Homemade Noodles or Pasta strands

   Today is National Noodle Day. I guess that goes right along with being National Pasta Month. I asked my husband what he wanted with noodles today, so I could whip some fresh ones up, and do you know what he asked for? Fettuccine Alfredo.

   Well, I have never made noodles for that before, I usually make noodles for chicken soup or turkey soup, after Thanksgiving, but, hey, he wants fresh made noodles with Alfredo sauce? I'm in! What's the worst that could happen? The noodles are so awful, I'll have to pull a pack of dried pasta out of the cabinet and boil new ones, but I honestly doubt that's going to happen, as long as everyone realizes that without a pasta roller, (no, that's one kitchen gadget I do not yet own, but I'm working on it) the noodles will be a bit thicker than the dried ones you buy in the store. All the better, if you ask me.

   Hmmm....Son number two will be home tonight, as this is his last day to work for the week--he works four 10-hour days, so I had better make sure I have plenty. That "boy" loves his pasta!
  The easiest pasta or noodle recipe I have found calls for 1 cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and up to 2 tablespoons water. I just multiplied that by three to make sure I made enough noodles for dinner. These come out denser than commercially prepared noodles, but my family loves them. 
   I mixed up the batch in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, because my hands cramp when I try to knead, which is why until I got the Kitchen Aid I did not make much bread. Now? fuggedabowdit!
   After mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough for about 5 minutes, I let the dough rest for another 10 minutes; helps the gluten to relax, which, in turn, helps the noodles stay tender. I cleared off a large section of my (much too large) island, dusted it with flour and cut the dough into 2 sections.         
   Keeping one section covered with a damp dishtowel, I rolled out the first section as thin as I could get it, and as close to a rectangle I could get, and believe me, that part is not easy. You roll one way, turn the dough a quarter turn to the right (or left) and roll again, turn, roll, turn, roll, (I'm sure you get the picture). By turning and rolling you get almost a rectangle or square. Don't worry if you rip the dough. Sprinkle a drop or two of water on the dough by the rip, overlap a good piece of dough and roll it in. And don't get anal about it being perfectly square on the edges...come on now, you're not a machine, and who's going to know? You? Are you going to tell? Well, neither am I. You can trim away the squiggly end and toss them, if you like, but this is homemade, a little imperfection is, well, just perfect in my mind.
   The dough ended up rolling thinner than I have ever gotten it before. I used a pizza cutter and cut into nice fettuccine noodles, put them on a rack to dry for about and hour, while I waited for my husband to come home.

    I don't make the sauce until everyone is home, Alfredo sauce does not hold well.  The sauce consists of 1 stick of butter (unsalted preferably), 2 cups of heavy cream, (no this is not a low-calorie dish), 1-1/2 cups of Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, preferably freshly grated, just make sure you use real cheese and not some faux cheese.
   Melt the butter in a heavy bottom saucepan, I use a 3 quart size, you can probably get away with a 2 quart. Wait until the butter is just a pool of liquid. Slowly add all the cream, stir, and heat slowly just until it comes to a simmer.  Unless you are ready to drain the macaroni, do not go any further at this time. 
   Get your salted water to a boil in a LARGE (8 quart) pot. Macaroni cooks best in lots of water, and sorry no-salt people, you HAVE to salt the water to cook all macaroni. Even just a teaspoon of salt will be better then none, trust me. Put the noodles in the boiling water and stir with a slotted spoon or spider strainer to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom. Now is when you add the Pecorino cheese to the cream and butter over the lowest possible heat, stirring. Stir the noodles in their pot every now and again, it takes 5-8 minutes to cook these thicker than store bought noodles, and they will start floating to the top of the pot. Al dente, "to the tooth" is the way to go here.  
   Drain the noodles well in a large colander and slip into a large glass bowl. Immediately pour the Alfredo sauce over the noodles and toss gently. with tongs and spoon. Grind fresh pepper, if desired over each individual serving.
   Hold onto your hats, you are in for a real treat. This is decadence in the macaroni/noodle world and only special noodles get to swim in such luxury.
   I really hope you give this a try, even if you don't attempt the homemade noodles, get a good brand, preferably imported, noodle and try the sauce. It is really easy, and worth the little extravagance once in a while. Oh, it is definitely not a meal to make often, the fat and calorie counts are quite high, but for a special occasion, go for it! 
   Looking forward to your comments, questions and feedback!

