November 08, 2008

What's for Dinner?

What's making me happy today? My dinner.

Since losing our nighttime social life becoming parents, T and I have fallen into a pattern of comforting, nostalgic dinners on Saturdays. And easy to make meals, because who wants to spend Saturday cooking something complicated? Saturday dinners should be like big hugs that congratulate you for getting through the week.

Tonight we had chicken and noodles. It was a windy, rainy day, T lit the fireplace for the first time, and I thought, "We need to eat chicken and noodles today." So we did, along with our friends who came over for dinner. Chicken and noodles is like chicken noodle soup with all the best parts exaggerated. Pair it with bunch of cut-up veggies and you've got a tasty, easy meal. We ate it in my house growing up. Since neither my parents nor I develop our own recipes, my mom probably got this off a bag of noodles. Or a Ladies' Home Journal. You know, where people found recipes before the glorious internet.

Recipe below, but do tell: what did you have for dinner?

***

Chicken and Noodles
  • 3 lbs. chicken pieces (I like to cut up a whole chicken, but in a pinch you can use a pack of all breasts or thighs, etc. Just make sure it's bone-in so you get tasty broth. I also remove the skin, because who needs all that fat?)
  • 4 medium carrots, bias cut (I usually add more)
  • 2 stalks celery, cut in 1 inch pieces (I usually add more)
  • 1 large onion, halved, then sliced
  • 1/4 c. chopped parsley (skipable, if you don't keep have parsley on hand)
  • 1 T. salt
  • a few generous shakes of pepper
  • 8 oz. egg noodles
  • 1/4 c. flour
Combine 1.5 quart water, chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, salt and pepper in a Dutch oven or big saucepot. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for one hour.

Remove chicken, debone and chop coarsely. Add egg noodles, return to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Combine flour with 3/4 cup cold water. Add the flour-water mixture to the pot along with the chopped chicken and cook for 3 more minutes, or until noodles are soft and the broth thickens a little.

7 comments:

Patti said...

Your recipe sounds delicious - especially today - it's cold and wet outside, rather dreary! Thanks for sharing. Patti

Anonymous said...

Sounds good and easy to make! Our dinner last night was a hodge podge because we got a load of meat delivered from a nearby farm and had to clean out our freezer to make room. We had sausage pizza, vegan crepes, schnitzel and garlic bread.


In Chicago, it just started to snow- first of the season. I think we'll light a fire tonight. Hope you're staying warm and toasty.

Ariella said...

Sounds yummy! We like easy meals at our house and I don't cook anything that takes longer than 30 minutes normally. Tonight we will have pork chops, apple sauce and a salad.

Anonymous said...

I made something similar a couple of weeks ago using Israeli couscous - it was so good!!

Last winter I started making "Sunday Dinner"; a warm meal served at lunchtime and it was so nice. I'll be starting it up again soon.

Anonymous said...

@v - A big Sunday afternoon meal was a beloved tradition in T's family, too. But neither of us come home from church wanting to cook!

Anonymous said...

I was just having a discussion with myself about how this is perfect weather for those hot, yummy soupy stewy foods!

We always go in the fall and buy a gallon of burgoo from a nearby church and freeze it up for days like yesterday. We ate some last night and it was heaven! Chicken and noodles (very similar to yours, chili, and pot roast with veggies are other faves of mine that I can't wait to make over the next few weeks!

Billy said...

Sounds a nice and easy recipe to me (though I'm a veggie..)
Nice that you keep a special time for the both of you :-).
[here through Blogger Bingo]

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