Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

There are just some recipes that you make again and again.  Maybe it's ease of making them, maybe it's the memory attached to them or maybe it's just that they are absolutely delicious, but we all have those recipes that constantly make it into our weekly menu.  This is one of mine.  Ever since I found it I've made it over and over, at least during the winter months.  Of course I should tell you that I can get a bit obsessive.  Like last summer when I seriously would make my hummus recipe at least once a week and sometimes twice a week.  When invited as a guest to dinner, I think people stopped asked me to bring an appetizer for fear that I would bring it... again.  Although it is still one of my favorites and very delicious, I did get a bit sick of it.  Not sick of it like I'm not going to make it again, but just down to the hummus-eating pattern of a normal person.  This recipe I'm not sick of yet and I'm on year two of making it.  Although I guess I only make it during the fall and winter so maybe that's why. But it's not just me.  My friend Steph makes it basically weekly now after getting the cookbook it is written in as a Christmas gift.  That's the sign of a great recipe.

Everyone I know that has tried this soup loves it, which is funny because it is pretty simple.  It has a relatively straightforward ingredient list and doesn't take long to make at all, but I think maybe it just reminds everyone of home.  I made this at my parents once last year and my uncle came over for lunch and said, "What is it about the Pond women, they all know how to make soup so well?" Of course this was in comparison to my mom's soup skills.  Quite the high compliment in my book.

Everyone craves chicken soup when they are sick.  My mom would always make us soup when we were sick.  And not the kind from the can, but the homemade kind.  With real chicken and real homemade noodles.  (Mental note, another recipe I need to figure out of hers.)  And although I love that one, this one is a bit different.  When I am sick I don't want any of the other ones, just the simple straightforward one, but when I'm not sick I tend to crave a bit bolder flavors so will be more apt to make chicken soup with a twist.  Like a Thai version with coconut milk, a Mexican chicken tortilla soup or recently I tried a Polish pickle soup that my friend Kasia made for me.  (Very good, give it a try.)

Or, more than likely, I will make this one and of course it has a twist as well.  It's actually very similar to a Greek Soup called Chicken Avgolemono or Chicken Lemon Rice Soup.  You've probably had some version of it at some point.  I like it because it's just a bit turned up from your regular soup.  There's some lemon in it and the teeny tiny orzo noodles instead of the long egg noodles.  Which I love because I never did like eating chicken noodle soup when the noodles slop all over and won't stay on your spoon.  And the process of adding the egg threw me off too; it thickens it a bit so it's not as thin as regular chicken noodle soup so I think it makes it a bit more hearty.  It's different, but yet familiar.

Of course there's still a place for both.  I still need to figure out my mom's chicken noodle, but for now this will probably remain on my menu.  For the next few months at least.

Trish's Tips:  This, like most soups, keeps well.  It does however thicken quite a bit in the fridge.  I like to keep extra chicken stock on hand to thin out the next day, mainly because I'm a broth-loving girl.  I tried whole-wheat orzo for the first time.  And... not a fan.  I do love whole wheat and try to use it in almost everything but just didn't feel like it went here.  It turned out a bit gummier than the regular white pasta.  Make sure the vegetables are cooked before you add the orzo because once you add that your time is limited and you will then either have underdone veggies or overcooked noodles.  I like to cut up a lemon and serve it with the soup for those that like it with a bit more zest.  (Like me!)

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 tsp chopped fresh thme
6-8 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta
2 large eggs
3 TBL fresh lemon juice
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Put chicken in pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil.  Rub with your hands over the chicken to coat all sides of the chicken.  Put in oven and roast for 35-40 minutes or until done.  Let cool until cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin and shred or cube chicken.    Set aside.

Heat soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add 1 TBL olive oil.  When oil is heated add the onion, celery, carrot and thyme and cook, stirring over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil.  Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes.  Turn the heat down to low to keep soup hot but not boiling.

Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling.  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.  Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs.  Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while.  Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened.  Do NOT let the soup come to a boil.  Add the cooked chicken to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add remaining broth if desired depending on the level of thickness that you like or save the extra for when reheating to thin out.

Road Trip!

I've been a bit MIA, I know. I was on a weeklong cross-country road trip with my sister who moved to Portland. It was a ton of fun, but now I am so anxious to get home and get cooking! Although I did do a quite a bit of cooking before I left.  I made loads of road trip snacks.  I knew our trip would mean lots of greasy foods like burgers and fries, which we did have and thoroughly enjoyed, but also knew that we would feel much better if we had a pack of healthy snacks so as to prevent a panicked gas station snack stop that inevitably would have ended up with a bag of premade cheddar chex mix followed by what I like to call 'junk food stomach'.

