Inspiring People to Cook Again
Chicken soup cures everything right? Chicken soup for the cold, the flu, even the soul. In winter, we seek comfort recipes and foods and chicken soup is an all time favorite. But it can also be part of a very healthy diet and your weight […]
Fresh fish is one of the healthiest things you can eat. Try this fresh fish recipe for a healthy, tasty and fast alternative to your regular routine. You can put all of your own favorite vegetables and your favorite fish right into a foil pouch […]
Baked Salmon is a simple, healthy dish and so easy to prepare in just minutes. I love pairing it with this cucumber salad because it gives this dish a great crunch and texture. We eat a lot of fish in my house and salmon, in particular is one fish that we have a few times a month. It’s high in omega fatty acids (very good for you) and tastes so good.
I know there are some of you out there who are afraid to cook fish because it’s so easy to overcook. That leaves you with a rubbery dish that no one will want to have again. But trust me when I tell you that cooking fish in the oven like this recipe calls for, is so simple. And my advice is to under cook rather than over cook and you’ll always end up getting it right.
Aside from being a really nice regular dinner for your family, it’s a great dish to make for a dinner party or special lunch. It goes great over salad and can be prepared ahead of time and be ready to pop in the oven when company arrives.
Ingredients:
For the Salmon:
For the Cucumber Salad:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Begin by making the cucumber salad. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
You are now ready to make the fish.
Sprinkle a little olive oil on the bottom of a cookie sheet to prevent the salmon from sticking. Then lay the fillets down making sure they have room between them. Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, lemon zest and bread crumbs.
Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes. I generally bake fish fillets for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
Once salmon is cooked, you can let it cool for a minute or so and serve with a dollop of cucumber salad on top. Enjoy!
My family and I eat a lot of fish. It’s a great way to make a simple healthy meal in minutes. The biggest mistake people seem to make with fish is that they over cook it. You are better off undercooking fish and having to […]
This recipe is easy to make but you need to have all your ingredients ready, because it all cooks very quickly. It’s so delicious you will never want to order pasta and clams at a restaurant again, because nothing you order out will ever taste […]
For everything that ails you and a for a great, healthy meal to have on hand all week long, try this Chicken Vegetable Soup. In under 30 minutes, you’ll have a huge pot of soup.
This can be made with any small pasta like orzo or any type of rice or noodle. I also replace the pasta or rice with potatoes now and then.
There are a lot of vegetables in this soup and you can buy them all separately, but I like to buy the “soup mix” in the produce section because it has most of the things I use for a soup or stew in one package.
Ingredients:
1 package raw chicken thighs
(You can use a whole cut up chicken or just chicken breasts too. I like the flavor of the thighs. You can also use 2 packages of chicken if you want a lot of meat in the soup).
2-tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped or 1 large
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves of chopped garlic
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
4 potatoes cleaned and cut in large cubes (If using pasta leave out potatoes)
49 ounces can Swanson Chicken Broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley and dill
Salt, and pepper
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Directions:
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add all the vegetables and herbs and cook for about 5- 10 minutes, or until softened.
Pour in the chicken broth, and add water. Add the raw chicken to the pot and let soup cook on a low simmer for about 1 hour or until the chicken meat is soft and almost falling off the bone.
Remove soup from heat and carefully remove the chicken parts and place them on a plate to cool.
If there is a lot of oil at the top of the soup just skim it off with a soup ladle and discard.
If adding pasta cook about ½ pound of pasta in separate pot of salted water only till it is al dente’. The pasta will cook and expand more when added to the soup so don’t over cook pasta and don’t rinse the pasta. You can add the cooked pasta to the soup.
Once the chicken meat is cooled you can remove meat from the bone and chop or just peel off with fingers and add to soup, discard the bones. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
I also like to serve the soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
For variety I add different vegetables like squash (pictured here) or leeks, tomatoes, escarole, cabbage, even beans.
A basic chicken soup is great for the body and the soul. My aunt would add a lemon to the soup when I was sick so if you even get a cold be sure to put the juice of one or two lemons and extra garlic. These act as a natural antibiotic to help fight infection. It is an old Mediterranean trick.
I will be adding lots of soup recipes but please don’t be afraid to add extra veggies and get creative. All you will need to do is make sure you have enough liquid. If you need more liquid, add water and bullion or salt or just extra chicken stock or broth.
The soup will freeze well so be sure to make enough to freeze for the following week. Just thaw frozen soup in fridge and heat in pot or individual bowls in the microwave. This recipe will make at least 12 servings.
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