Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch with Handmade Pasta Noodles

 Chicken Soup:

I can't tell you how much I crave a delicious bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. I was inspired to create this recipe after living in Utah and frequently ordering a bowl of Brick Oven's Chicken Noodle soup which was just down the street. Now 12 years later, I think I have it just where I want it to be. Don't be intimidated, it is easier than you think and pretty soon you will be able to whip up a hearty bowl for your whole family. Just pick the options that meets your needs or try a new version and see the difference.  This is also good with Turkey!

Step # 1 Prepare Chicken

Chicken Options:

1 Whole chicken- Roast it or buy a pre-roasted one. Shred off the meat and refrigerate.

or

3-4 Medium Chicken Breasts-

Bone-In Chicken Breasts- Broil or Baked (click here to see how I do it)



Only have frozen or fresh Chicken breasts?

Frozen Chicken breasts- Place3-4 Chicken breasts into stock pot and fill about half way. Bring it to a low boil and cook until chickens are done. Remove chickens from water. Shred chicken and refrigerate. Save your water for the soup!

Fresh Chicken breasts- Broil (click here to see how I do it), grill, baked or boil (as mentioned above). Cube and refrigerate.

Step # 2 Soup Base

Why make a soup base when I already have a stock?

First of all, this recipe is for a soup base which is different from a stock. Plus, I have two reasons why I prefer a soup base over a simple stock. One, I like more flavor without having to add more salt and two, I like a good hearty base which is full of nutrients and more filling so I don't feel like I have to eat more noodles to feel satisfied than I would with a thinner base.  However, you can always skip this step and go straight to step #3.

MAKE A SIMPLE SOUP BASE 

Ingredients:

•  4 Quarts of Pre-Made Chicken Stock (click here for my recipe) -half it with water if it is concentrated.

No chicken stock? Use 4 Tablespoons of Chicken Soup Base (or Bouillon) with 4 quarts of water

• 2 Fresh Carrots, cleaned and chopped
• 2 Fresh Celery with leaves, cleaned and chopped
• 1-2 Fresh Leeks, cleaned and chopped
• 1 Fresh onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 Fresh Sprig or 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
• 1 Teaspoon of Sage
• 1 Teaspoon Thyme
• 1 Tablespoon of dried Dill Weed (optional but wonderful)
• 1 Teaspoon of Curry Powder (optional but wonderful)
• 2 cloves of minced Garlic or Dried
• Leftover Chicken fat or Oil to tenderize the vegetables and keep chicken from drying out. (optional if you didn't leave some in your stock)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to water or stock and bring to a boil. Then, simmer for 20 minutes or until all vegetables are softened. Blend into a liquid base. You can do this with an immersion blender, put into a upright blender or your food processor. If you take it out, add back to pot when blended.

Step # 3- Add Bulk Vegetables

• 4 Carrots- cleaned, peeled, and chopped into bite sizes.
• 4 Celery Hearts- cleaned, peeled, and chopped into bite sizes.

Directions- 

1. Add bulk vegetables to your completed soup base and allow them to simmer while you make your noodles. 

Forgot to add bulk vegetables before you made your noodles?

Add the bulk vegetables right before you start adding your noodles to boiling soup base and cook with noodles until done. (This option is if you are like me and forget to add the bulk vegetables before you cook your noodles. Your noodles will not get over cooked and mushy (they will retain their shape).

Step #4 - Make Your Pasta Noodles

Pasta Dough:

Flour: about 1-2 cups

Olive Oil: As Needed 

Salt: A dash

Eggs: About 2

What Flour can I use? 
These are country style noodles so, I have not made them with Semolina or Durum wheat flours. I have made my noodles with whole red wheat flour, whole brown wheat flour, whole white wheat flour, and unbleached all purpose flour. I have yet to try it with gluten-free all purpose flour. Just keep in mind that the more hearty the flour, the longer you need to cook it and the more dense and chewy it will be. I personally like the whole white wheat and the whole red wheat and the unbleached all purpose flour. It produces a really tender noodle that soaks in the soup base quite well.
 

