Grilled Chicken Noodle Soup

Yeah, you read that right! So.... as you MAY have seen I am doing a challenge to keep myself busy and coming up with new recipes for the CSA I signed up for. As part of that, I cooked a beer can chicken on the grill last night that I carved up and served for dinner. Because my hubby is SO SMART, he suggested that I save the carcass to use for some soup since I have been sick. So the chicken recipe can be found here (http://hebbcl.blogspot.com/2011/10/challenge-chipotle-and-pumpkin-polenta.html), but you can feel free to use any leftover chicken carcases you have laying around. I have frequently used a rotisserie chicken as my new "fast food" since I have been living this new, healthier lifestyle. You have to make changes to eat better... but even healthy people don't feel like, or don't have time for cooking every night. These chickens are available at almost every grocery, and certainly at every Walmart and are an easy go to. All you have to do is carve them up and put a salad out and voila! DINNER! OK, I got a bit sidetracked, back to grilled chicken noodle soup! Here were my steps-

I put 16 cups of water into my big dutch oven. (Honestly, other than the grill, I live for cooking things in this pot. It just rocks!!! I guess this is the best meal ever then, I got to use the grill AND the dutch oven!) Then I put in my grilled chicken carcass, plus the wings and the legs that were leftover from last night. I turned this on medium high heat and let it simmer away for an hour. Then I pulled out the wings and legs, allowed them to cool a bit, and used 2 forks to pull all the meat off and put to the side with the other leftover grilled chicken from last night (mostly breast and thigh meat) which I had already shredded.

Pull the carcass and other other bones out of the pot (dig all the way to the bottom of the pot because some small bones may have gotten loose during the cooking process) and discard them. Continue to let your pot simmer away... you now have chicken stock. NOW.... lets improve it!

Chop up 8 carrots and about half of a bunch of celery (be sure to include some of the leafy middle pieces, they have LOTS of flavor!!!), half of a chopped yellow onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves- and toss them in. Now... it is kind of a free-for-all! What I mean is... use your favorite herbs and make your soup your own. Your last name isn't Campbell.... and this ain't your momma's chicken noodle soup! I went this way with it- 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon black pepper, 1/2 tablespoon tarragon, about 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (I didn't bother to take it off the stem), 3 bay leaves. Now let it keep simmering! Let it go for about an hour... but be sure it is a light simmer and not a boil! You don't wanna cook up your yummy broth! Note: taste this broth throughout the process after you add the seasonings to ensure it tastes good. You may need to add more salt or pepper as you go. Remember... after you have added noodles the time to season is basically gone!

When you are ready to add noodles, bring the soup to a boil. Then add 1/2lb of whole wheat noodles of your choice. I went with linguine and broke them in half. Cook according to package instructions and serve!   

This makes plenty... at least enough for 4 adults with leftovers! You can see how much it cooks down from the mark on the dutch oven-

Now if this doesn't make you feel better, what will?!?!?!

Challenge- Everyone loves a breakfast sandwich!

Ever since I saw the movie Spanglish with Adam Sandler, I have loved a breakfast sandwich! Just seeing the sheer joy he had... it has stayed with me. I have since considered this style of sandwich to be pure joy to both make and eat! For this challenge I used the following Dominion Harvest mystery box ingredients:

• Brown Eggs
• Bibb Lettuce
• Gouda
• Green Tomatoes

I also used:

• High quality whole wheat bread
• Bacon (Yes, I went for the real stuff. This sandwich is heaven, and heaven has no place for Turkey bacon!)
• Smart Balance Spread

First, start cooking your bacon. You need 4 slices for each sandwich. (Go ahead and cook the rest, it is basically a sin not to!)

Next, butter (it just sounds better than Smart Balance Spread) one side of each piece of the bread. You need 2 slices per sandwich, seems like common sense... but just in case! You want to put this in a pan and brown it nicely. At the same time, put either sliced or grated (this is the option I chose) Gouda on one side of the bread for each sandwich and melt it. Once these are done, set to the side.

Next, crack 2 of your brown eggs into a bowl. This serves two purposes, first it allows you to ensure no shell gets in, second, it allows you to control where it goes better when you pour it into the non stick pan. My preference is over easy eggs for these sandwiches, there is something so sinfully amazing about the yolk running out when you cut it! So if you go that route, pour into the pan so that the yolks and whites stay close together. This requires a slow pour into the pan and the use of a spatula to push the runaway whites in together. Be mindful of the size and shape of the bread you chose and try to push it into a similar size and shape. Top with a little salt and pepper and allow to cook gently. When they are lightly browned, flip the 2 eggs together. This might require 2 spatulas and some patience! Once flipped, salt and pepper the second side.

