Chicken soup

With winter here, and everyone having sniffs and coughs I made some chicken soup for the family.  You can make it with a whole chicken that you roast yourself, or buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to save some time and effort {for those lazy day's}.  If you feel that you need a more intense flavour, add a tablespoon of chicken stock powder.  {Serves about 4 to 6 people}

What you need: 

1.5kg Whole chicken cleaned {You can also use a cooked rotisserie chicken}
10 cups Water {To cover chicken}
1 Celery stalk {Finely chopped}
1 Carrot {Peeled, and chopped into small blocks}
1 small Onion {Finely chopped}
2 cloves Garlic
1 cup Rice pasta {or any small soup noodles}
2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
2 springs Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 200°C, and bake chicken in baking dish until golden brown {about 1 hour} {or you can buy a rotisserie chicken from the shop}

Once the chicken is done.  Bring the water to boil on stove top and transfer the whole chicken into the pot.  Add the thyme, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic.  Cover and cook for 15 min.  

Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool slightly.  

Remove the skin {and discard} then remove the meat off the bones and add to the water.  {If you have a lot fat on the stock, skim off the top before adding the meat} 

Simmer for about 20 min, then add rice pasta, and cook for another 10 minutes until pasta is cooked.  

Stir through the parsley, pepper and plenty of salt {to taste} 

Serve with bread crusty bread.

my mommy's pea soup

This is what they call a hearty soup, a meal in a bowl.  I don't add the frankfurters, because I don't eat it :-) but my mom puts them in! If the soup is too thick just add a little more chicken stock...

What you need:

2 tablespoons oil 

3 medium onions chopped

3 medium potatoes cubed

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

500g (a packet) split peas rinsed until water runs clear

spring of thyme

6 chicken breast fillets cut into pieces

300g kassler steaks/rashes

6 frankfurters sliced

2 liters chicken stock

2 tins petit pois drained

Fry the onions and the garlic in the oil for a few minutes.  

Then add the potatoes, peas and the thyme and fry for a further 5 min or so stirring.

Add the chicken stock and allow to simmer for about 30 to 45 min (until potatoes and peas are soft)

While simmering fry the chicken and the kasseler steaks in a pan.

Allow pea mixture to cool slightly, and wizz it until smoooth (I don't like it too smooth)

Add the meat, and simmer for another 30 to 45 min

Before serving add the petit pois and stir it through so it can heat up

Serve with croutons or just as is.

Bon appetit :-)

baby marrow and feta soup

Cape Town's winter is slowly creeping up and what can be more yummy than home made soup, fresh bread and a glass of red wine on a rainy evening! This recipe Grete, a housemate at varsity use to make and I just loved it, I still often make it! It's quick and easy...

FYI:

The zucchini or courgette is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. 

In Nothern America and Australia the plant is commonly called a Zucchini.  The name Courgette is a French loan word and is commonly used in Great Britian, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.  In South Africa the fruit is typically harvested as a baby vegetable, approximately finger size and referred to as a Baby marrow. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucchini)

What you need:
700g baby marrows
2 medium onions
1 clove garlic crushed
2 medium potatoes peeled and sliced in cubes
a sprig of thyme
800ml chicken stock (I use 2 stock cubes dissolved in 800ml water)
3 - 4 rounds of feta
250ml cream (optional)

Fry the onions and garlic in a bit of oil until they start browning.  

Then add the potatoes and fry for a further 2 min.

Add the baby marrows and the thyme and fry for another 2 min.

Add the chicken stock and allow to simmer for about 15 min or until potatoes are soft and breaks when you stir the soup.

Flavor with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the pot from the stove and allow to cool for about 10 min.

Using a hand blender, to smooth out the soup. (remove the thyme sprig before smoothing out)

Crumble half of the feta into the soup and stir it in with the half of the cream.

To serve swirl a dollop of cream on the bowl, crumble feta in the middle and add a sprig of thyme!

Enjoy with fresh bread...