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Monthly Archives: December 2011

Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

06 Dec
Chicken Noodle Soup Close-Up

Chicken Noodle Soup Close-Up

The day I made this Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, I was recovering from a massive hangover. So I can officially state this is a great recipe to help cure/soothe a hangover.

It’s not the most traditional Chicken Noodle Soup — I added a few extra veggies. However, it came out well and it’s the perfect soothing meal for those days you just don’t feel like getting of the couch.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds)
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 5 oyster mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sugar snap peas, chooped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 package whole wheat spaghetti, uncooked
  • 2 TBSP Cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
    • Sauteing Veggies

    Sauteing Veggies

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large stockpot, saute garlic and onion in olive oil for about 1 minute.
  2. Add in remaining vegetables, bay leaves, seasoning and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer then place in whole chicken and cook, covered, for 1 hour.
  3. After 1 hour, remove chicken from pot and cut into small skinless pieces and add back to pot along with pasta. (If the chicken isn’t fully cooked, you can throw undercooked pieces back into the pot so don’t worry.)
    4. Chicken Noodle Soup

    Chicken Noodle Soup

  4. Simmer/boil until pasta is cooked.
  5. Remove soup from heat and serve, garnishing with fresh cilantro.

You can add whatever vegetables you want to this as Chicken Noodle Soup is a very versatile soup dish. Also, this is a great nutritious meal if you use reduced sodium chicken broth.

I garnished mine with fresh cilantro and served with fresh avocado and cornbread. The cornbread goes really well with the overall dish and the avocado adds a cool element to the hot temperature of the soup.

 
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Posted by on December 6, 2011 in Cookin', One-Pot Wonders, Recipes, Soups/Stews

 

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Review: St. James Cheese Company

05 Dec
Beecher's Cheddar

Beecher's Cheddar

I’m spoiled when it comes to good cheese thanks to St. James Cheese Company being located only two blocks from my house. It’s always a treat to stop in whether it’s for lunch or to pick up some cheese.

Another big reason for a visit is the weekly cheese classes. For $20, you get six samples of cheese and six sample glasses of wine (or beer). It’s a great deal, plus, it’s educational.

Aside from the great weekly classes, the prepared food is another highlight for St. James Cheese Company. On my last visit, I had the Beecher’s Cheddar, a smoked turkey sandwich on ciabatta with fresh basil, tomato and avocado. I got mine with no tomato, but it’s a a great sandwich with come complex flavors that come from simple ingredients.

One of the best salads is the Manchego. It’s a bed of arugula with almonds and pear with a quince vinaigrette. It’s probably my second favorite salad to the summer salad that comes with prosciutto and peaches.

Manchego Salad

Manchego Salad

The Ploughman’s Lunch is another great option that gets you a little bit of everything: three cheeses, pork pie, salad, bread and chutney. It’s one of the best things on the menu.

If you only stop in to grab and go, this is your place for cheese. In fact, the best cheese I’ve ever had came from St. James Cheese Company. Called Humboldt Fog, a goat’s milk cheese that described as “creamy and luscious with a subtle tangy flavor.” If you can’t decide on a cheese, just ask one of the cheesemongers for advice and they’ll hook you up with one appropriate for you event or wine pairing.

St. James Cheese Company really has it all when it comes to cheese. Whether you stop in for lunch, to grab and go, or for a cheese class, you’ll leave satisfied and with a full belly.

St. James Cheese Company is located at 5044 Prytania St. in Uptown New Orleans. Their hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri. and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.

 
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Posted by on December 5, 2011 in Eatin'

 

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SEC Championship Preview: LSU vs. UGA

02 Dec
American and LSU Flags

LSU if flying high

It’s the match-up that doesn’t matter (just don’t tell these Tigers): LSU vs. UGA. Well, I guess technically, it matters for the record books, but is anyone really under the impression LSU’s ticket to the BCS Championship isn’t already punched?

Other teams get to take a week off (Alabama) before heading into the bowl season, but LSU will look to make it win number 13. And for the record, I think the extra game helps LSU and couch surfing hurts Alabama.

