Chicken Noodle Soup

The home made noodles make this recipe extra special. My kids always request this soup when they are sick. Sometimes I will throw in a fresh herb if I have it on hand. i.e. cilantro, tarragon, or basil, etc.

Chicken Pieces - or 1 cut up chicken
water (6 to 8 cups)
salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1-1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 cup chopped Celery
1 -1/2 cup chopped potatoes
1 - 1/2 cup chopped carrots
home made noodles (recipe follows)

Place chicken pieces in water in al large kettle to create broth and cook chicken. add teasppon salt. Remove chicken when cooked, let cool, then debone and remove meat. To water, skim fat off top if desired. then add veggies and let cook. Add noodles, then Add chicken back in pot, salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer till noodles get fluffy. serve with garlic bread or crackers.


Home made noodles:
2 cups flour
3 egg yolks
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

I use my kitchen-aid for this recipe. but I have done it by hand as well
kitchen aid - use kneading arm. put flour in bowl, make well in center - put yolks, egg and salt in well. Turn on knead on med high till mixed thouroughly, then add water a tablespoon at a time till ball is formed. then knead 10 more minutes. let rest. Roll dough out on floured surface and cut noodles. Dry about 2 hours. (sometimes i dont have time to let them dry and it still works fine)

By hand - measure flour into bowl, make well in center, and yolks, egg and salt in well, mix by hand until thouroughly mixed, and water tablespoon at a time till ball is formed. roll dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. let rest 10 min. Roll dough, cut into noodles and dry about 2 hours. (sometimes i dont have time to let them dry and it still works fine)

Lemon butter Green Beans

From "60 minute gourmet". I cook these often

1/2 pound tender, very fresh green beans
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Juice of a lemon
salt and pepper

Cut off and discard the tips of the beans, Drop them into boling salted water and return to boil. Simmer about 7 minutes until crisp tender. Do not overcook. Drain.
sprinkle with salt, pepper, butter, parlsey and lemon juice. toss well and serve hot

Turmeric rice

This rice is specific to go along side Tarragon chicken. It's not much by itself, but yummy with the Tarragon chicken sauce. I usually double the recipe

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons finely minced onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup rice
1 tablespoon powdered Turmeric
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Melt half of butter in sauce pan and add onion and garlic. cook until wilted and add rice and turmeric to coat. Add broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and cook exactly 17 minutes. uncover and stir in remaining butter.

Tarragon Chicken

It was shortly after I got married that I was talking on the phone to one of my High School friends Deana - now she is Deana Wiatr. Anyway, we were talking about cooking and recipes and she recommended a cookbook - "The 60 Minute Gourmet". I bought it shortly after and it has been a treasure to me. I got this recipe from that book and is my husband's favorite dish.

1 3-1/2 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
5 sprigs fresh tarragon with leaves and stems, or 1 Tablesoon dried
2 or 3 carrots, scraped, quartered, and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/4 pound mushrooms, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Tarragon otr 1 teaspoon dried

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter in large skillet - large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Cook chicken pieces, turning occasionally till browned, after about 5-10 minutes add onion, garlic, and tarragon, cook 5 minutes, sprinkle with flour and add carrots, mushrooms, and water. Cover and cook about 30 minutes - till chicken is done. Remove chicken and carrots to a serving dish to keep warm. remove tarragon sprigs if they are used. Let sauce cook down, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Then add cream, salt and pepper to taste, simmer abaout 5 minutes to thicken. Then you can add chicken and carrots back to simmer in sauce or you can drizzle sauce over the chicken in the serving dish.
Serve with Turmeric Rice

Grandma Homer's Potatoes

I remember watching my Grandma Homer make this recipe when we were at their house for dinner one night. I was probably 12 or 13. She talked to me while she cooked and I love her and miss her. It was a simple recipe so it was easy to remember later.

about 6 potatoes cut into 1/8" disks, then halved
1 onion - sliced in half, then slender slices - to make long thin pieces
1 green pepper - long thin pieces
seasoning salt
1/4 cup oil.

In coverd fry pan. heat oil, then on med heat, fry up potatoes, onions and pepper together, and season with seasoning salt. cover occaisionally to cook though, but keep stirring, lifting from pan to prevent burn

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy with Scrambled Eggs

My dear friends Vangie, Sarah, and Christy came to my house and made this for me once when I was really sick. And It was soooo good. I make this all the time for my family now - it's our new late sunday morning breakfast

1 pound bulk sausage
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 or 3 cups milk
salt and pepper


fry up sausage in large fry pan on med heat till cooked through, push sausage to one side of pan. Melt butter on empty side and add flour. mix butter and flour to form a paste or Rue. Then add milk. Stir entire mixture constantly to dissolve Rue and heat to a boil to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste

1 dozen eggs - cooked to a scramble in seperate pan

refrigerator biscuits - or bisquick biscuits - made per directions

Serve eggs and biscuits with gravy..and fruit on the side

Spinach Salad

I got this recipe from my cousin Kara, who made it for an easter dinner we had at my Aunt Kathy's house. I found out later that she got the recipe from my sister Jenna originally

1/2 head of lettuce
1 package of spinach (or equal amounts to 1/2 head lettuce)
1/2 red onion sliced very thin
1 pound grated swiss cheese
sliced mushrooms (1 pkg) I give them and extra chop
1/2 pound bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 cup frozen peas
optional add ins:
slivered almonds
chopped hard boiled eggs
Cooked chopped chicken


Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinager
2 or 3 chopped green onions
3/4 cup oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup olive oil (add oil last and drizzle in while whisking ingredients to combine)

It's a good idea to make the dressing ahead so the flavers can blend (a few hours)
toss together just before serving