Prep:

I like to start with 1 cup of flour and 2 eggs and go on from there. Throw together in a bowl and mix with a spoon or your hands (rub a little olive oil on your hands to keep dough from sticking to your hands)

Knead only until your dough can be formed into a ball.
Cover and let is sit for 15-20 minutes at room temp
(it is not going to rise. Letting it sit will make it more pliable and easy to roll out)

 Step #5- Form Noodles

Roll out dough on a well-floured surface and spread flour on top. Roll up dough and cut into disks to unravel noodles. You can cut them shorter or keep them super long. Re-use the flour by brushing up the flour with your hand and adding it to the soup.

Step # 6- Cook Noodles in Soup Base

This is a photo from back in 2009 when I used to make this soup
without a soup base. Not the same at all!

Bring soup base to a boil. Place noodles a few at a time until all of them are in the pot (adding them all at once can created a big lump of noodles. Cook until desired tenderness (about 10-12 minutes depending on thickness).

They will enlarge a little bit and may even break apart if they are too thin. We like ours super long!

The noodles come out nice and tender. You can't beat homemade noodles.

Step #7- Add Chicken

If you haven't shredded your chicken, take your cooled chicken meat, shred or cube it, and add as the final ingredient. It should warm up almost immediately or in a few minutes because the broth will be hot from cooking the noodles.

Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

Homemade Chicken Stock

You really can't compare homemade chicken stock to that of store bought. This golden elixir has made a reputable mark in the culinary world since ancient times and has since been known to prevent and alleviate sickness and other ailments due to it's nutrient dense qualities. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself and see how such savory goodness can come from such simple foods. This is my stock recipe and I have been making my broth this way for years now. Even if I change it up now and then (depending on what ingredients I have), I have always been pleased how it turns out.

I hope you enjoy! 

 

There is a debate out there about whether you should use a fresh whole chicken or a already cooked chicken carcass. According to many chefs, it is a matter of preference as both produce a good broth in the end. I prefer a chicken carcass because I save my left over bones after making a previous meal (which also saves me money). So, I leave it to you.

 

Homemade Chicken Stock

(I also do this with Turkey)

 If you want to make a stock with a leftover carcass and don't have time, just place it in a freezer bag or paper and freeze it for up to two months for the best results.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fresh chicken or leftover chicken carcass
• Cold Water (do not use hot)
• 2 large fresh Carrots, cleaned and cut in half
• 2 fresh Celery stalks with leaves, cleaned, and cut in half
• 1-2 fresh Leeks, cleaned and halved twice (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 large fresh Onion (Any), whole or quartered (leaving the skin on will add color which is fine)
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 fresh sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried Parsley
• 2 fresh sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
• 1-2 Bay Leafs (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (add after the first half hour of cooking. Salt is important as it helps draw the protein out of the bones and creates a cleaner stock)

 

Don't have some of these herbs, you can still make a good broth and add these later if needed in a recipe.

 

Directions:

Assuming that you have a left over chicken or you just roasted one, take all the meat off. Shred chicken pieces and refrigerate to use for other dishes or chicken soups. Place carcass in a stock pot, then fill with vegetables, pepper, herbs, and then cover with cold water (About two inches above contents). Simmer uncovered (Do not boil). This can be an all day thing if you want to make a concentrated stock (8-10 hours) or 4-6 hours of simmering should be good for a lighter stock. You can also throw it in the slow cooker and set it. Stir it about 3 or four times during the first hour to incorporate ingredients, after that, just keep an eye  on it.

 

Make sure you skim the grayish foam out of your stock as it cooks to make a clearer and cleaner stock. If you do not remove the impurities that make up the gray foam, you may have a bitter taste in your stock. The more the water recedes, the more concentrated it will become.  

