Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup -

I combined two recipes and also changed a few things...... it was delicious!

This recipe caught my eye a few months ago and I continued to see other food bloggers coming up with variations.  I had never had gnocchi (*gasp* - I know) so I wanted to try that, but also wanted to wait for a cold "soup" day.  I love soup, but when I make it, I want the weather to at least be in the low 60s (yes I know - that is spring weather for some of you - but in southern California, that is our winter weather - 50s and 60s).  I am not complaining, and I really love it when it gets cold aka "California cold"!!

We have had a cool March, so I have been making soup a lot which makes me a happy gal.  This is a delicious recipe that I am happy to share - and there are more to come. (homemade pasta next!)

CREAMY CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP

adapted from Simply Scratch and Cooking Classy

16 oz. mini potato gnocchi (you can use regular - I just like the size of the mini)

4 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2-3/4 c. chopped onion

1/2 -2 c. sliced baby carrots (I used about 12-15 baby carrots as I always have those on hand)

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 c. sliced mushrooms (optional - I love the flavor they add)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh chopped thyme

1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

6 Tbsp. flour

4 c. (1 quart) half and half

4 c. chicken broth  *See Note Below

2 handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped

2 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded (poach and reserve the water - perfect broth!)

1-2 tsp. salt to taste

1/2 tsp, ground pepper to taste

grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi 3-4 minutes.  The gnocchi will float to the top as they are done. Take them out with a slotted spoon and place on a parchment lined baking pan and set aside.  Try to separate them so they don't stick together.

These are mini gnocchi but they worked really well in this recipe.

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter and add the olive oil. .  Add the onion, carrots, celery and cook, stirring occasionally until tender..  Then add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and mushrooms and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. (the mushrooms will finish cooking in the soup).

Stir in the flour, mix well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Continue to stir while pouring in the half and half.   Then add the grated nutmeg.

Increase the heat to simmer, stirring until thick.  Then pour in the chicken broth and heat until the soup has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally.

Add the chopped spinach, shredded chicken, cooked gnocchi and salt and pepper.  Cover and cook until the spinach has wilted.

Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

*Measure the reserved liquid from poaching the chicken.  If not 4 cups, add enough water to measure 4 c. and add 1 tsp per cup of powdered instant chicken broth or 1 chicken bouillon cube per cup water).

Enjoy!

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Chicken and Dumplings with Einkorn Flour

This is a real comfort food for me.  I don't remember eating a lot of this growing up, in fact I may not even have tried it until I was an adult.  I just am not sure.  But I do know that it quickly became a comfort food for me - much like chicken soup or chicken and noodles.  It's warm and satisfying and gets better with every bite.

The einkorn flour makes this dumpling a little softer and lighter but not a bit of the taste is compromised.  I can hardly wait to make it again.  And if you don't have einkorn flour, feel free to substitute with any flour you have on hand.  The original recipe was actually designed for regular flour.

Stove top cooking at its best - ready to serve! (yes - the top is COVERED in dumplings!) YUM!

Chicken and Dumplings with Einkorn Flour

adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 shallots, diced
1/2 c. sliced baby carrots
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 c. Einkorn or regular flour
4 c. low-sodium chicken stock or broth
1 c. white wine
1 c. water
1/3 c. heavy cream or half and half

Dumpling Batter
 2 1/2 cups Einkorn or regular flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. When hot, add the chicken to the skillet and cook it on both sides until dark golden brown and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside in a bowl;shred when cool.Reduce the heat to medium and add the other 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallots, carrots, celery garlic, rosemary and thyme. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring well. Cook until the vegetables are soft - about 5 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, mix the dumplings. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine the milk and eggs, and stir into the flour until just mixed. Set aside for a few minutes. (mine sat for 15 minutes or more and the batter rose and made very light dumplings.

Stir the 1/4 cup flour into the veggies with a wooden spoon until it coats the vegetables, then continues to stir until the flour cooks and turns golden brown, about 5-10 more minutes, depending on the stove. Slowly add the chicken stock a cup at a time, stirring well the entire time so the mixture thickens. Add the shredded chicken to the pot. Increase the heat a bit and bring the mixture to a simmer, then continue to cook while it bubbles for about 10 minutes. The liquid should have a thick consistency. Slowly add the heavy cream or half and half and stir well. Drop large spoonfuls of dough all around the top of the pot. The dumplings may cover the top of the mixture. The mixture should be bubbling for 10 to 15 minutes so it cooks the

Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over the top of the dumplings. Serve immediately!
IF you have leftovers, add a little milk when reheating.

Unbelievably good!

This was SO good I ate it almost every night for a week.  Sometimes when I have leftovers I have to force myself to eat them, but there was no forcing with this one!  I was quite content to have a small bowl of this every night!  I hope you love it too!

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Minestrone Soup

it has actually been cold here in southern CA.  Yes it's all relative, but 32 degrees in the morning (yes that was the temp this morning) is truly COLD for us! BRRRRRRR). The saving grace is that  it does warm up to the 60s this time of year. And we can get crazy heat waves - like the 80 degrees forecast for early next week.  I don't like it when it gets that warm in the winter, especially during the holidays.  I want this time of year to feel brisk outside and I want to wear a jacket when I go outside.  I want to make a fireplace and curl up on the couch with the dogs. I love this time of year when I can settle down with a hot bowl of soup and be totally content.  It doesn't take much!

This recipe is a definite winter comfort food, made even better because the Ninja Cooking System did all of the hard work!

