Coq Au Vin

Coq Au Vin
Serves 4

8 Chicken thighs
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup flour
Salt & pepper
Herbs de Provence
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 onion, minced
1 large shallot, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1" pieces
1 bag frozen pearl onions
1 lb cremini mushrooms, wiped clean
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 cup of Cabernet sauvignon
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
Parsley, roughly chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated
Hot buttered egg noodles or rice to serve
Crusty French bread

Preheat oven to 275 degrees
In a shallow dish add the flour, salt, pepper & herbs de Provence and toss together (heavy on the spices).  Dredge chicken in flour & brown in a large dutch oven with a splash of extra virgin olive oil.  Once it has browned remove it from the pan and add another splash of olive oil and the minced onion & shallots.  Saute for about 10 minutes, add the garlic and let it brown, another 2 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes, wine & broth.  Bring to a light boil.  Add the chicken to the bottom of the dutch oven and then top with carrots, frozen pearl onions, mushrooms, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, sprinkle of salt & pepper, and cover.  Bake at 275 degrees for two hours.  Remove thyme sprigs & bay leaf.  Serve over noodles or rice with a sprinkle of parsley & Parmesan cheese & French Bread.
Enjoy!!!

Southern Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry over Brown Rice with Thyme Roasted Carrots

Southern Chicken Curry
Serves 4 -6

2 cups shredded chicken
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 sweet or yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 Tbs butter
4 Tbs flour
2 Tbs curry powder
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbs sherry
Salt & pepper

Toppings - Peanuts, chopped green onions & crispy, crumbled bacon

Over medium heat saute the onion, pepper & celery in the olive oil with touch of salt & pepper until softened.  Remove them from the heat & melt your butter in a dutch oven. Add the flour to the butter, making a roux, and stir until light brown (watch closely this can only take a few minutes).  Stir in curry powder.  Add 2 cups of broth slowly while stirring the roux.  Add the chicken, onion, celery & green pepper to the roux.  Turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes while adding broth and Salt & Pepper as needed. Add sherry in the last 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice with toppings.
 
I served this dish with Roasted Baby Carrots for our Sunday Supper.

This is an old recipe from our church.  The ECW throw an annual chicken curry luncheon to raise money for various causes.  Each year it is a success not to mention a great lunch.  They serve the Chicken Curry over white rice along with marinated green beans, tomato aspic & a rum cake that will knock your socks off (literally).

Rustic Ricotta & Spinach Lasagna

Ricotta & Spinach Lasagna

To me this would be perfect for an after Thanksgiving / Tree Trimming Sunday Supper. Of course in our crazy house I decided to fix it on a hectic Monday evening.  Serve with a salad and crusty French bread. Hope you enjoy!!!

Rustic Ricotta & Spinach Lasagna
Serves 6

1 package of no boil lasagna noodles
1 bag baby spinach, about 6 cups, torn
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
Salt & Pepper
2 15oz containers part skim ricotta, you will use about 1 & 1/2 containers
12 slices of mozzarella cheese
Olive Oil
2 cups of Rustic Bechamel (recipe below)
Crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded Parmesan for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Saute your onion in a touch of olive oil for about 15 minutes, reduce the heat and add the torn spinach.  Allow spinach to wilt, stirring constantly.  Once spinach has wilted add the can of tomatoes -  juice and all.  Season with a good touch of salt & pepper and set aside.

Line your baking dish with a layer of noodles, they will overlap slightly & break them if needed to fit snug.  Using a slotted spoon spread 1/2 of  your spinach mixture on the noodles, follow with an even coating of the bechamel, followed by a generous layer of ricotta (I dolloped on the ricotta and then smoothed to form a layer with a spatula), sprinkle with salt & pepper, and add a layer of sliced mozzarella. Repeat with one more layer of noodles, remaining spinach, bechamel, ricotta, S&P & sliced cheese.  Sprinkle top with crushed red pepper flakes.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes and the cover for remaining 20.  Check to see that fork can pass through the noodles with no resistance. Tent with foil for 10 minutes.  Serve each piece with a sprinkle of Parmesan & Enjoy!

Rustic Bechamel Sauce
Yields 2 cups

2 cups fat free 1/2 & 1/2
Several stems of thyme & parsley
Dash of black pepper & red pepper flakes
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 Tbs butter
1 1/2 Tbs flour

Over medium heat bring your cream, herbs, black & red pepper, & veggies to a light simmer, stirring often.  Remove from the heat and allow it to completely cool. Once it has cooled remove the veggies & herb stalks.  Set aside.
Melt butter and then whisk in flour. Continue to whisk until you have formed a golden brown roux, about a minute or two.  Now slowly add the infused cream to your roux - whisking the entire time.  Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and thicken & then remove from the heat.

