Chicken Noodle Soup in a Slow Cooker

It's cold outside that means it's perfect time for some hot soups.

Chicken Noodle Soup is a simple yet filling soup. When made in a slow cooker, you just add all the ingredients and forget about it for 8 hours. 

The chicken is really tender and soup is delicious.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 7-8 hours 

Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

Chicken Thighs Bone in: 2 pounds

Carrots : 3 diced in 1" pieces 

Celery : 1 diced in 1/2" pieces 

Onion : 1 diced

Bay leaf : 1

Rosemary: 1 sprig ( fresh or dried)

Dried oregano: 1 teaspoon 

Dried thyme : 1/2 teaspoon 

Parsley: 4 sprigs + 2 sprigs to garnish 

Black pepper: 1 teaspoon 

Chicken Broth: 2 cartons or 8 cups

Salt to taste 

Egg Noodles : 3 cups

Method:

Add the veggies, place the chicken on top of them, add spices and pour the broth. Place lid and set the slow cooker for 7-8 hours. 

In the last 15 minutes, take out the chicken pieces and add noodles. 

With two forks, shred the chicken and put it back in the soup.

Once the noodles are cooked, garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Caramel Macchiato

My Hubby is on a Coffeehouse style coffee kick these days either it's hot or cold coffee. 

I'm not a coffee drinker but I love the smell and the taste of specialitycoffee.

So, here comes caramel macchiato.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes 

Heating and Mixing time: 10 minutes 

Serves : 1

Ingredients:

Medium to dark roast coffee grinds: 1 tablespoon 

Water : 5 oz

Milk : 1/2 cup

Vanilla syrup: 4 tablespoons 

Sugar : 1 teaspoon 

Caramel sauce : for topping 

Method:

Brew the coffee.

Take the milk in a large cup or a bowl and microwave it on high 1 to 11/2 minutes until hot but the milk should not be boiling.

Take a milk frother or hand mixer and beat it increasing the speed as milk thickens for about 2 minutes. Steamed milk stays on the bottom and foam rises to the top.

Take the brewed coffee, mix in vanilla syrup and sugar. Microwave for 20 -30 seconds. Add the steamed milk and mix well.

Take the foam and top it off in the cup.

Add the caramel sauce on top of the foam and serve immediately.

 

Chocolate and Toffee Cookies

Toffee has a nice crunch and I wanted to try adding them in the cookies along with loads of Chocolate as my little one loves Chocolate chip and Chunk Cookies. 

I used light brown sugar because of the toffee.

They came out so good and tastes delicious.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Bake Time: 18 minutes 

Makes : 14 large Cookies

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 1 cup

Light Brown sugar : 1/2 cup (You can use dark brown sugar if you have that on hand)

White sugar : 1/4 cup 

Butter : 1 stick or 8 tbsp 

Egg : 1

Baking soda: 1/2 tsp 

Vanilla extract: 1/2 tsp 

Salt : 1/2 tsp 

Chocolate toffee chips : 1 cup

Chocolate Chunks: 1/4 cup

Method:

Take the butter in a mixing bowl and beat it until it is smooth and fluffy.

Add both sugars and beat till smooth again.

Add salt, vanilla extract, egg and beat till smooth and fluffy.

Sift the flour and baking soda. Add that to the butter mixture and beat till smooth and fluffy.

Fold in the chocolate chunks and Chocolate Toffee chips.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Take a cookie sheet, put parachment paper on it, take a ice cream scoop full of dough and place it on the cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes.

Cook on the cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If you are using dark brown sugar, reduce the toffee to 3/4 cup.

Indian Curry Powder

A lot of my friends have been asking for a homemade Indian Curry Powder that they can use in making curries. As majority of the grocery stores sell the curry powder here in US but it doesn't give the Indian flavors.

Here is the recipe guys....

Preparation Time: 5 minutes 

Roasting Time: 2-3 minutes 

Grinding Time: 2 minutes 

Makes : 1/2 cup powder 

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds: 2 tablespoons 

Cumin seeds: 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon 

Whole Black pepper: 1/2 teaspoon 

Fennel seeds: 1 teaspoon 

Dry red chilies: 2

Red chili powder: 1/2 teaspoon 

Ground Ginger: 1 teaspoon 

Turmeric: 1 teaspoon 

Salt: 1/4 teaspoon 

Method:

Heat a pan and dry roast all the seeds and dry red chilies for 2-3 minutes until you smell the aroma. 

Turn off the stove and cool them off for 5 minutes.

Take them into a coffee grinder or another small grinder and make a fine powder. Add the powders and grind for 30 seconds so everything is mixed well.

Store the powder in an airtight container for 1 month.

Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Homemade pasta has a very good taste to it. This Cheesy Chicken Pasta is loaded with cheese and garden delight pasta. So, the pasta itself is made with vegetables. This adds a lot of taste as well.

This is an easy week night dinner recipe.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 25 minutes 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Garden Delight Pasta : 6 oz uncooked

Penne pasta: 2 oz uncooked 

Creamy pasta sauce : 1 cup ( Home made tastes really well but store bought works fine too)

Shredded Cheddar cheese: 2 cups

Garlic : 2 cloves minced

Milk : 3/4 cup

Pepper: 1 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Method:

Boil 6 cups of water to a boil and add both pastas in it. Add some salt and cook for 9 minutes until the pasta is cooked. Drain the water and add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.

Heat oil in a pan and add chicken, salt and pepper sauté for 10-11 minutes until it's completely done. 

Add cooked pasta, pasta sauce, milk and cheese. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted completely.

Turn off the stove and serve hot with some salad.

Note: you can use any kind of pasta.

          You can top the pasta with more Parmesan cheese if you like.

Sambar Masala Fried Rice

Sambar Masala Fried Rice is made with couple veggies, Sambar powder/masala and shredded coconut. 

The flavors are going to be of South India because of the usage of Sambar powder/masala and coconut.

This dish is a good one for lunch boxes as the ingredients used are healthy yet simple and kids will love it.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 15 minutes 

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Medium grain rice: 1.5 cups 

Onion: 1 sliced

Tomato: 1 large chopped 

Green pepper: 1/2 chopped 

Green chilies: 3 chopped 

Garlic: 2 cloves chopped 

Curry leaves: 1 sprig 

Cilantro/ coriander leaves: 1/2 cup chopped. ( small bunch)

Sambar masala/powder: 3 teaspoons

Coconut: 2 tablespoons shredded 

Salt to taste 

Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon

Method:

Cook rice and cool it off for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add green chilies, garlic, curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds. Add onion and green pepper and fry for 2 minutes. Add sambar powder, coconut, cilantro, salt and tomatoes, mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice, mix well and cook for 2 minutes on low flame. Turn off the stove and add lemon juice and mix well.

Serve hot with raita.