Chicken Soup with Lentils and Barley or Rice

Our family loves barley, so I try to keep some on hand from the states, because I haven't found it here in the pearl barley form. But you could easily substitute a thick hearty rice like brown rice in this recipe and it would be just as delicious! This is great with biscuits or corn bread muffins! :)

Chicken Soup with Lentils and Barley

1 c. sliced onions

1/2 c. chopped red or green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. butter

3 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. water

1/2 c. dry brown lentils, rinsed and drained

1/2 t. dried basil

1/4 t. oregano

1/4 t. rosemary, crushed

1/4 t. pepper

1 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken

1 1/2 c. sliced carrots (about 3)

1/2 c. barley or rice

3-4 tomatoes, chopped

In a Dutch oven, saute onions, bell peppers and garlic in butter till tender

Carefully stir in broth, water, lentils, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, carrots, and uncooked barley or rice. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes more or just till carrots are tender. Add the undrained tomatoes, heat through. Serves about 6.

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Don't let the seemingly long ingredient list intimidate you, it's a lot of spices. :)

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

2 t. American chili powder

1/2 t. ground coriander

18 t. salt

1/8 t. garlic powder

1/8 t. ground red pepper (I use Indian chili powder)

1/8 t. black pepper

1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast

1 t. vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. vertically sliced onion

2/3 c. thinly sliced yellow bell pepper

2/3 c. thinly sliced red bell pepper

2/3 c. thinly sliced green bell pepper

2 c. chicken broth

2 c. water

1/2 c. green split peas

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. bottled salsa

1. T. fresh lime/lemon juice

3 10-inch tortillas, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips

3/4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Cut chicken into small bite size pieces. Combine spice mixture and chicken in a plastic bag, shaking to coat chicken pieces. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, cook until done.

Add onion and bell peppers to skillet and saute 3 minutes. Add chicken, broth, water, split peas, and 1/4 t. salt; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until peas are tender. Add salsa and lime juice, and simmer 10 minutes.

Preheat broiler/oven. Spread tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; lightly coat tortilla strips with cooking spray. * Broil tortilla strips 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring once.

Serve soup topped with tortilla strips and cheese. Serves 4-6.

Notes: You don't have to use all three colors of bell peppers. If you can only get green, that's just fine! You can also substitute homemade salsa for the bottled, though I think bottled salsa is pretty easy to find in most places.

Megan's Tortilla Soup

For a veg version of this, you can omit the chicken, or substitute with any kind of cooked bean.

Tortilla Soup

4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or 1 whole chicken cooked and picked

4 onions chopped

3-4 green peppers, chopped

6 tomatoes, chopped

Broth from cooking chicken + water and buillion cubes to make five cups

1 1/3 c. cream soup mix

2 boxes Brittannia Mexican mirchi cheese spread

1 box Brittannia processed cheddar, cubed

Melt 2 T. butter in Dutch oven. Fry onions and peppers. Add tomatoes, fry for a minute. Add broth and water/buillion and cream soup. Stir to mix. Add cheese and chicken and simmer till cheese is melted. Serve with cut up tortillas. Serves 8-10. We like leftovers of this. :)

Potato Soup

A rich, cheesy potato soup that will fill your belly quickly!

Potato Soup

8 baked potatoes, peeled and diced*

50 g. butter, or about 1/2 stick

2 boxes Amul cream (or 1 box cream, 1 cup milk)

1 onion, diced

3 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. flour

1 box (400g)Britannia Processed Cheddar, cut into very small cubes

Melt butter in dutch oven. Add onions and cook until soft. Combine flour and broth to make paste. Add to onions and cook till thick. Add other ingredients and heat through. Don’t boil.

*Most of the time I just peel, chop and boil the potatoes in water while cutting the onions and sauteeing them. Saves me time. But it does taste better with potatoes that have been baked. :)

Megan's Tomato Soup

It's finally getting beyond cool in our city and feeling a little chilly, cold even. I always love soups and stews during the winter, and since they're usually pretty quick and easy meals, I'd post a few recipes for our favorite soups.

