Hot and Sour Soup

 I went hunting for a recipe online for this recipe that didn't use mushrooms and didn't use tofu.  I found this recipe and printed it out a couple of weeks ago, but when I went back to find the original source to give credit here, I couldn't locate it.  So, I made a few notes and am typing it exactly the way I cooked it last night.  It was delicious and was exactly the right amount of heat and sour for both my husband and I.

Ingredients

1 boneless and skinless chicken breast

Chicken broth to cover chicken breast

Pinch of salt

Place chicken breast into a pot covered with broth and pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil then set a 15 minute timer.  At the end of the 15 minutes, remove the chicken and shred it (I put it into my kitchen aide with my paddle and shredded it that way) Set aside

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup bean sprouts 

2 T. Soy Sauce

1 T Chili Sauce (use whatever chili sauce you have on hand, garlic, sweet, etc....I used Thai Mango sweet chili sauce that I had from another recipe)

2 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. black pepper

4 T Rice Vinegar

1 tsp salt

3 T corn starch

1/4 cup water

1 egg whisked

2 green onions sliced 

Directions

1.  Put the 6 cups of chicken broth into a pot and bring it to a boil, then add in the shredded chicken, the chili sauce, and the soy sauce.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.

2.  Add the carrtos, sprouts, white pepper, black pepper, salt and rice vinegar and return the soup to a simmer.

3.  Combine the cornstarch and water and mix well into a slurry.  Add it slowly to the soup stirring as you add to thicken the soup.

4.  Keep the soup simmering and bubbling and add in the whisked egg slowly swirling it to make the flowery strands.

5.  Garnish with the green onions and serve.

Shepherd's Pie

 

Ingredients

 

Meat Filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves -minced
• 2 tablespoons Wondra flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Potato Topping:

• 1 ½ - 2 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 stick
• 1/3 cup half & half
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Pre Heat Oven to 375 Degrees

Make the Meat Filling.

• Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the ground turkey to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, sage, thyme, salt, and and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
• Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated and no clumps of tomato paste remain.
• Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Set the meat mixture aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Make the potato topping.

• Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return the potatoes to the hot pot. Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.
• Add butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.
• 
  

Assemble the casserole.

• Pour the meat mixture into a 9x9 (or 7x11) inch baking dish. Spread it out into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. Carefully spread into an even layer.
• If the baking dish looks very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet so that the filling doesn’t bubble over into your oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.** Cool for 15 minutes before serving.