Fragrant Chicken Soup (Soto Ayam)

 Finally, after all the procrastination! Soto Ayam - Fragrant Chicken Soup, recipe courtesy of the Paddock restaurant in the Kuala Lumpur Hilton.

Never have I cooked soup with such a simple presentation, yet SO much prep, but it was worth it.

A fresh batch of broth from the results of two rotisserie chickens, lemongrass, onion, and peppercorns. An additional chicken breast was added.

Then a puree of onion, shallots, ginger, and garlic is combined with poppy seeds, coriander, white pepper, aniseed and cumin. Pho noodles added for fun and substance.

More lemongrass stalk, cinnamon sticks, and 3 star anise.

Topped with crispy, fried shallots sliced razor thin, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

What a great way to rummage the spice rack. Note for next time, keep stirring the soup as you eat it, because the ground poppy seeds tend to sink.

Recipe posted as found:

FRAGRANT CHICKEN SOUP (Soto Ayam)

The Paddock restaurant in the Kuala Lumpur Hilton specializes in Malay luncheons daily. This is one of the most-requested dishes. 

(Recipe typed verbatim, please read before beginning, as some ingredients are duplicated for use later in the recipe)

4 to 6 servings

1 (3) lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces

2 quarts cold water

1 medium onion, chopped

1 fresh lemongrass stalk, *finely chopped and pounded, or 1 strip lemon peel

12 black peppercorns

2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 medium onion, chopped

6 shallots, minced

¼ cup grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbl. vegetable oil

3 Tbl. cold water

1 Tbl. ground poppy seeds

1 tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. freshly ground white pepper

½ tsp. ground aniseed

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 fresh lemongrass stalk or 1 strip lemon peel

3 3” cinnamon sticks

3 sections star anise

Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

½ cup shallots, sliced

½ cup finely chopped green onion

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Bone chicken breasts, reserving bones. Cut breast meat into 1/4” thick strips. Wrap tightly and refrigerate. Combine breast bones and remaining chicken in large saucepan with 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, skimming surface occasionally. Add 1 onion, 1 chopped lemongrass stalk, peppercorns and salt. Simmer 1 hour. Strain stock, reserve cooked chicken meat for another use. Discard vegetables.

Puree 1 onion, 6 shallots, ginger and garlic in processor or blender. Heat 2 Tbl. oil in another heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add onion mixture and stir 5 minutes.

Mix 3 Tbl. water, poppy seeds, coriander, white pepper, aniseed and cumin to paste. Blend into onion mixture. Stir for 3 minutes.

Bring stock to simmer in medium saucepan. Stir in onion mixture, 1 lemongrass stalk, cinnamon and star anise. Simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in deep fryer or small saucepan to 375 degrees. Add ½ cup shallots and fry until golden, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.

Add chicken breast strips to soup and simmer until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Discard lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise. Garnish soup with fried shallots, green onion and cilantro.

* My two cents. Way too much ginger, I used half the amount. Same for salt. 1 teaspoon is plenty. We like thicker soups, so we added Pho noodles, though rice would have been splendid as well. I had to read it a few times and make adjustments. Three minutes for chicken to cook seemed a little 'eh'. Also, I've seen 'fragrant chicken soup' on the internet, but I could not find this particular recipe anywhere at all. I think (think) it was either in Bon Appetit or Gourmet years and years ago.

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  • o Recipe, in case anyone is feeling industrious for soup

  
  The Paddock restaurant in the Kuala Lumpur Hilton specializes in Malay luncheons daily. This is one of the most-requested dishes.
  
  (Recipe typed verbatim, please read before beginning, as some ingredients are duplicated for use later in the recipe. You may wish to alter the amount of some ingredients, cooking time, etc.)
  
  4 to 6 servings
  
  1 (3) lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
  2 quarts cold water
  1 medium onion, chopped
  1 fresh lemongrass stalk, *finely chopped and pounded, or 1 strip lemon peel
  12 black peppercorns
  2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
  
  1 medium onion, chopped
  6 shallots, minced
  ¼ cup grated fresh ginger
  2 garlic cloves, minced
  2 Tbl. vegetable oil
  
  3 Tbl. cold water
  1 Tbl. ground poppy seeds
  1 tsp. ground coriander
  ½ tsp. freshly ground white pepper
  ½ tsp. ground aniseed
  ½ tsp. ground cumin
  
  1 fresh lemongrass stalk or 1 strip lemon peel
  3 3” cinnamon sticks
  3 sections star anise
  
  Vegetable oil (for deep frying)
  ½ cup shallots, sliced
  
  ½ cup finely chopped green onion
  ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  
  Bone chicken breasts, reserving bones. Cut breast meat into 1/4” thick strips. Wrap tightly and refrigerate. Combine breast bones and remaining chicken in large saucepan with 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, skimming surface occasionally. Add 1 onion, 1 chopped lemongrass stalk, peppercorns and salt. Simmer 1 hour. Strain stock, reserve cooked chicken meat for another use. Discard vegetables.
  
