Keeping it Simple

Food Bloggers around the globe are talking holiday gift guides and sharing recipes for your best holiday dining experience. I'm right there with them, I have a slew of books I could recommend and a few foolproof recipes up my sleeve that are sure to impress any and all who darken my door on Christmas day.  However, I still need to get dinner on the table between now and then.  So until the big day arrives I find its best to keep it simple and nothing is more simple or satisfying than a great big bowl of soup.  Below are a couple recipes that recently came out of my kitchen.

Chicken Noodle Soup

My 82 year old grandmother was recently a little under the weather. This is a woman who has cooked dinner practically every day of her married life but a couple weeks ago just couldn't get herself to the kitchen. I know its cliched but I made her a pot of chicken noodle soup.

You take a frozen chicken, one possibly on the verge of freezer burn, thaw it and cut it up. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Throw the chicken in a large pot, six quarts should do it. Add some chopped onion, celery, and the few gnarly carrots left in the bottom of the crisper drawer.  Cover it all with water, about  four quarts. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add in a few bouillon cubes if you have them, skim off any scum that may produce if you want. When the meat is tender, practically falling off the bone add in some old fashioned egg noodles, and continue cooking until noodles are cooked through.  Serve with good crusty bread, something homemade if you are so inclined.

Potato Bacon Soup

I found myself with an over abundance of white potatoes, all on the verge of sprouting from improper storage. Craving and needing to make something simple I threw this together.

Take a few strips of thick cut bacon, throw it in a Dutch oven and begin cooking to render the fat. Add in a little chopped onion and garlic, cook for a few minutes then toss in the diced potatoes. Four or five medium ones will do.  Cover with water or broth (chicken or vegetable), cook until potatoes are soft. Using an immersion blender or standard begin pureeing the soup. Stir in a bit of cream or half and half. Garnish with those chives still blooming in spite of being hit with many days of morning frost.