What is it about Italians and their gardens? Don't believe it when they say size doesn't matter...An Italian Garden is more like a mini, suburban farm! Some of the crops are ordinary...some quite special. And EVERYTHING is picked for cooking, baking, or pickling.
Mama Melisi's garden was bigger than her house! Living on a corner lot, the home-grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs and spices wrapped around two sides of her home. There were endless rows of perfectly planted tomatoes, healthy, dangling cucumbers, and lots of sweet peppers. For a splash of color, you'll see plump, purple eggplants. Move aside those overgrown leaves, and you'll find Italian Squash, hanging like big, bold baseball bats! No wonder it took all weekend to weed back down to the rich, black soil!
Hovering along the side of the house was basil and parsley, just waiting to be yanked and submerged in simmering, fresh tomato sauce. Smiling down on them were bright, yellow sunflower plants...seeds good enough to toast, or plants pretty enough to display! As if this wasn't enough, pucker up for some rhubarb, just waiting to be transformed into a pie! And if you want to add an orchard-like flair, look up and see those fig trees, and peach trees, just dying to toss off their sumptuous, juicy fruit!
Finally, there was...the grapevine! I could still see Mama Melisi sitting outside, and painstakingly removing the stems off of each grape. She would cook the grapes to soften the skin, grind them manually to remove the pits and skin, and cook again with Certo and sugar to thicken the mixture. Oh the aroma of hot, gurgling grapes! Seal off the homemade jars with a coating of wax, and you'll never have Smuckers again!
Of course, it could get a little crazy trying to keep track of everything on "the farm"! Once in a while, there was a mishap. Take, for example, the time that the hot peppers were planted by accident instead of those luscious, sweet peppers. Tempted one summer night, a garden-stalking animal picked an entire hot pepper plant clean! I still feel sorry for that fine, furry, pepper-pickin bandit, who learned a hard, hot lesson about an Italian garden!
For those who are daring, we give you Stuffed Hot Peppers...and those not so brave, Stuffed Sweet Red Peppers. Bueno Apetito! As always, we offer it to you with love!
From Mama Melisi and Me
Stuffed Hot Peppers
Ingredients:
1 qt size jar of hot peppers
1 cup of Italian flavored bread crumbs
4 oz pignoli nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
A few dashes of black pepper
Cooking Directions:
Core and remove all seeds from the hot peppers
Rinse with cold water and drain in a colander
Prepare the filling by mixing the bread crumbs, pignoli nuts, oregano and black pepper in bowl
Add the olive oil
If the mixture is too dry, gradually add a little cold water at a time until consistency is moist
Spoon the filling into each hot pepper
Lightly drizzle the tops with olive oil
Spray a baking dish with Pam
Place the peppers in the baking dish
Bake in a 350 degree oven uncovered for 45 minutes
Serve cold!
Stuffed Sweet Red Peppers
Ingredients
3 red peppers
1 lb ground turkey or chicken (Meat lovers can use beef, pork and veal combination)
1 - 10 oz package of fresh spinach
1 medium size onion
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 cup cooked brown or white rice
Black pepper
1 can Stewed tomatoes
Cooking Directions:
Wash the peppers and cut off the tops...remove seeds
Cut peppers in half lengthwise giving you 6 halves
Chop the onion finely, and saute in olive oil
When golden in color, add your garlic (minced)
Add the spinach and cook until slightly wilted
Let this cool and then add this mixture to the ground meat of your choice
Add the cooked rice and the grated cheese and black pepper
Mix all together
Place peppers in casserole dish, and spoon mixture into peppers
Pour the can of stewed tomatoes over the top
Cover pan with foil
Bake for 1 hour in 350 degree oven
Enjoy!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Smuggler
Anyone who has had the pleasure of taking a plane somewhere, knows that airport security is tighter than ever. Being skittish since the tragic 9/11 attack, I'm all for heightened security. In fact, I actually enjoy stepping into those plastic capsules that spit air at the most inconspicuous places! And if you want to do a full body scan...I say reveal everything straight down to where the sun don't shine!
Unfortunately, this modern airport equipment is essential to our safety. But can you remember the old days, when the most we had to worry about was...The Big Cheese!
