Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

  

When I was in an elementary school, I used to order beef noodle soup all the time during recess. It’s cheap and good! But these days, it’s hard so hard to find a delicious noodle soup especially I moved to the states 6 years ago. The first few years when I was here living in the States; I always craving for the noodle soup that I always had.  It’s really hard for me to adjust the life style when I’m so used to the old time when I usually gets what I’m craving for. But since I can’t now, I learned to make my very own noodle soup. If you’re a beginner in the kitchen, don’t worry! We all had been through the tough situation. It’s okay if you don’t get the flavor right because we all learn from our mistake. 

Today’s recipe I got it from a recipe book and love to share it with all my beloved friends. Hey! Sharing is caring right?! I personally loved this recipe is not because it’s delicious but because it’s so simple that I can just do it easily. And ingredients are so reasonable price for everyone to afford it and get to enjoy it as well. Not only you can cook it one time, but also you can cook it two times if you have the same ingredients. Besides, you don’t have to have the same ingredients. You can always add or remove things that you like and dislike. Most importantly in a noodle soup is the broth.  

I’m enjoying this recipe and I’m hoping you feel the same way too. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 skinless chicken breasts

8 cups water

1 onion, with skin left on, cut in half

1 large garlic clove, cut in half

½ inch / 1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

4 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

4 cloves

2 star anise

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 ½ oz/ 100g baby corn cobs, sliced

2 scallions, finely shredded

4 oz/ 115g dried rice vermicelli noodles

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely grated

Salt and pepper

Method:

1)   Put the chicken breasts and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the surface until no more foam rises.

2)   Add the onion, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, cloves, star anise, and a pinch of salt.

3)   Continue to simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

4)   Remove the chicken and set aside about 5 cups of stock. Add the celery, baby cobs, and scallions.

5)   Bring the stock to a boil and boil until the baby corncobs are almost tender, then add the noodles and continue boiling for 2 minutes.

6)   Meanwhile, chop the chicken, add to the pan with the grated carrot, and continue cooking for about 1 minute, until the chicken is reheated and the noodles are soft. Add seasoning to taste.

Pork Soup with Water Chestnuts & Red Dates Recipe

I’m not good in making soup like any others that I know. No basic in anything besides drinking. I’m totally regretted for not learning it in a younger age when I thought I don’t need it at all. And who knows I will be far away from everyone. I still believe in the saying “there never too late if we have the heart of willing”.  I started browsing and checking on recipe on how to make a simple soup and in the same times it still good for our body system.

What makes it harder for me is that, I don’t read Chinese nor understand the name of the herbs. I have to pictures every single of them and look for it at the store. Oh well, nothing I can do right now.

This soup actual helps you strengthens the lungs and spleen, expels phlegm and alleviates coughs. Red dates are known to be effective in countering fatigue, anemia and low energy level. Mostly used to build up strength and blood and often added to others herbs for the sweetest.

Ingredients:

2½ litres (10 cups) water

1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced

12 water chestnuts, peeled

8 red dates (hang zao), pited and rinsed

500g (1LB) lean pork, rinsed and scalded with boiling water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

Method:

Bring the water to a boil in a stockpot. Add all the ingredients, except the salt, and cook over high heat for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Season with the salt and remove from the heat. Serve hot in individual serving bowls.

Tamarind Fish Soup Recipe (Sup Ikan Asam)

Sorry for my bad photo taking. I should have made it better looking.

Last week this dish just came to my craving. I miss home cook food from home. Bet everyone far away from home does have the moment of homesick and wish you can have your mama food. I wish I could have that.

This dish is one of my comfort food. I like it because it’s sour, a little bit of spice and a little bit of sweetness. I like the tamarind juice from it. Soo…. Good if you eat it over rice. I’m not sure if every house in Malaysia cooks this dish but I have to say… this is one of the authentic dish from my home. You can’t get it at the restaurant at all. Believe it.. I don’t remember anything about eating this in any restaurant in Malaysia. And what more, they don’t even has this in the States. I have no other choices but to learn to cook it. It’s part of my sweet memories of my momo. She made this all the time. I miss her already. Can’t wait to go home.

I’m sharing this to everyone that far away from home and wish to have some of it. This is the recipe for you. Good luck in trying!!

Ingredients:

4 whole small mackerel (ikan kembong), about 600g (1½ lb),

or 4 mackerel steaks (ikan tenggiri)

750ml (3 cups) water

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons tamarind juice (note below)

6 shallots, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 cm (1/2 inch) fresh galangal root, peeled and sliced

2 red finger-length chilies, halved lengthwise, or

6 cili padi, deseeded

Method:

1)   If using whole fish, clean and rinse thoroughly.

2)   Place the water, salt, tamarind juice, shallots, garlic, galangal and chilies in a saucepan or wok and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3)   Add the fish and simmer gently until just cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately with fragrant fluffy rice.

 

Note: tamarind imparts a fruity sourness to dishes. To make tamarind juice, mash about 1 tablespoon of tamarind pulp in 2 tablespoons of warm water, squeeze and strain to remove the seeds and fibers.

Chicken Stewed with Ginseng and Red Dates

I’m totally bad in keeping up with my time right now. I’m been busy with everything these days and don’t have a chance to update my blog and me being in the kitchen to try new dishes is hard. I really miss doing what I love to do most.

So today, I’m going to share with you guys a new recipe on SOUP! It’s a Chinese soup. I grew up in a family where soup is very important and a must on every dinner. I’m so regret that I learn anything when I was younger because I thought I don’t have to cause I will always stay close with home but I’m so far away and I don’t know how to make soup. And I have to learn everything by myself. It will be lucky if I make soup once a month but things gets better now cause I’m getting better and better in making it. That is why I would love to share with you guys this recipe cause it’s one of my favorite soup and it’s good for you. You know, if you’re Chinese!

Ingredients:

1 fresh chicken or 4 chicken legs

10g (1/3oz) ginseng rootlet filaments, rinsed

5 seedless red dates (hong zao), rinsed

2 slices fresh ginger root

1 ½ litres (6 cups) water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  

Method:

1)   Wash and clean the chicken. If using whole chicken, keep it whole or cut into large pieces. Cut the chicken legs in half. Poach the chicken in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove and drain. Alternatively scald the chicken with boiling water.

2)   In a large heat-proof bowl, place the chicken together with all the other ingredients except the salt. Steam in a steamer or wok over boiling water for 2 hours, constantly replenishing the water in the steamer or wok as needed. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt and serve hot.

Notes:

Instead of sliced ginseng root, which is warming and most appropriate for winter, this recipe uses the fine rootlet filaments that grow from the main roots of ginseng. These have similar tonic properties to regular ginseng, but they are slightly cooling and may therefore be used in summer cooking. In addition, this recipe used red dates, a herb which is a tonic to the spleen and stomach, thereby improving digestion and assimilation of tonic nutrients. Red dates also have a calming effect on the whole system, while at the same time increasing available energy.