  Puree 1 onion, 6 shallots, ginger and garlic in processor or blender. Heat 2 Tbl. oil in another heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add onion mixture and stir 5 minutes.
  Mix 3 Tbl. water, poppy seeds, coriander, white pepper, aniseed and cumin to paste. Blend into onion mixture. Stir for 3 minutes.
  
  Bring stock to simmer in medium saucepan. Stir in onion mixture, 1 lemongrass stalk, cinnamon and star anise. Simmer 20 minutes.
  
  Meanwhile, heat oil in deep fryer or small saucepan to 375 degrees. Add ½ cup shallots and fry until golden, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.
  
  Add chicken breast strips to soup and simmer until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Discard lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise. Garnish soup with fried shallots, green onion and cilantro.
  
  * My two cents. Way too much ginger, I used half the amount.
  Same for salt. 1 teaspoon is plenty. We like thicker soups, so we added Pho noodles, though rice would have been splendid as well. I had to read it a few times and make adjustments. Three minutes for chicken to cook seemed a little 'eh'. Also, I've seen 'fragrant chicken soup' on the internet, but I could not find this particular recipe anywhere at all. I think (think) it was either in Bon Appetit or Gourmet years and years ago.

Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Apples

With the arrival of January, known in the United States as ‘National Soup Month’, I was flipping through recipes, and thought I’d give his one a shot. I’m so glad I did! A hearty, healthy soup that goes a long way!

This soup is not only delicious, but for creative cooks who like to experiment, also provides a springboard for additional ideas. Leave out the sausage, use mushrooms instead. Leave in the sausage, and sneak it under the table to your dog. Add a bit more broth, and toss in some rice. Peel the apples and dice them instead of slice them. Leave out the meat and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup. So many ideas come to mind. If you like it on day one, you are going to love it on day two!

Check out the complete tutorial: CLICK HERE

The first time I saw the recipe for this soup, I sneered at the thought of cabbage. Memories of cabbage stench wafing from a pressure-cooker through my childhood home has kept this vegetable at an arm’s length most of my life. Pigs in a Blanket, yuck! Back to the recipe, then I noticed the inclusion of sausage. Again, not a favorite ingredient of mine, but I pulled the page from a magazine anyway, placing it among the umpteen other ‘might try one day’ recipes I’ve collected over the years. Were we in for a surprise!

Apples in my soup, you ask? I thought the same thing, too, but as I usually do, cooked the recipe as instructed, including the sliced apples, and was pleasantly surprised. I do suggest peeling the apples, the ever-so-sweet taste of Granny Smith survived the soup, and their flavor was enough for a treat on the tongue. The later you wait the add the apples, the more you’ll taste them, but they could easily be confused for potatoes.

For our family, this recipe is a keeper.

 Courtesy of Cooking Light, 2012

2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces chicken apple sausage, sliced
5 cups Chicken Stock, or fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
(Per cup, standard broth has 290 MORE milligrams of sodium)
8 ounces chopped Yukon gold potato
3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
* SEE STEP ___ *
2 cups sliced Granny Smith apples (peel and dice later, to avoid browning)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

A discussion about Dutch Ovens

If you do not have a Dutch oven, allow me to talk you into one. It is not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy French pot, as there are budget-minded pots available at far less the cost. Dutch ovens are available in standard cast iron, or enameled. Enamel means colors! I’ve seen basic cast iron Dutch ovens from as low as $34.99 to well over $300.00. Determine the size you need before you shop, because you will find they are available in everything from ‘snack before bed’ size to ‘feeding an army’ size. My husband and I do just fine with a 6-quart pot in a pretty purple color, and I was lucky enough to win a 2 quart fennel-colored Le Creuset pot in an Instructables Soup and Stew Contest in 2012. would never be able to afford such a pot, and am so thankful for it! Thank you, Instructables staff, and members who voted for me!
Special thanks to Clay for his Colossal Chili recipe!
If your Dutch oven comes with little plastic doo-dads that separate the lid from the
pot, DO NOT throw these out.
See image on this step for detail. They are a fabulous means of protection to keep the
enamel from chipping. Take care of your investment, and it will take care of you.
If you do not have these dividers, consider using a small kitchen towel to keep the lid and pot protected.