I'm shocked that it took 6 blogs to mention that I am a fanatical fan of Lucille Ball, and still consider the "I Love Lucy" reruns hilarious! One of my favorites is when she has to fly home from Europe. She wants to bring back a 30 pound hunk of cheese, but doesn't want to pay for it!
Hearing that babies fly free, she decides to dress the cheese in a bonnet, and baby's garb! Not only does she smuggle the "cheese baby" onto the plane, but she feeds it a bottle...and burps it, too! If you want to see what happens, you'll have to dig into the archives, somewhere dating back to May, 1956!
Zooming into 2010, I have had this same problem with Mama Melisi...The Smuggler! For some reason, I could never convince her that we had supermarkets in Florida! Carefully packing the "goods" so that they're never found or confiscated, she's been known to smuggle coffee, Christmas Cookies, turkey breasts, and her favorite...FRESH VEGES! And she loves to conceal those heads...heads of broccoli, heads of cauliflower...maybe stash a side of asparagus! I never know what she's going to pull out of her carry-on!
Now usually when people fly from the dreary, wintry northeast to sunny Florida, they want to immediately visit the beach...the ocean...the local golf course! Not Mama Melisi! She wants to add to the smuggling experience, and top it with a trip to Publix Supermarket to do her BIG food shop! And why, you ask? Because, after all these years, she has figured out that she can't fit everything INTO HER BAG!
After 19 years of Florida living, I've stopped talking about this in therapy...there are just some things that will never change! In fact, I've come to enjoy her smuggling techniques, especially if amid the underwear and socks, she whips out a package of fresh Broccoli Rabe! Also known as rapini, you have to acquire a taste for this rich -in-vitamins, green vegetable, that Italians love!
As usual, we offer it to you with serving suggestions, and love!
From Mama Melisi and Me
Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)
4 to 6 cloves of fresh garlic
1 can low fat reduced salt chicken broth (vegetable broth if you are vegetarian)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional Ingredients:
1 can drained, rinsed cannellini beans
1/2 pound cleaned large shrimp or scallops
Cooking Directions:
Cut off about 2 inches of the stems of the broccoli rabe
Wash the rabies thoroughly with baking soda or salt
After rabies are clear of any sand, place in a colander
Add olive oil to a 8 qt pot or a large saute pan
Heat the oil for a few seconds
Add the garlic and bring the garlic to a golden color, tossing it as you go along
Add the broccoli rabe and about a half can of the chicken broth
Cover and steam for about 15 minutes
Add the rest of the broth if needed
Check if broccoli rabe is done...I prefer mine cooked to a softer consistency
(This has to be your preference)
Serving Suggestions:
1. Serve as a side vegetable
2. Serve with pasta (Cook pasta separately, then add the greens)
3. Can also be served by adding a can of cannellini beans with or without pasta
4. This is a favorite - Cook the pasta separately. Then saute the cleaned shrimp or scallops with garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Add a bottle of clam juice and 1/2 cup of white wine to the fish. Raise the flame or heat to high for about 3 minutes. After the pasta is drained, place in a serving bowl or platter. Then top with the broccoli rabe. Add the shrimp or scallops. Truly delicious!
Unfortunately, this modern airport equipment is essential to our safety. But can you remember the old days, when the most we had to worry about was...The Big Cheese!
I'm shocked that it took 6 blogs to mention that I am a fanatical fan of Lucille Ball, and still consider the "I Love Lucy" reruns hilarious! One of my favorites is when she has to fly home from Europe. She wants to bring back a 30 pound hunk of cheese, but doesn't want to pay for it!
Hearing that babies fly free, she decides to dress the cheese in a bonnet, and baby's garb! Not only does she smuggle the "cheese baby" onto the plane, but she feeds it a bottle...and burps it, too! If you want to see what happens, you'll have to dig into the archives, somewhere dating back to May, 1956!
Zooming into 2010, I have had this same problem with Mama Melisi...The Smuggler! For some reason, I could never convince her that we had supermarkets in Florida! Carefully packing the "goods" so that they're never found or confiscated, she's been known to smuggle coffee, Christmas Cookies, turkey breasts, and her favorite...FRESH VEGES! And she loves to conceal those heads...heads of broccoli, heads of cauliflower...maybe stash a side of asparagus! I never know what she's going to pull out of her carry-on!
