Kitchen Serendipity

Homemade Chicken Broth & Soup

admin — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:20:08 +0000

Well before it’s in the 80′s here in Florida and while there’s still snow on the ground up north, I think it’s a good time to post my grandmother’s chicken broth and soup recipe. Why is not called stock you ask? I actually do call it stock much of the time, but technically a stock is made from the roasted bones/carcass of the chicken. Mine, on the other hand, uses a fresh, uncooked chicken along with several chicken necks I’ve saved in the freezer following each chicken I roast for dinner (which is quite frequently!!).

Homemade Chicken Broth & Soup

ingredients:

3½-4 pound whole fresh chicken (or two to three packages fresh chicken backs and necks), rinsed well
3 carrots, peeled, rinsed, and cut into large chunks
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2 parsnips, peeled, rinsed, and cut into large chunks
6-8 stalks celery, washed and cut into large chunks
1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed well and cut into chunks
10-12 sprigs parsley, rinsed well
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

directions:

Place the chicken in a large stockpot along with the other ingredients. Add cold water to cover all plus two or three inches.
Bring to a boil, skimming the foam that collects on the water’s surface. Simmer uncovered for 2½-3 hours.
Strain into a clean pot or container using layers of cheesecloth draped over a colander. Discard solids.
If not making soup right away, refrigerate overnight and skim any fat off the top before using.

For Chicken Soup:

Scrape and clean 2 or 3 carrots and slice. Bring the broth to a boil; add the sliced carrots and a few handfuls of dried fine egg noodles. Stir and let simmer until carrots are tender and noodles are done. Add kosher salt to taste and serve!

Escarole & Pasta Soup

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:59:22 +0000

We’re having a little taste of winter here in Florida after temps being waaay above average the entire month – hovering around 81-83 when the high should be only 70! A cold blast came through yesterday putting an end to that, so us Floridians will adapt and I certainly don’t mind pulling out my jeans and boots. Just like and appreciate it much warmer!!

In honor of the cooler weather – and to everyone who has been experiencing the flu – I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite soup recipes, Escarole & Pasta Soup. It’s super easy to make, and brimming with lots of goodness.

Escarole & Pasta Soup

ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small carrots, finely chopped
2 small ribs celery, finely chopped
1 leek, white and light green part only, rinsed, and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
pinch red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2½ cups water
32 ounce container low-sodium chicken broth plus 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3-inch Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
8 ounces penne, cavatappi, or elbow pasta
1 head escarole, washed and chopped
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

directions:

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, leek, onion, and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add the water, chicken broth, cheese rind, and tomato sauce.
Increase heat to high and bring the water, broth, and tomato sauce to a boil. Add the pasta and stir, and cook until al dente, about 11 minutes. Toss in the escarole by handfuls; sir and let wilt. Serve in bowls, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Serves 6

Peppery Panko-Kissed Chicken Drumettes

admin — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:54:33 +0000

Perfect for game day or a fall picnic, these little gems are a staple on our weekly menu just about every week. Double or triple the amount of wings to feed a larger crowd, and serve along with chips and salsa and plenty of cold beer.

Panko-Kissed Chicken Drumettes

ingredients:

3 pounds fresh chicken drumettes (about 20)
flour
1 tablespoon canola oil
dried herbs and spices: try a combination of oregano, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika
generous ¼ cup of panko bread crumbs
kosher salt and plenty of coarse ground pepper

directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse and pat dry drumettes. In a gallon-size ziplock bag, add a few scoops of flour and season with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add the canola oil. Using your fingers, spread the oil over the aluminum foil.
Add 10 drumettes to the plastic bag, seal, and shake. Knock off excess flour, and transfer the drumettes to the prepared baking sheet. Add dried herbs and spices, salt, and plenty of black pepper in quantity desired. Repeat with the remaining drumettes.
Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes and remove from the oven. Using tongs, turn over the drumettes and sprinkle each with panko bread crumbs and your preferred dried herbs and spices, salt, and black pepper. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the drumettes are golden brown and crisp.
Remove from pan with tongs to a serving dish.

Serves 4-6

strawberry shortcake smoothie

admin — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:16:27 +0000

Hello and welcome to Kitchen Serendipity’s new look! This project was supposed to get done over the summer, but unexpected late summer photo sessions bumped completing the new design off the list of priorities. But here we are and I hope you like it!

Okay, I don’t think I got the memo when Ben & Jerry’s came out with their Greek frozen yogurt. I’m sure I’m in the minority about this near-tragedy! Anyway, I was looking in the frozen section of our new The Fresh Market in Bradenton and the Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Shortcake Greek frozen yogurt caught my eye. I am ALWAYS trying to come up with a smoothie that my son will actually like and this sounded like a perfect smoothie ingredient.

