Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Time: 30-40 minutes total

Yield: 12 servings

Recipe adapted from Freida Loves Bread and Allrecipes

 and JAMIE COOKS IT UP blog

This recipe got 5 stars from everyone in my family last night. It was a perfect meal for a cold spring evening! Thanks to Jamie for her talents in the kitchen!

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large carrots, peeled and grated

4 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2-3 T olive oil

1 Rotisserie Chicken (or 1 Can of Mom’s canned Chicken) reserve juices from chicken 

7 C water

8 chicken bullion cubes

1 (16 ounce) package Potato Gnocchi

4 C half and half 

1 1/2 C spinach, chopped

1 t thyme

1/8 t nutmeg

1 T sugar

1/4 C cold water

5 T cornstarch

salt and pepper  

2 T butter

1. Chop onion. Mince garlic. Julienne and rough chop your carrots. 

2. Heat Olive oil in a large pot up over medium high heat. 

3. When the oil is hot toss your chopped veggies into the pan. Cook them over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for about 5-8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. 

4. Cook and chop your chicken, or use rotisserie chicken. (I used mom’s good canned chicken.)

5. Pour the broth that is left in the bottom of the chicken package into a large measuring cup. You should have about 1 cup of broth from the pan.  (Mom’s canned chicken has roughly 1 cup juices, pour this in with the tender vegetables.) 

Chop chicken

When your veggies are done cooking pour the broth from the chicken and 7 cups of hot water into the pot. Add 8 chicken bullion cubes and give it a nice stir. 

8. Add the chopped chicken and bring the soup to a boil. 

9. Open up the package of Gnocchi and pour it into the pot. Let the soup come to a boil again and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 3-4 minutes. The gnocchi will be cooked  through when they float to the top of the broth. It should happen pretty fast. 

10. Chop about 1 1/2 cups of spinach and toss it into the pot. 

11. Pour in 4 cups of Half and Half, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter and bring soup to a boil. 

12. In a small bowl combine 1/4 C cold water and 5 tablespoons of cornstarch. Mix it well and pour it into the soup pot. 

13. Return the soup to a boil, while you stir. It will thicken as the soup reaches a boil. 

14. Taste it and season it to your liking with salt and pepper. 

Mozzarella and Ham Panini

This is a quick simple and delicious panini. I love that there is no sauces but olive oil and salt and pepper. It comes together and is ready for the table in around 35 minutes. I tore this recipe out of a Martha Stewart Everyday Cooking magazine years ago.

Mozzarella and Ham Panini

1 Large Loaf of Italian Bread (I use hard rolls or sub rolls. A crusty bread works well)

8 oz Fresh Mozzarella thinly sliced (Regular deli Mozzarella is all I have used fresh is hard to come by in these parts!)

4 oz Shaved Deli Ham (My favorite is Black Forest Ham)

2 oz Baby Spinach (2 cups, loosely packed)

Coarse Salt and Ground Pepper

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Split bread horizontally. Layer one side with cheese, ham, and spinach beginning and ending with mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper as you go. Close sandwich (making sure mozzarella is in direct contact with bread on both sides--its what holds the sandwich together as it melts).

Brush a large baking sheet with some of the oil. Place sandwich on sheet; brush top with remaining oil. Place another baking sheet on top (cover bottom of sheet with aluminum foil-makes for easy clean-up!), press down firmly. (I personally like to put my rectangular pizza stone on top of the cookie sheet to add some weight for the "press")

Bake panini, press down top sheet once or twice during baking (unless you have used my pizza stone idea or a brick would work too), until cheese had melted and sandwich is golden, 20-25 minutes.

If using a loaf, cut into four pieces and serve with salad.

South-of-the-Border Sandwiches (Lion House)

Yes, I have fallen of the face of the earth or so it seems. We have moved into our new house now and life is getting a little more settled. My desire to cook more and try new recipes is returning day by day. This recipe was one I served at a luncheon I hosted for one of my friends birthdays this month. Unknown to me she loves avocado so this recipe made the luncheon for her. I promised to get her the recipe so rather than have to type it out twice I am going for a one time deal here. It was so fun to host this gathering at my new house. True the entry way and other areas are still unfinished, but if I waited until everything was just perfect! I may never get to let my friends know how special they are to me. Perfect or not sometimes you just have to do it! Because I was busy enjoying my guest there is no picture of this recipe for now, but I am sure we will get one eventually. :-)

South-of-the-Border Sandwiches (Lion House Entertaining, p.42)

8 Sandwich roll, split open, or a loaf of french bread sliced

1/2 cup Olives, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1/3 cup Sour Cream

1/3 cup Green Onions, chopped

3/4 to 1 pound Cooked Turkey, thinly sliced (I bought Peppered Turkey Breast from the Deli)

2 medium Tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 ripe Avocados, sliced

3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

3/4 cup Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I used Monterey Jack)

In a bowl, combine olives, chili powder, cumin, and salt; set aside 2 Tablespoons of this mixture (for garnishing). Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and green onions to the remaining olive mixture.

