A Kitchen Keeper Original - Greek-Style Chicken Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."Mm! Mm! Good!" That slogan and the sound of a can opener marked, and possibly marred, my childhood. My mother made only brand named soups, and it was years before I knew that the chicken and tomato varieties came from anything other than a can. When my children were small, I developed a reputation for making the best peanut butter sandwiches in town. My own children took them for granted but their friends couldn't get enough of them. My secret then was threefold. I used homemade sandwich bread, spread the bread with butter and then topped it with peanut butter and homemade jam. Over the years, I've also developed a reputation for soup that rivals that of my PB&J's. I, of course, have another secret that I'm going to share with you tonight. I use concentrated (double strength) beef and chicken broth to make my soups. Normally, I make my own stock and boil it down, but I've come across a couple of products that I use when my homemade version is not available. I also use them when I'm rushed and want a soup I can get on the table quickly. I like the reduced sodium varieties of Better Than Bouillon and the relatively new Knorr Homemade Stock. If you use either of these products, you'll want to use additional salt judiciously. I really like the soup I'm featuring tonight. Because it uses orzo and deli chicken, it is simple to make and you can have it on the table in less than 45 minutes. It's a riff on the famous Greek Avgolemono, but this chicken soup is more substantial and a perfect way to stimulate peckish appetites. I do hope you'll give it a try. I make it at least once a month and once you taste it I think you'll see why. Here is how this very simple soup is made.

Greek-Style Chicken Soup with Orzo...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 cups diced white onion
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 cups hot double strength chicken stock, divided use
1-1/2 cups orzo
3 cups boned coarsely chopped deli rotisserie chicken
4 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon fresh oregano

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium high heat. Add chopped onion and salt and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Do not brown. Add carrot and saute for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables with salt.
2) Place 1 cup chicken stock in a blender. Add 7 cups of chicken stock to pot and bring to a simmer. Once stock is simmering, add orzo. Cover pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until orzo is tender. Add chicken and warm through.
3) Add eggs and lemon juice to the cooled stock in the blender and blend until the mixture is frothy.
4) Slowly pour egg mixture into hot soup, stirring constantly until it is completely mixed in. Do not bring to a boil or eggs will curdle. Add oregano and stir into soup. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

                    

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Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We've been invited to a large barbecue this coming weekend. It's what I call a planned potluck. Everyone is assigned a task and is responsible for part of the meal. By luck or lot, I'm the dessert lady for the day. Because berries are still available here, I'll be making several of the lemon cake I'm featuring tonight, as well as unusual shortcakes that are made with cornmeal. Both will serve as the base for macerated berries. If time permits, I'll also be making peanut bars for those who do not want a fruit dessert. I found the recipe for this unusual poppy seed cake in The New York Times. It caught my eye because it's made with olive oil rather than butter, and I was curious to see how the cake would taste. I'm really pleased with the results. The recipe makes a moist cake with an intensely lemon flavor that is enhanced by the olive oil. It is a snap to make and takes about 15 minutes to prepare, so it is perfect for my purposes. The Silver Fox has given it his approval, so tomorrow I'll make the three others I'll need for the weekend. I do hope you'll try this cake. You will not be disappointed. Here is how it's made.

Lemon Pecan Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I needed something to put out for a get-together tomorrow afternoon. Most of the gals who'll be here will have fruit, but I wanted to have something a bit more tempting for those who look forward to cake or pastry. I must also add that I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen this afternoon, so I decided to make this quick and flavorful bread which is very simple to prepare. It is sweet, but barely so, and I must admit that it's the lemon sugar glaze that makes this homely loaf a standout. Years ago, the making of lemon loaves was a rite of passage for girls. Most women my age have several recipes for this old-fashioned treat, but the loaves are rarely made these days. I thought it would be fun to reintroduce one variation of this quick bread to my friends tomorrow. I do have a couple of cautions to share with those of you who decide to give this recipe a try. Be sure to toast the pecans. Toasted nuts add enormous flavor to otherwise plain batters and this bread/cake needs the added flavor boost the toasted nuts provide. It is also important to to pour the lemon glaze over the cake while it is still warm so the cake can absorb the syrup. I think you'll like this one. It packs a lot of flavor for something that is so easy to make. I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how the bread is made.

