Lemon Chicken and Egg Soup

Lemon Chicken and Egg Soup

I like to fix soup, because it's generally simple, fresh, filling and you can hide vegetables in it. This particular soup is a broth base but is filling from the chicken and rice and the eggs make it thick and creamy.

The hardest part of this soup is the prep. It takes about 25 minutes to bake the chicken in the oven, but you can slice the lemons, beat the eggs and chop the tips off the asparagus while the chicken is baking. I like to flavor the chicken with lemon while baking, so you will need a lemon for that too.

Necessary Tools...

Rimmed baking sheet 

Medium size pot
Measuring cup
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Small bowl
Whisk

Preparing the chicken…You will only need 2 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breast for this soup, but I make extra to freeze for later use or just have in the fridge for lunch another day.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

     4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
     1 lemon (cut in half)
     1 tablespoon olive oil
     salt and pepper to taste

• Place the chicken breast on the baking sheet
• Salt and pepper the side that is up (no need to worry about the other side)
• Drizzle with olive oil only on one side
• Take one half of the lemon and squeeze over the chicken
• Slice the other half and lay slices on chicken
• Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes

  

  Baked Chicken

Preparing the soup…Makes 4 servings

     4 cups low sodium gluten free chicken broth (I recommend Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth)
     2 cups water
     1 cup uncooked long grain rice (I use jasmine)
     1 cup asparagus tips
     2 cups chopped chicken
     2 eggs beaten
     1/4 cup lemon juice
     1 tablespoon fresh dill
     Lemon slices for garnish

• Combine broth and water in medium sized pot and bring to a boil on high heat
• When stock begins to boil, add rice and reduce heat to medium low
• Cook rice for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Add asparagus tips and cook for 10 additional minutes
• Add chicken and heat through
• In a small bowl, add lemon juice to the eggs and beat well
• Slowly add about 1 cup of the soup mixture into the eggs to "temper" the eggs and whisk being careful not to make scrambled eggs.
• When eggs are warm, slowly add to the soup and stir constantly until mixed well and soup has thickened
• Add dill and serve with lemon slices

  

  Lemon Chicken and Egg Soup

  
  

Zucchini Carpaccio

Zucchini Carpaccio

Appetizer:  something that stimulates a desire for more

We ordered this appetizer this past Saturday at a new restaurant in Chicago and Kurt and I definitely wanted more.  This is one of the most refreshing, simple and light foods I have had in quite some time.  Carpaccio is generally a raw meat or fish and this is the first time I have seen or had it as a vegetable.  

The zucchini is sliced thin (paper thin), drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil and topped with toasted pine nuts and shaved pecorino romano cheese.  Feel free to use parmesan cheese if you like, but I prefer the pecorino romano.

Necessary Tools...

Small frying pan
Mandoline
Cheese grater

Preparing the zucchini..Makes 4 appetizer servings or 2 side dish servings
     1 medium sized zucchini (sliced paper thin, but not falling apart)
     Sea salt and pepper to taste
     Juice from half a lemon
     1 tablespoon olive oil
     1 tablespoon pine nuts
     2 tablespoons shaved pecorino romano cheese

To toast the pine nuts…
Heat a small frying pan on medium-high heat
Add the pine nuts
Shake pan or stir the nuts for about 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides

Pine Nuts before toasting

Toasted Pine Nuts

Assemble…
Lay the zucchini slices on a plate
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over entire plate
Top with toasted pine nuts and shaved cheese

If you're in Chicago and want to try a great restaurant that has a great menu and will prepare many items gluten-free, go to Fig & Olive on Oak Street.  
http://www.figandolive.com/locations-reservation/chicago/

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Drizzled with Honey

I don't want to talk about dinner today, because grilled peaches are on my mind.  This has become one of my favorite treats and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.  If you've never had grilled peaches, you will be pleasantly surprised.  Grilling them makes them warm and soft and extra sweet. Paired with your favorite vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with honey, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, they deserve a standing ovation!  I am always left wanting more!

I live in a small apartment in Chicago and don't have the luxury of an outdoor grill, but feel free to take advantage of yours!  I have a grill top that I place on my gas stove and that works great too!

Necessary Tools...

Indoor grill pan
Large metal bowl to cover peaches.

Tongs
Ice cream scoop
Pastry brush

Preparing the peaches..Makes 4 servings

     4 peaches (cut in half and pitt removed)
     Pint of vanilla bean ice cream
     1/4 cup honey
     1/4 teaspoons each sea salt and black pepper     
     Olive oil for the grill pan

• In a small bowl, combine salt and pepper with honey
• Preheat grill pan on high heat
• When hot, use pastry brush to spread oil on grill pan
• Place flat side of peaches on grill pan
• Cover peaches with large metal bowl
• Grill peaches on each side for 2-3 minutes (until soft)
• When peaches are done, transfer to dish
• Serve with ice cream and drizzle honey over entire plate

  

  Large metal bowl used as dome to keep in moisture
  and help steam the peaches

  

  Grilled Peaches

Tortilla Chip-Crusted Oven Fried Chicken

Tortilla Chip-Crusted Oven Fried Chicken

I've seen recipes for years touting oven fired chicken and basically, if KFC didn't sell it, I didn't need it. Until now…

I have tried this using a gluten-free multi-grain chip and with a plain gluten-free corn tortilla chip. (the kind in the brown paper bag from the supermarket).  In my opinion, the plain tortilla chip is best.  I think the multi-grain chip took away from the flavor of the seasoning.