This starts the assembly phase of the breakfast sandwich! First, place the piece of bread that has the cheese on it, Gouda cheese side up on your plate. Then place your eggs on top of that. This may seem odd as most people put cheese on top, but when you go with over easy eggs you are looking forward to the runny goodness of the yolk- NOT the soggy ickiness that it can bring on your bread! The melted cheese helps to keep the breads form! On top of the eggs, put the 4 slices of REAL bacon, then 2 slices of green tomato, then 2 or 3 pieces of bibb lettuce! Again, the lettuce on top will help to protect the top piece of bread! Now comes the fun part, cut your sandwich in half and see the yummy golden deliciousness run out... this is good for smearing your sandwich in as you go. Of course, toss a few extra pieces of bacon on the plate and get ready for an AMAZING start to your day!!!!

Challenge- Chipotle and Pumpkin Polenta PLUS beer can chicken and a YUMMY salad!

Welcome! This blog will give you some Dominion Harvest Mystery Box ingredients, but will also outline a complete meal. WIN! I made a savory polenta, beer can chicken, and a salad that helped to brighten it all up!

First- The Dominion Harvest Mystery Box ingredients for this recipe were:

• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (puree- recipe here- http://hebbcl.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-kill-long-islander-pumpkin-that.html)

I was inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe to make this polenta, but as usual, put my own spin on it. First, she always cooks with and recommends quick cooking polenta. To be clear- this does not exist in Richmond, VA. Instead, I went to the organic aisle at my grocery store (after googling "where to find quick cooking polenta in my grocery store" left me wondering around in circles) and found Corn Grits. It was not quick, but I just followed the instructions with a few variables. The instructions said to use 2 cups of corn grits with 6 cups of water. Instead, I brought 3 cups of chicken stock and 3 cups of water to a boil, then gradually added in the corn grits while stirring. Making real polenta (AKA not the quick variety) is a real time commitment... at least 30 minutes stirring... so bring in a radio and dance in front of the stove to entertain yourself. Yep... that is what I did! As the mixture thickened, I added 15oz of Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Puree, 2 tablespoons diced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 cup nonfat milk. Save the milk until about 10 minutes are left to keep the mixture loose and not so gelatinous. In the last 5 minutes, stir in 1/4 cup of nice Parmesan cheese. Now, there are 2 ways to serve polenta, first is to spoon it out like grits. FYI- it will end up with the same Elmer's glue thing that southern grits do... if you can take that it still tastes great. If you can't, then you can pour it into an oiled dish and then flip the dish later and cut out to serve. For this, think Jello mold... it jiggles and wiggles but holds together! Top with a dash of Parmesan to serve.

For the beer can chicken-

Mix the following ingredients together-

1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

Coat a whole 4lb chicken (that has been washed and dried with the innards removed) in olive oil and then use 3/4 of the spice mix to coat. Wrap in plastic and allow to sit for an hour.
Take a beer can and drink 1/2 of the can. Use a church key to open the mouth of the can up more, then put the rest of the spice mix in the can. Place the can on a foil pan, put your chicken over the can with the can and the legs acting as a tripod to hold it up straight, and put on your grill over indirect heat. Let cook for about an hour and a half. It will get very dark on the outside, but that is OK!

Once it is cooked through, carefully remove the beer can from the inside of your chicken. Remember... it will be HOT!!! I recommend using tongs and hot mitts!
Slice and serve!!!!

Fruit and Veggie Salad-

• 12 oz chopped pineapple with juices (get it fresh from the refrigerated section of your grocery!)
• 1/2 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds on a diagonal
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 1/2 container (about 2 cups) of cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

So... put it all in a bowl together and toss well.

At the last minute I decided to throw the entire thing on the grill after I got the chicken off. This added a yummy smokey flavor to it and it was incredible... I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

Here is the final product-

How to Kill a Long Islander- Pumpkin that is...Challenge: Pumpkin Cheese Cake

OK, so by Long Islander- I mean a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin. When I first saw this this name I thought WTF is that?!?!?! Then I saw it and it was pretty obvious. :) So for my mystery box challenge last week I had another squash and made a soup, which was truly delicious! But I felt that another soup this week (with the 2 quash I got) would be a cop out.... so I ended up making a couple recipes with this ingredient. First- here is how I prepped it!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree!