Sweet and Sour Pork

   Today I used the leftover pork I had from the pork roast from the other day. I made sweet and sour pork, as promised. Now this recipe can be accomplished in several different ways. Not working at a real job I elected to put a little more effort into it and used fresh carrots and fresh peppers, although you can certainly use canned or frozen carrots and frozen green pepper if you so desired. I also thought in honor of No Salt week it would be better if I used fresh, although I don't usually use canned carrots anyway, as they become mushy long before I like them to.

   So, I pulled out my trusty mandolin. If you don't have a mandolin, it is another item I wholeheartedly recommend; but I must caution you to ALWAYS use the hand protector--promise me you'll use the handle thingy to hold the vegetables. Okay, then.

  I scrubbed two carrots with a vegetable scrubber, sliced both the bottom and top off on an angle and whipped them over the mandolin. Done, and fast!

  

   I put the carrots in about and inch of water and simmered them for about 7 minutes. They still had a bite to them, but not crunchy. For reasons unknown to me, my family doesn't like crunchy carrots in their meals, except of course, raw carrots with dip,but that's a different blog, somewhere.

   While the carrots were cooking, I cut up a pepper into about 3/4 inch pieces, drained the juice from a can of pineapple chunks, reserving the juice in a measuring cup, and cut up the cooked pork into about 3/4 inch cubes. (I had to make sure there was no sauerkraut remnants left behind, also).

   When the carrots were done I drained them and set them aside for a bit. I beat two eggs with a fork and poured them over the pork in a small bowl. Sprinkled 1/4 cup cornstarch over the pork and, with a spoon, gently tossed the pork around in the cornstarch and egg to nicely coat it all.

   Then you heat a large skillet (10 inch will do) over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, not olive for this application, When the oil ripples toss in the coated pork and move it around with a flat spatula. Here you are browning the coating without trying to remove it from the pork. Flip the pieces over and over until they are light golden brown. Remove the pork and keep warm nearby. 

   To the reserved pineapple juice add enough pineapple OR orange juice to measure 2 cups. Add it to the skillet, add 3/4 cup of sugar (the sweet) and 2/3 cup of cider vinegar (the sour), 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, whatever brand you like. Stir in the green pepper. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Add the carrots, cover, and simmer while you get 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water mixed in a small cup.Remove cover and slowly stream the cornstarch-water mixture into the simmering pot, stirring to avoid lumps. (here you can use your own judgment: if you want your sauce thicker, go ahead and mix and add more cornstarch-water mixture). When you get the sauce how you like it toss in the warm pork, and the pineapple chunks from the can (unless of course, you were REALLY good and used fresh--you get the idea). Stir and heat through. Serve over white or fried rice, with additional soy sauce and Chinese noodles, which are totally optional.

   Hubby told me that I haven't lost my touch, it was perfect--AGAIN! 

   Touchdown, AGAIN! 

Hope you enjoy yours. Hey, how about telling me how yours turned out?

Sweet and Sour Pork (can also use Chicken)

• 3 cups cooked cut up boneless pork or chicken
• 1 cup sliced cooked carrots (or 1-2 cans drained well)
• 1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch-separated
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 can pineapple chunks in juice
• about 1 cup of pineapple or orange juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons water
• Cooked rice or cooked fried rice

Heat oil in 10 inch skillet. Toss the pork or chicken with the beaten egg in a small bowl, Sprinkle with cornstarch and gently toss to coat. Add pork to the hot oil and stir it around with a spatula, browning all sides. Remove pork and keep warm. Add enough pineapple or orange juice to the reserved juice to equal 2 cups, add to skillet. Add the sugar, the vinegar, and the soy sauce, stir to mix completely. Add the green pepper, cover and simmer 3 minutes, add the carrots, cover and simmer another 2 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons water to make a medium thick slurry.  Swish it into the skillet, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. When you achieve the thickness you like, add the pork and the pineapple. Stir and heat through. Serve over rice or fried rice.

This would probably work with shrimp, as well. I would try using one pound of completely peeled and deveined shrimp, whatever size you prefer.

