Three Posts in One Day! Oh, and Chicken Soup!

Don't get used to it! It's just that the things I wanted to blog about are all so very different, but if I don't do them today I will forget - old age and all that!

Anyway, you may have noticed I don't really do food on this blog - something which is quite unusual for one based in Italy, or so I have noticed. It's not that I can't cook, more I choose not to anymore. Pre-kids we had dinner parties every weekend and no recipe was out of bounds to me - if I fancied eating it, I would have a try cooking it. Most of the time it would work out! I still have a few foolproof recipes that I know will work every time, Lemon Meringue Pie, Bolognaise/Ragu sauce, most risottos (really!), fried egg and oven chips - you get the idea ;) !

So, here is a photo of my foolproof Chicken Soup.



I think that this is something that most people will have some kind of recipe for, but in favour of mine is that it tastes exactly the same each time I make it! Which, to me, is some kind of miracle! Oh, and it tastes good! A little sweet because of the carrots and celery, but I like that about it. If you are interested here goes:

Enough for 4 people:

1 Large skinned and boned chicken breast
3 carrots
3 sticks celery
1 large onion
olive oil
1 Star Classic stock cube (not the low salt kind)

Cut the chicken up into large cubes and fry in olive oil. Chop onion and add. Peel and chop carrots, add to pan. Wash and chop celery, add to pan. Let everything soften for a few minutes then add boiling water from the kettle to the pan, enough to cover everything. Add the stock cube. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. I normally leave this to simmer for at least an hour, you can leave it longer. If you have to top up the water, don't add cold, make sure it is already hot ( this is also the secret of a successful risotto).

I also add orange lentils and/or soup pasta for a thicker soup.

I have to say the secret is the stock cubes! I have tried making soup in the UK and it was bland even with stock, stock cubes and loads of seasoning. The Star stock cubes have just the right mix, for me, of ingredients. No doubt it is all MSG but never mind - it tastes good!!