Stone Soup

Veggie soup with rotisserie chicken and pesto

chicken soup

I LOVE soup.  People that know my eating habits know that my love soup runs deep.  I think that it is because of a couple of things.  First off, I grew up in a family where we would get a fresh pot of soup everyday.  My grandpa would start up the soup around 4 in the afternoon and pull out a large container of dried goodies, along with thick slices of meat and/or bones.  He would make his selection for the day and he would dump in a potpourri of things like dried red dates, lotus seeds, etc into the soup pot.  This pot would be simmered until dinner time and we would have a bowl before and after dinner.  The soup was always refreshing and soothing.


Alongside that, noodle soup is a staple in our family.  It is an easy family lunch and we love throwing in leftovers which always makes the soup tastes different.  I've also learned that to make any leftover palatable, just dump in a pot, and throw some soup stock in it.  I've seen different sites suggest doing this with thanksgiving leftovers, and it really does work.  Think mashed potatoes, turkey, veggies all jammed into a pot with some stock - it turned out to be a really yummy soup!

Lastly, I recall a favorite story from the second grade, called "Stone Soup."  It's basically a story about a couple that went into a town.  They didn't have anything to eat and nobody would share with them.  So they added water to their pot and started stirring and claiming how good it was.  They called it Stone Soup and all the villagers wanted to try.  The couple would only allow the villagers to try if they brought an ingredient to put into the soup.  Soon, every villager had something to add to the pot and after tasting the soup with all the ingredients, everyone claimed that it was the best soup that they ever had.  To top that story off, my second grade teacher decided to make Stone Soup for our class.  It is one of my favorite childhood memories and I can still visualize and taste that bowl of soup.  Every student brought in an ingredient and the soup was really the best we've ever tasted!

Queen Sheba

Queen Sheba - it was a great experience to eat with my hands.  I can't tell you how satisfying it was to eat with my hands (the right one of course.)  Sure, sure, you can do it anytime...but when the food is designed for you to grab a hold with your fingers, it's such a fun thing. The only warning I would give is that the food takes about 20-25 minutes to make.  We were the first ones at the restaurant (around 5pm) and it took us that long to get the food.  The waitress got annoyed at me for even asking about the status of our food, and later, my friend tells me that it takes about that long.

Other friends have recommended additional (even more authentic) Ethiopian Restaurants in the Seattle area:  Zobel, Lalibela, and Saba, Dahlak Eritrean Cuisine and Enat Ethiopian Restaurant

Thai Ginger

Calamari Rings

Chicken Satay

Tiger Tearless

Vegetable Curry

I love the pad thai from Thai Ginger - the noodles are nice and light, given that the sauce doesn't overwhelm the noodles and the flavor is just right to me.  I'm not sure how I didn't get a picture of that.  But the other dishes are great as well, especially the Tearless Tiger, which is grilled marinated aged black angus new york steak with light soy sauce and black pepper. It's served with a spicy lime juice sauce and thai sticky rice.  I'm not sure how authentic this dish is, but we always love ordering it.

asian flavored turkey meatballs

All the flavors that I love about chinese food - soy sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro - all meld together so nicely within the meatball.  I sneak tofu in this recipe to make it a little more healthy and to help us eat a little less meat.  I used this recipe as a guide, but I didn't put in the milk or breadcrumbs, and stuck with using only ground turkey. 

Roasted Pepper Chili

Stove top chili - before picture

Stove top chili - after picture

I am a big fan of chili because it's a sneaky way of getting my husband to eat beans, and veggies.  This is a combination of two different recipes.  I really like the addition of roasted peppers - it really gives the chili a nice sweetness.  It's really fun to make because once you prep all the veggies, and brown the meat, you can throw it all together and let it cook and simmer today.  I like cooking it on the crockpot as well as the stove.

Here's a recipe that is similar to the one I use.  I do add red peppers that I broil under the broiler for 15 minutes, and then let rest for 15 minutes in a covered bowl, before peeling the skin and chopping it up.

Slow cooker chili - before picture

Slow cooker chili - after picture

Mulled Wine

One of my favorite ways to celebrate fall is to simmer something with a cinnamon aroma to let it permeate the kitchen.  I was hunting for a mulled wine recipe that would be simple and require the least ingredients.  This recipe turned out well, as it has been well received by friends, and I'm happy to drink it on my own if there are no takers (when I can.)  It's makes for a pretty site while it is simmering in the pot or slowcooker.  

2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice or fresh ginger
1 750 ml bottle of dry red wine
2/3 cup honey or sugar
1 orange, sliced
1/4 cup brandy (optional)

tie up cinnamon, cloves, and allspice or ginger in cheesecloth or place in large tea infuser.  pour wine and honey into slow cooker, stir until all dissolved.  cover.  cook for low for two hours or until steaming.  remove the spice sack before serving.  serves 4-6

Link to recipe

For a great mulled apple cider, this recipe works quite nice.  I also love to use good quality apple juice, instead of the cider, as I'm not a big fan of the pulp.

Mulled Apple Cider

apple juice can be substituted.

• 4 cups of apple cider
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1/2 orange, sliced
• 1-inch peeled, fresh ginger, cut into 6 slices            

Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over a low flame for 20 minutes. Strain and serve.

The fried chicken list

QFC fried chicken...their baked chicken is yummy as well

Nothing makes me happier than a bite into a great piece of fried chicken.  The meat I'm not so interested in, as I'm into the combination of the crispy skin, crunchy bone, with a small piece of tasty meat to round out the bite. 

My love affair with fried chicken began at an early age.  I remember that my favorite part of swim trips to the YMCA was the trip to KFC afterwards.  It was so much fun sharing the family bucket of chicken with my aunty, uncle, cousins, and brother. 

While my love for fried chicken has remained consistent, the places that offer fried chicken have increased dramatically I'm happy to report.  Here's the current list of my fave sources for fried chicken.  Of course, it's all about being lucky enough to catch a fresh batch of fried chicken coming out of the vat of oil.  It really doesn't matter where it comes from at that point.

1.  QFC (Bellevue and Ballard location in particular)
2.  Old Country Buffet
3.  Jollibee (Southcenter mall)
4.  Fred Meyers (Redmond location)
5.  Albertsons
6.  KFC and Ezelle's