake at 300 F (150 C) for 55 minutes.  It will appear to be underbaked in the center, but keep in the over an additional 50-55 minutes while the oven cools off.  If you leave for more than 55 minutes in the oven while it is cooling down, the cheesecake will crack.  

**Personal note, I think that this cheesecake tastes a lot better after being in the fridge.  I would suggest keeping it in the fridge for at least an hour after baking to ensure delightful eatings!

***You can also make this crust with the same amount of vanilla wafers




Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/fudge-truffle-cheesecake/Detail.aspx

Triple Chocolate Meringue

I paired this dessert with my chicken parmesan!  I created this dish and dedicate it to my flatemate Atti-- he has managed to get us all hooked on chocolate, and is my official dessert "taste tester" to make sure everything is good haha.  So if you are looking for chocolately goodness that melts in your mouth, here you have it!

Triple Chocolate Meringues

I broke the process up into three different sections.  You can make these desserts all in one day, but I chose to make the the meringues the day before since they take 2-3 hours to bake.  

A. Chocolate Meringue

3 large egg whites

1/2 C + 1 TB (110 g) white granulated sugar

1/4 C (30 grams) confectioner's sugar

1/3 C cocoa powder

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200 F (95 C).  Line two baking sheets with parchment/baking paper and set aside.

Separate the egg whites and put into a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.  Slowly increase the speed to high and add granulated sugar one Tb at a time until stiff peaks form (firm but moist).  Sift the confectioner's guar and cocoa powder on top of the egg whites and fold into the whites.  This step takes time and don't become impatient and stir it--folding gently you will be able to get it all to come together.

Fill a pastry bag (or if you are like me and don't own one, use a ziplock bag and cut one tiny corner off and fill, using like a pastry bag) with the meringue.  Pipe into whatever shape you like--I used just simple circles!  

Bake for 2-3 hours (if they are small like mine, it took only 2ish hours) until meringues become dry and crisp all the way through.  If you make these ahead of time, you can cool then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days!

**For a cheap and easy alternative if you run out of time or just want it right away, you can also buy just store bought meringues.

B. Chocolate Mousse

200 g chocolate 

200 ml double cream

4 eggs (separated)

3 tsp caster sugar

Melt the chocolate with 2 TB of water (30 ml) over a bowl of simmering water until melted--make sure you stir and watch it so the chocolate does not burn!  Beat the egg yolks into the melted chocolate.

In a separate bowl beat the cream until it form soft peaks and then fold into the chocolate mixture.  In a second bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks then quickly add and beat in the sugar.  Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in two lots.  Pour into glasses/bowl and chill for an hour.

***Or, for a quick and cheap alternative, you can always buy packaged chocolate mousse, which just requires you to add one cup of milk and whip it into goodness, then chill for one hour in the fridge! (instructions on the packet)

C. White Chocolate

2/3 C white chocolate buttons (or chips work as well!)*
*you can adjust this to any amount, depending on how much you like/want white chocolate!

Put a small pan on the stove top filled with water and heat until simmering.  Then add a bowl with the white chocolate on top and simmer until the white chocolate is melted.  Again make sure to stir it, watch the temperature so it doesn't get too hot, and watch it so it doesn't burn!



THE PLATING PROCESS!
To put together, place one meringue on the plate as a base.  Next using a pastry bag or ziplock bag (as explained above) fill with the mousse and pipe onto the meringue--just enough so that it covers the top of the base.  Next add a second meringue on top, securing with the mousse acting as a 'glue'.  In a separate pastry bag or ziplock bag, fill with white chocolate and carefully drizzle on top. For added plating and pizzaz points, you can grate a small block of dark chocolate on top! Enjoy with friends and family...or maybe all by yourself! :)



Adapted from: http://thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/chocolate-pavlovas-chocolate-mascarpone-mousse

Chili Prawns

So C and I made dinner as usual, but we seem to be on a major prawn kick.  This may be due to the fact that prawns are on ultra sale at Countdown! Regardless of the fact, we made our own version of a yummy looking recipe, and it turned out really well! We used a variety of spices; C swears that we put in too many, but I thought it was perfect! But I do have to agree you have to be careful not to add too many overpowering flavors, so good luck and have fun with the spices!

-1 lb [.45 kilo] prawns, deveined
-5-6 slices of ginger, sliced into small pieces
-spring onions (optional, garnish)
-1 medium onion, minced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-two handfulls of mushrooms (sliced)
-vegetable oil (for frying)


Sauce/spices:
- 2 Tb ketchup
- 3 Tb crushed chili paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- tumeric powder (optional) *
-cumin powder (optional) *
-curry powder (optional) *


*As noted earlier, mix and match spices and amounts for flavoring--remember that sometimes less is more!


In a wok, heat up enough vegetable oil to cover prawns when frying. When it's warm, shallow fry prawns in batches for 5-6 minutes or until pink. 


In a separate pan, pour in 1 Tb of vegetable oil. On medium heat, put in garlic, onion and ginger. Cook until soft. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce/spices and add to the pan. Stir well.  Add in cooked prawns. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes and serve while hot! :)


Adapted from: http://thelittleteochew.blogspot.com/2010/09/prawns-in-chilli-ketchup-gravy.html

Carson's Bruschetta

So Carson swears that this does not even need to be included since it is so easy, but if you are anything like me and sometimes it's just nice to have--so here it is! :)

Carson's Bruschetta

-2 medium onions, diced

-1 baguette 

-2 tomatoes (optional, yummy)

-1 C cheese, grated

-salt, pepper, sugar to taste

-olive oil

Preheat over to 350 F (176 C).  Slice bread into 1 inch segments.  Cover tops of bread pieces entirely with cheese and place pieces on ungreased baking pan.  Cook for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Meanwhile in a pan place onions and olive oil.  Add salt, pepper and sugar and saute until onions become transparent in colour/slightly brown.  Once fully cooked, add to the top of bread (Carson says until delicious...).  

Optional extra goodness:  chop tomatoes on top! to do so:

Chop tomatoes. (Self explanitory....) For this step, allow the onions to cook for ~3 minutes before adding the tomatoes into the pan with onions.  

So yes, that was ultra easy.  But there ya have it!