If you are in the market to buy a Dutch oven, here are a few brand names to get started:
Lodge, Le Creuset, Williams Sonoma, Tramontina, Martha Stewart, Calphalon, Heuck,
Kitchen Works, wait – I said a few, Range Kleen, BergHOFF, Ruff Hewn, Sandra, Bella,
Cooks, Technique, Voss, World Cuisine, Staub Marin, Kenmore, Texsport, Guy Fieri,
the list goes on.

Cook the chicken

f you are pressed for time, you can certainly substitute a ready-baked, rotisserie chicken from your local deli. Simply allow for two cups of shredded chicken for this recipe. Otherwise, pour a small amount of olive oil onto a large baking sheet, sprinkle skin-and-bone-free chicken breast with salt and pepper, and bake at 350 degrees, turning over after the first 20 minutes, until meat registers a minimum of 180 degrees.

Allow the chicken to cook just enough to handle, then, using two forks, separate the meat into shreds.
Set the chicken aside.

Gather the ingredients

You may not be able to find chicken apple sausage in your local grocery store, but don’t panic, as you can certainly omit or even substitute a different sausage. It might be best to choose a plain sausage instead of hickory smoke and such.

Yukon Gold potatoes really make a difference in this soup. If you use Russets or something else, the soup taste will definitely be affected. I always get a kick out of online reviews that give poor ratings for a recipe, but then include mention of multiple substitutions. “Well, I used baking soda instead of baking powder, and this cake was horrible.”

Everything in its place. Let’s prep everything so this soup will come together quickly.
In a nutshell, we will be baking, toasting, grinding, measuring, slicing, chopping, peeling and pouring. With that much prep, you’ll want to keep your work area as tidy as possible. By prepping and baking the chicken first, you can do all the rest of the prep while the chicken bakes.

Toast and grind the spices

In a small saucepan, add 2 teaspoons of caraway and ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds.
Toast over medium heat while moving the pan in a circular and back-and-forth motion.
Remember Jiffy Pop popcorn in the foil pan? Yeah, just like that!

Cook for two minutes, then set the pan aside to cool for a few minutes.

Grind the seeds using a mortar and pestle, or a coffee / spice grinder. In a pinch, use a rolling pin.
Set spices aside.

Don’t forget to wash the grinder, or your next pot of coffee may not be the best part of waking up.

Veggies and other preparation

Peel and dice 1 ½ cups of onion, ½ cup of carrots, and ½ cup of celery. Peel and dice 3-4 garlic cloves.
Set aside.
Remove any dried or mangled leaves from the head of the cabbage. Wash thoroughly.
Remove the core with a knife, or by holding the cabbage in one or both hands, then
firmly smack it down onto a counter top in order to release and remove the core.

Using a sharp knife, or a vegetable planer, thinly slice 3 cups of green cabbage.
There will also be prepping of 2 cups of Granny Smith apple, but this can be done
 later, while the soup is simmering, as you don’t want the apples to turn brown. * See note below *

If you are using mushrooms instead of sausage, go ahead and slice up a cup or two of them.
If you are using sausage, well, you get the idea.
Honestly, with inclusion of the chicken, I really don't see the need for a second meat, but...
Set these ingredients aside.
* Why do sliced apples turn brown, you ask?
Click here for the answer! (answer provided by Scientific American)

Measuring and more

If you have already peeled, sliced and diced your vegetables, and measured other ingredients, the rest of the soup will come together very easily. To stay organized and ready to cook, have all of your ingredients measured ahead, such as the vinegar, salt and pepper.

Saute the veggies, sausage, and spices

Over medium heat, pour the tablespoon of olive oil into a Dutch oven, or other heavy-bottomed stew pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.
If using sausage (and/or mushrooms), add them now, cooking for one
minute, stirring as it cooks. Sprinkle the spices evenly over the mixture, and stir well.

Add stock and potatoes

Add chicken stock and potatoes, stir well. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for ten (10) minutes.

Add remaining ingredients

Remove the lid, keeping in mind that condensation has occurred, so the lid will have extremely hot broth on it.
As you lift the lid, carefully angle it so the hot broth falls back into the pot, and not on your skin.
Be careful, as Dutch oven lids are heavy. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Add the green cabbage, shredded chicken, sliced or diced apples, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Stir well, and allow to cook for three minutes.