Here is my Long Island Cheese Pumpkin out of the box, kinda washed off-

Your first step is to cut his head off... in this case, his stem is his head. It was unfortunate but I think he knew what was coming. And lets be honest.... it is October so he should really be glad he got put to good use instead of having a face carved into him and left on someones front step to either rot or get smashed in the street by some unruly teenagers!

Next, cut him in half (and yes, this pumpkin will be a he throughout this process! HAHA!) Then scrape out all of the pumpkins seeds and guts. Kind of a nasty job, but someone has to do it! And in this case... YOU are someone! (If you are the type to like roasted pumpkin seeds, save these and roast them up later on. If you aren't, ditch them like I did.) Once each half is well seeded, cut each half into 4 pieces and put skin side down on a baking sheet.

Now, I know you are tempted to salt and pepper and coat in olive oil... but don't do it!!!! We are going to make a puree and we want a true pumpkin taste with this. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Once you get it out, flip so that it is skin side up and use a knife to peel off the skin. It will come off easily, and then put the tender meat into a food processor and puree until all chunks are gone. You will likely not need to add any liquid because squash is a very juicy. But if you find it is too dry, add a tablespoon of water at the time until you get the consistency you are looking for. You will likely need to do this in several batches. Here is the final BEAUTIFUL product!!!

For this challenge I used the following Dominion Harvest mystery box ingredients:

• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (measure out 15oz)

Other Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter 

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages low or non fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup non fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups Splenda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan and up the sides about 1/4 to 1/2 of the way. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add long island cheese pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, Splenda and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Do not skimp on this step! If you do, the consistency will be all wrong!

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

As you can see- We dug in before I remembered to take a picture! It was great, but not the healthiest thing ever. The crust was to die for, what's not to like!

Challenge- Apple Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Green Beans

So if you ask me, this doubles as 2 challenges! I used mystery box ingredients to make a complete meal and also did an iron chef battle by using my apples throughout the meal! HOT DIGGITY! These two items really complimented each other but were different enough to make the taste buds happy!

First- I used the following ingredients from my Dominion Harvest mystery box-

• Apples
• Onions
• Green Beans

Other Ingredients-

• Pork Loin (normal package comes with 2 small or one big, this is fine but if you get one big one you will need to slice it length wise for this recipe)
• Stone Ground Mustard
• Bourbon
• Apple Juice
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil

First, dice one apple and cut another so that you leave the apple in a square. Then, slice the pieces of the apple so that they have 2 flat edges. (This will make sense in a minute!)

Next, lay 3 or 4 pieces of butchers twine across the short side of a lightly greased, shallow baking pan that is long enough for the tenderloin to fit without being bunched together.

Next, lay your tenderloin pieces out side by side. Again, remember that you need 2 pieces for this! Salt and pepper both pieces all over with a total of 1 teaspoon dried rosemary as well. Then, smear 1 teaspoon of the stone ground mustard along the entire length of one side of the tenderloin. This is going to be the "middle" once we put the 2 pieces together. Then, put one piece across the laid out butchers twine with the mustard side up. Cover the mustard with the diced apple. Then take the other piece of tenderloin and put it mustard side down on top of the first. (Note: most tenderloins have a thin end and a big end, try to match these up big end to thin end so that it cooks through evenly.) Then tie with the twine to keep them tightly together. You don't want those yummy apples escaping!!!

Now, pick up the tenderloin and lay the flatted pieces of apple under it. (See... I told you it would all make sense later!) Now, cook according to package instructions for the pork loin, for mine- it was at 375 for one hour.

Now, in a saucepan combine 1/2 cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon of the stone ground mustard, 1 tablespoon bourbon, and 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary and simmer until it becomes a nice glaze. (Honestly, mine was more of a liquid that I spooned over the meat in the last 15 minutes, but I think a glaze would work better next time.)

As I said, spoon over in the last 15 minutes of cooking several times. Also, once the meat is done cooking allow it to sit on the counter and rest to let the juices redistribute. Top with the glaze one more time for the resting period.

Now get another pan going with salted water till it boils. Then place trimmed green beans in the boiling water and allow them to blanch for three minutes. Drain and immediately submerge the green beans into ice water to stop the cooking process. Then drain again. Return the pot to the heat and coat with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Then add 1/2 cup of diced onion then top with salt and pepper and allow it to sweat for about 4 minutes or until translucent. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 cup apple juice. Allow to simmer until it has thickened (should only take a minute or two) and then add the green beans until thoroughly coated. Serve immediately. The process of cooking the green beans takes almost exactly the time you need to allow the juices to redistribute in the meat! And that is no accident!!! :)

This meal was incredibly delicious! I loved that when sliced the pork looked like a sliced apple! (The apple looks like the core!)