Welcome to My Kitchen

 

Last updated 2/15/2023 at 4:44pm



Springtime means mid-week soup suppers for many area folks. Some cooks have a signature soup they bring to every soup meal, while others like to try a new recipe each time. Soups range in flavors from savory to spicy, with a few having sweet/sour overtones. Some are thick with vegetables or a cream base broth; others are meat or vegetable broth-based with plenty of liquid for sopping up with some toasted bread or crackers.

French Chicken Stew is a combination of both styles. Plenty of savory broth, with just a hint of spicy and chock full of vegetables topped with chicken. Best of all, it cooks nicely in a slow cooker while you go about your day. The original recipe was printed in a 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

French Chicken Stew

4 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced, diagonally

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 large or two medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

1 tsp Italian seasoning

3/4 tsp crushed dried thyme

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Eight skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

2 cups spaghetti sauce

Combine all ingredients except the chicken and seasoned salt. Then place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetable mixture and sprinkle with the seasoned salt. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Stir to incorporate chicken. Serve with toasted bread or crusty rolls—yield: 8 servings.

Note: if fresh green beans are not available, use frozen. Or, you may use canned, stirring them in when the stew is done cooking.

Down-Home Chicken Stew comes from The Lipton Test Kitchen. It boasts similar ingredients to the French Chicken Stew recipe, minus the tomato products. Instead, seasoning relies on the Lipton Recipe Secrets Soup Mix.

Down-Home Chicken Stew

1 Tbsp cooking oil

3 to 3 1/2 pounds of chicken cut into serving pieces

Four carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

Three stalks of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

One large onion, sliced into thin wedges

1 pound small red potatoes, quartered

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Golden Herb and Lemon Soup Mix

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup apple juice or cider

In a 6 quart or larger Dutch oven, heat oil and brown half of the chicken pieces; remove to a platter to hold while you brown the remaining chicken pieces. Return all chicken pieces to the Dutch oven along with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender—yield: 6 servings.

Note: This recipe may be prepared in a slow cooker. Brown the chicken in the oil in a large skillet before placing it in the slow cooker. Also, if you can’t find the Herb and Lemon Lipton mix, substitute 1/4 cup of lemon juice for 1/4 cup of the water and add 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning.

Life is not all soup. I recently tried a recipe for Flank Steak Fajitas.

The recipe on the GypsyPlate website intrigued me as it included a recipe for the Fajita Seasoning. I prefer to make my seasoning mixes because I already have a cupboard full of spices in the mixtures, and if I want more or less of a particular kick, it is easy to adjust.

Flank Steak Fajitas

Fajita Seasoning:

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or red chili flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine thoroughly and store in a tightly covered container.

Fajita Marinade:

2-5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried crushed cilantro

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil for searing steak strips.

Mix marinade ingredients thoroughly and place in a large zip-closure bag and set aside.

Steak Filling and add-ins:

1 1/5 pounds flank steak, cut into thin strips across the grain

1 onion, peeled and sliced into thin strips

1/2 cup each of red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers, cut into thin strips

Add steak slices and 2-3 Tbsp of the Fajita seasoning to marinade in a zip-closure bag and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

When ready to cook, drain steak strips and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and saute onions and peppers along with this 1 tsp of fajita seasoning. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables are tender and crisp. Remove to a plate to hold.

Heat 2 Tbsp butter or olive oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add steak strips and keep stirring on high to give a quick sear. Then cook for 2-3 minutes for medium rare, longer for more well done.

Arrange meat and vegetables on a serving platter. Serve with tortillas to build fajita stacks. Serve immediately with desired condiments—yield: 4 servings.

Note: unless you have a sharp knife, flank steak is easier to slice raw if it is partially frozen. You can cut and refrigerate until ready to use. Also, this mixture is good served over steamed rice or as a topping for baked potatoes.

What are your favorite soups, stews, or chili recipes? Are you a fall and winter-only soup eater, or is soup a year-round menu item at your house? What sides do you like to serve with soup?

Please share your favorite recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, or email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office.

Ashley has hung the container in a prominent place on the front window so it is easy to find. We are beginning to get enough daylight to support a window herb garden. Place pots in a sunny window and grow basil, parsley, chives and cilantro. You can set out some friendly size plants when the weather warms.

 

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