Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Someone once said, "Chicken soup is good for the soul.", and I have to say, that I agree. Chicken soup is warm, comforting, and full of "Make you feel better about anything" goodness. It's one of the very first things I think about when fall arrives and the weather cools and noses start to get stuffed up. I'm pretty sure chicken soup is sort of magical.

We needed some magic last night, for sure. We had a rough start that morning and it really just set a bad tone for the day. I had, thankfully, made some chicken stock overnight in our crock pot and had some leftover chicken from the previous night's dinner. It was as if the universe had perfectly aligned... I knew what I had to do! It was definitely a "Chicken Soup" night! And not just any chicken soup, oh no! It was a "Chicken Pot Pie Soup" sort of night.

Here is my method:

2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized chunks
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2-3 ribs of celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup peas
5 cups of chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper

Over med-high heat, melt your butter and toss in the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and saute until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add in the flour and continue to stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. It's going to seize up and that is okay. Just don't let it burn! Add in the chicken stock and stir until it starts to thicken and bubble. Toss in the peas, bay leaf and thyme, reduce the heat to med-low and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Stir in the milk and cream and add the salt and pepper. Allow it to heat through and serve with hot out of the oven biscuits.

Mexican Chicken

This is a huge family favorite and I make it nearly every week. It's beyond simple, extremely versatile, and pleases every person in this house. So, in other words, this dish is full of win! We use it for all sorts of Mexican dishes, filling for enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, but also as the base for chicken enchilada soup or white chicken chili. Talk about versatility! And, the added bonus is that we can get 3-4 meals out of one batch, so it's extremely economical.

The best part, though, about making this dish is that I don't have to babysit it while it cooks. Oh no, this beauty of a recipe cooks up in my crock pot. I chuck the ingredients, set it to low and off we go. By the time we make it back in the house, the air smells SO ridiculously divine. I take a quick minute to chuck the cooked chicken in my Kitchen Aide mixer with the paddle attachment and viola, perfectly cooked and shredded chicken for the masses!

This is my method:

4 chicken breasts, frozen
2 cans of tomato and chilis
2-3 Tbs of taco seasoning (about 1 packet, but I make my own and so should you!)
1 lime, juiced

Chuck it all, except the lime, into your crock pot, set it to low and walk away. In 6 hours, you'll have the best chicken EVER! You can shred it with two forks or chuck it in your mixer. Toss in the lime juice and mix to incorporate and use as you'd like.

Chicken Katsu

The very first thing I heard, upon arriving in Japan, was, "Japan will get inside you, take root, and change you forever.". Nothing could have been more true! There is something magical about that country that I can't quite do justice with mere words. But, the moment I stepped off the plane and walked out of the airport, I knew Japan had stolen my heart and would live within me for the rest of my days.

Why were we in Japan? Because the navy took us there. And for 3 amazing years, we soaked in the culture, the beauty, and the food. Oh, but do the Japanese know how to cook! I think what impressed me the most is how simple many of the dishes we grew to love actually were to prepare and how incredibly balanced many of their dishes are. It became my mission to learn as many as I could, so that once we went back to the U.S., I could still keep a piece of Japan with us.

Chicken katsu is one of our favorites. It is, at it's very core, simply fried chicken. It is often made with pork, which is called "Tonkatsu", which is even more amazing and should definitely be tried. It has an incredibly crispy coating, thanks to the use of Panko, is lightly seasoned and fried very quickly in hot oil. I rarely ever fry anything, but this is a dish for which I gladly make an exception. While on the surface, it doesn't seem to be a stand out dish, it is the katsu sauce that makes it sing. It is tart and intense, with a depth of flavor that really takes the chicken to a whole new level of awesomeness.

Here is my method:

Chicken Katsu

4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
enough oil to come up about a 1/4-1/2 inch up your pan.

Start off by heating your oil, while you get everything prepared. Pound the chicken breasts to a flat and uniform thickness. I like to aim for just over 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and then dredge in the flour, then the egg, and then the panko. Repeat until all the pieces are coated. Fry in the oil for 3-4 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through and the outside is a deep golden brown. remove from oil and allow to rest for about 5 minutes while you make your katsu sauce.

Katsu Sauce

1/4 cup worchestershire sauce
1 oz ketchup
1 Tbs soy sauce

Mix and serve over the chicken.