Classic Poppyseed Chicken

Classic Poppyseed Chicken
Serves 4

1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded
8 oz light sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup sherry
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbs poppy seeds
3/4 sleeve Ritz crackers
3 Tbs melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together your chicken, sour cream, soup, salt & pepper, poppy seeds & sherry. Transfer into a shallow casserole dish and top with crushed crackers and then pour butter over the top.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes and serve over rice or egg noodles.

This really is a wonderful comfort food & an east Sunday Supper.  Enjoy!

Bobby's Smoked Chile & Sweet Potato Gratin

The staple in our Fall CSA has been sweet potatoes. We love them!  It sounds crazy but the locally grown, organic do taste so much better than the grocery store variety.  We enjoy sweet potatoes all year long, but they do seem to be synonymous with Fall.   This was dish inspired by Bobby's Flay's Thanksgiving Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes - Enjoy!

Bobby's Smoked Chile & Sweet Potato Gratin
Serves 4

3 sweet potatoes, medium sized
1 1/2 cups fat free 1/2 & 1/2
1 Chipolte chili with adobe sauce, chili minced & 2 tsp adobe sauce
Salt & Pepper
1/4 White cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Peel & slice the potatoes thinly.  Whisk together the chili, sauce and cream. 
In a 9 x9 dish layer the potatoes, top with drizzle of cream and repeat until potatoes are gone (it could be anywhere from 8 to 10 layers) ending with drizzle of cream.  Season with salt and pepper every 4 layers.
Cover with foil & bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove foil and bake for another hour.  After 30 minutes remove from oven and with a spatula press down on the potatoes to ensure cream covering the top of the potatoes.  When done baking sprinkle with cheese and cover for ten minutes.  Serve & Enjoy!

A mandoline or food processor slicing feature comes in handy with this dish.  Next time I am going to top it with crumbled blue cheese and pecans.

Butcher's Pasta

This is absolutely delicious.  I hope you enjoy!!!

Butcher's Pasta
Serves 8
Adapted from October 2010 Food & Wine

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 ozs of thick pancetta, diced
1 lb ground sirloin
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup fat free 1/2 & 1/2
1 cup Chardonnay
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt & pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
16 ozs fusilli pasta
Fresh grated Parmesan for topping

Warm olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat, add the red pepper flakes allowing it to infuse the oil for 1 minute.  Add the vegetables and garlic & allow them to soften for about 10 minutes.  Toss in pancetta and  ground sirloin, cook until beef has browned and broken up, season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and add the tomato paste. Toss everything well and cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally (everything will become a rich rust color).  Add the 1/2 & 1/2, wine and broth and allow sauce to thicken over low heat for about and hour & 1/2, stirring occasionally.  Cook pasta as directed & add to the sauce & mix well.  Serve with sprinkle of cheese & enjoy!

This would be perfect for a family gathering.  I am thinking the weekend after Thanksgiving or for a Tree Trimming dinner.  I will warn you that it is amazing cold too.

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup
Serves 4
3 onions, halved & thinly sliced
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced thyme, divided
1 cup red wine
3 cups low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup sherry
4 slices wheat bread
4 thick slices Swiss cheese

In a crock pot add the onions and butter and cook on high for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Add the flour, pepper, salt & 1/2 the thyme to the onions and mix well.  Pour in wine and beef broth and cook for 7-8 hours on low or 3 1/2 -4 hours on high.  Add the sherry and bring the soup back to the high setting for 15 minutes.
Cut the bread to fit the top of your serving bowls.   If your serving bowls are oven ready - ladle the soup in, top with sliced bread and then top with cheese.  Place in a oven preheated to 425 degrees until cheese is nice and bubbly.  If not using oven safe bowls, place your bread slices with cheese in a 425 degree oven, allow your cheese to melt & then serve your soup with the cheese toast floating on top.  Drizzle with the remaining thyme & serve.

Sunday New Potatoes

Simple Sunday New Potatoes
Serves 4

1 pound small red potatoes
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
Creole seasoning
Cheddar cheese
Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven at 425 degrees. 
Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until they are fork tender.  Place the potatoes on your baking sheet and roughly break them up with a fork.  Spray them with the cooking spray and sprinkle with pepper & creole seasoning.  Bake for 25 minutes & remove from oven.  Top with cheese & parsley & bake 5 more minutes.  Serve & Enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese

Pasta Bolognese
Serves 4

1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 carrots, coined
1 celery stalk, coined
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/4 lbs ground round
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 1/3 cup Cabernet
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth 
3 Bay leaves
8 fresh thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine
Grey or Kosher salt, black pepper & red pepper flakes
1/2 pound of tagliarelle or spaghetti
last but not least about 4 hours