Simmer and serve

Serve with hot rolls, bread, or a nice pumpernickel bread!
This truly is a great soup that I make quite often. I’m almost afraid my husband will say “Stop with the cabbage soup!” at some point, but he loves it, too. It is a great soup that makes excellent leftovers. The flavor is even better on day two. I’ve been meaning to add cooked rice to the soup, but it never lasts long enough. This recipe is a definite keep-and-repeat soup.
Thank you for viewing my Instructable. I hope you’ll consider making this soup, and I really think you’ll like it!
I look forward to your comments, as I would expect many of you to be pleasantly surprised, and pleased about the tastes and textures of this soup.

Nutritional information

Oh, Cooking Light, how I love thee! They provide a healthier version of endless recipes, and even provide nutritional information. You may or may not watch your intake, but for those who do, this information is worth a lot.
Thank you, Cooking Light!
Assumed serving, 1 ½ cups per person. Chances are, you’ll want seconds. Or more.
CALORIES: 328
FAT: 9.8 grams (Saturated – 9.8 g, mono – 3.7 g, poly – 1.2 g.)
(Even less if you omit the sausage)
PROTEIN: 28.5 grams
CARBOHYDRATES: 33.2 grams
FIBER: 6.4 grams
CHOLESTEROL: 85 milligrams
IRON: 2.5 milligrams
SODIUM: 369 milligrams
CALCIUM: 94 milligrams

Slouch beanie hat made from recycled T-Shirts

Can't knit? Can't crochet? Not a problem.
If I can do this, you can do this.

As someone who owns a small library of everything one might need to learn how to crochet, I have to admit, I simply can't get it through my head, or I'm not willing to invest in a learning period. Even "How to Crochet for Dummies" gathers dust in my house.

Along came the circle loom. 

The day this loom arrived in our mail, I made a hat. It is THAT easy. Opened the package, read the very brief instructions, and made a hat without a hitch in just a few hours. No, I don't work for any of the companies that produce these products, I'm just that hooked on them, and can't help but to emphasize, this is an easy project for the young, not so young, male or female. If you already know how to use a circle loom, perfect! Simply replace the yarn with T-SHIRT YARN, and you are well on your way!

Visit my step-by-step tutorial - CLICK HERE
and I'll show you how to make this hat!

Recycle T-Shirts into Seamless Yarn

Just about anyone you know likely owns at least one T-shirt, if not dozens or hundreds of them. As a result, they seem to be one of the most ‘disposable’ articles of clothing in today’s world.

Walk into any second-hand store, and you’ll probably find several racks full of them. This provides the perfect opportunity for re-purposing them, for mere pennies if you find the right sale.




Now begins the curiously addicting chore. You may find this to be a very relaxing process, like me.
I have made and rolled up umpteen T-shirt balls.

Want to learn how to make T-shirt yarn? CLICK HERE for a step-by-step tutorial.

And now, the most important question. What to do with this newfound material?
 
Please visit, and consider making, a Slouch Beanie Hat made from Recycled T-shirts

Black Walnut Harvesting & Processing

 As Autumn approaches in our area of Northeastern Oklahoma, many of our nut trees are beginning to shed their crops, dropping nuts beneath trees, in the garden, yard, bushes, and even on an occasional unsuspecting human below the tree. Our house was unfortunately planted after the tree, and a tad too close, as we now endure Autumn with many a sudden "Bang!" when nuts land on the roof of our house. This is the sign – it is time to collect the harvest.

Please visit this link for the step-by-step tutorial I've created on the popular How-To website, Instructables.

You'll find a great deal of information including all of the following:

About the Black Walnut
Equipment and Materials Needed
Picking the Nuts
Husking the Nuts
Cleaning the Nuts
Sludge - must see!
Drying the Nuts
Shelling the Nuts
Storing the Nuts
Recipes using Black Walnuts

Tiny Lemon Tea Cakes

You won't have to feel very guilty for long when your dessert is but a bit of a bite like these Tiny Lemon Tea Cakes!

Tart-sized treats are a breeze to make, and are just the right size to pop into your mouth on the run. Little bits of crystallized ginger settle into the icing, making presentation all the sweeter.

Recipe courtesy of Sandra Palmer and Kiyomi Toda-Burke at Three Tarts Bakery and Boutique in New York City.

A mini-muffin pan is necessary for cakes of this small stature. They are usually molded with 24 little tart shapes per pan. Spray or butter the pans gently, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°.

Makes two dozen tiny cakes.

Ingredients needed: (a total of 13)

1/2 cup flour, plus 2 additional Tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder (may I suggest Rumford brand, aluminum-free)
1 pinch of salt (a pinch is commonly a mere 1/16 of a teaspoon, but your fingers will work fine)
1/2 teaspoon ground, dried ginger

1/2 cup sugar, plus an additional 2 Tablespoons of sugar
7 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

2 large eggs, plus the yolk of a third egg
3 Tablespoons of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract - Madagascar vanilla is best
(not Mexican vanilla, which is more compatible with chocolate)

* Also see below for icing ingredients

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt and ginger. Whisk, set aside.
In another bowl on a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter together at medium speed for about a minute. Add the whole eggs and one egg yolk. Once combined, reduce the mixer speed to slow, and add spoons full of the dry ingredients. Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla.

