Category — Soups & Stews

On Easter this year we had turkey and ham. Lucky us! Of course, this is way too much food for 7 adults and 4 picky kids, but that didn’t stop me from roasting an 18 pound bird. Can you say “leftovers?” Well, that’s not such a bad thing, I suppose.

As soon as we started cleaning up, I plopped the turkey carcass in a huge pot of boiling water and I added a pared carrot, some onions (with skins), celery, thyme, and peppercorns. I let that cook for several hours and made one heck of a stock. I cannot tell you how much better this tastes than anything you’ll buy at the store. It’s a little work, and you gotta have a big ol’ stock pot, and someplace to store the stock when you’re done… but if you have the option you really need to make some. No need for me to tell you how to do it, since these directions are very well done.

Since I have all this stock and leftover turkey to use up, I decided to dig out an old recipe I have titled “Chicken and Noodles.” Now, these noodles remind me a lot of dumplings, but they are cut like noodles - and call them whatever you want, they are beyond tasty. These are a little work, maybe a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10, but completely worth the effort.

There are a lot of pictures here, so as you won’t be intimidated by the dough; mixing it, rolling it out, flipping it, and cutting it. I promise you can do it!!

If you don’t have a pastry board or a large cutting board, you can use your kitchen counter. Just make sure it’s super clean and sprinkle flour directly on the counter. You also can make these without a rolling pin. A large cup or glass works; again, just sprinkle it with flour.

If you mix up the dough and it’s not sticky and is super easy to roll out - and you’re thinking “Cool! I didn’t even need to add that much flour to roll this out!” that’s great, but you need to add extra flour anyhow. Sprinkle the flour on like it tells you to in the directions. The flour is what thickens the stock, so you need at least an extra half of a cup added through sprinkling it over the dough or turkey.

Chicken and Noodles

14 cups chicken or turkey stock (that works out to about eight 14.5 ounce cans of stock)
1 1/2 pounds of shredded chicken or turkey
6 egg whites
1 egg yolk
3-4 cups flour, divided
3 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup milk

In a large stock pot bring stock to a boil.

While stock is coming to a boil, mix 3 cups of flour, egg whites, egg yolk, salt, and milk.

Add flour (if needed) until you get firm ball.

Place dough ball on a floured pastry board. Flatten the ball and flip the circle over. Flour the dough, flatten, and flip it over again. Keep flipping dough until it is fairly thin. When the dough has been flipped several times you can roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you have the thickness you desire (I recommend 1/8-inch).

Generously sprinkle the dough with flour and roll it up like a newspaper roll.

Cut the roll, in strips, to thickness desired (I like about 1/4 inch).

Unroll the strips, and cut them into shorter pieces, if desired.

Place the noodles in a bowl and add another sprinkle of flour. Try to use at least a total of 1/2 cup of flour when rolling out the noodles.

Carefully add noodles to the boiling stock and stir gently to seperate the noodles.  (Yes, I did say to be careful because I burnt the you-know-what out of my fingers doing this).

Add the shredded meat and stir to mix.  If you need to add a little more flour you can sprinkle over the meat, like I have done here.

Return to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and stir often.  Season with salt and black pepper. 

See my new baby sized pepper grinder?  I thought it was so cool looking, I just had to have it.  Turns out, baby sized pepper grinders look great, but don’t work great.  Well, at least I was able to warn you.  I guess that’s the silver lining, right?

Simmer for an hour, or longer if desired.  Stock will thicken as it cooks.  I like to serve mine over mashed potatoes!  Now, quit licking your screen and go make your own!

Without the pictures:

Chicken and Noodles

14 cups chicken or turkey stock  (that works out to about eight 14.5 ounce cans of stock)
1 1/2 pounds of shredded chicken or turkey
6  egg whites
1  egg yolk
3-4 cups flour, divided
3 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup milk

In a large stock pot bring stock to a boil.
While stock is coming to a boil, mix 3 cups of flour, egg whites, egg yolk, salt, and milk. 
Add flour (if needed) until you get firm ball.
Place dough ball on a floured pastry board. Flatten the ball flip the circle over.  Flour the dough, flatten, and flip it over again.  Keep flipping dough until it is fairly thin.  When the dough has been flipped several times you can roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you have the thickness you desire (I recommend 1/8-inch).
Generously sprinkle the dough with flour and roll it up like a newspaper roll.
Cut the roll, in strips, to thickness desired (I like about 1/4 inch).
Unroll the strips, and cut them into shorter pieces, if desired.
Place the noodles in a bowl and add another sprinkle of flour.  Try to use at least a total of 1/2 cup of flour when rolling out the noodles.
Carefully add noodles to the boiling stock and stir gently to seperate the noodles.
Add the shredded meat and stir to mix.
Return to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and stir often.  Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for an hour, or longer if desired.  Stock will thicken as it cooks.

It went down like this. 

 The other day I had to make a cake.  One of the ingredients that I needed was lemon extract.  No worries here, I keep a fully stocked pantry.  There isn’t much that I don’t have.  I replace what doesn’t get used a lot, so that things stay fresh.  I immediately write it down on my grocery list when I use the last of something, and rarely (and I mean very rarely) do I come across a recipe with something I don’t keep on hand.

I digress.  The point here is:  I needed lemon extract.  So, half way into the recipe I reached into the lemon extract spot and pulled down . . . maple extract.  Wait, what?  O.k., reach back up there again and pull down . . . almond extract.  Grr.  So, I yanked out the handy dandy footstool (yes, I reach a full 5′1 1/2″ on tall days) and take a good look around.  Now, during this process I was on the phone with my friend and I say, “Now where is my lemon extract!?” and she says “Well, I know you have some, because you loaned it to me a while back.  I gave it back, you put it right in your purse.”  Hmm.  It’s not in my purse now.

