Lately in my office, everyone has been sick. Some, more than once. I’m not sure exactly why these germs keep floating around, but I know we aren’t the only ones suffering.

Growing up in the States, chicken noodle soup was always the first thing my mom gave me when I came down with a cold. Now that I live in the UK, I have found myself surprised at how hard it can be to find chicken noodle soup in restaurants and even supermarkets. And while I am quite rarely craving soup from a can, when you can barely function well enough to get home, it can be a real lifesaver.

While this soup isn’t going to replace the convenience of a canned soup, it is pretty delicious and warming. It’s also a very nice peace offering if you happen to pass someone else your germs. In my case, I had to make myself the chicken noodle soup and then pull together a vegetable miso soup for the meat-free gentleman, but that is another blog post.

One of my favorite things about this soup is that it doesn’t take hours to make, and it doesn’t require all that much effort for the flavor you get. Cooking the veggies in broth will help rejuvenate a store-bought broth.

Serves: 4-6

On the Counter

1 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (not breast pieces), or 3 pieces of chicken thigh
1.5 quarts chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, cut into half
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 large parsnip
2 sprigs parsley, plus 2 tbsp chopped
1/4 pound tagliatelle or egg noodles, broken in half (remove for gluten-free)
1 sprig fresh dill, chopped (optional)

What to Do

Roughly chop half of each vegetable (except the garlic), and neatly dice the other half. Reserve the neatly diced vegetables.

In a large soup pot, combine the chicken stock and chicken. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the top, then lower to a simmer. Skim any remaining foam, then add roughly-chopped onion, carrot, celery, parsnip and garlic. 

Simmer for 30 minutes.

Then, remove the chicken and place it on a plate to cool. Strain the broth to remove the vegetables, and discard them. They have done their part. 

Return the broth to the heat, salt to taste. Add the remaining neatly-diced vegetables, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. 

Meanwhile, start the noodles in a pot of salted boiling water, and cook until tender, just past al dente. 

Once the chicken is cool enough to touch, separate it from the skin and bones, and shred it to bite-sized pieces. Place in a small bowl with some broth to keep it from drying out. 

After the vegetables soften, add the cooked noodles and chicken. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the fresh chopped parsley and dill if using. 

I prefer serving this with a warm, crusty piece of bread topped with butter and herbs, when not too sick to enjoy such things. Dessert: A mug of ginger, honey and lemon tea.

Apologies for the iPhone photos – it’s hard to convince yourself to take proper pictures when you’re not feeling well!

There are two methods to making peanut sauce: the traditional way, and the peanut butter way. On a Wednesday night at 7 p.m., the peanut butter method will usually win. Not to say it isn’t a good way; it’s still more DIY than buying peanut sauce, and it tastes better, too. One day, though, I will tackle peanut sauce made from peanuts.

I prefer to do things from scratch when I can. It’s usually healthier, probably tastier and gives me a much bigger sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I do it in stages (like with peanut sauce); it’s a good way to learn the basics about a complex thing without spending a lot of time processing peanuts, for example.

This is a veggie stir-fry, as my dining companion for the evening doesn’t eat meat. In the past, I’ve done this with both chicken and pork, which, when cut into strips about 1/3 of an inch thick and 1.5 inches long, requires about as much time as the peppers. (That is to say, put them in at the same time.) We were both happy with the veggie version, though I do understand that this might be considered an abomination to some. (Veggies need love too!)

The nice thing about stir-frys, besides that they’re one-pot meals, is that there is a lot of potential variety. I went with veggies that you’re more likely to find in (westernized?) Thai food, but luckily, I had enough time and foresight to shop with this in mind. Usually when I’m making a stir-fry, it’s from whatever I have hanging around in the fridge.

Peanut sauce is pretty amazing, and is pretty high on my list of sauces that are clean-the-plate delicious. There’s never any left when I make it, but you can use it on sandwiches, with plain noodles or as a marinade.

On an unrelated note, I think I need to sort out the lighting when I’m cooking-for-blog. I definitely took these pics after sundown, and the lighting in my kitchen just doesn’t seem to be cutting it. I wonder if it’s time for some new toys…

Serves: 4

On the Counter:

for the peanut sauce:

1/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter
2 tsp (12 ml)soy sauce
1 tbsp (18 ml) brown sugar (leave this out if your PB is sweetened)
1 tbsp (18 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) water (for a thicker, more indulgent sauce, use 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup water)
1 clove garlic, crushed
crushed peanuts

for the stir-fry:

240g (1/2 lb) whole wheat medium-thickness noodles
150g (1.5 cups) sugar snap peas, cut into halves
100g (1 cup) baby corn, cut into in halves
1 to 1.5 bell peppers, seeded and diced (2 colors better than 1!)
100g (1 cup) quartered mushrooms (I prefer baby bella or chestnut)
1 fresh red chili, chopped
optional: 300g (1/2 lb) lean pork or chicken breast, sliced into 1/3in x 1.5in strips
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp (36 ml) sesame oil

What to Do:

In a saucepan, put all peanut sauce ingredients (minus crushed peanuts).
Heat the mixture on low, stirring frequently, until the peanut butter melts and all the ingredients combine.
Put the sauce aside.
It’s better if you let this sauce sit and thicken a bit. The amount of time it takes to stir-fry is enough.

In a wok or skillet, heat sesame oil on medium until it shimmers. Add peppers, meat, then garlic.
Cook (stirring frequently, or tossing if you’re skilled like that) for 2-3 minutes, or until peppers are slightly soft.
Meanwhile, boil a saucepan of water and add your noodles, cooking according to package – usually 2-3 minutes.
Add in peas and baby corn, and keep stirring, cooking for another 3 minutes.
Add in chopped chili and mushrooms, cook for 1 minute and then add in 1/2 the peanut sauce. Toss/stir to combine.
Add your cooked noodles to the stir-fry, cover with the remaining peanut sauce and combine well. Sprinkle crushed peanuts on top and…

serve!

I looove baby corn, so I take advantage of any excuse to use it in a meal. I’ve even been known to throw some in with broccoli while it’s steaming, just to snack on. Do you have any preferred stir-fry ingredients or methods?