Lemon Lover's Cheese Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had a project that was going to keep me housebound today, so, I thought it would be a perfect time to get the yeast out and make some bread and rolls for the weekend ahead. As it worked out, the recipe I'm sharing with you tonight is for buns I've decided to tote to a class that ends tomorrow. These buns are a personal favorite, but I don't often make them. They are delicious and I could eat them without restraint if they were sitting in my kitchen. These kolachke-like cheese bun are light and flavorful, and they make a wonderful addition to any breakfast or brunch table. The soft dough is silky and a joy to work with. You can, of course, substitute plum or jelly fillings for the cheese that is used here, but I love the lemon and cheese combination and rarely vary from the base recipe. I have another recipe for kolachkes, which you can find here, that I use when other fillings are desired. I hope you will give this recipe a try. While they don't freeze well, the buns will keep for 24 hours if they are well wrapped and refrigerated and I am not in the kitchen nibbling away at them. Here is how they are made.

Miniature Scottish Scones with Lemon, Candied Ginger and White Chocolate

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe, sans the white chocolate chips, first appeared in Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life. It's had a great run on the internet, but for one reason, I never actually made the scones. Several weeks ago, I saw a version of it on Pinterest and I decided it was time to make, rather than drool over them. I have a weakness for all types of scones and I assume the world shares my passion. I usually tote them to morning meetings, and because I make them so often, I've become a self-proclaimed expert at their construction. These, with the addition of white chocolate, sounded unbearably delicious. I had one small problem, however. While I can buy squares or wafers, but I've never seen white chocolate in chip, much less miniature chip, form. I solved the problem by taking my chef's knife to a couple of squares of what was available and fashioned small chips of my own. And while I was creating miniatures, I also decided to make petite scones. For the past several years, I've seen the calorie conscious cut single pastries into smaller portions for their plates, so I decided to eliminate the middle man and help them by making my scones pint sized to begin with. I know you will like these. The combination of lemon and candied ginger is one of those matches made in heaven. It is further enhanced by the addition of white chocolate to the mix. The scones have a lovely crumb and when they are served still warm, paradise comes suddenly near. Here is how they are made. 

Lemon Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've decided to make these unusual pancakes for breakfast on Easter morning. They are thinner than traditional hotcakes but thicker than crepes, so it's hard to fit them into either category. Because they are a bit too thick to fold, I've decided to call them pancakes, at least for this post. The lemon zest in the batter gives these breakfast cakes a unique and delicious flavor that makes them perfect for a special holiday meal. When I have fresh blueberries, I serve them with a homemade blueberry syrup that is not as sweet as the commercial variety. Mid-winter or early spring, I top them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a dusting of confectioners' sugar. The batter for these pancakes is thin and can result in oddly shaped amoeba-like cakes if the griddle on which they cook is not hot enough to quickly set them. I also let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten before I begin to cook the pancakes. I really like this recipe and the only thing that prevents me from giving it my highest - socks go up and down - rating, is the fact that not everyone is enchanted with the flavor of lemon. If you are a lemon head try these as soon as you can. You'll love them. Here is how they are made.

Lemon Sticky Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Easter will be here before we know it and my plans for the holiday are already underway. I tested this recipe a couple of weeks ago and I was so pleased with the results that I wanted to share it with you. My version of these lemon sticky buns is a compilation that comes from many sources. I owe Alton Brown kudos for his interpretation of  overnight cinnamon buns. It is a fabulous recipe and I used it as a base for my lemon version of the buns. His recipe is not hard to follow, but you can stumble if you are not aware of time constraints the recipe places on the cook. The dough for these rolls needs to rise slowly in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. The slow rise adds great flavor to the rolls, as well as easing the work required to pull off a holiday brunch. The lemon version is quite sticky, so be sure to grease your pans well or you will not be able to remove them from the pan. I let mine cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before I turn them out for a final cooling. While the rolls can be frozen in their unbaked state, they are best if served the day they are made. If you are a lemon lover, these rolls have your name on them. They are fancy enough for a company breakfast and I know you will love them. Here is how they are made.