 

  

Remove carcass to leave only the smaller pieces.

In a large colander, let the pieces drain into a large bowl for a few minutes.

Strain the liquid again (and again if needed) to ensure no bones or small pieces are left. you can also use a cheesecloth.

 

Allow the hot broth to cool down before you refrigerate it. I set mine with ice around and below to help cool it faster. Add more Kosher Salt to taste towards the end of cooling if needed but keep in mind that the salinity will become more prevalent the cooler it gets. Stir occasionally to mix the cool with the hot liquid. When it cools the fat will separate. Either keep the fat and mix back into the broth or take it off freeze separately if desired. Your stock may be gelatinous. This is perfect fine and a good thing at that. If this is the case, you can always spoon it into containers to freeze of refrigerate.

 

After you have refrigerated it at least over night, you can freeze your stock in cubes to save time for your recipes that call for it. One ice cube is about 1/4 cup of stock.

 

Storage:

It us recommended that you freeze your stock until needed. However stock can be kept in the refrigerator for up to six days. If it has been more than 6 days, make sure you bring it to a boil for 8-10 minutes before using.

 

Stock can be kept in the freezer for 4-6 months.

 

Tarantula Cake

In honor of the traditional Cake Walk that occurs during one or two Halloween Carnivals this time of year, I wanted to donate a cake for those kids who enjoy both the spooky and sweet part of this holiday. I had a lot of fun creating this cake. I basically took a photo of a Tarantula and went to work. I admit, it still looks animated more than realistic but hey, it was my first try. My nephew actually thought I was creating one of the spiders that is on the game Mind Craft, but I needed to put a few more red eyes. This was all for fun really, so I thought I would tell you all how I did it.

 Hope you enjoy!

 

You can use any cake recipe you'd like and make it in a bunt pan. I like to use this quick and easy recipe that I got from my friend Stephanie Ashcraft, who is the author of 

"101 things to do with a Cake Mix":

Death By Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Sour Cream (I like to use all natural whole)

4 eggs

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of oil (I use light Olive Oil or Canola)

1 chocolate cake mix (It works with Gluten-Free also)

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding ( I like to use Trader Joe's Instant Chocolate Pudding)

1 cup of chocolate chips (it recommends semisweet but, I went with milk chocolate this time)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven @ 350 degrees

Beat sour cream, eggs, water, and oil together in large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
For a bunt cake:

Place batter in a greased and floured bunt pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a fork inserted into cake comes out clean.

While the cake is cooling, start the rice crispy mix. You can make this anyway you'd like. I like to do mine on the stove top. For the this way of making rice crispy mix, click here.

 

Because I was taking this to a party, I folded some aluminum foil over a sturdy piece of cardboard for my cake plate.

After the cake cools, dig out the middle so that you have enough to fill it with a ball of rice crispy mix.

Make another ball for the head. To support the head, I used a bamboo skewer.

I'd like to say that you could use any kind of frosting, but I have come across recipes that are meant for cookies rather than cakes because they are not as strong. So, if it is a cake-like frosting, you are in business.

I used the Better Homes and Garden Frosting listed below for the frosting:

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening (I normally don't use Shortening, but in my experience, it is easy to work with when molding) 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (Use clear Vanilla for a whiter frosting)

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 pound)

3 - 4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl beat shortening, vanilla, and extract with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar, beating well. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk. Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar and enough remaining milk to reach spreading consistency. Makes about 3 cups.

1. I frosted the rice crispy mix first with my fingers that were wet with water. That way I could mold the frosting all over while creating a body for my tarantula. Yes, the body of the tarantula looks yellow compared to the frosting on the cake. I had some leftover butter cream frosting I used in this photo. 
2. Then, I frosted the cake with the white frosting. 
3. Next, I created the tarantula's black body by adding a few drops of black food coloring* to the rest of the icing, along with a half case of crushed Oreo crumbs.This created a lumpy texture to the frosting. With wet fingers again, I molded the black lumpy clay-like frosting all over the body and molded legs by rolling them out and pressing them into the body and white frosting to attach them.  