Apricot Jam

   Yesterday was National Taco Day, and since I didn't think I had anything substantial to tell you about tacos, I proceeded to prepare apples for canning apple pie filling, something I have done many, many times.

   The difference, this time, was that the canning website I use recommends hot packing apples rather than cold packing. Hmmm... I have cold packed the pie filling before and didn't have any problems, but trying to make sure I don't kill anyone with my canned foods, I cooked the pie filling. Problem with that is cooking the apples shrinks them, so I had to keep peeling and adding apples to get the full half gallon I was attempting to can.

   Why half gallon, you ask?  Well, I usually use just about two quarts per pie, with just a little bit that doesn't fit, so I figured that canning half gallons would make it easier on me. Just goes to show logic is not always what it seems.

   Why canning half gallons is so much more work, I cannot tell you, but it took me most of the afternoon to can ONE half gallon, only to find later on the internet, that the USDA no longer recommends canning half gallons, although they did not disclose the reason. Oh, bother! So not only did it seem like a lot more work, now I am running the risk of poisoning my family. Just great.

   I discussed the issue with my husband, and he said what I was thinking, "just use the half gallons first and don't can anymore." Glad we are on the same page on that issue. Luckily I have only gotten two done, one last week, and one just before I read the no-no from the USDA.

   Today, however, I am working on something I never thought I would get to work on. Homegrown apricots. Yes, you heard me right! (okay, read that right, okay?) One of the apricot trees we planted 25 years ago gave us some fruit. So it is not that this neck of the woods cannot grow stone fruit, just don't count on it and once every 25 years or so, you will be surprised!

   The fruits are not big, by any standard, but the test one proved to taste like apricots, so before they all fell off the tree (or the frost we are expecting tonight kills them), my son, the tallest, went out yesterday afternoon and picked the tree clean. Okay, so we only got 14 fruits, that's 14 more than we ever expected.

   What am I going to do with 14 small apricots? I searched and searched and finally found that the Ball® website has a calculator that allows you to put in the amount and type of fruit you have, and it tells you how much pectin and sugar to use. Who knew?

   So, I have already peeled the fruit, hey, our cockatiel likes apricot skins! Enjoy it, Buddy, you may never get that again! And as I type this my canning jars are in the water being sterilized.

   Skip ahead about two and one half hours. I got two cups of fruit from the apricots and thanks to the Ball® pectin calculator located at:
http://www.freshpreserving.com/tools/reference/pectin.aspx#  
I was able to make three 8-ounce jars of apricot jam. Scroll down after you get the calculation and they tell you what you need to make X-amount of half-pint jars. Well, I ended up with 2 cups of fruit after I cut away the bruises, so I was able to make 3 half-pints--no more half gallons for me, thank you!

   The jam came out a lighter yellow than any apricot jam or preserves I have bought, but, again, tasting the little bit that did not fit into the jars, it tasted just as good, maybe better, and knowing there are no sufites, or sulfuring agents that they use to dry apricots with, well, I am a happy camper. I brought the extra bit over for hubby to taste. He said, and I quote, "mmmm sweet!" and in my husband's language, that means "oh, yeah!"            

    Touchdown!

Loin of Pork with Sauerkraut and Apple Chutney

   In honor of National Pork Month I am making a roasted loin of pork with sauerkraut. Oh, yum. I haven't made one of these is a very long time. Seems that years ago I made it and served it to the family. My eldest son, who has always been a little too sharp for his own good gets up to the table and says to me, "I don't want any of that 'salad-crap'. My initial reaction was to backhand him, but I thought twice about it, and said to him, "I don't serve 'salad-crap', as a matter of fact I don't serve ANY crap." He catches on that I am not happy with his decree, so he points to the sauerkraut, and looks at me with those big hazel green eyes and smiles. "I don't like that stuff, whatever its called."

   Sauerkraut--salad crap--I guess it sounds the same to a three year old. In our house we have always subscribed to the "No-Thank-You-Portion Rule" meaning you have to take a spoonful of the food you don't really want, and you have to try it. My husband and me included, so over the years I have acquired the taste for asparagus and Brussels sprouts--at least to the point that I no longer squawk at my 'no-thank-you-portion', and my husband has tried artichokes and squid.