One-Pot Lemony Chicken and Orzo

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I still keep my eyes open for low cost recipes to pass on to a group that was formed during the recession to help women who were trying to feed their families on a limited budget. The recession is long over, but we still get together for coffee three or four times a year to touch base and keep each other up to date. I make it a point to take a recipe or two with me when we meet up. Old habits die hard. I found the recipe for this super quick one dish meal on Recipes.com and I passed it on to them. It's a nice recipe and I'm comfortable passing it on to you. If you'd like a more upscale version of the dish replace the green beans with asparagus and top the finished dish with a sharp grated cheese. You can have the dish on the table in about 30 minutes and it definitely is inexpensive to make. If you're watching pennies or simply looking for a quick week night recipe, do give this one a try. Here is how it's made.

Easy Lemon Pudding Cakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of my favorite old-time desserts. I love lemon-flavored anything and the bright palate clearing taste of this sweet-tart pudding is one that should not be missed. This easy recipe produces a batter that creates two layers, one a cakey sponge, the other a pudding that forms at the bottom of the dish in which the pudding bakes. Long time reader's of my blog will  remember that one of the first desserts I featured in 2008 was an apricot-sauced, lemon sponge pudding that was made by my friend, Lily. Her version is more difficult to make than the one I'm featuring tonight, but the apricot sauce that is served with it is memorable. Lily's recipe can be found here, and there is nothing to preclude serving her apricot sauce with tonight's easier to make pudding cakes. You will have the best results with this recipe if all your ingredients are at room temperature and you thoroughly butter the ramekins in which the batter bakes. The recipe is straightforward and needs no additional input or explanation from me. If you share my love of old-fashioned desserts, I hope you'll give this version of an old favorite a try. Here is how the pudding cakes are made.

Golden Raisin and Lemon Scones

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My sister has been visiting with us, and while she was here she mentioned that she had developed a taste for scones. As soon as I heard that, I pulled this recipe out of mothballs with the intent of making them for her before our visit ended. Let's just say we were having too much fun to make all the dishes we planned and this is one that fell by the wayside. I did, however, want to test the recipe before I put it aside, so I made these homely scones for our breakfast this morning. I really liked them and plan on keeping the recipe handy for my own use. I used my food processor to mix them, so they truly were no work at all and they are delicious as they are simple to make. I think those of you who try them will enjoy them, too. Here is how thy are made.

Lemon Poppyseed Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every generation develops recipes that catch the fancy of young women when they first begin to cook. Toll House cookies have been around for decades and they're as popular today as they were when I was 18. Other recipes have shorter life spans. Even the good ones can fall to the wayside because of sea changes in the way we live or what we think to be important. There was a time when tea breads enjoyed the same popularity as cookies, and young women strove to master their making. We have, however, become a nation of multi-taskers and afternoon tea, for most anyway, has become a quaint remembrance of a ritual now past. While recipes for quick breads abound, tea breads are becoming less common. I want to pass mine on to my daughters, and, so, I record it here. The one I finally settled on is at least 2 decades old and it was developed in the test kitchen that serves Land O' Lakes Creamery. The combination of lemon and poppyseed is one of those lovely marriages that sometimes occurs in the food world. I love this recipe because it keeps the poppyseeds under control. An awful lot of recipes overdo their use and the finished bread or cake ends up looking like it has a disease. Not so here. This is a lemon bread that happens to use poppyseeds in the batter. The use of a glaze is optional with this bread. I prefer to brush the warm bread with limoncello, but I've included instructions for a glaze should you want to use one. Here's the recipe for a mild and altogether lovely lemon tea bread. I hope you enjoy it.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, precedes the first day of Lent. In more secular countries, particularly those that are English speaking, it is also known as Pancake Day. The tradition of serving pancakes on the eve of Lent is centuries old and it came about because there was a need to consume rich and restricted ingredients such as sugar, fat, flour and eggs before the 40 day Lenten fast began. Pancakes were an easy way to do that. While fast requirements are considerably easier these days, it is still fun to observe the pancake ritual. While I'm including links to the pancake recipes already posted on One Perfect Bite, I also wanted to add another for those of you who might be looking for something new. They are very easy to make, and they can be made on a griddle or a skillet. I like to serve these hot from the griddle with good butter and pure maple syrup. I hope you will try these. They really are delicious. Here's the recipe.