When we lived in the states, a quick and easy lunch was a can of Campbell's tomato soup with grilled cheese. The Maggi/Knorr Tomato soup packets just don't quite meet the craving, so I created this tomato soup recipe, which we actually like better than the Campbell's. :)

Tomato Soup

1 onion

4 garlic cloves

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

two cups chicken broth

two boxes tomato puree

5-6 large tomatoes

1/2 t. basil

1 t. paprika

1/2 t. cumin

Tony’s

salt

1 box of Amul cream(small box)

Slice tomatoes in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle top with salt. Bake 15-20 or until skins start peeling back. Remove peels once cool. Pulse tomatoes in mixer till mostly smooth.

While tomatoes are baking, puree garlic and onions in a mixer until totally smooth, no clumps, adding water 1 t. at a time if necessary. Saute puree in butter till translucent. Add flour, 1 T at a time till pasty. Add paprika and combine. Add tomatoes to onion mixture. Add 1 t. paprika, 1/2 t. basil, 1/2 t. cumin, dash of Tony Chachere’s. Mix to combine. Slowly add boxed tomato puree and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Simmer for a few minutes until smooth. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and add box of cream, stirring to combine.

Liquid Glucose!?

Last week when I was doing some shopping for Thanksgiving, I found a jar of liquid glucose, by Solar, an Indian company. It looks just like Karo Syrup, though it's not made from corn syrup. I'm planning to use it soon to make a batch of caramel almond popcorn and substitute it for the karo syrup and see how it does. I'll let you know.

Have any of you ever used it? I'd never seen it before, but it's locally made and about Rs. 50 a jar! I'm really hoping it works! :) Let me know if you have experience with this liquid glucose...

Makka Atta Corn Bread

This is the season to find makka atta in the dukans! I usually buy 3-4 kg and keep it in the pantry for the rest of the year so we can have corn bread whenever we want. Here's a quick and easy recipe for great corn bread using makka atta!

Corn Bread (or Corn Muffins)

1 c. maida

1 c. makka atta

2-4 T. sugar (I use 3)

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

2 beaten eggs

1 T. mayonnaise

1 c. milk

1/4 c. oil

Combine maida, makka atta, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and beat in the mayonnaise. Add the milk and oil. Add all at once to the dry mixture. Stir till combined. Let it rest a few minutes. Spoon into a 9 inch round pan or muffin tins. For a round pan, bake 25-30 minutes at 225. For muffin tins, bake 12-15 minutes at 225.

The mayonnaise is a little trick my Grandma told me to do. She said it makes the corn bread really moist and chewy, so I just always throw it in. But it's optional. :)

Country Apple Tart with Spiced Brown Butter

I'm sorry I've been absent for a couple of weeks! I've been getting a lot of recipes from all you out there, and I really appreciate it! I'm trying to catch up and post them. Also, be aware that I might not be around for awhile because I'm due with our third baby in less than two weeks! :)

Thanksgiving is this week! I'd love to hear what's on the menu for your Thanksgiving feasts this year! We're getting together with a couple other families, and I'm responsible for the stuffing, green bean casserole, and a dessert. For the last 6 years, I've been making this Country Apple Tart for Thanksgiving, and we really love it! It's a lot of work, but you can spread it out over a couple of days to make it more manageable. It's totally worth it! I got it from epicurious.com or allrecipes.com.. can't remember which!

Country Apple Tart with Spiced Brown Butter

Crust

1 ¾ c. all purpose flour

¼ c. sugar

¼ t. salt

¾ c. chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 large egg yolks, beaten to blend

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Apples

5 ½ lbs. medium Braeburn or Golden Delicious apples (about 15) peeled, cored, and quartered

5 T. unsalted butter, melted

2 T. fresh lemon juice

6 T. sugar

Spiced Brown Butter

½ c. unsalted butter

1 large vanilla bean, split lengthwise

6 whole cloves

3 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2 large eggs

½ c. sugar

3 T. all purpose flour

1/8 t. salt

For Crust:

Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and process, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and process, using on/off turns, until dough comes together in large moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Cover with plastic; chill 20 minutes.

Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Divide dough into two equal pieces.. Roll out 1 dough piece on generously floured surface to 10 ½ inch round. Roll dough up on rolling pin and transfer to pan. Press dough round into bottom of pan, patching any cracks. Divide second dough into four equal pieces. Roll out each piece between palms and generously floured surface to 7 inch rope. Place dough ropes end to end to form one continuous ring along bottom edge of pan. Press dough ring firmly up side of pan, forming 1 ¾ inch high sides. Press dough seams together to seal. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Bake crust just until set and very light golden around edges, about 10 minutes. Cool.

For Apples:

Position 1 rack in bottom third of oven and one rack in center of oven and preheat to 400˚F. Spray 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Toss apples with butter and lemon juice in very large bowl. Arrange in single layer on sheets, leaving spaces between apples. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over apples on each sheet. Bake until apples are tender and golden brown, turning apples occasionally and rotating pans between lower and higher racks, about 40 minutes. Cool. (Crust and apples can be made one day ahead. Cover crust and store at room temperature. Place apples in bowl. Cover; refrigerate.)

Place pan with crust on clean baking sheet. Arrange apple wedges close together, standing on their short ends, in concentric circles in crust.

For Spiced Brown Butter:

Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter; add bean. Add cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick. Cook over low heat until butter turns golden brown and spices flavor butter, adjusting heat if necessary to prevent burning and stirring frequently, about 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Whisk eggs, sugar, flour and salt to blend in medium bowl. Strain spiced brown butter mixture into egg mixture; whisk to blend. Reserve vanilla bean, star anise and cinnamon stick; discard cloves. Slowly pour egg mixture over apples in crust. Bake until egg mixture is set, puffed and light golden and apples are deep golden brown, about one hour and five minutes. Cool on rack at least 30 minutes (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature).

Release pan side. Transfer tart to platter. Garnish tart with reserved vanilla bean, star anise, and cinnamon stick, if desires. Serve tart slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream.

African Peanut Soup

From AndreaS:

Here’s an easy recipe I made the other day. I thought it was really good J I’ve never been to Africa, but that’s what my friends call this soup, so I have no idea if it is “authentic” in any way, but it’s good! J

African Peanut Soup

8-10 Roma Tomatoes (chopped with liquid)

½ cup (uncooked) brown rice (cook separately)

1 large bell pepper (red peppers are the best, but green work great)

4 Cups vegetable (or Chicken) broth (I used 2 Maggi bullion cubes b/c I didn’t have any broth handy)

4-5 Medium/Large Onions

2 green onions chopped (optional)

2-4 Garlic cloves

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Chili Powder (if you have it – if not, paprika works great)

(Add seasonings according to personal preference)

½ cup Peanut Butter (crunchy or creamy depending on preference – I use creamy)

Cook the Brown Rice in a separate pot or pressure cooker. While it’s cooking, put the tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic cloves and broth in a big pot on the stove. Once the tomatoes have cooked a while (15 min or so) add the salt, pepper, garlic powder & chili powder/paprika. I usually wait until this point to add the onions (I like them to have a little crunch. If you like them without crunch then add them when you add the tomatoes. Add the rice and the peanut butter. Heat and stir until the peanut butter is dissolved.

I think this is a really good and hearty soup. It’s even better and thicker the next day. I think it would be good with about a half a kg of shredded chicken too!

Rachel's Guide to Freezing Vegetables

Cabbage: Remove outer leaves and wash the remainder. Cut into thin wedges or shred. Blanch 1½ minutes if shredded or 2 minutes if cut into wedges. Chill in iced water 1-2 minutes. Drain well. Pack in freezer bags, label and seal. Keeps up to 6 months.

Carrots: Wash and scrub carrots and cut large carrots into pieces. Blanch 3 minutes in boiling water. Chill in iced water 3 minutes. Drain. Spread on a tray in a single layer and freeze 30 minutes. Pack in freezer bags, remove air, label and seal. Keeps up to 6 months.

Cauliflower: Divide into florets and wash. Blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. Chill in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain and place on a tray in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to freezer bags, remove air, label and seal. Keeps for 6 months.