Add one Tablespoon of batter to each muffin cup, and bake approximately 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool, remove from pan, and cool completely before icing.

* For the frosting / icing:

1 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar / powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tablespoons of finely chopped crystallized / candied ginger
1 Tablespoon water (add as needed, you may need the entire Tablespoon)

In a small bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon of water. Mix well. Dip the tops of the cakes into the glaze, twist, allow excess glaze to drip off, and set them on a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Dab a few bits of candied ginger on top of the glazed cakes. Allow to dry, then set them out for company. Put on a pot of tea, and call a friend!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is truly one of the easiest soups to throw together. As Autumn approaches, cooler temperatures bring opportunities to warm the kitchen, and comfort our appetites.

Easily altered, you don't have to stick to the exact recipe. In fact, this soup was the end result of picking five recipes from various cookbooks, then combining them, changing a few things, adding a few things and even eliminating certain ingredients that didn't make the cut.

Don't feel bad about changing the recipe. It is a great one to use when you're cleaning out the refrigerator and raiding the pantry. If you are lucky enough to have fresh Hatch green chilies, by all means, use fresh peppers.

If you would like to see a step-by-step tutorial with plenty of pictures, CLICK HERE

Prep the chicken:

3-4 boneless chicken breast halves or 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
(Our local meat market always mentions the fact that a breast is technically two halves)

Olive oil (yes, you can substitute vegetable oil)
____________________________________________________________________

 In a small bowl, combine the following:

2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt (*) See note about sodium below
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I lay on the grinder with a heavy hand)

Remove all skin, bones and such from chicken breast, place breasts on a baking sheet. Sprinkle just a bit of the seasonings on both sides of the chicken, reserving the remaining spices. Bake at 350-375 degrees until chicken is completely cooked, or a meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees. Set aside to cool.

Optional cooking method for chicken: Cut raw chicken breast into small cubes, sprinkle with spice, and cook on a stove top with a bit of oil in the pot. When cooked, set chicken aside.
____________________________________________________________________

Vegetable prep work:

1 medium or large onion - diced
1 whole jalapeno pepper - remove stems and veins, dice. I leave in the seeds for the look. 
1/2 cup poblano pepper - diced (substitution: 1/2 cup green bell pepper)
1/2 cup red bell pepper - diced
3-4 cloves of garlic - finely minced
 ____________________________________________________________________

Canned goods:

10 oz. can of whole green chilies (do not drain)
10 oz. can of Original Rotel (do not drain)
11 oz. can of white corn (drained)
15 oz. can of black beans (drain and rinse)
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (do not drain - I used Hunt's brand)
32 oz. carton of chicken broth  (I used low sodium, see note below *)

____________________________________________________________________

* A note about sodium. 

My husband loves the salt shaker. No matter what I cook, his habit is to grab the shaker before even trying the food, but we've been working on this. I was very surprised that he not only tried the soup first, but then only added a little bit of salt. This is saying a lot, especially for someone with such tainted taste buds. We could all use a little less salt.

Though low-sodium chicken broth is used in this recipe, there is still plenty of sodium / salt in the soup. Consider lower sodium beans and perhaps even lower sodium tomatoes if you are watching your salt intake. If you just can't live without it, you can always salt your own bowl of soup instead of the entire pot.
____________________________________________________________________


Cooking over medium heat, in the bottom of a large soup pot or heavy Dutch oven, drizzle a bit of olive or vegetable oil. Add all of the prepped vegetables, sprinkle with the leftover seasonings from the chicken breast. When the smell of the spices fill the air, (only a moment or two) add all of the canned and cartoned goods. Stir and allow to cook while you shred the chicken.

Shredding the chicken:

By now, the chicken may be cool enough to handle. You may cut the chicken into cubes if you wish, or shred the chicken by using two forks, pulling at the breast to create shredded pieces. Once the chicken has been prepped, add it to the soup. Reduce the temperature and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve when hot, sprinkling any of the following tidbits on top for a beautiful presentation:

Fresh avocado
Grated cheese (Don't fret, I used mozzarella. Suggested cheese: sharp cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey)
Fresh diced onions
Crumbled tortilla chips or strips
Freshly ground black pepper

Bon appetit!