Mulligatawny Soup

We've been on a real soup kick lately. And it hasn't even been cold. In fact, I'm sure it hit the triple digits outside at least once while we ladled soup into bowls. But I'd like to think we can will a little more winter weather by cooking up a pot of spicy and delicious Mulligatawny soup. Some of us native Californians actually do like a little cold now and then.

Typically I make a very basic chicken and rice soup. It's completely satisfying, easy to throw together and I'm sure I'll get around to posting the recipe one of these days. But having recently undertaken a systematic re-watching of all nine seasons of Seinfeld, the amazing Soup Nazi episode was fresh in my mind. It's a classic for a reason.

Jerry: You will be stunned.

Elaine: Stunned by soup?

Jerry:  You can't eat this soup standing up. Your knees buckle.

While Jerry pines for the crab bisque, Elaine gets the Mulligatawny on Kramer's recommendation and her knees do, in fact, buckle. Being a fan of most Indian flavor profiles, I adapted this recipe for Mulligatawny soup based on what I happened to have on hand. If you have the time to make your own stock, obviously this is superior. It doesn't take much in the way of skill and will ultimately taste better. But I'm a working woman with limited time on Sunday evenings and I stand by this method 100%.

While I don't normally eat soup standing up, after tasting this I really doubt it would have been possible. Consider me stunned.

Mulligatawny Soup

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 small yellow onions, diced
• 2 red jalapenos, diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 32 oz low sodium chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground brown mustard seeds
•  1/4 teaspoon ground chile powder
•  2 lemons, juiced, about 1/4 cup
•  2 teaspoons salt

Salt chicken breasts liberally, cover with cold water, bring to a boil. cook 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Shred chicken and set aside.

Sauté onions and jalapenos with olive oil in heavy bottomed pot until onions start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and carrots and sauté another 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and spices, simmer until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Return chicken to pot, add lemon juice and salt. Serve in bowls with short-grain brown rice and a dollop of nonfat greek yogurt.

The Perfect Chicken Breast

The Boneless Skinless Chicken breast is ubiquitous. It's our go-to, stored-in-the-freezer, low-fat protein of choice. While I know it's easy to throw it in the pan, smother it in sauce, or marinade it beyond all recognition, I challenge you to try this method. It's adapted from the old school Joy of Cooking and I promise you, it works every time.

I would recommend doing about 4 or 5 chicken breasts at a time so you have some left over to add to other things throughout the week. Trust me, after you try this, you'll be looking to include this chicken into anything you can.

The Perfect Chicken Breast

• 1 to 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Smoked Spanish paprika
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp fresh chopped herbs (optional)
• olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 10-inch skillet with lid

Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness with the flat of a knife. Lightly salt and pepper them on both sides.

Mix some salt and pepper and your herbs in with the flour and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour until they have a light dusting on all sides.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and then add olive oil and butter. Let them melt and then swirl them together.

Turn the heat to medium and add the chicken breasts. Cook for about a minute on one side so it gets golden brown, flip breasts over. Set the heat to low, cover the pan, set a timer for 10 minutes and walk away. Don't peek! This is really important. Make a salad, wash some dishes, call your mother. Do whatever you need to do to keep from lifting that lid.
Once your timer goes off, turn off the heat and reset it for another 10 minutes. Keep that lid on tight.

When your timer goes off the last time, lift the lid and reveal the most delicious and juicy chicken breasts you've ever had. Slice and toss into last night's leftovers, a bowl of pasta, or top off a crunchy salad. Protein all around!

Simple Roast Chicken

Once my boyfriend and I walked into Ralph's just before 10pm and noticed the rotisserie chicken display had a crowd milling impatiently around it. As we stared at the people quizzically, a man turned to us and whispered "They're about to go half-off." While I had no idea that there was a whole culture surrounding the 10pm price-slashing of grocery store roast chickens...I do know that a chicken fresh from your own oven will please even the pickiest of carnivores. This is probably the best recipe to have up your sleeve. Classic, easily modified to your tastes, and seriously delicious.

Simple Roast Chicken

• 1 3-4 lb. whole chicken, giblets removed, rinsed and patted dry
• Mixture of carrots, red potatoes, and onions
• 4 lemons
• 15 cloves garlic, peeled
• Olive oil or butter
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
• Spanish smoked paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. Place vegetables in a roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt. Place chicken over the vegetables in pan. Loosen the skin on the chicken with your fingers. Halve the lemons and juice them. Rub the juice all over the chicken, inside the cavity as well. Quarter your lemon rinds and stick them in with the vegetables. Next rub the chicken with olive oil or butter, being sure to get some inside the skin over the breast. Pay special attention to getting the breasts and drumsticks. Next cover the chicken with salt and pepper, being sure to get some inside the cavity. Put 2 half lemons inside the bird, along with 4 of the garlic cloves and a sprig of thyme. Sprinkle thyme leaves and paprika over the bird and vegetables. Scatter garlic cloves among the vegetables as well.

Put chicken and vegetables in oven for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 375. Roast for an hour. After an hour, put an instant read thermometer into the meatiest part of the thigh. It should read at least 165**. If it's not quite there, put it back in for another 5 or so minutes.

Take the chicken out and let it rest for 15 minutes. Make a salad, prepare the roasted vegetables as a side, or whisk some flour into the pan juices to make gravy in the meantime. Carve and serve.

**I don't have an instant-read thermometer. And honestly, shame on me. And on you, if you're in the same boat. We should both order one right now.

Sweet and Spicy Chinese Cashew Chicken

If you asked me about Chinese food, especially the fast food versions that a coworker disgustedly refers to as "hot garbage on a noodle," I'd most likely turn up my nose. But this Chinese-inspired chicken is nothing of the sort. My boyfriend would eat this every night if he could...and take the leftovers to work the next day. Perfect for a cold night, it's hot and spicy, but sweet and somehow comfortingly familiar in its flavors. Serves 2-3 hungry people.

Sweet and Spicy Chinese Cashew Chicken

• 3 Chicken breasts, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• Corn starch for dredging the chicken
• Safflower oil for frying (or other vegetable oil that is good for high heat)
• 1 stick butter
• 10-12 small shallots, peeled and chopped
• 2 red chilies, thinly sliced
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
• 1 cup of chopped baby broccoli (bok choy or rapini work well, too)
• 2 tbsp ground black pepper
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 16 green onions cut into 1 inch segments
• Sriracha to taste
• Short grain brown rice for serving

For Cashews:

• 2 cups roasted unsalted cashews
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Toss chicken pieces in corn starch, shaking off the excess. Pour in enough oil to come up about a quarter inch in a large skillet and bring to a frying heat. Fry the chicken pieces in the oil, turning them as you go. Once they are golden all around, and have a thin crust, transfer to a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove the oil and wipe down your pan before throwing in the butter. Once it has melted, add the shallots, chillies, garlic, ginger and sauté for about 10 minutes on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the contents of the pan are shiny and totally soft. Add the broccoli and cook another 5 minutes until bright green. While you wait, throw cashews onto a sheet pan and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes. Mix butter, cayenne, brown sugar, and kosher salt in a bowl and toss the hot cashews in the mixture. Set aside.

When the vegetables are soft, add the soy sauce and the honey , stir, then stir in the crushed pepper and Sriracha. Warm the chicken in the sauce for about a minute, then add the green onions and cashews and stir through. Serve hot with steamed rice.