You will need to grind the chips in the food processor to make them fine enough to be "breading".   The recipe calls for 170 grams of chips, but you can just fill the food processor with chips and that will be plenty.  I also add the seasoning to the food processor to completely blend the flavor with the chips.

I use a whole chicken and just have the butcher at my local market cut it into pieces for me.  I know how, but it's much quicker if they do it and they don't charge extra.  Besides, a whole chicken is much cheaper than just buying boneless, skinless chicken breast all the time.

Necessary Tools...

Food processor

Baking Sheet
Large bowl
Medium bowl
Pastry brush

Preparing the chicken..Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

     1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces)
     1/4 cup olive oil for coating the baking sheet and the chicken
     170 grams gluten-free corn tortilla chips
     1 teaspoon dried marjoram
     1 teaspoon ground cumin
     1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
     salt and pepper to taste

• Fill the food processor with tortilla chips, marjoram, cumin and red pepper flakes
• Grind the chips and spices until "fine".  Transfer to a medium sized bowl
• Brush olive oil onto baking sheet until well coated
• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and generously coat with remaining olive oil (adding more if needed) and salt and pepper to taste
• One piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the chip mixture until all sides are well coated. Place chicken on baking sheet skin side up.
• Place chicken in oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until cooked through.
• Let chicken rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Seed Brownies with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Several months ago I found a book that I have a hard time putting down.  It is about grind your own nuts and seeds to make flour or "meal" out of them.  My interest has been piqued with oats, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.   Soon, I will share the secret of oat pancakes.   Yummy!    However, today is all about the pumpkin seed.

I know a lot of people like to roast pumpkin seeds and eat them as a snack.  Well, I'm not one of those people… Grinding them and making a chocolate cupcake out of them is different though.  They can easily be ground in the food processor and become a completely different product.

Baking requires precise measurements so if you have a kitchen scale, I have included the weight in grams for each ingredient.

Necessary Tools...

Food processor

Kitchen Scales

Cupcake pan and liners

Silicone spatula for mixing

Large bowl

Medium sized metal bowl

Medium saucepan

For the Cupcakes…makes 12  
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
     2 cups pumpkin seed meal (200 grams)  
     1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40 grams)
     1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2.75 grams)
     1/4 teaspoon sea salt (1.4 grams)
     4 large eggs (200 grams)
     1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey (125 grams)
     1/4 cup walnut oil (55 grams)

• Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan
• In a large bowl, sift the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt
• Grind the pumpkin seeds and add the meal to the chocolate mixture
• Add the eggs one at a time to incorporate into the mixture
• Stir in the honey and walnut oil and stir until the batter is smooth
• Carefully pour batter into lined cupcake pan and fill each about halfway
• Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
• Let cool on a wire rack

Raw pumpkin seed

Pumpkin Seed Meal

Ready for the oven

Cooling on a wire rack

For the Ganache...
     1/4 cup heavy cream (70 grams)
     1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (166 grams)

• Make a double boiler by placing a medium sized metal bowl over a medium sized sauce pan with boiling water.  Just make sure the water doesn't touch the bowl
• Pour the heavy cream and chocolate chips into the bowl and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth
• Remove from heat and let cool

Chocolate melting in double boiler

When the cupcakes are cool, spread the ganache on top

Pork chops smothered in blueberry jam and peaches

Pork Chops with Blueberry Jam and Peaches

I grew up with fried pork chops served with rice and gravy, biscuits and green beans that were slow cooked all day.  That's just one of the perks of growing up in the south.

I still eat rice and green beans, but the fried pork chops, biscuits and gravy are just a distant memory. These days, pork chops are grilled, broiled or pan fried and have a tendency to be a little dry. Adding a little moisture and flavor from fruit makes a huge difference.

A few months ago I started making my own jam with fresh fruit from the local farmer's market. Summer is so short in Chicago that extending it into the fall and winter months with preserved fruits will hopefully brighten up my life a little. Blueberries are in abundance right now, so I made jam a few weeks ago adding cinnamon and nutmeg to the berries for extra flavor. I have been buying a ton of peaches over the past few weeks too. That jam will be made next week. 

One of the downfalls of living in the city is not having a grill. Therefore, I have to pan fry pork chops in a little grape seed oil or grill them on the stove. Pan frying them is usually my method of choice because I can cover them to hold in some of the moisture.  After browning them on both sides, I add a 4 oz. jar of preserves (jam) and let the flavor of the fruit penetrate into the pork.  You should be able to purchase good quality jam at your local supermarket.