I'm no stranger to road trips. Being in a family of five children, we did a lot of traveling by car. I think the idea of buying 7 plane tickets put my parents over the edge, so most trips were in the family Suburban and there was always a cooler in the back with sandwich fixings and snacks and homemade cookies. I think my mom couldn't stand the idea of stopping every time one of us was hungry and my dad couldn't stand the idea of going out for every meal. Growing up in the 'great lakes state', most of our trips involved us never being far from the lake so my mom always packed us a picnic. With 5 picky eaters she just let us make our own sandwiches and would pack several kids of meats, mayo, mustard, chips, sweets and even some candy. I think as a kid I always wished we could stop for the McDonald's happy meal or whatever that now makes me wince.

So with that on my mind I packed sandwiches for our first day.  There was no notable stops/cities on our first day anyway, so I figured starting out with a homemade lunch would be better.  I've made this one a few times now, and it always hits the spot.  With the skin off and the addition of yogurt to make it creamy, this really is a pretty healthy lunch.  The aioli is DELICIOUS and also great on other things. There was a bit leftover that Johnny used to make a quick salad dressing.  Just add some white wine vinegar and olive oil and put over salad.  The aioli also has an anchovy in it but please don't let that scare you.  In fact, Johnny couldn't believe when I told him that it was in there.  Did you know that almost all caesar salad dressing have it?  It certainly doesn't taste fishy, just adds another flavor dimension.  If you are a total wimp, feel free to leave out ;)  Oh and don't throw the rest of the can out when you just use one itty-bitty half of an anchovy.  I put the rest in a small jar and throw it in the freezer until I need them again.  As my mom would say, "It is a sin to waste", and I therefore cannot STAND to waste.  I do the same trick with chipotle chiles in adobo and tomato paste.  I mean how often do you really use a whole can of tomato paste? I digress...

I probably should have taken pictures of this sandwich before I left, along with all the snacks that I made, but I'm sure you can relate to the chaos that ensues right before going on vacation.  The laundry, packing, planning and for me grocery shopping and cooking was too much for me to stop to take pictures at each stage.  So I recreated the sandwich when I got back.  I'm not going to recreate everything, at least right now, so I thought I would share links to the rest. For your next road trip!

1. My friend Patty's granola.  Delicious and about a million ways to mix and match to make it how you like it. This time I used almonds and coconut and dried cherries. In the past I've done blueberries, pecans and vanilla.
2. Granola Bars.  Oh so healthy, from the Mayo Clinic Cookbook.
3. Spiced Pepitas.  I knew that all of those sweets would make me crave something salty. This hit the spot.
4. Trail Mix. There really is no recipe for this, just mix whatever you like best. I mixed 1 cup of almonds, 1 cup of walnuts and 1 cup of dried cranberries, then just scooped it by the 1/3 cupfuls into snack bags. Use whatever nuts you like, these are great to have on hand.  Hopefully this leaves you craving not only a sandwich but also a road trip! Loads of fun!

Trish's Tips: The original recipe calls for arugula, parsley and chives, but I just used what I had which was basil, parsley and spinach.  Don't make the mistake that I made (especially if this is to go) and forget to check the seasonings after you mixed in the chicken.  My sister and I were both wishing it was more salty because I seasoned the aioli but didn't check it when I added the chicken.  The original recipe calls for a whole-wheat tortilla, which I have used before and liked, but this time I had a whole loaf of bread I was trying to get rid of so used that instead.  Use what you like.

Chicken Sandwich with Spinach and Basil Aioli
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:
Aioli:
1/3 cup lightly packed spinach leaves
1/4 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley
8-10 basil leaves
1/2 anchovy fillet
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup lowfat greek style plain yogurt
1 tsp white whine vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
salt and freshly ground pepper
Sandwich:
1 - Bone in, skin on chicken breast (Between .75 & 1 lb)
1 TBL Olive Oil
salt and pepper
4 slices bread (I like Ezekial)
1/2 C spinach leaves

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350. Put chicken in pan and pour 1 TBL of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub to coat all sides.  Put in oven and roast for 35-40 minutes.  While chicken is roasting, make aioli.  Put garlic in mini food processor.  Pulse until it is minced.  Add anchovy and do the same.  Add the rest of ingredients and blend until mixture is smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

When chicken is done and cool enough to handle, remove skin (if desired) and shred with 2 forks.  Add enough aioli to moisten.  Taste for seasoning, you may need more salt and pepper.  You may have some leftover aioli.  Assemble sandwiches.  Put spinach on one side of bread, then spoon chicken mixture on top and top with other slice of bread.

If you are taking this to go: Put spinach on both sides of the bread so that the aioli doesn't absorb in the bread and make it soggy.  Make sure the chicken mixture is extra wet, it will absorb and be drier by the time you eat it.  Slice sandwich and wrap first in wax paper then in tinfoil.  Make sure to pack napkins!