Table for Two - Nigella's Lemon Risotto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I suspect there is an, as yet, unidentified recessive gene that explains why some of us like rice. While I am selective in its preparation, I happen to love the stuff, and given my druthers, I'd have a bowl of fried rice for breakfast and  pearl (rice) balls for lunch whenever I could. As a matter of fact, I've featured over 300 recipes on the blog that use rice as a major ingredient. Never satisfied, I'm adding another recipe to that category tonight. I, quite by chance, stumbled on Nigella Lawson's recipe for Lemon Risotto. It caught my eye because it was scaled to feed two people as a main course and I'm always on the lookout for recipes that can be added to my Table for Two collection. I think you'll enjoy this dish. It is creamier than most risottos and  it's packed with subtle flavor. If you eat it as soon as the cream and cheese enrichments are added, you'll have an exceptional meal, but do be forewarned,  if you allow the rice to sit and cool, it loses its fresh flavors and becomes goopy. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. It is not difficult to prepare  and it makes a marvelous light meal for two. Here is how the risotto is made.

Spanish-Style Crispy Chicken with Warm Tomato, Lemon and Olive Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple chicken dish is packed with Spanish flavor and while it lacks the bells and whistles associated with a company meal, I think you'll find it's perfect for a family supper. In Spain, this meal would be served with French fries, crusty bread and a ubiquitous iceberg salad that seems to accompany all Spanish meals, save for breakfast. While the chicken is simple to make, it requires time to marinate, so if you decide to give this recipe a try keep that in mind. I love the lemon flavor in this dish and to heighten it even further, I use a lemon flavored olive oil for frying the chicken and assembling the salad. The salad is a bit unusual, but it's a great way to use the last of the tomatoes from the garden and it adds some wonderful color to the plate. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how this unusual chicken is made.

Table for Two - Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Caper Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Rather than tell you what this dish is not, I thought I'd start my post by giving this recipe a thumbs up and telling you that this chicken dish is fast, easy, and delicious. It has the added advantage of being scaled to feed just two people and it will make a great addition to your personal Table for Two recipe collection. The original recipe, a riff on Chicken Piccata, was created by Haylie Duff for her book The Real Girls' Kitchen, and while I've made a few changes to it, it stays true to her intent. The recipe makes a really special weeknight meal and you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes, if you give some advance thought to the sides that will accompany it. I love to serve this with pilaf, and, if you start the rice before you start the chicken, they'll both be done at approximately the same time. As you read through the recipe, you'll see I use an instant blend, or quick mixing flour, for browning the cutlets as well as thickening the sauce that is used to nap them. I learned about the flour from Julia Child who suggested it be used to get that gorgeous color we often see on chops and cutlets prepared in restaurant kitchens. You can, of course, substitute all-purpose flour for the quick blending type, but it will make for more work when you go to prepare the sauce. Instant or quick blending flour is heat treated to produce a flour that can be directly added to liquids without lumping. It is a fail safe way to make gravy and sauces and its low gluten content makes it ideal for making crepes and popovers as well. Here, I use it for browning cutlets and making a thin sauce that barely naps a spoon. Save for overcooking the chicken, not much can go wrong with this recipe. I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the chicken is made.

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a slightly altered version of a cake that graced Midwestern farm tables for years. It is super easy to make and it's simply delicious - the kind of delicious that makes my socks going up and down. This butter-rich cake is wonderfully moist and has a gorgeous velvet crumb that almost melts on the tongue. It is also eminently portable and all of this makes it a perfect candidate for a barbecue or picnic. If you are still looking for a slightly different holiday dessert, I hope you'll keep this in mind. I know you'll enjoy it. Here is how this simple cake is made.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Mother's Day will be here before we know it. I have a series of recipes that I want to share with you before it arrives. While they all will make delicious desserts, you'll find these recipes produce cakes and pastries that vary considerably in appearance and the amount of effort required to make them. These scones fall into the easy-to-make category and I know you will enjoy the unique flavor the lemon and poppy seed combination provides. I must, however, warn you that these scones have a subtle lemon flavor, so, if you want a more intense lemon hit be sure to increase the amount of zest and lemon juice you use. This simple recipe is easy to follow and save for making sure the scones are actually done at the end of the prescribed baking period, you'll have no trouble making them. If the mother you'll be cooking for is a lemon lover, she will really enjoy these scones. Here is how they are made.

