Anywho, that was last week. For the better part of this week, I was "training". The quotations are accurate. So, inspired by the NYC Marathon, I decided last Sunday to do a 5 mile group run called the Brooklyn Beer Run set for this Saturday with goal of one day doing the NYC Marathon. One can not say that I do not dream big. However, I only had six days to train for this 5 mile run and, to be honest, the most I have ever run was 3 miles. Morever, I had not gone running in any shape or form since early September. I've been an Elliptical machine with a book or magazine girl lately.
Monday was my first day of training. It was freezing outside, it was raining, and cold enough that the rain was freezing rain. But I said I was going to do it so I did. Two miles later, I was barely breathing and was spitting up phelm. Gross, right? And this a food blog. But it happened--for real.
Tuesday. Three miles. It was great. Homeless men at the park made fun me. Yelling at me to run faster, but I still did it. I told myself four miles tomorrow and I can do this.
Wednesday. Two miles and it hurt every step of the way. My body said "I hurt, stop it!". A random husky puppy ran a lap with me. It was the only pleasurable thing about that run. Apprehension filled my head. Uncertainty about Saturday. I thought "four miles tomorrow, my body just needs a rest".
Thursday. One lap around the park. My calves said "hell no", my quads said "what were you thinking" and my shoulder blades said "whoa nelly!". Honestly, I think if I would have went on, I would have injured myself.
Today, I did a P90X training video and vowed to run four miles tommorow. Five miles maybe not this Saturday, but there is always the East Village Jack Rabbit 5 mile run next Saturday.
So those are my excuses for not writing these last couple of weeks, but it didn't mean I didn't eat. I always eat--well at least that's what my scale told me!
So I love Chicken soup. LOVE chicken soup. Every time I make chicken soup I vow to freeze some for when I next get sick, but I can't help it is just too good.
So this what I need to make this yummy for the tummy, oh so hearty, chicken soup. I must warn you cooking this can be a workout.
- 1 (3 to 4-pound) whole chicken
- 1 quart chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 cups of water
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 or 6 parsley stems
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces whole button mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 cup sliced carrots
- 2 cup small-diced celery
- 3 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried noodles (I like to use gluten free noodles because they are so soft and have great texture)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh a parsley leaves
When that's finished, I brown the mushrooms with butter in my Dutch oven. I really love my Dutch oven. It was the best kitchen purchase ever. One day I will compose a poem about my Dutch oven, I love it that much. Anyway, I add the diced onion, celery, and carrot and cook until soft. Interjection: Oh no I just realized I have no more pics of this chicken soup situation. I think its because it gets so crazy after this point, that in all of the excitement, I forgot. BUT I can tell you about this excitement and you will understand.
So while the veggies are a sauteing, you must turn off the stock pot burner. Then the battle begins. You arm yourself with a kitchen tongs in each hand. This a double kitchen tong situation. You keep a large platter at hand, very close to the pot. As close as you can get. Then you grip the bird with both sets of tongs and you lift. This a 4 pound piping hot chicken coming out of three quarts of liquid. You do not want to drop this bird. You will get burned. You will have a serious mess. Lifting this really hurts because there is only so much room in the pot, the tongs are always on the verge of slipping, and you are lifting this bird slow because you are trying to be as careful as possible. This is a no joke chicken situation. There have been kitchen accidents.
Once the chicken is on the platter, you have to prove your muscle once again. Remember the dutch oven full of sauteed veggies? You have to place a strainer lightly over it. You will most likely not have a strainer that fits inside and if you do it will float as the liquid enters. You must very carefully hold the strainer with one hand and the stock pot in another. Chances are the stock pot will still be hot so there is an oven mitt involved. The stock pot is way bigger than the dutch oven and with one hand pouring slowly those three quarts of liquid it gets incredibly heavy. You have to watch out for the steam. It is honestly a dangerous situation.
By the time you are done straining the stock, hopefully the chicken has cooled down. You then shred the chicken trashing the skin. Cookbooks are always advising a two fork technique for shredding, but I don't believe them. I go for the shred with my hands method. It's more effective and I trust my own two hands.
I then place the shredded chicken, salt and pepper, and the noodles into the Dutch oven and mix. I cook on medium high for about 15 minutes. To be fancy I serve with a little parsley sprinkled on top. I also make sure to have plenty of good bread and butter to go with the soup because after such a a hard workout I deserve a little butter. xoxo happy nibbling!
1 comment:
yesss!... tongs and birds and hot water can be a dangerous situation! glad u came thru unburned! :-)
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