And – it is. Was. I split the first smoothie with him and they were gone. Before I took a picture. So back to the store for more strawberries I went…..

This. is. good. Enough said.

Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

ingredients:

Generous cup of hulled, halved fresh strawberries (about 8 large)
1 cup of Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Shortcake Greek frozen yogurt
¼ cup water or milk
2 teaspoons honey
dash of cinnamon
handful of ice (optional)

directions:

Add all ingredients to a blender and purée. Pour into a glass, or split the portion between two and serve.

Makes one smoothie

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Roasted Belgian Endive with Gruyère Cheese and Thyme

admin — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:45:13 +0000

Oh yum. This is an INSANELY delicious dish that I serve along with roast chicken.

I’m participating as much as I can with #SundaySupper over on Twitter – I definitely believe in the value of bringing the family back to the table especially on a Sunday night before a new work/school week begins.

I love Belgian endive – and please don’t pass it up at you grocery store! You can do SO much with this type of produce and it’s bursting with all kinds of good things for your well-being.

This is a pretty classic recipe – but has the wow factor upon delivery. I took the dogs for a walk…and could smell the deliciousness brewing within my house….

Belgian Endive with Thyme and Meyer Lemon Zest

ingredients:

3 large Belgian endives, split in half vertically
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or canola or olive oil)
4 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
Juice of half a Meyer lemon or regular lemon.
Zest from one Meyer lemon or regular lemon
salt and pepper

directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add the Belgian endives, cut side down. Cook for about 2-3 minute or until golden brown. Turn endives over gently and cook on the other side for 2 minutes.
Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, and then add the wine and thyme. Let reduce for two minutes, then add parsley and Gruyère. Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice and zest and place in the oven.
Roast for 18-20 minutes.

Servings: 4-6

Cook for Julia Aug 5-15 | Aug 13 | Consommé Madrilène

admin — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:02:30 +0000

Cook for Julia in honor of what would be Julia Child’s 100th birthday on August 15 continues! I missed a few days due to scheduled photos shoots here on the beaches of Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island, but I’m here this evening with a simple, yet sublime consommé from Julia Child’s The French Chef Cookbook (show #102).

I love a good homemade broth or a consommé. But what’s the difference? According to wikianswers, consomme is crystal clear while broth will almost always have some suspended materials in it.

Broth is made by simmering vegetables or meat and bones for some time, until the flavor of the simmered food has infused the water. The stock or broth is then usually poured through a strainer to remove most of the particles, bones, skin, and the meat. It’s used this way, with no further processing.

Consomme is cleared by adding a step: after sieving as above, egg whites are added to the hot broth or stock. As the egg whites cook, they precipitate into the stock, and begin to bind with some of the particles in the broth. They then rise to the top, appearing as scum or foam. Once the foam cap has formed, pouring off the broth from below, while leaving the cap undisturbed will produce consomme – a broth as clear of suspended particles as water.

I’ve been buying cans of beef consommé at Publix and it looks like I’m the only one. I can see where the stockpeople haven’t filled in the spaces where I grabbed two cans the day before! Funny, I guess, at least funny from my perspective. Do people even buy beef consommé anymore? Campbell’s must have had a great market with this product back in the day. I love the savory taste in combination with the tomatoes and herbs. This is the kind of food I like.

That’s why I love revisiting and making Julia Child’s recipes. People for the most part don’t cook like this anymore. Ingredients we as *foodies* would perhaps find lame or questionable to use today are ingredients she used liberally. They were new back then – perhaps that was a part of the appeal.

Anyway….I’ll stop boring you about broth and consommé.

Consommé Madrilène

ingredients:

about 1½ cups excellent beef consommé, fresh or canned
2 large, ripe, firm tomatoes
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs such as parsley, chives, and tarragon
2-3 tablespoons port wine

instructions:

Bring the consommé to a simmer in a saucepan. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water and let sit for 10 seconds. Remove the stem and peel and and add to consommé; halve the tomatoes and gently squeeze seeds and juice into consommé. Mince the pulp very fine and set aside. After it has simmered 5 minutes, strain the consommé into another saucepan and add the minced tomato pulp. Heat for a moment or two without simmering, to cook the tomato pulp. Add salt and pepper to taste; stir in the herbs and wine.

Serves 4

From The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child

And – ha! I stopped in our Chop Shop the other day and look what I found – in a can!

Thank you for stopping by!!

Cook for Julia Aug 5-15 | Aug 9 | Pigeonneaux Sur Canapes

admin — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:51:38 +0000

Sorry, no canapés here tonight.

Oh Julia is wearing me out! I made something tonight with an ingredient I use pretty much every week – Cornish game hens. Easy peasy, throw it in the oven with some olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper. So I thought I had this one in the bag.

Not.