At the end of this process of unloading my entire spice pantry I have 2 almond extracts, rum extract, orange extract, a bottle of good vanilla extract, 2 peppermint extracts and (lots of other stuff) . . . no lemon extract.  Did I mention I was in the middle of making the cake?  Well, I ad-libbed and added some orange extract, and it was fine.  Still, I wonder, where is that rogue bottle of lemon extract?

Well, anyhow, I cannot stress the importance of having the right spices on hand.  But, even more importantly, I cannot stress the importance of checking to see if you have the right ingredients on hand before you start cooking.  Silly me, all these years in the kitchen and I didn’t remember that simple little thing.

Tonight, for dinner, I made soup.  I like soup an awful lot.  It’s fun because you can make the same recipe a little different every time by adjusting those spices by the littlest bit.  Tonight was a chicken barley variety.  I wrote it down as I went along so that you could enjoy it, too.  I did use some left over Not-So-Sticky-Chicken in this soup, which gave it a little kick, it was kindy spicy, but really good.  I also made some sourdough bread to go along with it, but that’s a recipe I won’t be sharing.   I ditched the bread in the garbage and made a big salad instead.  You win some, you lose some, right?

Chicken Barley Soup

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 tbsp. dried onions
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 Cups of chicken stock
3/4 Cup petite diced tomatoes, or 1 large diced, seeded tomato
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 tbsp. coarsly chopped parsley

Saute carrots, onion, garlic and celery salt in olive oil for one minute in a large pot.

Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, oregano, and chicken and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer and add barley.  Cover the pot and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add parsley just before serving.

It’s funny that you ask that because there has never been any clear cut answer to that question.  I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what exactly an Angie’s Pangies is and my hope is that I’ll be able to answer that question with this blog.  I mean, as this journey of blogging happens, perhaps I’ll discover what the definition is of me:  Angie Pangie. 

I know for sure that some things will be here; for instance, food.  You can bet that anything that has my name on it has to do at least a little bit about food.  But, I’m not a foodie.  I’ve read lots of foodie blogs, I don’t fit there.  I’m a housewife, sometimes a student, a culinary graduate and a fantastic cook - but foodie’s tend to be a bit highbrow compared to me.  Oh, and a lot of methodology - not to say there won’t be recipes, but I’ve found I’m more interested in how to do something than what goes inside.  I can come up with 47 good recipes for chicken soup in less than 45 seconds, but what’s the best way to cook it?  Crockpot?  On the stove?  Do I grill the chicken first?  Dump it in raw?  Hmm, well, you get the picture.  Kinda Alton Brown-ish in a way, right?  Anyhow, that’s a definite Angie’s Pangies.

What else?  Some psychology.  That’s for sure.  Bipolar, GAD, Asperger’s, Depression are all a part of my daily life - whether you’re describing me or my significant other (the greatest guy on earth), or one of my special needs kiddos, these issues all enmesh my being.

Parenting.  Maybe.  Not a lot.  I think I do o.k. in this area and such, but it’s rare that I offer parenting advice - maybe Angie’s Pangies is not about parenting, but more about enjoying life and my kids.

I’m sure there are other things that will come into play as I discover what exactly an Angie’s Pangie’s is.  For now, let’s talk about dinner tonight.

 Chicken Soup, Buttermilk Biscuits and Baked Potatoes

I’m going to try this soup mix I picked up by Mrs. Grass.  I stopped by a friend’s last week and she heated up a bowl of leftover soup for me and, wow, it was pretty tasty.  I’m going to give it a go.  She used her crockpot, but being that I am me, I didn’t think that far ahead.  I’m going to add some goodies like carrots, celery and onions to make a nice mirepoix.  Then, I’ll add some chopped chicken breast and then throw it all in together and see how we do.

Buttermilk biscuits

4 Cups of All Purpose Flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 Cup butter

1 1/2 C buttermilk

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.  Use a sieve, or a food processor if you don’t have a sifter.

Cut butter in with a pastry blender, or use two knives, or a fork, or your fingers.  It should look like crumbs when you are done.

Stir in buttermilk.  If it’s too dry, use a little more buttermilk.  If it’s too wet, use a little more flour.  Knead with your hands a little and turn it out onto a clean counter or pastry board.  Use a floured rolling pin or a glass to roll the biscuits about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with a floured biscuit cutter, or do like I do and use an upside down drinking glass.  Works great.  I like to use a cup that’s about 3 inches across the middle.  Put the cut biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.  I like shiny metal ones, but you can use a stone if you prefer.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.  If this makes too many biscuits for you to use all at once, you can freeze the extras on a cookie sheet and then when frozen, place them into a zippered bag and pull out what you need and bake later (these can be baked from frozen).

Baked Potatoes

You can nuke them if you want.  But, honestly, there is something decandent about a baked potato from the oven, rubbed with salt, with a tasty, crispy skin.  To achieve this: wash your potatoes and rub them with oil.  Do not poke them with a fork or a knife or a pointy object of some sort.  Then, rub kosher salt on the outside of the skin.  Yes, it’s a mess, but it’s worth it!  Bake at 400 degrees F for one hour.  Split them open, slather them with butter or margarine, some sour cream, maybe a bit of sharp cheddar and some crumbled bacon.  Oh wow . . . they’re awesome.