   I reminded my son of the no-thank-you rule and he, at three, tried to negotiate his way out of the requirement. It was comical. In the end, he stuffed the forkful into his mouth, gagging, then quickly followed it with applesauce to choke it down. His entire body shook. I felt bad and refrained from making this very often, since. Today is probably only the third time since that episode that I made this, and both my husband and I are salivating waiting for dinner time.

   I am chuckling to myself, though, because the same child, no longer a child, is the only one of the "children" that will be home for dinner tonight. Payback time, I guess. I wonder if he will take his no-thank-you portion with dignity tonight.

   The roast is boneless, weighing 6 pounds. Yes, it is rather large for the three of us, but I have leftover pork recipes that I can make later in the week, as well. Sweet and sour pork comes to mind. I have a killer easy recipe for that and I promise to share it. I washed the roast and dried it with paper towel. Then made several little slits in the meat and stuffed little slivers of garlic in the slits. Then rubbed the outside with granulated garlic, something I have never tried before; I will give you my report on that if it turns out to not be a good idea.

   I have about a ton and a half of applesauce in my pantry. Why? read the previous postings and you'll get the picture. I decided I needed to make something different. There is just so much applesauce you can serve to one family before they start throwing it at you. I found an apple chutney recipe. I read it and reread it. Hmmm, it sounded so good. I just had to try it. I just so happened to have everything needed on hand. So, try it, I did!

Apple Chutney

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 6 large tart apples-peeled, cored and sliced thin-toss them in lemon juice-water mix to keep them from browning-drain them before putting them in the pot
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4-1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 more teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2-3/4 cup water, cider or apple juice ( I used the water--I didn't have apple juice?)

In a heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter, add 3/4 of  the apples, the sugar, then everything else, EXCEPT--hold onto some of the water or juice--like 1/4 cup or so to add if the mixture starts to stick or burn. Just let this simmer on the stove on low for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the apples and a little more liquid if needed. The liquid is going to cook off and the mixture will get a little gooey. I add the last 1/4 of apples later on because I like to have some of them with a little bite (al dente, I guess).

   I ended up with about 2 cups of chutney and let me tell you, it is mahhhhvelous! 

   At my eldest son's request I have included a picture. Just bear with me, I am new at the photography end of it and at posting them here, but if things work out, I will be adding photos as we go!

   Sniff, sniff...hmmm I can smell the sauerkraut roasting in the pork drippings...OMG! I can't wait until dinner!
   Love to hear how your roast pork came out, or your chutney!

Here's a photo of the finished pork roast!

Creamy Corn Chowder

October 1, 2011

   This month full of food celebrations, beginning with World Vegetarian Day and National Homemade Cookie Day, today, and National Apple Month and National Chili Month. I could probably fill volumes with those subjects alone, but that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
   One of the celebrations I will personally have trouble celebrating is the No Salt Week observed the first week of October. As I mentioned before, my house is the salt capital of upstate New York, with my husband and eldest son running neck in neck for using the most salt on the strangest things. Applesauce, yes, they salt applesauce. I don't get it. I am told it enhances the flavor, I say, "stop smoking and let your taste buds come back to life and you won't have to artificially "enhance" any flavors", except, as also previously noted, potatoes, especially fried, and all cuts of beef. But that's a different topic and one I do not care to debate here.
   Maybe I could make things that do not require or call for salt, but they salt watermelon and cantaloupe, as well as applesauce, so I am not sure what I could think up would really be guaranteed not to be salted. Ah ha! Hey, I have never seen either of them salt ice cream! But I also do not see serving ice cream for dinner to fit in with the eat better eat healthier celebration that also is observed in October. And my kids are no longer little kids that would really appreciate getting served ice cream for dinner.  I am going to just let that idea float around in my brain for a while and see what might brew. But I would not count on that one coming to fruition.
   I think I need to clarify the No salt idea. It is not that you do not use ANY salt, salt is a very necessary element to the human body--in moderation--you just had to know THAT would come into play. But we Americans use way too much salt, and some of us (me included) have hypertension which is aggravated with the addition of excess salt. So you know the drill, read the labels don't use canned or processed foods, and put down that salt shaker. I have one little pet peeve with salt addicts. PLEASE TASTE the food BEFORE YOU SALT IT. How do you know it needs salt without tasting it first?
   The people from Mrs. Dash® come up with hundreds of recipes that do not call for the addition of salt and I say, this week lets all give one of them a try. I personally like the Sweet Potato Chicken skillet recipe using the Caribbean Citrus Seasoning Blend and I think I am going to try to sneak it in this week, just have to get that blend, as I only have the original on hand.
   I have included a link to Mrs. Dash® website to help you find some salt free recipe to join in the salt free celebration. Please be sure to let me know how your recipe worked out, and post it so we all can share it.
 

