Hearty Mushroom Soup

I’m weird about soups. I like thick and hearty soups, or smooth and creamy soups, but if a soup is in the middle and can’t seem to make up it’s mind, it doesn’t really appeal to me. Cream of mushroom soup seems to be one of those in the middle soups, so I usually stay clear, but this soup is thick and hardy and definitely has my vote. (Whoa, the election has worked it’s way into my verbiage? Yikes!)

Voting aside, we’re supposed to have a cool snap this weekend here in Houston, which has got me thinking about warm comforting meals. With a thick slice of toasted bread, this is a very satisfying soup. Hope you enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 1/2 cups mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauces
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon flour mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon juice

Directions

• Melt the butter in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed stock pot.
• Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until starting to soften.
• Add the garlic and mushrooms, cook for about five minutes, or until the moisture has mostly left the mushrooms.
• Stir in the Worcestershire, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and water mixture and continue to cook for a few minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly.
• Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
• Stir in the yogurt and milk, and bring back to a simmer.
• Turn of the heat, take out the bay leaf, add a splash of lemon juice and enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Quick Chicken Yakisoba

Stir-frys are quick and easy. I find my self making them at least once a week. They’re also a great way to pack vegetables into my meals, which I can always use more of. Yakisoba is one of my favorite noodle bowl/stir-fry combinations. It has a nice light sauce with lots of umami.

Quick Chicken Yakisoba

Adopted from America’s Test Kitchen – 30 Minute Meals

Serves 4-5

3 packages instant ramen noodles, discard seasoning packets
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 heads baby bok choy sliced into 1/2 in pieces
4 carrots peeled and sliced into 1/2 in pieces
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
3 scallions sliced thin
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
2 tablespoons mirin
drizzle of toasted sesame oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil as you prepare the chicken. Pat chicken dry and heat oil over medium high heat in a wok or large dutch oven. When hot add chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Add bok choy and carrots to the pan and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. At the same time cook the noodles for two minutes in the boiling water, drain and rinse briefly with cool water. Add the ginger and scallions to the vegetables and cook for about a minute then add the noodles and fry for about a minute. Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juices along with the soy sauce, rice wine, and mirin. Cook until sauce has thickened, only a minute or two longer. Take off heat and drizzle with a little toasted sesame oil and serve. Sean also likes to put Sriracha in his to add a little spice.

Recipe of the Week: One Pot Chicken and Dumplings

There’s something about soft, fluffy, doughy bread that I find irresistible. Dumplings are all of these to me and I have always been drawn to them. One of my first encounters with dumplings was at my best friend/next door neighbors house. Her grandmother was visiting and made Polish potato dumplings for dinner and I was hooked. I remember wondering why no one had ever given me dumplings before.

I like this recipe because the dumplings are soft and doughy without being too dense and chewy. I also like putting lots of vegetables with the chicken to deepen the flavors of the sauce. We really enjoyed this dinner and I hope you do too!

One Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Serves 4

The Chicken Stew

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion – chopped
1 leek – white and light green parts sliced thin
3 to 4 – carrots sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 lb boneless-skinless chicken thighs
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup frozen peas

The Dumplings

1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, leek, carrots, thyme, and salt to the pot and cover for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the vegetables have begun to soften stir in the flour, then the stock, milk and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Then take out the chicken thighs one at a time and shredded them with two forks and place back in the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste at this point. Add the peas and bring to a simmer.

As you wait for the sauce to simmer make the dumpling dough by combining all of the dumpling ingredients in a bowl, don’t make it before hand. Add the dumpling batter in tablespoon drops all over the top of the chicken and cover.

Cook for about 15 more minutes until the dumplings are done, they will have doubled in size and become firm. Stir everything together, let cool a bit and enjoy!