Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup is one of my favorite things to make for dinner. I know that may seem boring but it’s just the most comforting soup and it’s a soup I’m always in the mood for which is why it’s always in our dinner rotation. I love that it’s quick and easy to make, especially when you use rotisserie chicken like I have here and skip making the broth from scratch. Of course you can substitute dry herbs for the fresh to save time, plus it’s a cheaper alternative. You can also use cooked chicken breast or thighs if you already have some on hand.


This is one of those dinners that everyone in your family can agree on and it’s always a wonderful dish to serve to guests because I can’t think of many people who don’t like it. And of course during the winter you can never have too much chicken noodle soup! Since this recipe is somewhat of a shortcut chicken noodle soup it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner, you can have it ready in about 30 minutes. Indeed my kind of dinner!

Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp each chopped fresh thyme, rosemary and sage leaves (look for the poultry herb pkg. it should have all 3 or use 1/2 tsp of each dried)
1/3 cup chopped parsley, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/3 cups medium egg noodles (dry)
12 oz. shredded rotisserie chicken (from about a 2 lb rotisserie chicken)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery and onions and saute 4 minutes then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Stir in chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, sage and half of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste then bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium - low, cover pot and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in pasta, cover pot, boil over medium heat until noodles are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes (or as directed on package). Stir in chicken, lemon juice and remaining parsley. Serve warm.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Happy New Year (week) everyone! Really I don’t get very excited about a new year, I don’t really do resolutions but the thing I always get excited about no matter what the holiday is the food! New Years Eve is all about party food and that includes every and any kind of dip. So of course I had to finally share my version of warm Spinach Artichoke Dip. This stuff is unbelievably delicious, you won’t know when to stop! It’s a good thing it’s rich because it makes it pretty filling so you won’t be able to eat the whole thing by yourself in one sitting :).


Spinach Artichoke Dip

Yield: About 8 servingsIngredients

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts (in water)
8 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp butter
Coupons
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup half and half, then more as desired
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz cream cheese, diced into small cubes
1 cup (3 oz) finely shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Tortilla chips, crackers or baguette slices, for serving

Directions

Drain artichoke hearts then chopped into small pieces. Place on several layers of paper towels then squeeze some of the excess moisture from artichoke hearts.

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic and saute until spinach has just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add in half and half, sour cream, cream cheese cubes and parmesan cheese and return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly (reducing heat just slightly if needed) until cheese has melted and dip is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste, thin with more half and half if desired and sprinkle in red pepper flakes if desired. Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers or baguette slices.

Seed cake with clementine icing recipe

A crunchy, textured cake that will appeal to those who like their cakes not too sweet. Swap the beetroot for a second apple if you wish.

self-raising flour 225g
baking powder 1 scant tsp
ground cinnamon ½ tsp
sunflower oil 180ml
light muscovado sugar 125g
golden caster sugar 100g
eggs 3
raw beetroot 1, small, peeled (100g)
apples 150g, 1 medium
lemon juice 1 tbsp
sunflower seeds 25g
pumpkin seeds 15g
poppy seeds 10g

For the icing:
mascarpone 150g
cream cheese 150g
icing sugar 75g
clementines 2
crystalised oranges 2

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Line the base and sides of a loaf tin measuring about 20cm x 10cm x 8cm with baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Put the sunflower oil and sugars into the bowl of a food mixer and beat for 3 or 4 minutes until thoroughly creamed. Break the eggs into a bowl, beat them lightly with a fork to combine whites and yolks then add them, a third at a time, to the mixture, beating continuously.

Grate the beetroot and the apple into a bowl using the coarse side of the grater, then add the seeds and the lemon juice.

Add the flour to the sugar and egg mixture, stop the mixer then gently fold the apple, beetroot and seeds into the mixture with a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, only stirring enough to evenly distribute the fruit and vegetables. (Too thorough a mixing will send the cake pink.) Transfer to the lined cake tin.

Smooth the surface of the cake then bake for 50-60 minutes until lightly firm. Test for doneness after 50 minutes. If it is not yet done, cover loosely with foil to prevent over-browning and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and leave to cool, in its tin, for 30 minutes before carefully removing and placing on a rack.

When the cake is completely cold, make the frosting. Cream the mascarpone and the cream cheese together then add the sugar. Finely grate the zest of the clementines and fold in to the frosting. Spread over the cake.

Slice the crystalised fruits in half then into thick segments. Decorate the cake with the segments.