No Salt Cooking ideas from Mrs. Dash

   As a standby I will post my favorite corn chowder recipe. I had never had corn chowder until I made this last year for a vegetarian addition to an office party. I was pleasantly surprised on how good it was, so much so that the omission of any meat was not noticed when I served this dish at home, also. Of course, being carnivorous as we are, I served the soup as one course and there was meat in other courses. Hey, I tried!

Creamy Corn Chowder

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (hey--that counts!)
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 stalk celery finely diced
• 2 medium potatoes, diced on the small side
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cans creamed corn
• 1 cup frozen kernel corn (I use Price Chopper Brand frozen corn--it is the sweetest corn out there)
• 2 quarts vegetable stock or broth
• 1/4 cup diced green and/or red pepper
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce- you can add more if you want more zip
• 1 cup heavy cream

   Melt the butter in a stock pot. Add the onions and celery and sweat them for about 6 minutes until they start to soften. Add the potatoes, and toss them around in the mix for a few minutes. Add the flour, (you are making a roux). This one comes out rather dry so it won't get bubbly, just stir it around and let it color a bit to cook the flour. Add the broth, slowly, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the two cans of creamed corn, the kernel corn and the peppers. Bring to a gentle boil, lower temp, and let simmer about 10 minutes for the potatoes to finish. Now here you can either stick in your immersion blender or use a potato masher and mash up some of the soup--not all of it, just to get it a little thicker, leaving most of the corn and potatoes whole. Add the hot sauce (or leave it out--but trust me it ENHANCES the flavor) stir in the heavy cream, simmer about 10 minutes.  Done. Notice there's no additional salt, if you can find low sodium creamed corn, go for it, and if you make your own vegetable stock you can also control the salt in that.
   It makes enough for about 8 lunch or first course servings.

   It is really yummy, but for those of you out there who require meat, well, chicken, here's how to make it into chicken corn chowder:
   Use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth and add 1 cup of diced cooked chicken right after you finish "thickening" the soup. Now you have one recipe that can be converted into two, again, two for the price of one. Who loves a bargain?

   Would love to hear how yours turns out!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

   October 2011

   I guess everyday can't be the best. Was feeling a little out of sorts today, and as a result I have not been very productive. Let's see if I can redeem myself with some insight on the coming month of October.

   October has many food celebrations. First of all it is National Apple Month. Hmmm, apples, huh? Well I'm all about that and I have been all over apples for the past few weeks due to the bumper crop I have right in my own  backyard. Then there's National Applejack Month, National Caramel Month (oh, yeah); National Chili Month, National Dessert Month, National Cookie Month, although I would think December should be that one, myself, but I digress. It's also Eat Better, Eat Healthier Month, National Seafood Month, Vegetarian Awareness Month, I guess that goes along with the eat better, eat healthier idea.  Let's not forget National Pickled Pepper Month,  National Pizza Festival Month, National Pork Month, National Popcorn Popin' Month, and National Pretzel Month.

   Wow, that's just the celebrations for the month, then we have the first week is No Salt Week AND National Chili Week, what a combo, and a tough one for my house, the salt capital of upstate New York, at least when we're talking about my husband and eldest son.

    The second week gives us four separate celebrations, besides the daily celebrations, that are: American Beer Week, I'm sure to get some feedback from friends on that one, National School Lunch Week, National Food Bank Week, and National Pasta Week. Geez, Jesse's birthday is this month, and he's my Chili and Pasta Champion, I wonder if there is any correlation? And the Second Thursday is National Dessert Day--remember you spell it with two esses (s) because you want two desserts but can do with only one desert, or something like that.