Lemon Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This petite loaf is so packed with flavor that it will make lemon lovers weep and may convert champions of chocolate to the citrus camp. This is without a doubt the finest lemon cake I have ever tasted. Its flavor comes from zest, fresh juice and pure lemon extract, the combination of which made my socks go up and down. The recipe is the creation of Rita Wilson, who among other things is the wife of Tom Hanks, and it was featured in Family Circle magazine. Its simplicity and ease of preparation convinced me to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. I know those of you who try this recipe will love the bread. The lemon "icing" adds a faint crunch to its crust and makes the texture of the loaf less one-note than would normally be the case. I have a couple of hints that I want to share with those of you who plan to give the recipe a try. Use an 8 rather than 9-inch loaf pan. This recipe does not make enough batter to fill the larger pan. I also recommend you line the bottom of your loaf pan with greased parchment paper to make extraction of the bread easier. For the very best flavor, make the bread the day before you plan to serve it. While this makes a perfect tea bread, you'll find it also makes a wonderful family dessert. Here is how it's made.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I feel almost guilty posting this recipe when so many of you are still buried in snow, but the blooms of daffodils and Thundercloud plum trees have announced the arrival of spring here the the Pacific Northwest and I wanted my kitchen to reflect the change of season. I decided to make this wonderful lemon flavored risotto, prepared with a handful of spring vegetables, to mark the occasion. This is one of my favorite dishes, and when I am home alone I can make a meal of it. When the Silver Fox is home, I'll make lamb chops to round out his plate and keep one of the world's most committed carnivores happy. While risotto is not hard to make, it demands some attention from the cook. The liquid must be added in stages and the rice must be stirred as it cooks, but once you've established a rhythm, those lovely grains will reward you with a delicious and savory treat. It is important to serve the rice just as it has finished cooking. This is not a dish that keeps well and the rice will become gummy if it sits and is allowed to cool. I do hope you'll give this flavorful spring risotto a try. Here is how it's made.

Countdown to Christmas - Swedish Sugar Plums

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These cookies should join noodles, pancakes and flatbreads, as another example of how some foods are repeatedly "discovered" in different parts of the world. If you scan the recipe, you'll see just how much like Mexican Wedding or Russian Tea Cakes these Swedish Sugar Plums actually are. I, of course, think they have an edge and infinitely superior to their cousins because these were the cookies of my childhood. I first saw them being made towards the end of WWII when they were made with margarine and cardamom that was shipped from a Swedish Covenant Church somewhere in the South. At that time, margarine came in white blocks with color packets that had to be worked into the gooey mass to make it look more like butter and less like lard. Most adults disliked the chore, but kids, including me, loved this Sawyer-esque chore and volunteers were always available. I was a champion squisher and my prowess got me into Mrs. P's kitchen where I got to watch her Christmas baking marathon. The cardamom sets these cookies apart from their Mexican and Russian cousins, and if you enjoy them and like cardamom, you will love this version of the cookies. If you store them in an air-tight container they will keep for a week, but you will need to re-coat them with powdered sugar before you serve them. This is an easy, near effortless cookie to make, and I know that those of you who try this recipe will not be disappointed. Here is how the Swedish Sugar Plums are made.

Swedish Sugar Plums...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar + additional sugar for finishing, divided use
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cold water
2 cups sifted flour
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds, chopped

Directions:
1) Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in lemon zest, cardamom, salt, vanilla extract and water. Gradually add sifted flour, blending well after each addition. Stir in chopped almonds. Chill dough for 30 to 60 minutes.
2) Move one rack to upper third of oven before preheating oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets and set aside.
3) Using a teaspoon measure, roll dough into small balls and place on prepared cookie sheets. Bake in upper third of oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Roll at once in sifted powdered sugar. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. Roll in sifted powdered sugar again, just before serving. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.

      

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                          One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

                      Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot                                        Greek Lemon Yogurt Mousse

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                Quick and Crusty Hard Rolls                                             Sauteed Christmas Peppers