Now usually when people fly from the dreary, wintry northeast to sunny Florida, they want to immediately visit the beach...the ocean...the local golf course! Not Mama Melisi! She wants to add to the smuggling experience, and top it with a trip to Publix Supermarket to do her BIG food shop! And why, you ask? Because, after all these years, she has figured out that she can't fit everything INTO HER BAG!
After 19 years of Florida living, I've stopped talking about this in therapy...there are just some things that will never change! In fact, I've come to enjoy her smuggling techniques, especially if amid the underwear and socks, she whips out a package of fresh Broccoli Rabe! Also known as rapini, you have to acquire a taste for this rich -in-vitamins, green vegetable, that Italians love!
As usual, we offer it to you with serving suggestions, and love!
From Mama Melisi and Me
Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)
4 to 6 cloves of fresh garlic
1 can low fat reduced salt chicken broth (vegetable broth if you are vegetarian)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional Ingredients:
1 can drained, rinsed cannellini beans
1/2 pound cleaned large shrimp or scallops
Cooking Directions:
Cut off about 2 inches of the stems of the broccoli rabe
Wash the rabies thoroughly with baking soda or salt
After rabies are clear of any sand, place in a colander
Add olive oil to a 8 qt pot or a large saute pan
Heat the oil for a few seconds
Add the garlic and bring the garlic to a golden color, tossing it as you go along
Add the broccoli rabe and about a half can of the chicken broth
Cover and steam for about 15 minutes
Add the rest of the broth if needed
Check if broccoli rabe is done...I prefer mine cooked to a softer consistency
(This has to be your preference)
Serving Suggestions:
1. Serve as a side vegetable
2. Serve with pasta (Cook pasta separately, then add the greens)
3. Can also be served by adding a can of cannellini beans with or without pasta
4. This is a favorite - Cook the pasta separately. Then saute the cleaned shrimp or scallops with garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Add a bottle of clam juice and 1/2 cup of white wine to the fish. Raise the flame or heat to high for about 3 minutes. After the pasta is drained, place in a serving bowl or platter. Then top with the broccoli rabe. Add the shrimp or scallops. Truly delicious!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Happy Hanging Sausage...And A Little Tiramisu
Italian households are a little different when it comes to the usage of the rooms in the house. Let me tell you a little about Mama Melisi's home.
First and foremost, the kitchen is the largest room, and the gathering place! Sitting around the kitchen table for hours is common, not just to eat, but to catch up on life, laugh, and connect with family and friends!
The garage is also a focal point, especially in the summer. You could easily spot a smoking grill nearby, and chairs set up to sit and watch the passersby! Neighbors breeze in and out, people stop to chat while they're walking their dogs...grandkids dart around, playing with all kinds of long ago games...croquet, horseshoes, even bocci!
One of the most intriguing places is the basement. I'm not talking about those comfortable, finished basements, with air-conditioning, carpeting, and another TV. Our basement was unfinished, interesting, intricate...and quite the place to play!
Let's start with the bike cellar. If you could lift those heavy, black trap doors, stoop a little as you descended the stairs, you would be in that tiny place. Housing only one or two bikes, there were mostly garden tools...or should I say big iron and steel gadgets that looked more like ancient relics you would see in the ruins of Italy! Great place to hide!
Continue through another door, and you're in the main part of the basement, with its large cinder block walls, and cracks and crevices throughout the cement floor. Standing in the corner was the full-sized refrigerator and freezer...fully stocked...and homemade wooden shelves filled with canned goods, olive oil, paper products. (You can never have enough toilet paper!) Here, we played supermarket!
Look upward, and the rafters were stuffed with old baseball bats, hockey sticks, jump ropes, and even boxes of big chalk. I could remember digging that stuff out, and running around after school in the fresh air! No computers at all, we played double dutch, hopscotch, a game of catch. When we could round up enough people, we'd set up teams for street hockey! And there were no nervous moms text messaging...no cell phones invading the airwaves...we were safe and having fun!
