As Good as Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Soup just like grandma used to make

Well, the weather is getting a little colder.   A lot of people are unfortunately getting a little under the weather.  Yours truly was one of them.  I don’t know why, but a bowl of chicken soup just tastes so good when you are sick.  When you are sick, a regular bowl of chicken soup won’t do.  You need to have the best!  You know, just like grandma used to make. The problem is you don’t want to make any when you feel like someone just pounded you from head to toe with a baseball bat.  Now, a former boss once told me, “Gregg, come to me with solutions not problems.”  Actually, that’s some pretty darn good advice.  So, here is my solution if you don’t want to eat that crappy soup that Andy Warhol painted.  Make it now and freeze it.  That way when you are sick all you have to do is warm it up.  What a genius idea!!!  Everyone should make a couple of batches of chicken soup to get you through the winter.  So, what are you waiting for???  Time to get started!!!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  3 hours

INGREDIENTS:

Stock:

• 1 Cooked (Preferably a leftover) Chicken Carcass
• 1 Large Onion
• 3 Carrots
• 3 Celery Hearts, Chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 2 Cloves Pressed Garlic
• 1 Tsp Whole Black Peppercorns

Soup:

• 4 Carrots
• 4 Celery Hearts
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
• Kosher Salt
• 1 Package Your Favorite Noodles (I used orecchiette, little ears).
• 1 Cup Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Water

DIRECTIONS FOR THE STOCK:

• Roughly chop all vegetables for the stock: onions, green pepper, carrots, celery, garlic.  No need to spend a lot of time chopping as these items will be thrown away.
• Add all veggies, peppercorns, and cooked chicken carcass to a large stockpot .
• Add enough water to submerge the chicken and vegetables by a few inches.
• Heat stock pot over high heat to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Take special care to remove any of the “foam” that boils off the chicken and goes to top of the pot.
• At 2 hours, remove from heat.  Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.
• Drain the stock through a fine strainer.  Be sure to extract every bit of juice out the veggies by smashing them against the strainer.
• Rinse the stockpot and add the strained stock back to stockpot.
• Congratulations!  Your stock is complete.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SOUP:

• Mince the onion and add to the stock.
• Chop the celery and carrots into bite sized pieces.
• Add italian seasoning, pepper, and salt to taste.
• Return to boil, cover,  and cook approx. 1 hour until the veggies are soft stirring occasionally.
• When the chicken has cooled, remove the remaining meat from the carcass.  Place on cutting board and chop roughly.
• Prepare noodles according to instructions with one exception.  I don’t like to add the noodles to the soup as they will soak up all the broth.  I would recommend to rinse noodles with cold water so the don’t stick together.  Add an extra two minutes to cooking time if you like your noodles a little soggy.  This is the only time I will ever allow you to prepare noodles other than al dente.
• At the 1 hour mark, it’s time to thicken the soup. Combine the corn starch with 1 cup of water in a shaker.  Shake well.  Add the mixture to the soup slowly and keep stirring.  You don’t want any lumps.  You may have to add a little more or less depending on how much broth you have.  If you over thicken, just add some water.
• Add the chicken meat to the soup and heat through.
• Put a couple scoops of cooked noodles in a soup bowl then add a couple of ladles of chicken soup.
• Enjoy a bowl of deliciousness and get well soon if you are sick!

Serves a whole bunch of people.

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Photo Worthy Food – Thanksgiving Leftovers

What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers? Make a turkey sandwich.

This edition of Photo Worthy Food comes from Dr. Dino in Sarver, PA.  Dr. Dino has become a regular contributor.  Thanks Doc.  The Doctor says, “Sure, you can now get one of these at Denny’s, but I’ve been making these for decades.  Everyone used to think I was crazy, now they are begging for me to make them a sandwich.”  I have to say it looks pretty darn good.  To make, simply  layer all of your leftovers, turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, and don’t forget to top with the cranberry sauce.  Use whatever you have leftover.  I would add one thing, be sure to use some high quality, fresh bread.  Bread makes or breaks the sandwich.  You can’t have a great sandwich without fresh bread.  Thanks Dino, great submission.