Add onions, carrots, celery, & garlic to the food processor, pulse until you have formed a paste.  In your dutch oven over medium high heat saute the veggies until brown (about 20 minutes) in a touch of olive oil or cooking spray and sprinkle of salt & from this point until you simmer you will be stirring frequently, incorporate the beef into the vegetables and allow it to brown (about 15 minutes).  Mix in the can of tomato paste & after 5 minutes add 1 cup of wine & after another 5 minutes add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.  Allow mixture to come to a light boil & then reduce to a simmer.  Add the bay leaves, thyme, pinch of salt, pepper & red pepper flakes.  Simmer for 1 hour stirring off and on, add 1/4 cup chicken broth. Simmer for another hour & add 1/3 cup of the red wine & 1/4 cup of stock.  Simmer for another hour.  Remove the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Taste & add any salt, pepper & red pepper if needed.  Prep salted water for the pasta.  Cook pasta according to directions & add 1/3 of a cup of the pasta water to the sauce.  Add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well.   Serve directly from the Dutch over with a sprinkle of Parmesan.  Hope you enjoy!  The time is worth it.

Simmering Sauce

Balsamic & Champagne Chicken

Balsamic & Champagne Chicken
Serves 4

1 whole chicken, cut up, or 4 breasts, bone-in & skin on
1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 small lemon
Grey Salt & Pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley 

Preheat  oven to 350 degrees.  Add the chopped onions to the bottom of a roasting pan forming a nice layer, top with the tomatoes & season with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of thyme.  Place chicken over seasoned onions and tomatoes.  Mix together the oil, vinegars and lemon juice & drizzle over the chicken.  Season chicken with additional salt, pepper and thyme.  Bake for an hour and 10 - 15 minutes (or until juices run clear).  Place chicken on serving platter & tent.  Also place the tomatoes and onions in a serving dish, but reserve liquid in pan.  Place the pan over medium heat on the stove top and add white wine.  Increase heat and allow liquid to come to a roaring boil for about 7 to 10 minutes, make sure to scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan.  Spoon sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley, and serve.

A Classic Sunday Supper

Hopefully this will be the end of the cold weather.  Last Sunday we enjoyed a rustic French Supper of roasted chicken, carrots & onions, with fingerling potatoes with thyme and chef's bread.  It was a very easy meal to prepare and I loved the way it was presented - everything on one platter. We even carved at the table. For this roasted chicken I borrowed from 2 classic recipes, dominantly Barefoot Contessa's Perfect Roast Chicken with a touch of Dorie Greenspan's Roast Chicken for les paresseux.  Hope you enjoy!

Blended Family Roast Chicken
1 5 to 6 pound organic roaster
1 lemon, quartered
1 bunch of carrots, washed and sliced in 2 inch chunks
1 sweet onion, quartered and thickly sliced
Sprigs of fresh thyme (8) and parsley (4)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 baguette of French bread, sliced in half

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Throw the carrots and onions into the bottom of a large Dutch oven.  Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and salt & pepper.  Push the vegetables to the edges of the oven and place the baguette slices in the middle.  Add the lemon quarters, parsley & thyme to the cavity of the bird, massage the skin with olive oil and then lay the bird on the bread.  Salt and pepper the skin and sprinkle with the garlic.  Roast uncovered for about an hour and a half.  Check that the juices run clear & transfer to your serving platter as well as the carrots and onions & any of the sliced baguette you have not inhaled yet.  Allow it to rest, lightly tented for about 10 to 15 minutes. 
I also served my fingerling potatoes with thyme.

Speaking of Rustic, he went along with the theme of the evening

Eggplant Marinara

I wish I had this recipe last summer when we had eggplant coming out of our ears!  It is divine. This one takes time as well - perfect for a Sunday Supper.  Please make & enjoy!!!

Frankie's Eggplant Marinara 
inspired by Frankie's Kitchen Companion
2 large eggplant
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea Salt & Pepper
2 & 1/2 oz fresh basil chiffonade
2 cups fresh Parmesan
1 quart of Sunday Sauce
8 oz fresh mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash & dry eggplant. With a vegetable peeler strip alternate layers of the eggplant's skin & slice into 1/2 inch thick disks.  Toss the eggplant with olive oil & salt and pepper & then roast in the oven for 10 minutes per side.   In a deep casserole dish add a layer of Sunday Sauce, then a layer of the eggplant, salt and pepper, fresh basil & Parmesan cheese top with sauce and repeat until you run out of eggplant & finish with a layer of sauce.  Cover with foil and put in the oven for 3 & 1/2 hours (trust me).  Remove from the oven and top the dish with sliced fresh mozzarella & return to the oven.  Once the cheese is brown and bubbly remove (around 10 - 15 minutes). Sprinkle a little fresh basil on top & let it rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Eggplant slices ready for roasting

Eggplant Marinara after 3 & 1/2 hours in the oven

If you don't have Sunday Sauce any commercial marinara will do.
It would be perfect with a salad and crusty bread, but honestly it is wonderful on its on & even cold!
Hope you enjoy!