Continuing through the main basement, you would face the door to...the wine cellar! Anyone who was brave enough to open the door would be blasted by the cold air. This was a much more narrow room, with the lingering scent of grape and oak barrel! Big glass jugs were evenly arranged on the floor, and wooden shelves with carved out notches cradled bottles of homemade wine! But, that wasn't all...hanging carefully along a cord that was tied from wall to wall was...the sausage...happy, hanging, homemade sausage! And they hung for almost 2 months until they were dry. Every day during that time, my mom would have to go down and prick the air pockets out of the sausage with a needle! (Sounds like a great fantasy for any female member of the Husband Haters Club!) I couldn't wait till that sausage was cut loose, thinly sliced on a cutting board, and tasted for the first time!
Mama Melisi was famous for all kinds of homemade sausage...links, patties, or dried! We are giving you all the recipes...if you dare try! And, since it's also Valentine's Weekend, we're adding a luscious dessert recipe of homemade Tiramisu...for that special someone!
As always, we offer these to you with love,
From Mama Melisi and Me
Sausage Ingredients:
5 lbs. pork butt
1 shot glass of salt
1/2 shot glass each of black pepper, garlic powder, dry basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Casing
Preparation:
Trim the fat from the pork butt
Cut it into cubes
Season with condiments as listed above
Attach the sausage maker to your kitchen aid mixer
Before filling the casing, soak it in cold water, since it is usually packed in salt
(This can be done ahead of time)
Rinse one casing and slide onto the sausage maker
Put on the mixer and it will grind and fill the casing
(You have to help it along and squeeze the filled casing as it goes along...Also prick the sausage with a pin to let out the air.)
If the above is too difficult a project, you can have the pork butt ground and seasoned, and make sausage patties instead! This tastes great when cooked on the grill, and served with a roll to your liking!
Lastly, if you want to make dried sausage, the best month to do this up north is November. Use the same procedure as you do making the links. Hang it in the cellar to dry. You must poke many holes in the sausage with a needle, and also squeeze the sausage to get out all the air. Do this as a daily routine (6-8 weeks) until the sausage meat is totally dried. Again...great flavor...and a fun family affair!
Tiramisu Ingredients:
16-20 lady fingers (more if needed)
3 large eggs separated
1/2 cup confectionery sugar
1 tablespoon espresso
2 or 3 tablespoons Fra-Angelica or Kahlua or Marsala (I prefer Fra-Angelica) liqueur
8 oz Mascarpone Cheese (Italian Cream Cheese)
Cocoa
Directions:
Prepare a pot of black espresso coffee and cool
Step 1 - Beat the egg whites with a dash of regular sugar. Beat until stiff white peaks form, and set aside
Step 2 - Combine the remaining 3 egg yolks - 1/2 cup confectionery sugar - 1 tablespoon espresso and the liqueur of your liking. Beat with a rotary beater or in your mix-master for about 2-3 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat for about 5 more minutes. Then fold in the egg whites.
Step 3 - Pour espresso coffee in a shallow pie plate or bowl. Choose a pretty glass bowl for the tiramisu or use a trifle bowl if you have one. Dip one lady finger at a time in the espresso ( do not soak it) and line the bowl with each lady finger. Spoon a nice amount of the mascarpone mixture onto the first layer of lady fingers - do this along the sides and bottom. Continue to dip the lady fingers one at a time, and place over the layer of the cheese mixture...again spoon more of the mascarpone mixture over the lady fingers. I usually get 2 layers. Make sure the 2nd layer of lady fingers is totally covered with the cheese mixture. Place a spoon of cocoa into a small tea strainer. Tap the strainer with the spoon and sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with cocoa.
Step 4 - Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or more. If you do not have a glass serving bowl, then layer it as above in an oblong pyrex baking dish (about 8x10 size). Use a fairly deep dish in order to make 2 layers. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
First and foremost, the kitchen is the largest room, and the gathering place! Sitting around the kitchen table for hours is common, not just to eat, but to catch up on life, laugh, and connect with family and friends!
The garage is also a focal point, especially in the summer. You could easily spot a smoking grill nearby, and chairs set up to sit and watch the passersby! Neighbors breeze in and out, people stop to chat while they're walking their dogs...grandkids dart around, playing with all kinds of long ago games...croquet, horseshoes, even bocci!
One of the most intriguing places is the basement. I'm not talking about those comfortable, finished basements, with air-conditioning, carpeting, and another TV. Our basement was unfinished, interesting, intricate...and quite the place to play!