Peas: Shell, wash and blanch 1 minute. Chill in iced water 1 minute. Drain and place on tray in a single layer. Freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to freezer bags, remove air, label and seal. Keeps for 6 months.

Chicken, Rice and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken, Rice and Broccoli Casserole

1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. celery, chopped (I use celery seed in India)
2 c. rice, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk
1 c. cheddar cheese
2 c. chopped broccoli, cooked
2 c. chicken, cubed & cooked

Saute onion and celery in butter. Mix milk and soup. Mix all ingredients except cheese and place in greased casserole. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

Banana Walnut Whole Wheat Pancakes

Banana Walnut Whole Wheat Pancakes

2/3 c. Atta
1/3 c. White flour (you can use all atta if you prefer)
2 t. Baking powder
1/2 t. Salt
2 T. Sugar
2 T. Melted butter
1 egg
1 c. Milk
sliced bananas
chopped walnuts

Mix all except bananas and walnuts together with wire whisk or fork.

Heat skillet and grease with a little oil or butter. When pan is hot, pour batter into skillet. Then place several slices of banana and some chopped walnuts onto the pancake. Flip when ready.

This makes about 8 pancakes.

Rachel's Tortilla Soup

Rachel says: "A friend gave me this recipe. You can experiment with it to cut out some of the fat (uses lots of butter and oil!")

Tortilla Soup

½ stick butter
½ c. oil
1 large onion chopped
1 fresh jalapeno seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
2 large carrots diced
1 lb. Boned diced raw chicken

Simmer for 5 minutes

Add:
1 tsp. Ground cumin
1 tsp. Chili powder (this is using American brand, so don’t overdo if you’re using Indian chili powder)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Lemon pepper
3 tsp. Bottled hot red pepper sauce (optional)
½ c. Flour (mix with some broth and then add; make sure there are no lumps!)
1 14 oz. Can of tomatoes (I use fresh ones in India)
4 10 ½ cans of chicken broth

Simmer for one hour

Serving suggestions:
sour cream, cheese, avocadoes

**I like to cut up tortillas in strips and bake them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and put them on top.

Cappuccino Muffins

From Rachel R:

"These are not healthy, but they are soooo good, especially with coffee:)"

Cappuccino Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ tsp. Salt
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. Instant coffee granules
½ cup butter melted
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
¾ cup chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until the coffee is dissolved. Add butter, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake in 375 degree oven for 17-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Ericka's Breakfast Casserole

Basic Breakfast Casserole

6 slices bread, cubed
1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded (or half Swiss Cheese)
2 cups milk
4 - 6 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. dry mustard or 1 T. prepared mustard
1 t. minced onion
1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1-2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 1/2 T. butter

In greased 9x13-inch pan, spread bread pieces, then cheese. Beat milk, eggs, dry mustard, onion and seasonings. Pour over cheese. Dot with butter, cover pan and refrigerate overnight.
Bake one hour at 350 degrees F.

***Spinach or Broccoli Breakfast Casserole***
Spread over bread pieces and top with cheese. Then follow recipe:
1 C cooked chopped spinach or broccoli (well-drained)
½ C mushrooms, sliced and sautéed

***Sausage Breakfast Casserole***
Spread over bread pieces and top with cheese. Then follow recipe:
3/4 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled (about 1 ½ Cups, can use ham or other meat)
Sauté ½ C mushrooms, ¼ C chopped green peppers. ¼ cup chopped onions in 1 Tbls butter or oil

Ericka's Overnight Baked French Toast

Overnight Baked French Toast

12 slices firm white bread
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/8 tsp salt

In medium bowl, beat together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended. Dip bread slices into egg mixture and arrange bread in three slice high stacks in 8 inch square baking dish. If you use 9x13 pan, you will need to arrange in two slice high stacks and adjust your topping amount.

Slowly pour remaining egg mixture over bread slices, spooning mixture over any uncovered bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Topping:
½ C packed brown sugar
4 Tbls butter or margarine, softened
1 Tbls maple syrup
(Another option is to cut up one or two apples and cook in small saucepan until soft – barely cover with water. Then add the above ingredients and heat until well mixed. Then follow the directions below. You could probably substitute other fruit as well.)