   The Third week brings us Pickled Peppers Week and National Kraut Sandwich Week. It will be interesting to examine those celebrations. The third Saturday brings us Sweetest Day, which I would have thought was more like February 14, but I am not the one who designated these days, I only report them.

   Finally the fourth week is Chicken Soup for the Soul Week, and we have all month to get ready for that week, chicken soup is good for the body and soul, that one should be fun

   The only thing I see is that, like last month, the celebrations run the gamut, from the really common to the well, borderline weird, with the pickled peppers, but I am sure Peter Piper will appreciate our look at the fare.

   October 1st opens with World Vegetarian Day, so in celebration we'll look at some different, or updated ways to prepare vegetables. What comes to mind immediately is the roasted Brussels sprouts we had a few months back. I am not a very big fan of Brussels sprouts, but get me really small ones and roast them to bring out an underlying, and quite understated, sweetness and they can be rather tasty.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• 1-2 lbs. fresh Brussels sprouts (I usually look for the smallest heads I can find, as they tend to be milder and more tender)
• 3-4 tablespoons good olive oil--leave the extra virgin out of this 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to suit your own taste

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare the sprouts by cutting off the stem edge and remove any outer leaves that are yellowing or look funky. Split the sprouts in half vertically--that's up and down, not across. Toss them with the olive oil and salt and pepper. spread the sprouts on a jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Slip the pan in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so to evenly brown the sprouts. When they are fork tender they are ready. Sprinkle them with salt, and serve immediately.  I think you will be surprised.

   Oh, I guess this is not a recipe for the first week of October, with all that salt. Some things just need the addition of salt: beef, potatoes, macaroni water, and roasted Brussels sprouts. Okay, so we'll wait for week two to make them.

I am looking forward to your review!

Easy Tortellini Soup

   A cold front moved through the area today, bringing a wicked thunderstorm complete with heavy rain, high wind and  much cooler temperatures. Brrr....fall is really here.

   Sitting in my kitchen contemplating what to make for dinner I thought about one of my sons who works on the railroad. No, really, he literally works on the railroad tracks. Today would be the third consecutive day he will be coming in drenched to the bone; even with his rain gear, he somehow manages to get soaked to the skin. Soup, I thought, soup will warm him up, after his hot shower, I'll have some nice hot chicken soup for him to warm up his insides. Okay, but let's make this chicken soup really something he won't be able to say, "no thanks, Mom."

   Jesse is a pasta hound, put pasta in it, on it, under it, and he's in. Ah, I have some cheese tortellini in the freezer; and some leftover chicken fingers. The gears started turning and I turned out a soup that I was very proud of, and a soup that all the men ate. Jesse even ate his BEFORE his shower. Wow.

   Okay, to start off with I decided the soup needed to have some body, but not as thick as a chowder, but heavier than a plain broth. I need a roux. Okay, a thin roux would put just enough 'Umprh' to make it stick to your ribs.

Easy Tortellini Soup

Serves 4

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 rib celery diced small --the smaller the better, so it will just kind of disappear into the broth
• 1 small carrot shredded on the largest hole of a box grater
• 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 48 ounces of chicken broth- I used Progresso® in the box about 1-1/2 boxes
• salt and pepper to taste-- or leave out if you have to watch your sodium intake
• 4 cooked chicken fingers, diced--I removed any of the breading that came loose
• 1 cup cheese tortellini

   In a 3 quart saucepan melt the butter, add the celery and carrot and sweat for about 5 minutes to start to soften the vegetables. Whisk in the flour and cook until smooth, and bubbly. Stir in the dehydrated onion.. Whisk in the broth, being sure to stir the roux up into the broth. It will still look rather thin, broth-like at this point, but just keep going. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes to finish cooking the vegetables and marry the flavors. Add the diced cooked chicken and the tortellini. Cook over low heat until the tortellini is done. Cooking it without a cover will evaporate some of the broth, concentrating the flavors, and by cooking the tortellini  in the broth adds to the heartiness of the broth because of the the retained starch. It takes about 10 minutes to cook the tortellini, and of course that is al dente. Done!

   See, didn't I tell you it was easy? And you also learned how to make a roux at the same time! Two for the price of one. Now, how's that for a bargain?

   Would love to hear your take on this recipe!