Place bread on a ungreased baking sheet and spread 1 Tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture on each slice or roll. Top with slices of turkey and tomatoes. Spread with another Tablespoon of mayonnaise mixture. Top with sliced avocados and cheese. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 Tablespoons of olive mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through. Makes 8 to 10 Servings.

*Note these are an open face sandwich. I used small hard rolls because I was offering more than one type of sandwich for lunch (The other was a quick simple and Mozzarella and Ham Panini from Martha Stewart's magazine I got years ago.) I wanted the guest to feel welcome to try both if they wanted too. So I was trying to keep the portions reasonable.

Served it with a variety of green salads and brownie ice cream sundaes

C&M's Fresh Lime Freeze

My brother Chad and his wife Merrie, make this refreshing lime freeze. They first served us this treat when they came to visit us when we lived in upstate New York. Over the summer I got several limes in one of my bountiful baskets and had to call her for the recipe. Thank you Chad and Merrie for sharing this refreshing recipe.

C&M's Fresh Lime Freeze

1-2 Limes, wash limes and cut in 1/2 or 1/4's and place (peels and all) in a blender.

Add 1 cup of water and blend well. Strain limes and water through a fine mesh strainer, catching in a bowl all the lime juice and water. There may be some contents left in the blender. Add a small amount of water to clean/rinse it out and strain anything left on the blender sides.

Place the strained lime/water liquid back into the blender add 2-3 cups of water.

Add 3/4 cup sugar and fill the blender up with ice and blend. (In place of the ice vanilla ice cream can also be added.)

**If you like a stronger lime flavor you can increase your limes or cut back on the sugar.

Parrish Family Salsa

We have been using the same salsa recipe for years, canning it every fall. Last summer we made some changes to the recipe and love it all the same. It is a highly requested recipe among friends that taste it fresh or from our canned jars.

Parrish Family Salsa 2010

8 quarts Tomatoes, peeled, chopped, and cored

5 cups onions, chopped for chunky or grind if desired

2-3 cups Green Bell Peppers

2-3 cups Mixed Peppers Chopped

(7 Anaheim peppers, 1-2 yellow, red, and/or orange bell peppers to equal the three cups)

3 Tablespoons Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped or grind

1/4 cup Salt (pickling salt or table salt can be used)

1/3 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon Cayenne pepper

1 Tablespoon Oregano

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1/2 cup Cider Vinegar

Blanch tomatoes in boiling water, peel, core, and chop to desired size and place in a large stockpot. Chop onions, all peppers add to the tomatoes. Add all sugar, spices, and vinegar. Stir well and bring contents to a boil. Turn down to a simmer to desired consistency, roughly 1 1/2-2 hours. May take longer depending on desired consistency. As it thickens remember it must be stirred more often. Put in hot jars with a lid and ring. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

** Water Bath Processing notes: Hot jars must go in hot water. Cold jars need to go in cold water bath and warm as it heats up. If you put a hot jar in cold water the jar can break (destroying your hard work and efforts).

Homemade Shortbread Cookie Crust

I am posting this as a "note to self". This is the crust from the turtle cheesecake recipe I make, but I think the crust would work perfectly in place of Lorna Doone or Sandie cookies in some of my other desserts. Like my family's Fresh Peach Dessert or my pumpkin cheesecakes.

Homemade Shortbread Cookie Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

6 Tablespoon cold butter, chopped

Chicken with Mushrooms and White Sauce

This recipe has been in our "GOOD Recipe!" file for several years. When I got mushrooms in my BB basket last week this recipe popped into my mind. It never disappoints our tastebuds.

Chicken with Wine Sauce is the title on the recipe card 7:7 from my Easy Everyday Cooking file.

*This recipe calls for white wine but chicken broth can be used, hence the reason I changed my title of the recipe. This recipe is so rich and delicious, enjoy it!

Chicken with Mushrooms and White Sauce

4 Skinless, boneless, chicken breast (4 oz ) each

1/3 cup All-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup butter or margarine

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tablespoons dried parsley

3/4 cup whipping cream

Pound each chicken breast to a 1/4-inch thickness. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on waxed paper. Coat chicken with flour mixture. Shake off excess.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, cook chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside; cover to keep warm.

Add mushrooms and white wine/chicken broth to skillet. Cook stirring continually, for about 2 minutes. (I like to add so minced garlic or garlic salt and 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions with the mushrooms for added flavor. Its great without it too.) Add parsley and whipping cream to skillet. Cook over low heat stirring continually, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve sauce over chicken.

We like to serve this with a fresh salad or steamed seasonal vegetable side and a slice of nice bread. The perfect partner for it is angel hair pasta, but as you can see from our picture we like it with rice too.