There were quite a few fresh herbs in this recipe so rather than hand chop, I used one of my favorite kitchen tools - the Kuhn Rikon Pull and Chop.  The two blades inside are VERY sharp (yes I found out the hard way!) and they easily mince herbs that are not always simple manage.  You can see how the herbs went from garden fresh to recipe ready.

Straight from my garden

 Ready for chopping

Mission accomplished - perfection!

MINESTRONE SOUP

Adapted from Cooking Classy

4 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water

1 cup red wine (optional)

1 (15 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 1/3 cups pasta (ditalini, shell, orecchiette - I used the latter)

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.)  cannelini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can cut green beans, drained

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

I Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil

1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme leaves
2 tsp. fresh chopped oregano

1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. sugar

salt and pepper, to taste
shredded parmesan cheese to garnish or Sargento Italian cheese mix

Add stock, water, wine, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar to the crock pot/slow cooker.  I used my Ninja Cooking System and it was perfect. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low for about 7 hours.

When the vegetables are softened after the 7 hours, add the zucchini, yellow squash, pasta, garlic, kidney and cannelini beans and cook on high 30-40 minutes or until the pasta is done.  Add the chopped spinach and green beans and cook a few more minutes until heated through.  Serve warm topped with the Sargento Italian cheese mixture or Parmesan cheese.

Another look at the minced herbs and all of the yummy ingredients ready to become soup.

So satisfying and soooooooooooo good!

And since I had chopped extra rosemary, I decided to do a bit more and make a delicious loaf of garlic rosemary bread to go with the soup.  The aroma from this baking bread will have you swooning!

Stay tuned for that recipe to come soon!

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A Different Chicken Soup

We are finally getting a little more Fall like weather in southern CA., so it's time for more comfort food.  I love making pots of stew and soup and beans and just about anything that simmers for a while and fills the house with those intoxicating smells that transport you back to wonderful memories and make your tummy growl!

This is one of those recipes. It is a modern version of chicken soup.  You can certainly use noodles instead of the farro, but I love the nutty, earthy flavor that it adds, and it's good for me too!

Now those are delicious ingredients...

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (minus the noodles!)

Adapted from "In the Kitchen with David"

2 Tbsp. garlic olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large leek, halved and sliced  (include the light green part too)
1-2 cups baby carrots, sliced in thirds
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups rough chopped spinach
1 - 3 lb. rotisserie chicken, deboned, skinned and shredded or chunked
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 cup farro, uncooked.
2 tsp. salt or Borsari salt (my preference)
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Cook the farro according to package directions and set aside.

In a large stockpot, heat the garlic olive oil and saute the onion, leek, carrots celery and garlic until the vegetables are soft, about 6-8 minutes.

Add the chicken, broth, cooked farro, thyme and bay leaf and simmer until the mixture is hot and flavors have blended.  Season with the salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to serve.  Remove the bay leaf and ladle into mugs or bowls.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with warm bread.


**This soup can be made with 8 oz. wide egg noodles, rice, barley, orzo, or anything else that you like.

I served the soup with toasted hearty grain bread with melted gouda cheese

I was thrilled that this lasted several nights. And I have some waiting for me in the freezer 

when another craving hits...

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Fabulous Tomato Soup!

My oldest son, Scott, is a fabulous cook.  He and his wife live about an hour away, so I love it when he comes down and cooks for us!!  It's not only a night out of the kitchen, but a chance to eat some delicious food.

Not that long ago he treated me to some of his tomato gorgonzola soup.  Since I am a cheese junkie, that just sounded like pure heaven - and trust me - it was!!!

His recipe is very simple but it is sheer rich, savory goodness. And the star of the recipe is fresh roma tomatoes!!  You chop them up, add some canned tomatoes, seasonings, half and half or evaporated milk, blend it up and then you add as much gorgonzola cheese as your taste buds will allow.  Trust me- you will never EVER eat canned tomato soup again. This is SO easy and SO good (but I have to admit it's better when Scott makes it!)

I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich while this was simmering.  The pairing of the grilled cheese and the soup just transports me back to childhood.  But I was tired and just didn't feel like going to the work (can you spell l-a-z-y??!!??)  Then I remembered I had some of those big biscuits in a can that really needed to be used, so I made baked cheese biscuits.  They were really good fresh out of the oven.  Not sure they were as good as a steamy buttery grilled cheese, but they tasted great at the time!  It was an easy dinner  and the soup and biscuits were enjoyed for many nights!

Scott's Fabulous Tomato Soup

  6-8 Roma tomatoes

·        2 cans of stewed tomatoes (Preferably with Italian seasoning)

·        2 small cans of tomato paste

·        Salt, pepper, additional Italian seasonings to taste

·        Garlic, if you feel like it 

·        Blue cheese or gorgonzola

·        Small container of heavy whipping cream

In a large pot heat up the three different tomatoes and seasoning. Once the fresh romas start to break down and get real soft, use the emulsion blender to pulse it all together into whatever consistency you prefer. Taste the soup at this point to make sure the seasoning is correct. Add seasoning as needed.

Add in heavy cream (probably about half to two-thirds) and a good handful or two of the cheese and stir in with a spoon. Once the cheese is melted, serve with one more small pinch of cheese on top.

Enjoy!!!

**  Really Scott?  How can you  NOT feel like garlic? It makes everything better!!

***  I have substituted the heavy cream using fat free evaporated milk or fat free half and half with equally excellent results.  I think the FF half and half is my favorite.

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