Miscellaneous Wednesday

As it is Wednesday and we can cook up anything, and yours truly has been a bit under the weather all week I think I may have the perfect remedy.  We do know our team has been prone to injury, bio-weapons and such, but never the flu.  But I think today this should cover all bases.  



I know my grandmother many moons ago would make me a bowl of hot chicken soup that was before it was just good for the soul.  This was what mothers and grandmothers everywhere would use as penicillin to treat what ails you.  But most of us all have a childhood memory of being wrapped up and tucked away so you could sleep away the ills, all the while being fed  soup, and if you were lucky those little oyster crackers.  Besides the comfort of old memories and maybe creating some new ones, I suppose I could go on and boast the medicinal values of this simple yet amazing dish.


When ill, one is to drink plenty of fluids, well, the broth of your soup can more than accomplish that.  The warmth of the broth is good for clearing your sinuses, and if you choose to make it spicy, that will help a little more.  Lest we not forget that there is the value of the protein the chicken provides along with any of the added vitamins and nutrients from the vegetables.  This should really help push the virtures of chicken soup.

Kalake's Chicken Soup

1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken                                        1 pinch poultry seasoning

3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped                                 1 pinch dried basil  

1 pound baby carrots                                                       5 black peppercorns

2 onions, chopped                                                           2 bay leaves

2 cubes chicken bouillon, crumbled                                  1 tsp. dry dill

2 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth                 1 pinch dried parsley

1 pinch dried thyme                                                          8 oz package small pasta of your choice for soup  

1. Place chicken in a large pot and celery in large pot cover with water, and bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, approx. 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and place in a bowl until cool enough to handle.
2. Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid, discard the celery tops and place the cooking liquid in a large pot. Place celery, carrots, onion, bouillon, and chicken broth in the pot and let simmer. Then season with thyme, poultry seasoning, basil, peppercorns, bay leaves, dill and parsley.
3. Bone chicken and cut up meat into bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Cook until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended, for another 60 -90 minutes. 
4. Stir pasta into pot and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, until noodles are al dente. Serve hot.