Cheater Chicken Noodle

I admit to having cans of Campbell's Chicken Noodle in my pantry. But those are strictly reserved for those days when I personally am so sick that I can barely function, let alone make a batch of chicken noodle soup.

For all the other times that I want chicken noodle, I make it from scratch, mostly. I am a cheater, really. Ideally, one would simmer a chicken in some water with vegetables and fresh herbs to make a lovely broth, then de-bone and cut up the chicken, strain the broth, and add more fresh vegetables and herbs and homemade noodles. But I'm running a home here. I have toddlers and a husband working night shift, so the kids have to be quiet all day long. I can't slave away in the kitchen for hours.

Obviously, we have had some cooler weather lately so I've been making soups for dinner a lot. I wasn't planing on making chicken noodle yesterday until my husband woke up with a sore throat. I wasn't 100% sure what I was going to make (I was thinking about a chicken pot pie made with whole wheat pastry, something I've never done before) but with him waking up sick sealed the deal on dinner. Fortunately my cheater version of chicken noodle doesn't take all day, only about a half hour or 45 minutes start to finish, and it's not fussy so you're not spending the whole time in the kitchen slaving away over dinner.

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Begin by pouring 2- 1 quart boxes of chicken broth in a soup pot set on the stove at medium heat. Begin dicing 1-2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots, and 1 medium onion and add to the pot. Once those are added, you can season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper, add a little rosemary, thyme, and parsley (maybe a half teaspoon of each dried, a little more if you're using fresh, either fresh or dried are fine, though I usually prefer to work with fresh herbs). Once the vegetables are just starting to get tender, open up a 14.4 ounce can of chicken chunks (I told you this was cheater chicken noodle! I suppose you could use freshly cooked if you wanted to) and add it to the soup, breaking it up with a spoon as you stir it in. I get my chicken from my church's cannery, but I know they sell canned chicken in grocery stores as well. Finally, add 1 or 2 cups of egg noodles, depending on how much you like noodles. I usually go with 2 cups because my kids and my husband all love noodles. I use Country Pasta's Homemade Style Egg Pasta instead of conventional egg noodles. They have a much better bite to them and regular egg noodles simply will not do anymore. Simmer your soup until the pasta is cooked.

Serve with fresh bread or crackers. Don't expect leftovers (we never have any).

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is simply a thick Italian soup made with vegetables. And it is also one of my specialties. You know it's good when your two year old says, "Mom, this is delicious!" Every morsel of food placed on Roo's tray was devoured. Bugs asked for seconds. Sweet hubby was disappointed that the girls and I ate all the leftovers so he was only able to have one serving.

This is one of those meals that I can make in a hurry when all else fails. I always keep cans of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and boxes of pasta (I typically use Barila Plus because of the added nutrition and whole grains) in the pantry, and bags of Italian vegetables in the freezer. I usually stock up with three or four bags when I buy them so I have plenty on hand for those days when I don't feel like thinking about dinner.

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Bring a pot of water with a pinch of salt to a boil. To it, add approximately 4 ounces of pasta. Cook until al dante. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a soup pot on the stove set to medium, drizzle in 2 T olive oil and add 3 cloves garlic, minced (I use jarred garlic, though "real" chefs and foodies will argue that fresh tastes much better-- I can't tell the difference personally). I then sprinkle in 2 t Italian seasoning (McCormics) and a pinch of rubbed sage. Once the room starts to smell garlicky, pour in two 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes (you can use Italian style if you like) followed by two cans of water and an 8 oz can of tomato sauce. Add 1/2 t celery salt and bring to a boil. Add one bag of Italian Style frozen vegetables and bring back to a boil. Drain and rinse one 15 ounce can kidney beans and add the beans and the cooked pasta to the soup.

Serve with crusty bread and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I like making the bread fresh and grating the cheese at the table.