Let's start with the bike cellar. If you could lift those heavy, black trap doors, stoop a little as you descended the stairs, you would be in that tiny place. Housing only one or two bikes, there were mostly garden tools...or should I say big iron and steel gadgets that looked more like ancient relics you would see in the ruins of Italy! Great place to hide!
Continue through another door, and you're in the main part of the basement, with its large cinder block walls, and cracks and crevices throughout the cement floor. Standing in the corner was the full-sized refrigerator and freezer...fully stocked...and homemade wooden shelves filled with canned goods, olive oil, paper products. (You can never have enough toilet paper!) Here, we played supermarket!
Look upward, and the rafters were stuffed with old baseball bats, hockey sticks, jump ropes, and even boxes of big chalk. I could remember digging that stuff out, and running around after school in the fresh air! No computers at all, we played double dutch, hopscotch, a game of catch. When we could round up enough people, we'd set up teams for street hockey! And there were no nervous moms text messaging...no cell phones invading the airwaves...we were safe and having fun!
Continuing through the main basement, you would face the door to...the wine cellar! Anyone who was brave enough to open the door would be blasted by the cold air. This was a much more narrow room, with the lingering scent of grape and oak barrel! Big glass jugs were evenly arranged on the floor, and wooden shelves with carved out notches cradled bottles of homemade wine! But, that wasn't all...hanging carefully along a cord that was tied from wall to wall was...the sausage...happy, hanging, homemade sausage! And they hung for almost 2 months until they were dry. Every day during that time, my mom would have to go down and prick the air pockets out of the sausage with a needle! (Sounds like a great fantasy for any female member of the Husband Haters Club!) I couldn't wait till that sausage was cut loose, thinly sliced on a cutting board, and tasted for the first time!
Mama Melisi was famous for all kinds of homemade sausage...links, patties, or dried! We are giving you all the recipes...if you dare try! And, since it's also Valentine's Weekend, we're adding a luscious dessert recipe of homemade Tiramisu...for that special someone!
As always, we offer these to you with love,
From Mama Melisi and Me
Sausage Ingredients:
5 lbs. pork butt
1 shot glass of salt
1/2 shot glass each of black pepper, garlic powder, dry basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Casing
Preparation:
Trim the fat from the pork butt
Cut it into cubes
Season with condiments as listed above
Attach the sausage maker to your kitchen aid mixer
Before filling the casing, soak it in cold water, since it is usually packed in salt
(This can be done ahead of time)
Rinse one casing and slide onto the sausage maker
Put on the mixer and it will grind and fill the casing
(You have to help it along and squeeze the filled casing as it goes along...Also prick the sausage with a pin to let out the air.)
If the above is too difficult a project, you can have the pork butt ground and seasoned, and make sausage patties instead! This tastes great when cooked on the grill, and served with a roll to your liking!
Lastly, if you want to make dried sausage, the best month to do this up north is November. Use the same procedure as you do making the links. Hang it in the cellar to dry. You must poke many holes in the sausage with a needle, and also squeeze the sausage to get out all the air. Do this as a daily routine (6-8 weeks) until the sausage meat is totally dried. Again...great flavor...and a fun family affair!
Tiramisu Ingredients:
16-20 lady fingers (more if needed)
3 large eggs separated
1/2 cup confectionery sugar
1 tablespoon espresso
2 or 3 tablespoons Fra-Angelica or Kahlua or Marsala (I prefer Fra-Angelica) liqueur
8 oz Mascarpone Cheese (Italian Cream Cheese)
Cocoa
Directions:
Prepare a pot of black espresso coffee and cool
Step 1 - Beat the egg whites with a dash of regular sugar. Beat until stiff white peaks form, and set aside
Step 2 - Combine the remaining 3 egg yolks - 1/2 cup confectionery sugar - 1 tablespoon espresso and the liqueur of your liking. Beat with a rotary beater or in your mix-master for about 2-3 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat for about 5 more minutes. Then fold in the egg whites.
Step 3 - Pour espresso coffee in a shallow pie plate or bowl. Choose a pretty glass bowl for the tiramisu or use a trifle bowl if you have one. Dip one lady finger at a time in the espresso ( do not soak it) and line the bowl with each lady finger. Spoon a nice amount of the mascarpone mixture onto the first layer of lady fingers - do this along the sides and bottom. Continue to dip the lady fingers one at a time, and place over the layer of the cheese mixture...again spoon more of the mascarpone mixture over the lady fingers. I usually get 2 layers. Make sure the 2nd layer of lady fingers is totally covered with the cheese mixture. Place a spoon of cocoa into a small tea strainer. Tap the strainer with the spoon and sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with cocoa.