Preheat oven to 350F (about 180C). In a small bowl stir brown sugar, butter and maple syrup until combined. Spread evenly over the top of each stack of bread. Bake until knife inserted in middle comes out clean (about 1 hour). Let stand before serving. (Serves 8)

Make-Your-Own Breakfast Sausage

Homemade Sausage

In ¼ C warm clean water, dissolve:

2 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tsp sage
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp chili powder or flakes
2 garlic cloves minced or ¼ tsp garlic powder

Mix into 4 cups ground pork (You might try beef or chicken. I have only used pork but think it could be similar. You may need to add a little oil if it is too dry). After mixing thoroughly form into patties and fry. You might fry one and taste it to see if anything needs to be adjusted to your tastes. Raw sausage can be frozen and used later or fried in patties and frozen after cooking.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:
1 Small chicken, boiled with broth reserved
1 cup broth (from noodles / chicken)
1 recipe cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4-1 1/2 c. Rotel tomatoes
7 ounces pkg. of spaghetti (cooked in chicken broth)
1 pound of Velveeta cheese (cut into pieces) – can use cheese spread and / or cheese slices
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil chicken in large pot. Remove chicken to cool and bring broth to a boil. Add salt and pepper to broth and cook noodles in it. When noodles are done, drain noodles but reserve at least one cup of the liquid.

Remove chicken from the bone and tear into pieces. Grate enough cheese for top of casserole. Cut the remaining cheese into small chunks.

In pot mix soup, Rotel and one cup of broth over low heat. Add cheese and melt. Stir well and remove from heat. Add chicken and noodles. Taste mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.

Put in large baking dish and top with cheese (can use cheese slices cut in strips for top). Bake at 375degrees for 30 – 45 minutes. Cover with foil if cheese begins to burn.

Ericka's Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

2 Tbls vegetable oil

1 C uncooked long grain rice

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 ½ C water

2 Tsp salt

½ Tsp chili flakes or powder

1/8 Tsp garlic powder two cloves or 2 Tbls garlic paste

1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 box tomato puree or can of tomato sauce / paste (about 8 oz)

In a 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute rice and onion stirring frequently until golden (about 5 minutes). Stir in other spices and heat. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking. The liquid should evaporate and the rice should become tender. Add additional seasoning to taste.

Ericka's Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chips

4 corn or flour tortillas

Melted butter / margarine, oil or non-stick spray such as Pam

Salt

Heat over to 375F or 180C. Lightly brush or spray tortillas with oil. Then cut into triangle wedges. Place in single layer on ungreased pans.

(will continue to crisp as they cool). Serve warm or cool and store in covered container up to 3 weeks at room temperature. These chips can be used with salsa or dips, for nachos or taco salads.

Ericka's Refried Beans

Refried Beans

1-1¼ c. dried beans (if you can find white rajma these work good, shaped like kidney beans but speckled like pinto beans)

1 c. finely chopped onions

2 t. salt

¼ t. cumin

2 garlic cloves minced or 1 T. garlic paste or 1/8 t. garlic powder

¼ t. chili powder

3 T. olive oil or vegetable oil

Wash beans and cover with water (about two inches above beans) and soak overnight. The following morning drain the beans. Put beans in a pot or pressure cooker. Cover with water 2-3 inches above beans. Bring to a boil and lower heat. In pressure cooker, add weight and cook 45 minutes up to 1 hour. In a pot, simmer uncovered for 11/2 – 2 hours. Add more water as needed to keep beans covered. Cook until very soft. When beans are mushy, mash with a spoon or potato masher. Remove from heat.

In large skillet, heat oil on medium heat (can also use bacon grease). Cook onions until soft (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and other spices (adjust to taste – may add more at the end of cooking after tasting it). Add beans and any liquid. Stir to combine. Cook until a past forms (5 to 10 minutes). If beans begin to dry, add water 1 Tbls at a time.

Taste to see if anything else is needed. Beans are ready to eat, but plain yogurt and cheese can also be added to taste. These are great as a side, in bean burritos, taco salads or other Mexican dishes. These can be stored in the fridge for about a week or frozen for a few months.