First of all, I missed seeing ALL of the directions. Just as well. I didn’t have the ingredients for the canapés, but it was something I just didn’t have the time to fuss with, and the livers from my two (yeah not three) Cornish game hens looked pretty small and weak.

But I did everything else – yay! Um wait, no. I did not baste these birds every five or six minutes turning them on their sides. I had to walk the dogs (no husband this week). So I turned them on their sides for 15 minutes each for a total of 30 minutes, and then let them cook sitting up straight like I’m used to for the last 30 minutes. My Cornish game hens I purchase are like a small chicken – clearly not what Julia used, and I always cook for about a hour.

I did make the base sauce and yes, clipped those wing joints except for one. Was just over that at that point. The sauce is so beautifully rich thanks to the hunk of butter that was whisked in.

So – here it is!

Julia’s recipe is as follows:

Pigeonneaux Sur Canapés

(from The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child; Show 53

ingredients:

3 young squabs or other tender small birds (I used Cornish game hens, almost 2 pounds each)
salt and pepper
1½ tablespoons minced shallot
¾ teaspoon tarragon (I used a thyme sprig for each)
3 tablespoons softened butter
3 or more strips of thick-sliced bacon simmered for 10 minutes in 1 quart water
1/3 cup each sliced carrots and onions

directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse birds and pat dry thoroughly.
Chop the birds’ wings off at the elbows; reserve all trimmings and giblets. Sprinkle salt, pepper, ½ tablespoon shallots, and ¼ teaspoon tarragon (I used a thyme sprig instead) into the cavity of each bird along with a ½ tablespoon butter in each.
Rub skin with softened butter, place bacon slices over the breast and thighs of the birds, and truss for roasting. Lay birds on their sides in the roasting pan and on top of the carrots and onions that have been drizzled with a bit of olive oil.
Baste hens with a mixture of 2 tablespoons melted butter combined with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.

Meanwhile, make the base sauce:

ingredients:

necks, gizzards, hearts, and wing tips from birds
2 tablespoons each of chopped carrots and onions
2 tablespoons high-quality cooking oil
1½ cups beef bouillon or brown chicken stock

directions:

In a heavy saucepan, add the oil and gently brown the ingredients. Add the bouillon or stock; bring to a boil and turn down the heat and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. Strain sauce and reserve.

to finish:

Skim all but a tablespoon of fat from the roasting pan, pour into the sauce base and add ¼ cup Madeira or port. Boil down rapidly, scraping up coagulated roasting juices, until liquid has reduced to about ½ cup. Correct seasoning, remove fro heat, and swirl in butter.

Serves 6 people if splitting birds in half as Julia’s recipe has recommended.

Cook for Julia Aug 5-15 | Aug 8 | Escalopes de Veau Sautees a L’estragon

admin — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:33:59 +0000

Um, it’s really veal scallopine if the name of the dish threw you for a second. It did for me!

And what am I working on? A tribute to and a celebration for the fabulous Julia Child. PBS has a wonderful group going called “cook for Julia” on social media. Julia would be 100 years old on August 15.

Soooo – this is an amazing dish – so crazy insanely rich. I gave a small plate to my picky *almost 13* year old son and he actually did try a bit (I was going to bet $1000 online that he wouldn’t touch it) and said it “was okay and the aftertaste was better than the first taste.”

okay. I had to then do a 360 from French cuisine a la Julia Child to making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. A shock to the culinary gods I’m sure. Even sent me over the edge for a moment.

I chose this dish because it looked easy. I’m being honest here! It’s not one of Julia’s “feeds 10-12 people” so I thought it was a good bet. It’s just me and my son this week while David is working up in NY and all the neighbors are up north for the summer. Oh, and did I mention that my son is a picky eater?

But the surprising thing was that, no, it wasn’t hard, but it took several steps to bring it from “just” sauteed veal scallopine to an incredible dish. I totally get what Chef Michael Symon said on The Chew today about the fact that few households make sauces that really make a dish an appealing dinner entree. He’s right. If you saute something, all you need to do to take that dish to the next level is to quickly deglaze your pan with the addition of wine, stock, broth, or water, scrape up the yummy browned bits, and then always swirl in a pat or two of butter at the end. Sublime. Rich. Delicious.

And when adding extra dry vermouth to your pan, move your face back. Trust me. I inhaled, yikes.

I made adjustments to this recipe – I do not have dried tarragon and if I did, it would be from another decade. And not the most recent one.

I did not add heavy cream. Just couldn’t. But I did saute some nice sliced mushrooms in a couple of pats of butter to add to the dish. Couldn’t resist. Plus they were already in my fridge waiting for a Julia Child recipe to strike.

My scallopine were already pounded and ready to go at the instructed ¼-inch thickness. But they were sort of on the long side which initially made it a little tough getting it into a 10-inch saute pan. I had three pieces (just around a third of a pound). One piece would be fine for me.

