About Anita

More than Chicken Soup

This chicken soup is not just for flu or cold season but if your family is stricken this More than Chicken Soup may help soothe those miserable symptoms. A friend of mine was under the weather and I just had to try this recipe. We’ve all heard of the benefits of chicken soup. But all chicken soups are not equal. Do chicken soups leave you searching for flavor? <yes, often> Do you find the chicken bland no matter how spicy the broth? <yes, often> Not here! The chicken is spiced up & oven roasted, adding to soup just before serving. I was a little tentative about the recipe since my friend is not into curry. Nope! The recipe doesn’t have curry powder but it has several spices (no turmeric) found in curry. He loved it! Yep, he feels much better today.

Thank you Baker by Nature for this Flu Fighter Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. Please forgive me if I change it ever so slightly.

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Mexi Pasta Salad

A pasta salad to please … packed with delicious ingredients. This is the perfect main dish. It’s a salad I just can’t stop eating. Yikes! A great side to add to my Smoker Brisket.

If like me, you have a hard time following a recipe exactly this is a recipe for you. It takes to change-ups easily. The campanelle pasta is a great touch but you can substitute.

I happened upon this recipe quite by accident. I love the blogger site but I’m not sure it remains active. I’ll be trying some of the authentic Portuguese recipes. Hope you enjoy the site and this recipe.

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Smoker Brisket

Our Valentine’s Gift

Perfect the first time! A home run! This smoker received almost a perfect score on Amazon for good reason. (Purchased locally at Home Depot.) Easy and slick. I did follow the directions! The only drawback … you’ll smell like smoke during the process. After you become a Pro it can be done over night while you sleep. Of course, you’ll have the safety risks ironed out. Just a fun way to cook, and I can finally make my own linguica.

For this brisket I used Emeril Lagasse’s rub. If anyone knows about these spices he does! He suggested mesquite for the smoking but I used hickory (pretty strong compared to some woods) which worked well. (Mainly using regular Kingsford briquets with 3 chunks of hickory placed by the bottom vents inside the briquet chamber. And if you haven’t used a chimney lighter you must get one. It works perfectly in minutes with just lighted paper.) Because the Weber Smoker has such a stellar rep I followed their directions very closely, kinda. I filled the briquet area of the smoker as directed for the time and meat I was smoking but removed about 35 pieces to the chimney lighter. Lit these 35 first and then added to the remainder and the three chunks of hickory. Really worked well! I’ll branch out as I become less of a novice.

 

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Lemon Pie

Couldn’t wait until it cooled to have a piece! Not recommended if you want to slice it perfectly. But it was perfectly delicious. A simple 50’s recipe … Use a traditional pie crust or use a Lemon Cookie Crust as I did here. The meringue might need an additional egg white or two if you’re into showy. I can help with that here.

If you can’t find Meyer lemons at your grocers the usual will do. We just had some Meyer lemons on hand.

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Chiffon Upside Down Cake

From Mother’s recipe tin. A great little cake for a quick dessert fix. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry. No pineapple? Then just add your favorite nuts to the top. I skipped the maraschino cherries you often see.

Amazing texture and moistness! Baked in an 8 inch cast iron pan, not recommended … the reason for the overflow edge around the cake. A 9-inch cast iron pan is recommended for the best results.

 

 

 

 

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Vegetarian Minestrone with Pesto

Some mornings I wake and am craving what I had for dinner. This is one of those mornings! Some prefer fruit for breakfast but give me a vegetable even if it’s V8! Yep! I had this for breakfast! Leftovers that is. Worried about the garlic breath? Well, only the pesto is garlic laden. And the garlic toast. Ha!

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Italian Meatball Soup

Mini-meatballs are ready to drop into the broth. Next on Kitchen Getaway! Using my meatball recipe. But if you need a 20 minute meal use store-bought meatballs instead. Trader’s is great at convenience, including turkey meatballs.

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Barbecued Brisket Soup

Happily put this together for a friend of mine! We just knew no one had made such a soup! If into brisket and the flavors of barbecue with a little heat this is the soup for you. To start I recommend cooking the brisket the day before you make the soup. It definitely can all be done the same day but I recommend putting the brisket in the refrigerator after cooking to make the removal of fat easier. Brisket can have a thick fatty pad over the top. This helps give the cooked brisket a juicy taste but can lead to a greasy soup unless removed. Cutting some of the fat off before cooking is an option too but you will still need to leave a little to keep the meat juicy. Here is the recipe for the Pulled Brisket. 

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Pulled Brisket

Step one for my Barbecued Brisket Soup … crock pot cooking the brisket for 6-8 hours. This is a great way to cook brisket even if you don’t move-on to step two. Don’t have barbecue sauce but have the ingredients? Try my recipe here.

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