CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

There is something very comforting about this soup and I always feel a bit righteous when I make it.  It feels really healthy and cleansing so I eat loads without guilt even if it has no health benefits what so ever.

I have used Matzo Crackers which most supermarkets have but you could use cream crackers instead if you like.  My electric mini chopper was perfect for crushing them and gave me a roughly fine crumb.  Egg noodles is usually what I have in so that's what I added but vermicelli noodles work really well too. 

2 Chicken Quarters Skin Removed

4 1/2 Pints Veg Stock

1 1/2 Onions Roughly Chopped

2 Sticks Celery Roughly Chopped

2 Carrots Roughly Chopped

2 Tomatoes Peeled and Roughly Chopped

2 Sprigs Flat Parsley

55g Medium Egg Noodles

Parsley to Garnish

                                    

Matzo Balls

55g Butter

1/2 Onion Grated

1 Egg

1 Egg Yolk

1 tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley

1 tbsp Water

115g Matzo Crackers Crushed

S&P

Get your matzo balls ready first.  Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and soften the onion.  In a free standing mixer beat the remaining butter till it's fluffy then beat in the egg and egg yolk.  Add the parsley and cooled onion, season and mix well.  Next add the water and crushed crackers.  Combine everything and leave it to rest while you prepare the soup.

Put the chicken into a large pan and pour over the stock.  Bring it to the boil removing any scum with a slotted spoon.  Simmer for 15 minutes then add the onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes and parsley.  season and simmer for 1 hour till the chicken is cooked through and tender.  While this is cooking you can shape your matzo mixture into balls.

Remove the chicken from the pan and strain the soup into a clean pan. Remove the meat from the bone and cut into bite size pieces. Add the chicken, noodles and matzo balls to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.  Serve immediately with a little chopped parsley.












I couldn't bare to discard the lovely flavoursome veg from this recipe so I cooked it with a tin of tomatoes and a little veg stock then liquidised it to make a tomato soup - waste not want not

PASTY PIE

I always find making pie's a rather satisfying.  It's such a homely comforting thing to do and I get a real sense of achievement from doing it. This recipe is not a particularly christmassy one but it's good to have in reserve over the festive season.  You can make it ahead and have it in the freezer for those days when you've been too busy because you're out christmas shopping or hung over from the works doo and can't face having to think about what to cook.  It's great hot or cold so you could also have it as part of your boxing day splatter or in the summer on a picnic.

I've made one giant one here, in fact, I doubled up the recipe and made two so I'd have another in reserve.  You could of course make the more traditional individual pasties if you wanted.

Heat  the oven to 160c fan.  Make your pastry with 300g Plain Flour.  Rub in 100g Butter/Margarine and 50g white fat like Cookeen.  This gives you a shorter more crisp pastry.  When you have the bread crumb finish, add enough cold water to bring it together to a dough.  Tip in onto a floured surface and knead slightly till it's smooth.

Now line am 8/9" cake tin with the pastry leaving a bit of an over hanging edge.  When you add your filling the pastry will draw in slightly so leaving an overhang ensures you have enough for your crimping.  

Next prepare your filling.  Thinly slice 3 medium potatoes and 200g swede.  Slicing them thinly means they will cook with ease.   Season 500g steak mince with 1 tbsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp mace 1/2 tsp salt and add 1 large onion finely chopped.  Now layer your filling into the lined tin starting with 1/3 of the potato and swede then 1/3 of the meat.  Repeat the layers till all your filling is in.  To finish your pie, trim the overhanging edge and brush it with a little water.  Top the pie with a pastry lid,  pressing the edges together.  Give it a lovely crimp and any other embellishments you like, personally I can't resist a bit of lettering, then brush with beaten egg and make a couple of steam holes with a knife.

The pie should take about 1hr 30 mins to bake, individual pasties will be around 45mins.