Step 4 - Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or more. If you do not have a glass serving bowl, then layer it as above in an oblong pyrex baking dish (about 8x10 size). Use a fairly deep dish in order to make 2 layers. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The Chicken Soup Hallucination
Since my last blog was a serious one, I thought I should lighten things up a bit, and ask a monumental question...WHAT'S WITH THE WEATHER???
Lately, every time I turn on the news, I hear of "beastly storms", "power outages", and...our Nation's Capitol under a 2 foot blanket of snow! As you all know, I live in South Florida. For the most part, the weather here is warm and sunny. But this year, we joined the ranks of places with very strange weather...and we actually experienced The Deep Freeze!
Right after the holidays, at back to work time, our weather hit record lows. We had temperatures in the 30's with wind chills in the 20's. And, unlike other years, it lasted for weeks! I did something I very rarely do...I turned on the heat! And I kept it on, day after day! I don't know how long it took for me to realize that the temperature in the house remained a very chilly 64 degrees! Just as if the air conditioner konked out in the summer, my heater betrayed me during the Deep Freeze!
I talked with my friend who said that his heater had a breaker switch. Sometimes when the heat first goes on, there is a burning odor, and the breaker kicks the system off! He said, "Go check the system to see if you have this switch, and flip it back on!"
OK - my heating system is located in the attic...In order to get up there, I have to place a ladder into a closet, climb to the top, and hoist myself into...the black abyss!
Determined, and very cold, I got my smallest, but brightest flashlight, leaned the ladder against the wall, and maneuvered my thermal-coated, long john butt up each rung! Shining my light upward, I could see the big air system hanging there, suspended by two chains. I wiggled up a little higher, and made the split decision to hurl myself onto the loose, shaky floorboards. Standing there, amid the attic insulation, I had a horrible thought...suppose there were critters up there? You know...those big, Florida insects! They don't have normal bugs down here...they're more like flying creatures! Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. The flashlight dangled in front of me...I was frozen with fear!
Suddenly, as if drifting through the air vents, I caught the familiar aroma of Chicken Soup...simmering, bubbling, hot, delicious. I knew I didn't stop at the Jewish Deli to pick up some of that good, homemade, storebought soup! NO...It was Mama Melisi's...and the wonderful scent permeated through the air, and sent a warm, soothing sensation through my body!
I'm not sure how long I was standing there, before some unknown Cher-like Force (remember Moonstruck) slapped me on the face and said, "Snap Out Of It!" My Chicken Soup Hallucination was over. There was no soup on the stove. There was no breaker switch on the heater. And the house remained a chilly 64 degrees!
I did eventually get the heat fixed. By that time, the weather was back to a comfortable 80 degrees! I also made Mama Melisi's Chicken Soup...and it kept me warm during the rest of the Deep Freeze!
Here's the recipe for you! I know it will warm you, too!
Offered Always With Love,
From Mama Melisi and Me
Ingredients:
1 Fryer Chicken approx 3 lbs
6 to 8 carrots
4 celery stalks with leaves if possible - leaves give a wonderful flavor!
1 large onion
2 fresh tomatoes - you can also use canned tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
Fresh Italian Leaf Parsley (at least 8 or more stems of parsley with the leaves)
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
* Please note - You can replace the fryer chicken with either 6-8 chicken thighs or 4 good sized chicken breasts for a low fat soup)
Cooking Directions:
Rinse the chicken thoroughly in salted water - if using a whole chicken, discard the neck and the package of the liver and gizzard
Place a whole chicken in a 6 qt pot
Add all the vegetables - but not the carrots
Cover the chicken and veggies with water
Add the bouillon cubes
Cover - bring to a simmer and then cook for 45 mins to an hour until the chicken is tender
Add the carrots and cook for another 10 to 15 mins until the carrots are cooked
Always make the chicken soup a day before you are going to eat it! Thoroughly chill it overnite and then remove any fat which appears on the top of the pot. If using chicken breasts, this procedure need not be followed because they are not fatty!