Chicken Enchiladas

My mom was famous for throwing enormous parties.  Our graduation parties never had less than 100 people.  My mom couldn't stand to not include everyone and between church and her Yahtzee and birthday clubs she had many friends.  Plus I grew up in one of those neighborhoods where everyone not only knows each other but also likes each other.  Regardless of the guest count she never, ever had her parties catered.  She would just plan ahead and serve the food buffet style and our dining room table would be filled with all of her specialties.  Since I have four siblings that is a lot of graduation parties and when you start to throw in college graduations and bridal showers she definitely had it down to a tee.  Our shower was no different.

My husband and I got married in San Francisco, where we lived at the time, so my parents threw a couple's shower as sort of a bridal shower/reception at home.  Since she had done so many parties she wanted to do it a bit different than all of the others.  She had done a brunch for my brother's graduation, an Italian theme for one of my sister's and several with numerous pasta salads and sandwich options.  So we decided on a Mexican theme.  We talked about what would be the best options to serve the 80 or so guests and enchiladas seemed like a good choice.  For one they were my personal favorite and since they could also be made in advance it seemed like the perfect option.  We must have made 500 of these.  I think we grossly overestimated how many people would consume, I'm sure my terrible estimation skills were at fault.  My family was eating leftover pans of these for months.  In fact a year later my mom claimed she was still sick of enchiladas, although they were a hit.

So if you are planning an enormous meal for 80 guests then this will definitely work.  But if you are just planning dinner for your family it is a good option as well.  In a sense it is a bit involved because you cook three separate things then assemble, but most of the prepping is pretty easy and can be done in advance.  See the note at the bottom.  Also you could dumb this down if you wanted to save time.  You could buy one of those rotisserie chickens and just use the meat you need, omit the onion mixture completely, or buy bottled enchilada sauce.   This goes great with Guacamole Salad.

I remember flying in a couple of days or so before the shower to help with all of the preparations that entail throwing a party that size and walking in the door to see sombreros and Mexican blankets everywhere.  My mom had done such a great job of planning it all and had thought of every detail.  There were sombreros that she had hung up as a decoration, she had collected Mexican blankets from friends to use as tablecloths and had a chip and dip bowl shaped like a hat.  I am laughing right now as I write this because this is what my mom lived for, to pull out all of these things that she had collected and put them to use.  We served margaritas, chips and salsa, guacamole, enchiladas and a Marquette favorite, taco dip.  Everyone raved about the food and couldn't believe we had made it ourselves.  My mom was a fabulous hostess and one of the many things she taught me to do is entertain.  I only hope my next party will be as much as a hit!

Trish's Tips:  Have all of your ingredients ready for the sauce because I was busy measuring while my chicken stock was boiling away.  I ended up adding another cup or two to thin out so I have modified the recipe here to have extra on hand if needed.  This is the absolute best way to cook chicken.  You could use boneless, skinless, but you will never eat more moist chicken unless you cook it this way.  I've been doing it for several years now ever since Ina Garten taught me, you know, through the tv.

Easy Enchilada Sauce
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:
6 TBL Canola Oil
2 TBL flour
1/2 C chili powder
4-6 Cups Chicken Stock
20 oz. tomato paste
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt

Directions:
In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a whisk.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add 4 C of chicken stock, tomato paste, oregano, cumin and salt.  Whisk to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let thicken slightly.  If needed add remaining 2C of chicken stock to thin out if sauce gets too thick.  

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 lb Chicken Breast, bone-in, skin on
3-4 TBL Olive Oil
2 Medium Sized onions, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
10 corn tortillas
12 oz cheddar cheese or mexican blend cheese, grated
sour cream for garnish
scallions for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.  Put chicken on sheet pan and coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub to coat all sides.  Roast for 35-40 minutes.  Let chicken cool, remove skin (or leave on if you wish) and shred with two forks.  Set aside.

While chicken is cooking, heat pan to medium-high heat.  Heat 1 TBL olive oil and add onions.  Cook until browned and softened, but not completely broken down.  Add oregano, cumin and salt.  Set aside.

Preheat Oven to 350.  Pour a ladle full of enchilada sauce in to 8x10 or 9x12 glass baking dish.  Set up an area, your hands will get messy when you start.   Put enchilada sauce in shallow, wide bowl.  Dip tortillas with thongs in enchilada sauce to coat both sides.  If you don't do this, they will tear.  Put tortilla on plate and put spoonful of onion mixture, spoonful of chicken and sprinkling of cheese onto each tortilla remembering to leave some remaining cheese for the top.  Don't fill too much or the filling will spill out.  Roll up making sure that tortilla ends overlap and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat until finished and pour remaining enchilada sauce over top.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.  To serve, top with sour cream and scallions.

Do Ahead:  You can make the sauce, onions and chicken ahead of time, then just assemble the day of.  Or think of as lasagna, assemble the night before and just put in the oven the day of.  If you do this make sure to be very generous with enchilada sauce (potentially make more) as the tops of the tortillas could dry out and crack.  This recipe will make one 9x12 pan or two 8x8 pans eat one tonight and freeze one for later!