The medical profession admits homemade chicken soup helps those who are sick with colds or the flu recover a bit faster. One of my pet peeves about chicken noodle soup is that it doesn’t have much staying power. I prefer adding some beans instead.

The most time-consuming part of homemade chicken or turkey soup is making the broth. So, planning ahead is good. After making a Thanksgiving turkey recently, I made turkey broth, and froze what I didn’t need.

Fast forward a few weeks later, and a couple of us in the house have scratchy throats. It’s time to pull out the turkey broth from the freezer and rustle up the ingredients to make a lovely vegetable soup. Follow the recipe, and in a little more than 30 minutes, you’ll be sitting down to a steaming hot bowl of hearty soup. Happiness. Joy. Scratchy throat relieved. For a little while.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 8-10 cups Turkey broth (I used 5 cups homemade turkey broth + 4 cups low-sodium Swanson chicken broth)
• 15.5 oz. canned black beans, rinsed
• 15.5 oz. canned cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 small piece dried or fresh ginger
• 1 lb. mixed frozen vegetables
• 1/2 lb. frozen corn
• 1/2 lb. frozen broccoli

Heat broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Add beans and ginger, stir, then let simmer for 30 minutes. Midway through, after the beans have cooked 15 minutes, add the mixed vegetables and broccoli. After 30 minutes of cooking, add the frozen corn and let cook an additional 5 minutes. Taste to see if you need to add salt or pepper.

I make my turkey broth with salt, so I generally don’t have to add salt to my soup. I do like to add a little ground pepper. Enjoy!

My recipe for Chicken Salad (no potato filler)

Over a month ago, I purchased the Roasted Chicken Salad with Tarragon sandwich at Starbucks. It was delicious, surprisingly so, for a boxed, pre-made sandwich.

Then, about two weeks ago, I bought it again, only to discover they had changed the ingredients and made it a terrible sandwich. The culprit: potato starch. It was not in the original sandwich, but it was in the ‘terrible’ chicken salad sandwich I bought more recently.

To Each His Own

Everyone has their own taste in food, and what I find disgusting in a sandwich could appeal to others. But I was determined to make a better chicken salad sandwich than the one I had originally bought at Starbucks. I knew anything I made would be better than the more recently purchased sandwich I had gotten at Starbucks, which had potato starch in it (read….filler). I have to tell you that the potato starch made it so disgusting that I couldn’t finish the sandwich.

Toasted bread shows off the chicken salad better!

But on to my chicken salad recipe. I used about 9 ounces of Swanson Chicken Breast, some vegetables, and fruit.

It was quite good, the fresh celery and onion adding some crunch, and the vinegar and craisins adding some tang and a little sweetness. Absolute heaven in every bite.

Try it, and let me know what you think!

Chicken Salad with Craisins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serves 3-4, depending on sandwich size

Ingredients

• 9 ounces canned chicken breast
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 3-4 T. Light Mayonnaise (I used Hellmann’s)
• 1/2 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Grey Poupon
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon group pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Craisins

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Serve immediately on toasted honey wheat or whole wheat sandwich bread. Delicious!

What is your favorite lunch sandwich?

Photos by Kelly Estes

No romaine lettuce left in the fridge led my daughter to clip cilantro from our garden for her lunch.

Her favorite sandwich, the ‘super sandwich’ consists of two pieces of toasted whole wheat bread, no mayonnaise (she hates mayo), torn romaine, two slices of extra sharp cheddar cheese, and torn pieces of turkey deli meat. The crowning touch is a light drizzle of ranch dressing.

Now, it’s not a Pete’s Peppered Pick sandwich, but it is a creative built-at-home sandwich. Jamie Oliver would be proud, right?

The good news is the lack of romaine didn’t stop the creation of the super sandwich. My Hot Cookin’ daughter said, “I know! I’ll go get some cilantro from our vegetable garden!”

She proceeded to go in our backyard, clip some cilantro, and then washed and destemmed the cilantro. Pretty sophisticated palate, to eat cilantro on a sandwich instead of romaine!

Just goes to show you the beauty of cooking and gardening. You’re setting a good example for your kids. How are you doing with your home-cooked meals? Any good stories to share?

Photos by Kelly Estes

I love eating hot soup for lunch in the winter, don’t you? It’s especially wonderful when the soup is absolutely delectable, and you can’t seem to stop your spoon from continuously dipping back into the bowl for more soup.

I must tell you, this Hearty Winter Vegetable soup, made with some ingenious ingredients, is simply delicious. The sweetness of the butter squash ran throughout, and the homemade chicken broth added to the addictive flavor. The chickpeas were quite tasty, and I usually don’t care for chickpeas! Yukon gold potatoes added to the heartiness factor. A whole head of escarole, chopped up, and thrown in at the end added to the appeal. But the crowning glory was the 2 tablespoons of real lemon juice and chopped up mint leaves. Each bite was heavenly.