Use extra fine egg noodles for the soup. Cook the noodles in 2 cans of fat free, low salt chicken broth. (Add approx 1/2 can of water to this.) Then add the reheated chicken soup to the noodles. Serve the soup with the carrots. The chicken can be served with the soup, or served after the soup with salad and crusty Italian Bread!
Lately, every time I turn on the news, I hear of "beastly storms", "power outages", and...our Nation's Capitol under a 2 foot blanket of snow! As you all know, I live in South Florida. For the most part, the weather here is warm and sunny. But this year, we joined the ranks of places with very strange weather...and we actually experienced The Deep Freeze!
Right after the holidays, at back to work time, our weather hit record lows. We had temperatures in the 30's with wind chills in the 20's. And, unlike other years, it lasted for weeks! I did something I very rarely do...I turned on the heat! And I kept it on, day after day! I don't know how long it took for me to realize that the temperature in the house remained a very chilly 64 degrees! Just as if the air conditioner konked out in the summer, my heater betrayed me during the Deep Freeze!
I talked with my friend who said that his heater had a breaker switch. Sometimes when the heat first goes on, there is a burning odor, and the breaker kicks the system off! He said, "Go check the system to see if you have this switch, and flip it back on!"
OK - my heating system is located in the attic...In order to get up there, I have to place a ladder into a closet, climb to the top, and hoist myself into...the black abyss!
Determined, and very cold, I got my smallest, but brightest flashlight, leaned the ladder against the wall, and maneuvered my thermal-coated, long john butt up each rung! Shining my light upward, I could see the big air system hanging there, suspended by two chains. I wiggled up a little higher, and made the split decision to hurl myself onto the loose, shaky floorboards. Standing there, amid the attic insulation, I had a horrible thought...suppose there were critters up there? You know...those big, Florida insects! They don't have normal bugs down here...they're more like flying creatures! Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. The flashlight dangled in front of me...I was frozen with fear!
Suddenly, as if drifting through the air vents, I caught the familiar aroma of Chicken Soup...simmering, bubbling, hot, delicious. I knew I didn't stop at the Jewish Deli to pick up some of that good, homemade, storebought soup! NO...It was Mama Melisi's...and the wonderful scent permeated through the air, and sent a warm, soothing sensation through my body!
I'm not sure how long I was standing there, before some unknown Cher-like Force (remember Moonstruck) slapped me on the face and said, "Snap Out Of It!" My Chicken Soup Hallucination was over. There was no soup on the stove. There was no breaker switch on the heater. And the house remained a chilly 64 degrees!
I did eventually get the heat fixed. By that time, the weather was back to a comfortable 80 degrees! I also made Mama Melisi's Chicken Soup...and it kept me warm during the rest of the Deep Freeze!
Here's the recipe for you! I know it will warm you, too!
Offered Always With Love,
From Mama Melisi and Me
Ingredients:
1 Fryer Chicken approx 3 lbs
6 to 8 carrots
4 celery stalks with leaves if possible - leaves give a wonderful flavor!
1 large onion
2 fresh tomatoes - you can also use canned tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
Fresh Italian Leaf Parsley (at least 8 or more stems of parsley with the leaves)
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
* Please note - You can replace the fryer chicken with either 6-8 chicken thighs or 4 good sized chicken breasts for a low fat soup)
Cooking Directions:
Rinse the chicken thoroughly in salted water - if using a whole chicken, discard the neck and the package of the liver and gizzard
Place a whole chicken in a 6 qt pot
Add all the vegetables - but not the carrots
Cover the chicken and veggies with water
Add the bouillon cubes
Cover - bring to a simmer and then cook for 45 mins to an hour until the chicken is tender
Add the carrots and cook for another 10 to 15 mins until the carrots are cooked
Always make the chicken soup a day before you are going to eat it! Thoroughly chill it overnite and then remove any fat which appears on the top of the pot. If using chicken breasts, this procedure need not be followed because they are not fatty!
Use extra fine egg noodles for the soup. Cook the noodles in 2 cans of fat free, low salt chicken broth. (Add approx 1/2 can of water to this.) Then add the reheated chicken soup to the noodles. Serve the soup with the carrots. The chicken can be served with the soup, or served after the soup with salad and crusty Italian Bread!
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