MaMaDuke’s Chicken Soup

The chicken thighs give this soup a nice meaty flavor.  Place the thighs in the freezer for 30 minutes before removing the skin and fat.  This step makes it so much easier to do so !

6 chicken thighs – skin and excess fat removed

Water to cover

2 teaspoons salt & 1 teaspoon pepper

1 lb carrots  - peeled and chopped

4 – 5 stalks of celery - chopped

1 large onion – diced

1 48 oz can chicken broth

I use kitchen shears to remove the skin and fat.

Place the chicken thighs in a 7 – 8 quart pot and add salt, pepper & water to cover by 2 inches.    

Bring to a boil.

Turn it down to simmer and skim any foam that rises to the top. Cook for 30 minutes.

 Prepare your vegetables while the chicken is cooking.

Remove the chicken to a plate after 30 minutes, cover with tin foil and let cool.

Add the vegetables & the can of chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil.  Turn it down to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the cooled chicken from the bones and cut into bite size pieces.  Add to the soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.  Serve over prepared rice or noodles. 

Shrimp & Pasta

There are tons of recipes for this dish out there, but this one is our creation. We buy bags of frozen cleaned shell on shrimp when our local market has them on sale. It is the same shrimp that the market sells to you from their fish counter which is usually more expensive. The shrimp broth brings so much amazing flavor to this dish !!
Serves 2 - 3

Shell on shrimp ( I used 20 large)

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Lemon pepper (recommend Lawry’s)

1 chicken bullion cube (break it up into smaller pieces)

Two springs fresh thyme or a ¼ tsp dried

3 large cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup diced onion

Dash red pepper flakes

Splash of white wine

1/2 lb thin spaghetti

Parsley

Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl and fill with cold water.

Peel the shrimp when they are completely thawed and put the shells into a small pot.  Add water to just cover the shells. Smash one clove of garlic and add it to the pot along with the chicken bullion cube pieces.

Bring to a boil and turn it down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the broth reduces by half. See the difference in the two pictures below.

Meanwhile put the shrimp in a bowl and drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil (use a mild tasting oil as virgin has too strong of a taste for this dish).  Sprinkle the shrimp generously with the garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon pepper.  Put it in the fridge and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Start heating a large pot of water to cook the pasta.

When the shell broth is ready, strain it into a bowl pressing on gently down on the shells & set it aside.

Remove the shrimp from the fridge about 10 minutes before you are ready to sauté and sprinkle with a bit of salt.  

Place the remaining olive oil in a large skillet and turn on to medium heat. Immediately add the onions and sprinkle them with a little salt.

Cook them for about 5 minutes or until soft but not browned. Then crush 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan along with a dash of red pepper flakes.  Continue stirring a couple of minutes so the garlic does not brown.   Start to cook the pasta at this time, remember to salt the water very generously. 

Add the shrimp all at once to the pan and cook for a minute or two until the underside is pink and they have curled slightly.

Flip them and then add ½ cup of the broth & a splash of white wine.  Turn heat to low & cook the shrimp for another 2 - 3 minutes.

Drain the pasta after 7 minutes and add it directly to the shrimp pan.  Turn the pan to low and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and cover for about 5 minutes so the pasta absorbs the extra sauce.  If it is too dry then add some more of the remaining shrimp stock. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley and serve !!