Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts (with bone)
1 Chicken Bullion
8 oz Baby Carrots, peeled
1/2 Medium Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 Leek
Crackers or Bread, if desired

This recipe is very easy and delicious. In medium pot, place peeled and sliced garlic, sliced onions, baby carrots, both chicken breasts and bullion. Fill with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let cook for 30 minutes or until chicken falls off the bones. Remove chicken and bones. Discard bones. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and return to pot. Wash Leek and cut off roots. Cut into thin slices and add to pot. Cook for 5 minutes and serve. (Leeks will dissolve completely if cooked too long.) Add crackers or bread. Enjoy!

It is easy to make variations of this recipe. If you like celery, mushrooms, tomatoes or any other vegetable, toss them in the pot. If you want, add noodles or rice. To change it up a bit, I will add a few slices of jalapeño peppers and then remove them before serving. They add a nice flavor without burning your mouth.

Be BOLD!  Experiement with the ingredients and have fun!
Posted by PAR

Chicken and Carrots Salad

I'd like to share the recipe that everyone loves. It is Russian style again. It means that there are some calories in it. But only in mayo, which is not that bad.

What you need for this salad:

- Carrots
- Onions
- Chicken (white or dark meat or both)
- Dried prunes
- Mayonnaise
- Salt
- Pepper or garlic powder to your taste

As always, I'm not trying to convince you, my dear readers, in any better way of making the meal. I want you to know all the variations that you can choose from.

First, chicken, carrots and onions need to be prepared.

Poach chicken for a little while in salted water. I usually use chicken legs and a little bit of chicken breast meat and let it simmer for about one hour. When chicken is poached for a while its meat peels off easily from the bones. I don't use only white meat, because it tends to be drier than dark one. But you can always use it! You don't have to boil chicken for a long time if it's only boneless breast. Look here for some info about boiling chicken breast: http://www.commoncookingquestions.com/?p=125 - find remember, take chicken breast out as soon as it turns from red to white inside. Don't overcook it, it'll get dry.

Cut cooked chicken in bite-sized pieces.

Boil carrots. Variations that exist here are:
  * I peel carrots first and then boil until cooked. Just poke them and make sure they are soft inside.
  * Some people boil carrots first and then peel them. Theoretically, it is supposed to be easier to peel a cooked carrot, but, personally, it takes me longer to do so.
  * Some people grate raw carrots and then sauté them. I don't use this way because it is harder to grate raw carrots then cooked carrots if you use hand grater and because you need to use some amount of oil or butter, which make the salad heavier. If you have food processor with a grater attachment and prefer to cook carrots this way - go ahead and do so!

Grate cooked carrots.
Chop one large raw onion and sauté it until golden.
Cut prunes in halves (or smaller pieces). I usually wash prunes beforehand and, if they are not soft enough, I let them soak in the water for about 15-20 minutes.

Mix grated cooked carrots, chopped chicken, sautéed onions, prunes and mayo. Add salt to you taste. I usually add some powdered garlic. Use some pepper if you want.

This is mostly chicken and carrots salad, but onions and prunes add some unforgettable taste to it. Don't add too much of them. For a pound of carrots and pound of chicken I used one large onion and a handful of prunes.

Enjoy!

Ala

Quick and Tasty Stir Fry Chicken

Ingredients
1 Skinless, boneless chicken breast per person
Italian Salad Dressing
Frozen Bag of Stir Fry Vegetables
1/2 C Uncooked Rice per person

Cut chicken breasts into strips or bite sized pieces.  Set aside.  Put vegetables in glass or microwave dish.  Heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes.  In saute pan, place chicken and 1-2 Tablespoons of Italian dressing.  Cook chicken until it is white in color.  Add vegetables and heat through.  Cook rice according to directions.  (I use minute rice, equal parts of rice and water and a pat of butter.  Add chicken boullion for more flavor.  Cook in microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. Serve chicken and vegetables over rice.

You can get creative with this recipe by adding water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, sprouts, snow peas, mushrooms and a little soy sauce.  Change the flavor a little by adding sweet and sour sauce.  The basics are easy---then have fun experimenting a little.  Posted by PAR.

Pot Pie - That you will love!

Try this recipe and then come back and share your comments. Every time I have made this pot pie for somebody new they say "Pot Pie---I hate pot pie!" And then they proceed to eat half the pie and ask when I am going to make it again.

The first time I made this pot pie, I emptied my refrigerator with leftovers. It can't be something you don't like because you only add the things you do like to it---and anything goes.

Ingredients

1 Philsbury Pie Crust

6 oz Meat of Choice, cooked
1 pkg Frozen Vegetables (or empty your refrigerator using all leftovers)
1 can Cream Soup of Choice
1/3 can Milk
1/4 cup of Cooked Pasta or Rice
3 oz Cheese of Choice (about 5 slices)

Place pie shell in pie dish. Cover bottom with bite-sized pieces of meat. In separate bowl, mix vegetables, pasta or rice and can soup with about 1/3 can of milk. Stir well. Pour mixture over meat in pie dish. Cover top with cheese. Put top pie shell on and pinch outer edges together. Vent top by making 3-5 slices in crust. Bake 45 minutes at 400 F or until golden brown. Let stand for 5-10 minutes so the juices won't run. Enjoy!

Posted by PAR