*If you don't have black food coloring, I have used blue food coloring and added cocoa powder to make it a black'ish chocolate frosting. Plus the Oreos help with the color too.

For the details on the tarantula, I took Hot Jaw Breakers for eyes and candy corns to look like fangs. The finished result (in the photo at the top of this post) I added some molded pedipalps out of the black frosting to surround the fangs.  

Finally, I sprinkled some black sprinkles to resemble a harrier specimen. I should have done that to the legs as well.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Stove Top Rice Crispy Treat Mix

I understand that many of you out there know how to make Rice Crispy Treats. But, this post is for those few that have either never made them or never made them on the stove top. This is how my mother made them and this is how I make them today. So, here is the recipe for you folks that would like it.  

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of Butter

1 bag of mini Marshmallows

6 cups of Rice Cereal

1 tsp of Vanilla and/or Butter Extract- optional (My addition)

Directions:

In 4 easy steps-

1. Melt Butter on low to med heat
2. Stir in Marshmallows until melted and creamy (Add extract at this time) 
3. Remove from heat and stir in Cereal until combined
4. Quickly remove from pan and mold as desired

How to Can Peaches

If you have never canned Peaches or would like easy to follow, step by step instructions on how to can them at home, then this post is for you. It is also for those that want to get reacquainted with canning again and process their fruits using a water bath canner rather than a pressure canner. I enjoy canning, freezing, dehydrating, and jamming (is that a word) my peaches each fall. I like to have them on hand and ready for those times I am just craving peaches. I prefer to freeze my peaches for a fresher taste after they thaw, however with two freezers well stocked, I would choose to can as a second choice for food storage.

Then again, I think that just having peaches ready to eat, is very nice.

 

Assemble your equipment

After you bought, picked, or gathered your peaches together. Assemble your equipment.

 

Supplies You Will Need:

• Jars- Quart or Pint Sized Jars (Wide or regular mouth, new or re-used)
• Lids- Wide of regular mouth (never re-use lids)
• Rings- Wide or regular mouth (You can re-use rings as long as they are not rusty)
• Jar Lifter
• Bubble Remover/Headspace Tool
• Magnetic Lid Lifter
• Jar Funnel 

 

Always have these cleaned and ready to go when you begin canning. I also like to throw my jars, lids, and rings in the dishwasher with a mild soap even if they are brand new and do a 1-hour wash or sanitation cycle.

If you haven't already done this, sterilize your used jars and rings by placing them in boiling water for about 10 min. I use my Water bath canner for this to make things a little easier. It is good to add your new lids for 5 minutes to soften the band and sterilize as well.

 

 

 

Make Your Syrup

While your jars are boiling, make the syrup for your peaches:

The way I like to have my syrup is to do 2 cups of sugar for 6 cups of water.

 

 

Here are some syrup recipes according to the Better Homes and Garden cookbook:

 

• Very Light Syrup = 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of water
• Thin Syrup = 1 2/3 cup of sugar to 4 cups of water
• Medium Syrup = 2 2/3 cups of sugar per 4 Cups of water 
• Heavy Syrup = 4 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water 

-FRUIT JUICE
Another alternative is using fruit juice instead of syrup. So, if you have a supply of a peach, pear, white grape, or apple juice, I have heard from people that have done this and it works great.

-HONEY
If you want to use honey instead of sugar, I was always told to pressure can your peaches when doing this method, but I should look into more.

Directions-

While heating up water pour your sugar in and bring it to a rolling boil and keep simmered throughout canning. 

