One Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is probably one of my most favorite soups! I was craving something warm and comforting and it was perfect with the weather being so cold and rainy. It completely satisfied my craving and it was super easy clean up because it only required one pot! I know some of the best tasting chicken noodle soups are made with homemade stock but honestly with my husband being vegetarian, and it being so time consuming, this definitely did not make sense for me. But in no way did this chicken noodle soup disappoint!

Serves 4 fans

The Players:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 chicken tender or 1 chicken breast 
• 1 small onions diced 
• 1 carrot peeled and diced 
• 1 celery diced 
• 2 garlic cloves chopped small
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 springs of thyme, thyme leaves only 
• 1 quart of low sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 a chicken or veggie bouillon cube 
• 1 cup of wide egg noodles
• 3-4 tbs of finely chopped parsley
• Salt 
• Pepper

The Game Plan:

Place a medium sized pot on medium heat with olive oil in it. Meanwhile season the chicken with pepper on both sides. Place the chicken in the pot and cover. Let the chicken cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Once chicken is fully cooked take it out and let cool. Meanwhile place the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf in the pot and saute in the left over juices from the chicken for about 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Meanwhile, shred the chicken with a fork and season with salt. Then add chicken stock and bring it to a simmer. Grate in the half bouillon cube. Add egg noodles and let cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked. Add in the chicken and parsley. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Enjoy!

* The chicken was seasoned with salt after it had been cooked to keep the chicken as tender as possible. 

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

I love roasting vegetables because it is so easy and the oven pretty much does all the work. I decided to use a combination of parsnips and multi-colored (purple, orange, and white) carrots with a few different fresh herbs. I made this recipe last night to compliment our dinner and it was not only delicious but very pretty due to the variety of colors.

Quick note on parsnips: Parsnips are root vegetables that are very similar to carrots but they are a little sweeter in flavor. You will usually see them at the grocery store more often during the cooler months.

Serves 2 fans 

The Players:

• 3 Carrots sliced length wise about one inch thick
• 2 Parsnips sliced length wise about one inch thick
• 4 Tbs parsley chopped coarsely 
• 1 Tsp thyme leaves, stems removed
• 2 Tsp rosemary leaves chopped,stems removed 
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• A few pinches of salt
• A few pinches of pepper

The Game Plan:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the carrots and the parsnips on a baking tray. Cover with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss evenly to coat. Make sure the vegetables are spread apart and not too crowded. Then place in the oven once it has preheated. Let the vegetables roast for about 20 minutes. Take the tray out and turn the vegetables and then sprinkle the herbs on them. Place in the oven for about another 10-15 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy at the edges. Enjoy!

Chilaquiles

Happy New Year!

I know I have not blogged in months but the end of the year always gets so busy! Most of the recipes from now on will probably only have the final picture with the recipe to make it easier for me. Taking pictures with each step really increases the time it takes me to cook and blog. I am hoping this will allow me to post more often :) So here is my first recipe with only the final picture.

Chilaquiles is typically made to use up leftovers and that is why it was perfect for me to make yesterday. Plus my husband loves chips and salsa and this is pretty similar considering it has a spicy sauce and crunchy tortillas chips. And the best part is that it is a nice warm dish to enjoy on a cold day like yesterday.

Serves 4 fans

The Players:

Tortilla Chips

• 4 tortillas
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Taco Seasoning

Sauce

• 1 can of whole peeled plum tomatoes 
• 3-4 chipotle peppers 
• 1 large onion diced
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup of soy chorizo
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
• Salt 

• 4-8 Eggs
• 3 green onion sprigs
• Cotija cheese

The Game Plan:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tortillas up into triangles. Place them on a baking pan and spread out evenly. Spray them with olive oil using something like a Misto. Then sprinkle some taco seasoning on the tortillas. Turn all of them over and repeat. Once oven is preheated, place the baking tray in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until crispy.

*If you do not have an olive oil sprayer before cutting the tortillas up, brush them with olive oil on both sides and then cut them up into triangles. 

Place the whole can of tomatoes in a blender along with the chiptole peppers. Blend it together until it is a smooth sauce. Then taste it to see if you want more spice, if so add more chiptole peppers and re-blend. Taste again and add salt as needed.

Heat a large pan or pot to medium heat. Place all onions and let saute for about 10 minutes or until slightly browned. Then add garlic and let cook for another 2 minutes while stirring so the garlic does not burn. Place all sauce into a pan and also add chorizo. Let it all simmer while stirring occasionally until thickened. About 10 minutes. Add cilantro to the mixture. Taste to make sure it is all to your liking if not re-season. 

Make the eggs as you wish. We had them over easy and it was delish.

To assemble, place sauce in a bowl, place egg on top. Top with cotija cheese, cilantro, and green onions. Then place the tortillas on top. Smash the tortillas in the sauce and enjoy! 

*Another great addition would have been avocado, however we did not have any in the house :(