Have you had a great meal that you want to share with everyone? Maybe you prepared it yourself, or you enjoyed a great meal at a restaurant. If so, we’d love to see it and post it on our website. So, please take a picture and submit it to us at triplogitalian@yahoo.com. Please include your first name, location, what it is, and why you took the picture. If you have a website, please include the web address; and we will be sure to mention it.

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BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER’S STEW)

Bigos, the national dish of Poland.

The long-awaited wait is over!!! I would like to introduce to you BIGOS!!! I know, I know…why a Polish dish on an Italian website. This website is actually a celebration of all food, not just Italian. This is a shout out to all my Polish friends. So, most of you are probably asking, “What is Bigos?” That is exactly what I was asking 1 1/2 years ago. I stopped by an English pub, and it was the special of the day. I said to myself, why not? I tried it and fell in love with the meal. As a matter of fact, I have probably made this meal 6-7 times in the past 1.5 years. It is the perfect winter dish. Bigos is also the “National Dish” of both Poland and the Ukrane according to Wikipedia. This recipe has 3 different types of pork meat. It is very important to note, do not skip the last step of adding the crusty bread torn by hand. In my opinion, this completes the meal. Enjoy a Triplo G Italian Kitchen favorite.

Prep Time: 20 min

Bake time: 2 1/2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 50 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lbs Pork Roast, Cubed
• 14 oz Kielbasa, Sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Slices of Thick Bacon, Chopped
• 2 Carrots, chopped
• 1 Portabella Mushroom, Chopped
• 1 Medium Onion, Chopped
• 4 Cups Shredded Green Cabbage
• 2 Cups Sauerkraut, Drained
• 3 Cloves of Garlic Pressed and Minced (Do you have a Garlic Press?)
• 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper – use a Pepper Mill.
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Dry Red Wine
• 4 Cups Beef Stock
• 2 Dash Worcestershire
• 1 Cup Diced Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 Dash Red Hot
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Package Egg Noodles
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Loaf Crusty Rustic Bread

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In your Dutch Oven, combine chopped bacon and kielbasa. Cook on stove top over medium-high heat until bacon and kielbasa are browned. Remove meat and set aside the bowl leaving the oil behind.
• In a large bowl, take cubed pork and dust with flour, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix to coat the pork cubes very lightly.
• Increase the flame to medium to high heat on the Dutch Oven. Add a single layer of pork cubes to oil and brown pork on all sides. You will probably have to do the cubes in batches. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add onions, garlic , mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, sauerkraut, and fresh ground pepper. Sautee over low-med heat until vegetables are soft, about 10-12 minutes.
• Add wine, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, italian seasoning, Worcestershire, red-hot, and paprika.
• Return to boil. Add the meats (pork, bacon, kielbasa) back to the dutch oven.
• Remove from stove top and place the Dutch Oven in preheated oven.
• Cook 2 1/2 hours at 325 degrees
• Rip off a handful of bread (see picture above) and serve with the stew in a bowl for dipping.

Serves 6-8

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• BEEF BOURGUIGNON (aka BEEF BURGUNDY)

BEEF BOURGUIGNON (aka Beef Burgundy)

Beef Bourguignon, a classic french dish that will make you come back for seconds.

Beef Bourguigon, mmm mmm, what a great dish!  It makes me think of my first trip to Paris.  This is a classic French meal that is so amazingly complex in tastes.  Simmering the beef in red wine for 2 1/2 hours does something that can’t be described with words.  You must try this recipe for yourself.  This meal is surprisingly very easy to make.  There’s really not much prep work that needs to be done at all.  The vast majority of the time is letting it sit in the oven and having the “magic” take over.  This is an incredible recipe to try when entertaining some friends or on a cold fall/winter day.  If there is only one recipe you are going to try from this site, this should be the one.  But don’t be foolish, try them all!!!  When picking the wine for the stew, don’t forget the rule.  If you wouldn’t drink it, then don’t cook with it.  Because this is a French recipe, why not use some French wine like Bordeaux.