I like the flavor of blueberries with pork, but also had some ripe peaches that needed to be used last night. Therefore, chopped peaches were added to the blueberry jam.

Tools needed...

Small saucepan

Cutting board

Large frying pan with lid

Large pot of boiling water for the peach  (reserve the boiling water for the Fava beans if you plan to make them too)

It is necessary to peel the peach before chopping and adding to the jam. The fastest way is to bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut a cross in the bottom of the peach. Drop the peach in the boiling water and when the skin starts to peel away where you cut the cross, remove from the water and carefully peel the skin from the peach and chop into small pieces.   Pour the blueberry jam into a small saucepan and add the peaches. Heat the jam and peaches over low heat until peach is tender. Simmer until ready for use.. Stirring occasionally. Do not alow the jam mixture to burn..

Preparing the pork chops...Makes 4 servings
     4 bone-in center cut pork chops
     1 tablespoon grape seed oil

• Heat a large frying pan on high heat and add grape seed oil
• When the oil is hot, add the pork chops to the pan
• On medium-high heat, brown the pork chops on the first side for about 3 minutes 
• Turn and brown the second side for about 2 minutes
• Turn the pork chops again and carefully spoon the jam mixture onto the chops
• Cover and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes or until cooked through 

Browned pork chops

Pork Chops with Blueberry Jam and Peaches

Last night, I served these with Fava beans since they are still in season in the midwest.  If you can't find them, steamed green beans also work great.

If you've never prepared Fava beans, they are a labor of love, but I am beginning to appreciate them.

• 2 pounds of Fava beans will make about 4 servings.

You have to begin by removing the beans from the pods.  Boil a large pot of salted water and have an ice bath ready for when they come out of the water to stop the cooking process. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook for a minute or two.  They will begin to float to the top of the water and that is a good indicator that they're ready for their ice bath.   Once they have cooled, carefully remove the "white" skin from the beans.   When they are all skinned, drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil, the zest and juice of half a lemon and garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Fava Beans in the shell

Fava Beans with Olive Oil, Lemon zest, Lemon juice and grated parmesan cheese

Additional information:

• I used 1 peach and a 4 oz jar of blueberry jam
• If you wish to season the jam, add about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
• A great alternative to the blueberry jam is pear jam.

Brown Butter Maple Amaretto Spiked Granola

Brown Butter Maple Amaretto Spiked Granola

It smells so good in my apartment.  I have the wonderful aroma of butter, maple and nuts baking in the oven.  My husband always says the neighbors must be wondering what is going on in here with all the fabulous smells lingering down the hall.   Today, they're smelling granola.

Granola is such a team player.  It goes well with yogurt, on ice cream, fresh fruit and just all by itself.  This particular granola is a mixture of oats, maple sugar, butter and nuts.  If you have a hard time finding maple sugar, feel free to use light brown sugar.

I'm a little more particular when it comes to baking and find it necessary to weigh all the ingredients on the scale. I have included the weight in grams if you have a kitchen scale.  You will find it is much more accurate and you get the same product every time.

Tools needed...

Small saucepan

2 sheets parchment paper

2 rimmed baking sheets

Kitchen scale

You have to begin making this with the brown butter.  It needs a lot of attention, so it's best to get this done before anything else so it doesn't burn.

Brown butter…
     6 tablespoons unsalted butter (90 grams)
     3 teaspoons vanilla paste (18 grams)

          1/4 cup maple syrup (70 grams)
          1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams)

• Melt unsalted butter and vanilla paste in a small saucepan over medium low heat
• Swirl the pan or stir occasionally as the butter browns and begins to smell nutty.  
• The butter should be brown, but not burned.  The only black you should see is the vanilla paste.
• Remove the butter from the heat and let cool slightly.  
• Add the maple syrup and salt and stir to let the salt dissolve.

Golden brown butter

The granola mixture…Preheat oven to 325 degrees

     2 1/2 cups gluten free old-fashioned rolled oats (240 grams) (I prefer Bob's Red Mill)
     1/2 cup slivered almonds (75 grams)
     1/2 cup raw walnuts (60 grams)
     1/2 cup maple sugar (105 grams)
     1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
     1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

          2 tablespoons Amaretto (20 grams)

• Mix all the ingredients (except the Amaretto) in a large bowl
• Stir in the brown butter mixture and the Amaretto
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Pour granola mixture onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet
• Spread mixture evenly on to the pan
• Top with 2nd piece of parchment paper
• Sit 2nd baking sheet on top of the parchment paper

Unbaked Granola spread on baking sheet

• Bake at 325 degree oven for 20 minutes 
• Rotate pan and bake for additional 10 minutes.  At this point, granola should be golden brown on the edges. If not, bake about 5 minutes longer.
• Let cool and break into pieces
• Store in an airtight container

Baked Granola (Golden brown on edges)