Chicken Soup For The Cold

Well, I am feeling quite proud of myself. I've had a head cold for a little while now and my body has been aching, feeling so drained of energy. It's at times like these that I miss living at home where my mom and dad can take care of me. Living on your own has its downfalls, like still having to do everything even when you're sick. Wash the dishes, clean the house, feed the dog. But back to why I'm feeling proud of myself. I actually found the energy to go out shopping for the ingredients and then cook this chicken and dumplings soup!

I wanted chicken soup because they say it's a good remedy for the common cold. After going through the Tim Horton's drive-thru for their chicken noodle soup yesterday, I was somewhat disappointed. I went mostly for the convenience, and because it tastes good, but the tiny slivers of chicken meat left much to be desired. There were probably only 2 or 3 little morsels of chicken in the whole bowl! I like big chunks of chicken, hearty and homemade.

So after a long and much-needed afternoon nap, I headed to the grocery store, picked up some veggies and headed back home to spend some time by the stove. Thankfully, my basement suite remains cool enough for me to be able to spend time by the stove in this hot weather. The result was this beautiful chicken and dumplings soup that was the perfect remedy for a sniffling, aching body. I'm not completely cured yet but I'm definitely getting there. I'm hoping the leftovers will see me all the way through!

2 tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, cut into one-inch chunks
2 large carrots, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
2 tsp plus 1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen peas

In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery and 2 tsp poultry seasoning. Stir, cover and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/8 cup flour and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the brother and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken pieces in the pot, reducing the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining flour, poultry seasoning, baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Gradually stir in the milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and easily drop from the tip of a spoon. Set aside.

Stir in the peas into the pot. Drop the batter in simmering liquid in heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart. This is becaise they swell as they cook. Cover and summer until the chicken is tender and the dumplings are firm, about 15-20 minutes.

Serves 2.

Oatmeal Cranberry Spice Cookies

A lady from LA e-mailed me a couple of days ago asking about oatmeal raisin cumin cookies. I was intrigued, and decided to experiment in the kitchen. The result was these oatmeal cranberry spice cookies. For the most part it's just a modification of the previous recipe for oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies.

These cookies are mildly spiced. If you want the spice flavours to be a little more pronounced, I suggest increasing the amount of cumin and cardamom as directed below. You can also substitute any other type of raisin. Personally I'm not a fan of raisins, but I don't mind cranberries, so I went with that.

I had some in the morning with a little masala chai -- a perfect way to kick start the day with a little spice!

Tip: If you don't have ground cardamom on hand, just break open some green cardamom pods, extract the seeds that hold all the flavour and grind in a spice grinder. Or you could crush them with a mortar and pestle. Discard the pods.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (or 1/2 tsp for more spiciness)
1/8 tsp ground cumin (or 1/4 tsp for more spiciness)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tbs milk
1 cup dried cranberries (or other raisin)
2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large mixer (or by hand with a large fork/spoon/whisk) until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture and milk. Stir in cranberries and oats. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375F oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are crisp but centers are soft. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Everyone has their favourite cookie, and this is mine -- chunky and moist. My friend Sarah passed it on to me a few years ago when we were roommates. The original version had chocolate chips and less oatmeal. But I love oatmeal so I increased the quantity and reduced the chocolate. But it isn't noticeable because instead of using chocolate chips, I switched to chocolate chunks. A definite improvement :)

I'm not really into baking, but this I don't mind because it is SO easy. I don't even have a mixer, just brute arm strength. Of course, I make sure the butter has softened first. Hehe...

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tbs milk
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large mixer (or by hand with a large fork/spoon/whisk) until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture and milk. Stir in chocolate chips and oats. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375F oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are crisp but centers are soft. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Pumpkin French Toast

I'm a big fan of pumpkin, so it's not one of those ingredients I only reserve for the month of November when it seems the world pays its tribute to pumpkins. Thank goodness for canned pumpkin puree!

This is a recipe I actually saw in a Glad Press'n Seal promo in the November 2005 issue of Everyday Food. I modified it to my own liking as usual and really enjoyed it. Let the bread soak overnight for best results.

4 thick slices bread
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch coarse salt
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup evaporated milk (or half and half)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
1 tbsp orange juice (or orange liqueur)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
maple syrup, pancake syrup or honey

Combine sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in pumpkin, milk, eggs, ginger, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice. Pour mixture into a large pan (9x13 or bigger). Add bread slices, turn over once, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning...

Preheat oven to 250F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp butter and when it starts to sizzle, add two bread slices. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until it is golden brown. Repeat with next two slices while the first batch stays warm in the oven on a baking sheet. Serve with syrup or honey.

Serves 2.

Cumin & Coriander Chicken

This is my signature dish, the namesake of my food blog. It's creamy and indulgent but is easier on the arteries than your average butter chicken. Plus it's really quick and easy to make. I'd give this a 6/10 on the spice.o.meter, and recommend you adjust the quantity of chili powder according to your own tastebuds. You can do it! ;)

2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
a little bit of hot water (Tip: Boil some before cooking and add as needed from the kettle)
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed into 1-inch pieces
3 heaped tbs fat-free sour cream
2 tbs evaporated milk
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium non-stick saucepan. Fry the onion until over medium-high heat until browned.

Add the ginger and garlic pastes and stir. Next mix in the cumin, coriander, chili and salt. Add water to cover the onion mix. Cook for about a minute.

Turn up the heat and add the chicken. Cook until opaque, about 2-3 minutes, then stir in the sour cream and evaporated milk one tablespoon at a time. Add enough water to create a gravy with the consistency of half-and-half cream. Sorry, I don't measure but even if you add too much water, it's ok you can just cook it until some of it evaporates. Stir in the paprika. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Plate and sprinkle with fresh coriander. Serve with naan and a lemon wedge.

Serves 4.