Anyway, I’m getting ahead of things, back to the game at hand. UGA comes in on a 10-game win streak after dropping it’s first two. LSU comes in on a 13-game winning streak dating back to last year’s Cotton Bowl.

On paper, not much separates these two teams. Both UGA and LSU allow less than 100 rushing yards a game and less than 200 passing yards per game. On offense, LSU averages 215 rushing yards per game versus UGA’s 180. UGA has a better passing attack at 255 yards per game to LSU’s 176. But the stats never tell the full story.

LSU’s passing game is built on efficiency rather than big plays. The Tiger rushing game is what pounds opponents into submission. I just don’t see this changing against UGA — no matter how stout the stats say the Bulldog run defense is.

The LSU special teams will also play a factor as they have all season. LSU is allowing a ridiculously low 0.46 yards per punt return — less than a foot and a half! If there’s a record for fewest punt return yards allowed for the season, this has to be it.

Eye of the Tiger

Eye of the Tiger

Another huge factor pointing to an LSU victory is experience. LSU has more big-stage experience at this point and knows how to not only play on the big stage, but to excel on it. Despite the game taking place in Georgia, I know the Tiger faithful will travel well and override the Georgia supporters in the Georgia Dome.

I see LSU running and running and running and coming up with defensive stops play after play to make this is a routine contest. I’ll take the Tigers by a score of 37-13.

LSU has seized it’s BCS destiny this year and it seems the whole team is aware of the stakes of every game. Thirteen and Eaux is about to become a reality in Atlanta. Forget Christmas and New Year’s, Jan. 9 is the most important date circled on Tiger players and Tiger fans calendar. Start the countdown to a Tiger Takeover in New Orleans!

Here’s some pregame entertainment for you: Protectors of the SEC.

 
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Posted by on December 2, 2011 in Livin', Uncategorized

 

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Recipe: Ground Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

01 Dec
Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers

After about a week of decadent dishes (lots of duck fat), I’m taking a step back and doing a simple recipe with a low degree of difficulty: Stuffed Bell Peppers.

This is one of those dishes that can be made a variety of ways with a wide variety of ingredients. It’s the perfect mix-and-match recipe. My recipe uses ground turkey, brown and wild rice and a variety of different colored bell peppers.

Ingredients

  • 4 bell peppers (different colors, if available), cored and seeded
  • 1/2 cup brown and wild rice mix, cooked
  • 1 pound ground turkey meat
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red onion, minced
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP cumin
  • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
    2. Ground Turkey Stuffing

    Ground Turkey Stuffing Mix

  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent (about 3-4 minutes).
  3. Add ground turkey meat, cumin, salt and pepper and cook until browned (about 10-12 minutes).
  4. Combine prepared rice mix and ground turkey in the skillet.
  5. Oil a baking pan and place bell peppers upright then stuff 1/3 full with ground turkey and rice mixture. Then, layer in 1/2 of the cheese among the four peppers. Repeat stuffing layer and cheese layers until the peppers are fully stuffed.
  6. Place stuffed bell peppers in oven and cook 12-15 minutes, until peppers are soft. For softer peppers, cook longer.
  7. Remove peppers from oven and serve upright.

Bell Pepper Variety

Bell Pepper Variety

I like my peppers on the crunchier side so I don’t cook them so long that they get soggy. It’s a personal preference and since you can’t really burn the peppers at 350F, feel free to cook them longer if you don’t want such a crunchy texture.

Each different color or bell pepper has a unique taste and even different nutritional facts. I’m partial to red and yellow, but enjoy every color. If you haven’t tried every variety, this is a great recipe to adventure with.

The Stuffed Bell Peppers can get a little messy if the stuffing starts to fall out, but they’re worth it. As an alternative, you can slice the bell peppers in half and lay them in the pan before stuffing. I think the presentation is better when the entire pepper is stuffed.

 
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Posted by on December 1, 2011 in Cookin', Eatin', Entrees

 

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