I accompanied the veal with a green salad that was dressed with just a bit of fruity extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice, which cut through the richness of the veal dish. Total deliciousness.

escalopes de veau sautees a l’estragon

(Sauteed Veal Scallops with Tarragon from Julia Child’s French Chef Cookbook, Show 16)

ingredients:

Veal Scallops:

4 or more veal scallops
1 ½ tablespoons butter
½ tablespoon cooking oil

Sauce and Serving:

1 tablespoon minced shallots
¼ cup dry vermouth
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, minced
1 cup brown stock or canned beef bouillon
(optional) 1 cup sliced mushrooms previously sauteed in butter
½ tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon soft butter
parsley sprigs

directions:

Dry scallops/scallopine on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. When butter foam has almost subsided but is not browning, add veal. I cooked for about 4 ½ minutes total – so my scallopine were much thinner than her veal scallops. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Make your sauce: Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat in your pan. Add the shallots and stir over moderate heat for about 30 seconds. Add the vermouth, tarragon, and bouillon, and scrape up the browned bits. Boil rapidly and reduce liquid to 2/3 cup (just eyeball it). Remove from the heat, add the cornstarch mixture and the mushrooms if using. Simmer while stirring for two minutes. Add the veal scallops/scallopine back to the pan and baste with the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
Place scallops/scallopine on a serving plate and to the pan add a tablespoon of butter and whisk to combine. Pour the sauce over the veal scallops/scallopine and serve, garnished with parsley sprigs.

Serves 4

Cook for Julia Aug 5 – 15 | Aug 7 | Supremes de Volaille a Blanc

admin — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:31:11 +0000

Or better known as Chicken Breasts Poached in Butter with wine and cream sauce

I picked out this recipe from The French Chef Cookbook – it seemed easy and I’m a sucker for easy this week. I seriously need easy.

I thought I had all of the ingredients together – I mean really? Nothing major here that I don’t normally have on hand. Easy, right?

But WTH are “supremes of the chicken breast????”

Well, I think I figured it’s the fillet portion – in other words, minus the tenderloin and then flattened somewhat. If anyone knows any differently, please comment!

Um, the port, Madeira, or dry white vermouth??? I was nothing less than comical throwing open cabinets and drawers looking for this alcohol. Found plenty of Marsala, ugh, not what I needed! Pinto Grigio I have – probably would’ve worked?

Finally found a bottle of dry vermouth in the cabinet above my husband’s desk – no, not for him lol, it was just a good place to stash hardly used alcohol.

And when I added the vermouth to the butter liquid you will see at the end of the recipe? Heaven. What an amazing aroma. Not quite like wine; something different and more incredible.

Going to keep that bottle handy. ;)

Supremes de Volaille a Blanc

From The French Chef by Julia Child, pg. 4

ingredients:

4 supremes (see above) basically boneless skinless chicken breast fillets (minus the tenderloin and flattened)
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Big pinch white pepper (I used black pepper)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup white or brown stock or canned beef bouillon
¼ cup port, Madeira, or dry white vermouth
1 cup heavy cream
salt, pepper, and lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

directions:

Preheat the over to 400°F. Rinse and dry the chicken fillets and season with several squeezes of fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Heat the butter in a casserole roaster that has a cover. When hot and bubbling, remove from oven.
Roll the chicken breasts in the hot butter, lay a piece of waxed paper over the casserole dish, cover, and place in the oven. Set the timer for 8-9 minutes.
Check the chicken after 8 minutes. Should be no pink visible.
Make the sauce: Pour the bouillon or stock and the wine or vermouth into the casserole dish with the cooking butter and boil down rapidly over high heat until liquid is syrupy. Pour in the cream and boil rapidly until lightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and add the juice of half a lemon. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Serves 4

Cook for Julia Aug 5-15 | Aug 6 | French Potato Salad “Pommes de terre a l’huile”

admin — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:03:01 +0000

Hello Julia Child fans!

Yes, here’s another for Day 2 of the Cook for Julia celebration going on via pbs.org. It’s a French Potato Salad……about all I could muster today when I realized how fast the day was flying by! I bought some NY strip steaks on sale at Publix and think this is the perfect accompaniment.

“Pommes de terre a l’huile” (French Potato Salad)

adapted from The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child

ingredients:

8-10 medium boiling potatoes (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon (or chicken broth)
½ cup vinaigrette
2 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions
3 tablespoons minced parsley

directions:

Add potatoes to a pot of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, partially covered, for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool slightly to handle.
Peel and slice the potatoes while still warm. Toss gently in the mixing bowl with the wine and bouillon; let sit, and then toss again after a few minutes. When the liquid was absorbed by the potatoes, toss with the vinaigrette, shallots or scallions, and parsley.

Makes about 6 cups

Please stay tuned for tomorrow’s recipe!