A big thank you to the Ehrlich’s for sharing their fab recipe for Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup in the January 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living  magazine! I substituted onion for leeks, eliminated the fresh dill (as I had used dill to cook my homemade chicken stock) and more than halved the spiciness; I used only a very, very small pinch of red pepper flakes. I also ended up adding 2 more cups of chicken broth than the 5 1/4 cups the recipe called for, probably because I let it simmer longer than the 15 minutes the recipe suggested.

Total time to make the soup–about 45 minutes, including prep time. My mother helped me chop up some of the vegetables for the soup, and stirred the veggies in the pot while I cut the butternut squash. Thanks to Mom, nothing burned while I was chopping. Thanks, Mom!

I wish I had been able to serve the soup with good bread and cheese. I just happened to not have those on hand that day.

I simply must make some more chicken broth soon so that I can make this soup again! It is the best soup I have ever made. What is your favorite soup?

Photo by Kelly Estes

Serving cottage cheese and raspberry preserves sandwiches is a devious way to sneak in more calcium into your child’s diet.

Think that sounds unappetizing? So did I, but it’s quite delicious and refreshing when you use Breakstone’s 4% fat cottage cheese and good preserves.

Cottage Cheese and Jelly (or Preserves) Sandwich

serves 1 (double, triple, quadruple etc. per your needs)

Ingredients

• 2 slices honey wheat sandwich bread
• 3 heaping spoons of cottage cheese (I highly recommend Breakstone’s 4% cottage cheese)
• 2-3 teaspoons Raspberry Preserves (I am fond of Bonne Maman preserves, but use what you like)

1. Toast your sandwich bread. Toasted bread holds the cottage cheese much better.

2. Slather raspberry preserves on both sides of the bread.

3. Spread three good size spoonfuls of cottage cheese on one side of the toast.

4. Top with the other slice of bread, cut diagonally, and you’ve got a winner of a sandwich, even for picky kids!

What is your favorite sandwich to serve your kids for lunch?

Photo by Kelly Estes

Lots of Clean-up!

I can’t say I blame them, for making a Caesar salad is not simple. And there are a lot of bowls, kitchen utensils, and a blender to wash when done. But, at least now I can say I’ve attempted a lighter version of Caesar salad dressing from scratch. Now, I love the techniques of Tyler Florence on Food Network, which is why I looked at his Classic caesar salad recipe for ideas, and then tweaked it around, lightening it to my taste.

The Croutons Rock

My verdict? Next time, I’ll use Caesar salad dressing from the grocery store, but I’ll make my own croutons. Oh. My. Gosh. The croutons are out of this world. If nothing else, try making your own croutons. And report back. I’d love to know how your chicken Caesar salad turns out!

Chicken caesar salad with homemade croutons
(serves 4)

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Total Time: about 55 minutes

Cook’s Tip: Saute the chicken earlier in the day and then refrigerate the cooked chicken for an easier time of it when putting together the chicken Caesar salad.

Sauteed chicken fillets
Cook time: about 7-8 minutes
Inactive time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
• 4 chicken tenderloin fillets
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1. Heat pan to medium high.

2. When the pan is hot, put the oil in, and spread around to coat the bottom of the pan.

3. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper.

4. Place fillets in the pan, and cook for 3 ½ – 4 minutes each side. They should be a golden brown.

5. Take out and let rest 10 minutes on a cutting board. Cut the fillets diagonally, place in a container, and refrigerate for use later.

Croutons
Prep time: 5-7 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Ingredients
• ½ baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoons garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1. Cover the bottom of a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
2. Use a bread knife to cube the baguette.
3. Put the baguette cubes on the parchment paper.
4. Drizzle the EVOO over the cubed bread.
5. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning.
6. Stir the baguette cubes around to make sure the coating is over them all.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F. The croutons will have a lightly toasted look to them when done. They are just crunchy enough (not too hard, not too soft). These croutons are the perfect texture to enjoy with a Caesar salad.

Caesar Salad
Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn (set aside in a bowl)

• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, juiced, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon water (extra water may be needed if your dressing is too thick)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Tear the Romaine into a large bowl, and set aside.

2. Put the anchovy paste, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and water into a blender, and blend for 45 seconds.

3. As the blender runs, pour the EVOO in very slowly, so as to blend the dressing and marry the flavors.

4. Add 1/8 cup grated Parmesan and stir. Season with salt (if you want additional saltiness) and pepper.

5. If you will be serving the salad immediately, add just enough dressing to lightly coat the Romaine. Top with the extra Parmesan, sautéed chicken cutlets, the croutons, and toss. Serve and enjoy.

6. If you will be making the salad later, refrigerate the dressing (and the lettuce, separately) and take out when you are ready to serve the Caesar salad. See topping instructions in step #4.

Photo by Kelly Estes