Saturday, January 3, 2015

I officially need a bigger kitchen.

Well, my family officially thinks I live in the kitchen. Christmas gifts included:
A set of 4 meat thermometers 
A new cutting board
A cookbook holder
A Bobby Deen cookbook
An Ina Garten cookbook 
A new kitchen timer 
A bottle of vodka 
A new potholder 
A skillet

I'm not complaining. Almost all of the above were desperately needed and/or much appreciated. 

First thing I tackled (after the vodka, natch) was the Bobby Deen cookbook. 30 minute meals under 350 calories? Good work, Ma. So far everything we've tried has been easy and delicious, so I'm sold. 

Well, not the zucchini and corn fritters. I don't want to talk about those. (Hubs thinks I "saved them" by making them a hash and putting them under some chipotle pork chops. But that was not the intent. I have long standing deficiencies in the fritter/fried cake department.)

Last night we tried the Lemony Greek Chicken Soup with Spinach. Adjusted it just a tad to make a bigger pot by adding more low sodium broth (half regular and half low), two small chicken breasts and more spinach, but otherwise followed his recipe. I was afraid it wouldn't be enough as a main course, but it worked for me. Hubs had two bowls. Some French bread would have been a nice addition. Or a spinach salad, actually! 

Trying to update to a better photo btw. Low light and yellow soup are a bad combo...


Lemony Greek Chicken Soup with Spinach 
9 cups chicken broth 
1/2 cup orzo pasta
8oz chicken breast, cooked and cubed
Half a bag baby spinach, rough chopped
Juice from one lemon (1/4 cup)
3 eggs, room temp 
Fresh pepper 

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook 7 minutes (or 2 less than the box tells you to). Stir in chicken and spinach, cook two more minutes. Turn off heat. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon until it gets nice and frothy. Keep whisking as you take a ladle full of broth and very slowly add it to the eggs. Repeat with another ladle or two. Then stir the soup as you pour the egg mixture slowly back into the soup. (This makes sure you don't end up with scrambled eggs. This isn't egg drop soup.) 

Season with fresh pepper and serve immediately.