Rice Noodle Egg Drop Soup with Shiitakes, Cabbage and Chicken

We are well into the first month of 2015 and my wishes are so behind; Happy New Year! So how are those New Year's Resolutions coming along? According to a Nielsen Survey "staying fit and healthy" came in at the top and losing weight was next in line. I'm not surprised. Mine is to be more timely. Clearly, I am behind the Time Square Ball.

You are probably asking yourself, "What does this have to do with soup?" Well, it is healthy! Buying local and knowing where your food source comes from is the first step to good health. Let's take it a step further into your kitchen. When you roast a whole chicken or turkey do you keep the carcass—after you eat the meat—to make a soup stock or throw it out?

If it is the latter, I challenge you to add another New Year's Resolution to your list: keep the carcass and make a soup for good health.

Chicken Stock

Ingredients

• 1 roasted chicken carcass; 3.5 lbs
  (I use Browder's Birds)
  Note: do not discard the neck that comes with the chicken, use for the stock.
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
• Fronds from one small fennel
• Sprig of thyme
• 1 small turnip, cut in half
• 2 garlic heads, cut in half
• 1 bunch of parsley stems
• 1 small onion cut in half
• 3 celery, cut in half
• 1 parsnip. cut in half
• 2 carrots, cut in half
• Water
• 2 tablespoons of sea salt

Directions

1. Place the chicken carcass, vegetables and herbs in a large stock pot. Pour in cold water so it covers the contents by 1-inch. Place over medium heat until it reaches a slow boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, partially covered.
2. Strain the stock; reserve or freeze.
3. Makes about 12 cups.

Rice Noodle Egg Drop Soup with Shiitakes, Cabbage and Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 1-2 chicken breast, shredded
• 1 pound of shiitakes, sliced
• 3 cups of Savoy cabbage, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of ginger, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of scallions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 bunches of Asian rice noodles
  note: the rice noodle packs come with 3 bundles, use 2
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and onion. Sauté the onions until translucent.
2. Add half of the shiitakes and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and stir until it becomes fragrant, 1 minute, then place 2 cups of chicken stock in the pot and deglaze. Cook for an additional 5 minutes before adding the remainder of the shiitakes, stock, cabbage,  shredded chicken and fish sauce.
4. While this cooks for 10 minutes, boil a pot of water for the rice noodles.
   note: it takes 3 minutes to cook the rice noodles.
5. Once rice noodles are done, drain in a colander and reserve.
6. Beat two eggs. Stir the pot so a vortex occurs and slowly pour the beaten eggs into the soup. Cook for 1 more minute, then shut off heat and place the scallions in; stir.
7. Place a serving of the rice noodles in a deep soup bowl.
8. Place the soup mixture on top of the noodles and serve.
   
   Serves 6

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is my favorite time of year. And what comes with the autumn season? The second harvest. Now is the time, that winter squash of all shapes and sizes are piled high for weekend warriors to snatch up at roadside stands, farms and farmers markets. The squash are so precariously piled that children should be wearing helmets when passing by. Kids are naturally drawn to the pumpkin for making spooky  jack-o'-lanterns; thankfully, they are scattered within the fields for the little guys to wrap their arms around.

I adore butternut squash for its deep-orange fleshy sweet and buttery pulp; even more so than the beloved pumpkin for making pie. When mashed, this steals the show as a side and when made into a gnocchi, your friends and family will be oohing and aahing for days.

Equally delicious, is a luscious roasted butternut squash soup with a dab of crème fraîche, a drizzle of pumpkin oil and a sprinkle of the pulp seeds that are toasted. This soup is an easy meal to whip-up during a hectic work week. If you do not have an immersion blender, get one as soon as possible. This will be in your top three go to kitchen gadgets. I promise you.

Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, 2lbs or 7-8 cups
• 1 medium rutabaga, 1 cup
• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 large onion
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoons of crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
• Drizzle of olive oil

Garnish

• Drizzle of crème fraîche
• Drizzle of pumpkin oil
• Toasted butternut seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Peel, deseed and cut the butternut and rutabaga into small chunks. The cut the onion in quarters. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
3. Bake for 1 hour or until fork tender.
   
   Note: You can boil the above in the broth and skip the roasting to save time. The roasting imparts a deeper flavor.
    
4. Place stock in a large soup pot. Begin to simmer 15 minutes before squash mixture is done roasting.
5. Place the squash, rutabaga, ginger and onion in the simmering stock. Add the crème fraîche, butter and salt.
6. Take an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and cracked pepper.
7. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
   
   Note: If you do not have an immersion blender place the roasted squash mixture and ginger into a food processor and blitz until completely smooth. Then add to the stock.
   
   Roasted Seeds
    
8. Preheat oven to 275°.
9. After removing the seeds from the squash, rinse with water, and remove any strings and bits of squash. Pat dry, and place on baking sheet lined with parchment or aluminum foil.
10. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 15 minutes, or until seeds start to pop.
    
    Note: If you have a double oven you can toast the seeds while you roast the squash or while soup is simmering.
    
    Garnish
    
    Drizzle with crème fraîche, pumpkin oil and a sprinkle of the toasted butternut seeds.