 

Prepare Peaches

 

 

Here is 6 step guide to preparing your peaches

1. Wash your peaches thoroughly
2. Mark an X on the skin of the peach (don't cut into the peach)
3. Blanch peaches by putting peaches into boiling water for 40-90 seconds (you will start to see the skins becoming loose).
4. Shock them by placing them into ice cold water immediately for a few minutes.
5. Pull the loose skin from the peaches
6. Peel completely and it is ready to cut. The peels should come off easily. You can peel off any tough patches with a peeler.

 

Fill Jars

Slice into halves or quarters as you wish.

 

 

 

Put slices into quart or pint sized jars leaving 1 inch clearance, put 1/2 teaspoon of Fresh Fruit, Ascorbic Acid, or Citric Acid  powder over peaches, pour in syrup, and put lid/ring on.

Hot Pack Method
We chose to do the cold pack or raw method. If you would like to do the hot pack method just add your peaches to your syrup in the pot and then bring to a boil.  Fill jars as usual leaving 1 inch clearance and place lid and ring on jar.

 

(If you use a funnel, you usually don't have to wipe off the rim before putting on the lid and ring)

Use your plastic bubble remover or rubber spatula by sticking it down the side of the jars to release the bubbles. Pictured here is a butter knife I used. I was always told never to use metal devices to do this (but I do anyway ;).

 

Process Peaches

 

 

 

Water Bath Raw/Cold Pack Process Times:
Pints- 25 minutes
Quarts- 30 minutes

Water Bath Hot Pack Process Times:
Pints-20 minutes
Quarts- 25 minutes

  

Cool Down

 

 

Remove with jar lifter (if you have one) and place jars on flat surface on top of a towel. Push finger down on lid to check if jar is sealed. If it pops back, they are not sealed yet. They may not pop to seal for up to a half an hour after processing. Just check them and if they don't seal, you may want to repeat processing for another 5 - 10 minutes. Don't worry though, they normally pop and you'll probably start to hear popping as they are cooling down on the towel.

 

Additional Notes*

• Another thing is that the jars may boil over and you will see bubbles coming out from under the rings, as long as they sealed, they are fine. You will probably just lose some juice. Make sure that you take a warm wash cloth and wipe the ring, lid, and jar because they will be sticky from the overflowing.

 

• You may also see that some peaches are not covered by the juice. This is not harmful and the fruit may turn brown a little from storage, but after 24 hours of cooling, you can turn the jar upside down in your hand back and forth to mix the fruit a bit more in the jar. 

 

Aloha Burgers

These juicy sweet and savory burgers are the perfect ensemble to your back yard barbecue with a touch of Hawaiian spirit. These are not a traditional Hawaiian burger per say, they are actually a creation of my husband's from a vacation we took to Maui (2005). He grabbed a fresh pineapple from a local fruit stand and headed for the grill. We put everything on the grill; onions, pineapple, pepper marinated ground beef, a sweet bun, and even heated some leftover bacon. We complimented it with sharp Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and some Mayo just for good measure.
Since then we enjoy a bit of aloha in every bite!

 

Meats:

Ground Beef- Marinate with our Sweet Pepper Marinade recipe or Luau Marinade or we have used bottled or packaged black pepper marinade.They are fast and easy to use. You can marinate the beef and then make the patties, marinate patties, or spread marinade over the patties as you cook them.

Bacon- Cook bacon anyway you choose until crispy. We usually do about 1.5 slices per burger.
We also love to use turkey bacon!

We also enjoy these ground beef substitutes from time to time:

• Ground turkey or chicken
• Grilled Chicken
• Bison
• Veal  

Sweet Black Pepper Marinade Recipe:
1-2 Tablespoons fresh coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 garlic cloves equivalent of California Style Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon dried onion
1/4 cup Pineapple Puree or Pineapple Juice (optional) 
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar or White


Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients, add to liquid ingredients and stir. Pour into a bag or glass dish for marinating. Marinate meat for at least 15 minutes. Makes 4-6 burgers or up to 4 chicken breasts.

