Entrée: Chicken Soup with Hungarian Nokedli

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Serves (4-6)

Please, please, please put away your bouillon cubes and over salted chicken stock. This recipe requires no fillers. By purchasing a good quality chicken, the main ingredient you'll need is time, not salt. I'm not convinced that chicken soup cures a cold, but it does make for a great meal.

Ingredients: Soup 4 chicken thighs (preferably organic or free range), 4 celery stalks, 4 medium carrot sticks, 2 small onions, 3 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 - 1 tsp black pepper (more salt and pepper can be added to taste) Nokedli 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/3 cup water, 1 tbsp parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp salt

Place thighs in large pot over medium heat with a little oil. Evenly sprinkle tops of thighs with 2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.

As chicken is beginning to cook, dice celery, peeled carrots, and onions. Add vegetables to pot. Drizzle chicken and vegetables with olive oil. Add water to pot until chicken is completely covered. Stir in 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cover pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer with lid cracked until chicken is cooked--about 45 min.

When chicken is almost done, fill 2 qt saucepan with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to boil. Combine flour, egg, water, parsley and salt in bowl. Mix together with a fork. (Batter will be sticky.) Transfer batter to flat surface--something that is easy to handle, like a plate or small cutting board. Using a teaspoon, quickly scrap batter into boiling water. Boil nokedli until they begin to float--about 2-3 min. Drain. Set aside.

Remove chicken from pot, peel off skin. Pull apart chicken (chicken will be hot!) and add back to pot. Serve with Hungarian nokedli.

Entrée: Tomato Pumpkin Soup with Goat Cheese and Basil

Difficulty: Easy

Prep/

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves (2)

Great as an entrée or an appetizer--this dish caters to the strengths of each ingredient--the acidity of the tomatoes, the mellow sweetness from pumpkin, and the bright pop of basil. Stir in soft and tangy goat cheese, and bring tomato soup into the realm of fine dining.

Ingredients: 1 cup strained tomatoes*, 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1-2 oz goat cheese, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, goat cheese for topping

*If available, I recommend Pomi strained tomatoes. Packed and produced in Italy, the only tomatoes more fresh would be from your garden.

Who says amazing meals have to be complicated? Combine all ingredients in 1 qt saucepan. Heat over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally (15 min). Serve with crumbled goat cheese and a dash of dried basil. Voilà!