Recipe Rant: Summer Vegetable Chicken Soup

A touch of a summer time cold prompted me to whip up a homemade chicken soup. With the garden over flowing with vegetables, it wasn't hard to be inspired. Even Munchkin enjoyed all the veggies in the comforting concoction.

Summer Vegetable Chicken Soup

1 tbls olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (I use Pacific Organic)
1 cup water
1 tbls flour
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1/2 cup orzo
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup chopped summer squash
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
chopped basil for garnish

Saute onion in oil until soft. Add carrots and continue sauteing until onions are start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth. Stir flour into water until lumps are gone. Add mixture to broth while stirring. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Add chicken and orzo. Simmer until pasta is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add green beans. Cook 3 minutes. Add squash and cook an additional 4 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with basil.

Recipe Rant: Chicken Parmesan

Here's another hands-off recipe I created when Munchkin was a baby. It's easy to throw in the oven and forget about until it's time to eat. By skipping the traditional breading, time and calories are saved. The secret is using flash frozen chicken breasts sold in "value" bags at the supermarket.

Ingredients:

4 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts (all about the same size; if large, use 2)
2 cups Prego jarred marinara sauce
4 1-0z. slices of mozzarella
2 tbls. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray bottom of 9 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place frozen chicken in pan without overlapping. Bake until no longer pink in the center, about 35 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup sauce over each chicken breast. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top, then place mozzarella slices over each breast. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Serve with over cooked spaghetti with a side salad.

Serves: 4

Recipe Rant: Hot Wings

It seems to be my internal quest to duplicate the foods we like to order at restaurants. Hot wings have long been one of these favorites. Many versions have been prepared in my kitchen, but this is by far the easiest.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs fresh wingettes and drumettes
seasoning salt (like Johnny's)
1/4 cup Louisiana style hot sauce (like Frank's Red Hot)
2 tbls melted margarine or butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil. Spray a pan sized baking rack (I use a cooking cooling sheet) on both sides with cooking spray. Place chicken pieces skin side up on rack. Sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt. Cook until internal temp is 180 degrees and skin is crispy; about 45 minutes. Combine margarine or butter with hot sauce. Toss wings in sauce and serve while hot.

Tips: If you like it hotter, stir some Tapatio hot sauce into the mix. For a milder taste, use a higher margarine to hot sauce ratio.

Serves: 2