Becoming Healthy Chicken Soup

I have been a vegetarian for a long time now however my family are a long way off being veggie.  So whenever themselves are unwell, as the case has been over the past week, then we get to brewing up a big pot of chicken soup.  Chicken soup has long been a ‘kitchen cure’ for colds and flu, even the scientists have proved that it does have benefits, and it is quick and easy comfort food when you are feeling under the weather.

Homemade soup and bread for lunch.

Hot fluids in general are great for helping clear all those ‘blockages’ in the sinuses and re-hydrating you.  If you pop in a whole heap of other kitchen cures you will have a great healing meal.  Thyme for coughs, Sage for sore throats, garlic for its antibacterial properties, ginger for its anti-inflammatory  properties (and loads more beside) and a whole heap of vegetables along with chicken on the bone makes an awesome meal to help the healing along.  If nothing else though soup is incredibly comforting when you are feeling yuck.

Lots of families have their tried and true recipes however if you don’t here is one to start you off.  After that experiment and enjoy!!

• Chicken on the bone (I use 2 chicken breasts with the skin on)
• Garlic (the more you can sneak in the better)
• 1 large onion
• Dried thyme
• Dried sage leaves
• Ginger (fresh is better however ground is fine)
• Vegetables of your choice – chopped or diced depending on your preference.

-Chop the garlic and onion finely.  Fry off little with some olive oil in a large pot.

-Add in the chicken and brown a little.

-Add in the vegetables for a quick fry then add in the herbs, stirring to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom.

-Cover with water and gently boil until the vegetables are soft and the chicken cooked through and is beginning to come away from the bone if knocked.

-Take the chicken out of the pot and get all the meat off, including the skin, then chop and return the meat only to the pot.

-Allow to sit for a bit before serving.

-Enjoy.

Hope this finds you all healthy, happy and enjoying your home comforts

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

 

GF Pastry (and Pie) recipe

As a follow up from my Pie Pastry recipe of a couple of weeks ago here is a gluten free version that we have been enjoying.  I got it from Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne’s Allergy Cookbook which has been lurking in my book shelf unused until recently and is now lurking in a friend’s bookshelf after a bit of de-cluttering.

All ready to be baked.

The recipe was pretty painless and user friendly which, as you all know by now, is just my kind of recipe! I did of course make a few modifications so that it fitted with what I had on hand however I think it still turned out pretty great for a GF pastry and even the gluten gobblers amongst the family agreed.  I completely forgot to take a photo when it came out as we were all so eager to taste 🙂 …. luckily I remembered just before we ate so that you can see what it looks like baked.

Our vegetable pie ready to eat.

GF Pastry and Pie – as modified from Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne’s Allergy Cookbook

3/4 Cup Brown Rice Flour

3/4 Cup Masa de Maiz

115 gm cold diced butter

2 beaten eggs mixed with 2 Tbsp of Water.

• Mix the dry ingredients and then rub the butter in until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Using a table knife stir in the egg until the mixture comes together.
• Bring the dough together and knead lightly on a surface with rice flour.
• Put ‘ball’ of dough into a plastic bag or clingfilm and chill for 30 mins.
• Once chilled, cut in half (one half for the top and one for the bottom) and put one half back into the fridge.  Roll one half between to sheets of baking paper.  Don’t roll too thinly however ensure that it is bigger enough for you pie dish.
• Peel one sheet off and then put into the pie dish with the other sheet of baking paper on the bottom.  This helps the pastry to bake and become crisp on the bottom once the topping is in. Gently press into the pastry into shape and trim both paper and pastry around the edges.  Use any extra pastry to mend rips or holes in the base.
• Fill with your desired inner, making sure that it is cooled before doing so.
• Roll out the other half as you did the first and place on top, removing both sheets of baking paper this time.  Press edges lightly together and make ‘breathing’ holes in the top so everything stays where it is meant to.
• Bake in a hot oven (I used 220 C fanbake) until it is golden on top.
• Enjoy!!

I have made this recipe without the baking paper or pre-baking the base and it turned out fine however in using the baking paper and in another instance using the baking paper and pre-baking the base the pie was a lot firmer and easier to dish up.

Well that is it for the pastry and from me for the next couple of weeks as the family and I take some time off together without our laptops 🙂 …. hope you enjoy your GF pie as much as I did and catch you back here soon.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz