Monday, January 16, 2012

Easy Chicken & Noodles

The Ultimate Comfort Food: Chicken & Noodles

First, if you do not own a Presto Kitchen Kettle, drop everything right now and go get one! Seriously, it is perfect for making soups, stews, and chili in about 30 minutes. NO JOKE! It's also a steamer and a *gasp* deep fat fryer all rolled into one. Ok, enough of the Presto Plug.....


It's cold up here in the Arizona Mountains. Even though warmth and sunshine are only a short drive away, I am one to like winter. Well, not Chicago-style winter - but Arizona Mountain Winter is just the right amount of chilly. Since it was Sunday and also cold, I decided to make chicken & noodles. These are very easy to do, and quite warming to the innards. 


Ingredients:
2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
4 cups water
Garlic (use what you want, I mashed up a couple of cloves)
1 chopped leek
1/2 onion
4 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
some fresh flat-leaf parsley
a couple of fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste


Add all these ingredients into your pot and let it cook for about 30 minutes. When it's good and boiling, you can add egg noodles to it...OR, if you're really adventurous, you can make your own. I'm adventurous. Yes, I made my own. I did herbed noodles using Giadia's Pasta Recipe from Foodnetwork.com. I like her recipe because it's made in a food processor so there's just one thing to clean up. 


Additionally, the video she made is a pleasure to watch. She talks about how making Pasta is a lot of work, but it means who you're making it for should feel special. I consider this to be a major guilt trip weapon for later use. (Hey, I made YOU *FRESH* pasta!)


Giadia's Pasta
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch of sea salt


Directions:
Blend all the above in a food processor. As it starts to stick together, add water a drizzle at a time while pulsing. (about 1/4 cup) When it gets all good and bunched together, remove the dough and place on a well-floured surface. Kneed this into a nice ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.  Take the ball out and quarter it, working with 1/4 at a time.


Per Alton Brown of "Good Eats" an Ironing Board makes
a FABULOUS work space for Pasta Rolling


After the pasta has been rolled and flattened, I slice it and drop the noodles into the pot with the chicken as they are cut. I don't let them dry out. I don't know, call me impatient, but the texture of them is wonderful. Of course the noodles are the last ingredient to add to the pot. I let it simmer for about 15 minutes. 


For the ULTIMATE comfort food experience, serve your chicken & noodles over mashed potatoes. Yes, you may feel like this will send your system into starch overdrive, but it won't. I like those Betty Crocker mashed potatoes in a packet. The recipe of "Just add 2 Cups of Water" is quite appealing, especially after making the noodles and chicken stock, etc. 


Happy Eating & Stay Warm!

1 comment:

  1. I have to LOL because I have the same set-up for my pasta maker and I watched that episode of Good Eats, too! Great recipe!

    ReplyDelete