Prep Time: 20 min

Bake time: 2 1/2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 50 min

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs of Sirloin Tip Roast, Cut and Cubed
• 3 Slices of Thick Bacon, Chopped
• 4 Celery Hearts, Chopped
• 2 Cloves of Garlic Pressed and Minced (Do you have a Garlic Press?)
• 12 Small Onions, Peeled and Chopped in Half
• 6 oz Carrots, Chopped
• 2 Portabella Mushrooms
• 3 1/2 Cups of Dry Red Wine
• 14 oz Beef Broth or Stock
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper – use a Pepper Mill.
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Package Egg Noodles
• 1 Tbsp Butter

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In your Dutch Oven, combine chopped bacon and olive oil.  Cook until bacon is crisp.
• In a large bowl, take cubed beef and dust with flour, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.  Mix to coat the beef cubes very lightly.
• Increase the flame to medium to high heat on the Dutch Oven.  Add a single layer of beef cubes to oil and brown beef on all sides.  You will probably have to do the cubes in batches.  Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add onions, celery, garlic ,and carrots.  Sautee over low-med heat until vegetables are soft.
• Add wine, broth, 1 tsp fresh ground pepper, and italian seasoning.
• Return to boil.  Add the beef back to the dutch oven.
• Remove from stove top and place the Dutch Oven in preheated oven.
• Cook 2 1/2 hours at 325 degrees
• Prepare one package of egg noodles and toss in tbsp butter.
• Serve the Beef Bourguignon in a bowl over the egg noodles.

Serves 6-8

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• CHRISTMAS LIST
• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: PEPPER MILL
• WHAT EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS: GARLIC PRESS

BRACIOLE (Rolled Steak)

I remember the first time I made Braciole. Honestly, I thought it was going to be really hard to make. That assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. This is such an easy dish to prepare. Guests will think you spent countless hours preparing this meal. Now, it does take a little time to bake it, so it’s not easy to prepare on a weekday after a long day of work. But, it is perfect for a Friday or Saturday night or, my favorite, Sunday feast. The 2 hours of baking time in the dutch oven, along with the added wine, make for such a robust and deep flavor. This entree has an explosion of flavor with every bite. It will soon turn into one of your favorite dishes. It’s truly a great recipe for date night or when entertaining friends or family. Another plus is that this recipe uses a little less than a half bottle of wine, so that means there is a little left over for the chef. One last note, this is my Dad’s all time favorite meal.

Prep Time: 10 min

Bake time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 min

INGREDIENTS:

For the steak and stuffing:

• 1 1/2 lbs thin cut steak (Top Sirloin or Flank Steak cut thin)
• 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 grated romano cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1 can 280z whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup dry white wine (I recommend Pinot Grigio. Do not use anything oaky like Chardonnay.)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, pressed and minced

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat your Cast Iron Skillet and spray with olive oil using your Misto Stainless Steel Olive Oil Sprayer.
• Pound steak using your OXO Meat Pounder so the steak is even thickness.
• Combine the stuffing ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed. Dont forget to add the olive oil to make it pasty.
• Put a thin layer of stuffing on the flat steak.
• Roll steak, tie with three pieces of string. One on the left, middle and right.
• Brown the rolled steak on all sides on the preheated cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients in a Dutch Oven or a casserole pan. If you don’t own a dutch oven, I highly recommend a dutch oven.
• Add steak to sauce, cover and bake at 350 degrees for two hours. Every 20 min, remove and flip steak then baste the steak with the sauce.
• While letting the steak cook for 2 hours, remember you have an opened bottle of white wine. Feel free to consume. We don’t want to be wasteful.
  

  Glass of red, glass of white, braciole in the oven.

• Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes.
• Transfer steak to cutting board, slice into half inch pieces.
• Top with leftover sauce.
• We served this with brown rice and green beans.

 

Serves 4 people