Luau Marinade Recipe: 

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Red Pepper (optional)

2 cloves equivalent of dry Garlic

1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Paprika

1 teaspoon Ginger

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

Sweetener: 1/4 cup Pineapple juice,1/2 cup Pineapple Puree, 1/3 cup of honey, or 2 T molasses

I just use what I have or mix some of each sometimes

Blend together and then add 1/4 cup of oil and 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar

Add meat and marinade for at least 15 minutes. I like to marinade over night or all day up to dinner. 

This makes enough for 4 patties to marinade 

(I usually double or triple if I have guests)


 

Pineapple

Cut your pineapple in thick or thin slices. You don't even need to cut a hole in the middle because it will soften as it grills.  

Grill pineapple along side your meat.

Bun: Grilled or Plain

We like to used a regular wheat bun, but we have used King's Hawaiian Sweet hamburger buns and they seem to give it another touch of sweetness that compliments the salty bacon, cheese, and burger. We also love to make this burger wrapped up in lettuce, it is a great way to enjoy if you are avoiding gluten/carbs. 

Barbecue Sauce:

We recommend a sweet/savory/smoky barbecue sauce to go on this burger. We especially like Pendleton barbecue sauce, Stubs All Natural Honey Pecan, or my mother's barbecue sauce recipe she likes to whip up for things such as these.

Gloria's Barbecue Sauce Recipe:

1 cup of Ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke

2 Tablespoons Mustard

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

2-4 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce

Mix together and add to your favorite dish. Works especially well with baked barbecue dishes.

Assembly:

Staring from the bottom bun- Marinaded burger, sharp or smoked Cheddar cheese, grilled pineapple, barbecue sauce, Bacon, lightly grilled or raw Red onions, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, and Mayo.

Destination: Salt Lake City, UT - The Sweet Tooth Fairy Gourmet Bake Shop

All photos taken by Madeline L.

Our story begins in the enchanting world of The Sweet Tooth Fairy Gourmet Bake Shop. Our heroin in this story is a girl named Megan Faulkner Brown. Her enticing creations have not only won the hearts of her adoring fans, but have also won the hearts of many baking connoisseurs alike. Media coverage from the QVC and the Rachel Ray Show has brought worldwide acclaim to the Sweet Tooth Fairy name itself; not to mention this self-taught baker brought home the winning title of the Rock of Ages episode on Food Network's Cupcake Wars (2012).  

The Foothill bake shop located in Salt Lake City, is currently one of nine shops throughout the state of Utah (with another shop located in Arizona). The original shop in Provo, UT was opened in 2009.

  The nostalgic atmosphere of these bake shops invite you to once again indulge in your childhood fantasies as you carefully pick that delicious treat that's made especially for you.

Among those treats, are the Sweet Tooth Fairy's famous cupcakes.

Our first visit to this bakery on Foothill, was in 2012; right after the Rock of Ages episode on Cupcake Wars aired. We were able to taste for ourselves how deliciously famous these award winning cupcakes were.

You can also find these flavors when they make their comeback during the special months throughout the year. 

For the Monthly Specials Click Here

*For those with gluten allergies or intolerance, they also offer various gluten free baked goods (including cupcakes) throughout the year.

On our second visit, we enjoyed some of the Sweet Tooth Fairy classics. 

Since then, our many visits to the different shops have consisted of us trying the newest treat. Whether it is a famous cupcake, a giant cookie or bar, or one of the many  delicate cake bites; each one has lived up to it's name of everything Sweet Tooth Fairy.


Our list of favorite treats (so far):

Cupcakes- Creme Brulee, Red Velvet, Strawberry Short Cake, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, and Dulce De Leche.

Cookies and Bars- Sugar, Chocolate Chip, and the Cranberry Bliss Bar.

Cake Bites- Lemon, Red Velvet, Peanut Butter, and Salted Caramel.

For the Everyday Menu click here

 

To find out more about The Sweet Tooth Fairy Gourmet Bake Shops, visit their website:

www.thesweettoothfairy.com