Sunday Sauce

Irony plays a large role in my life.  As it would happen the day that I received my copy of The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual my husband actually dined at their restaurant on Clinton Street.  This cookbook is a beauty & I highly recommend.  This book and The Cooking Channel's show Extra Virgin have me Italian inspired.  A week or so ago Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar made his family's recipe of "Red Sauce". The concept of family recipes is so fascinating. So special.  Many people refer to red sauce as Sunday sauce, because it takes an entire Sunday morning for it to cook.  Trust me the 4 hours are well worth it, just be prepared.  This is my version of an Italian classic.  I promise you, you will enjoy!

Sunday Sauce
inspired by The Spuntino's Tomato Sauce 
makes 1 quart

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup hearty red wine
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 28 oz cans of peeled whole tomatoes
Sea Salt and black pepper

In a dutch oven warm the olive oil, add garlic and allow to brown but NOT burn (just watch closely and stir often).  In a large bowl empty the cans of tomatoes, juice and all.  With your hands break apart the whole tomatoes into medium sized chunks (you don't want to loose any of the liquid).  When the garlic has browned add the red pepper flakes and give it a good stir. Allow to infuse the oil for about 3 minutes.  Then add the tomatoes, wine & S&P.  Bring to a boil and then allow the sauce to simmer for at least 4 hours, stirring often.  Taste and season as needed. 

Beautiful!

Because of the amount of time this takes I have been preparing it a night or two before I actually need it.  The longer it sits the better it gets.
The long simmer allows the water to completely evaporate and the oil, tomatoes, and wine to become one.  Hope you enjoy!

Santa Fe Sausage Stew

Cold, rainy evenings make me crave a warm, hearty, comforting supper.  This definitely fits the bill.  You can simmer all day or just a few minutes, the choice is yours.  I will say that the leftovers were wonderful, so I would recommend the simmering approach.

Santa Fe Sausage Stew (6 to 8 servings)
28 oz crushed tomatoes
10 oz diced tomatoes with chilies
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup diced jalapenos, optional
14 oz linked, cooked sausage, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Brown Rice

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat till translucent, then add the garlic & saute for about 2 more minutes.  Then add all ingredients except for sausage and chicken broth, bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 20 minutes (longer if you have time), then add the sliced sausage & chicken broth, return to a boil and then simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve over brown rice & Enjoy! You could always top with with sour cream, cheese and be wild and add a touch of hot sauce.

Note - I am planning on trying a crock-pot version of this stew, however I will be replacing the sausage with 2 frozen chicken breasts - adding all ingredients & cook on low for 8 hours.

Chicken and Wild Rice

This is the perfect Sunday Supper for a rainy, cold evening.  It is too thick to be a soup and too thin to be a casserole - we can go with a stew maybe?  Anyway serve it with crusty bread, biscuits, or crescent rolls & enjoy!!!

Chicken and Wild Rice
1 onions diced
2 cups quartered baby carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 6oz box Long Grain & Wild Rice
2 1/2 cups shredded chicken, rotisserie is perfect
7 1/4 cups Chicken Broth
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup sherry
Hot Sauce
Parsley & Parmesan Cheese

In a stockpot add onion, celery, carrots & olive oil, saute for about 10 minutes.  Add 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil, add bay leaf and garlic & simmer for about 35 minutes.  The point here is to really soften the veggies.   Remove the bay leaf & add rice and seasoning packet & 2 1/4 cups of broth, bring back to a boil & reduce to a simmer for about 35 minutes (until you can really see the rice & liquid has cooked down).  Add sherry, chicken, 1 1/2 cups of broth and hot sauce & boil down for about 20 minutes.  Serve topped with touch of chopped parsley & Parmesan cheese.

Leftovers are wonderful too!

Seafood Casserole

This is my take on a traditional crab imperial as a pasta one pot supper. It is a very good casual entertaining dish.  I would serve it directly from the dutch oven on the dinner table.  Also please note - you need at least 2 hours to marinate the seafood.   

Lara's Seafood Casserole

1 lb shrimp, cooked & chopped
1/2 lb crab meat
1 onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup sherry
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2
4 tbs butter
1 cup cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper
Red pepper flakes
1 lb fettuccine
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of  Lemon juice

Combine shrimp and crab meat, add lemon juice & 2 tablespoons of sherry, toss and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Cook fettuccine and keep warm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a dutch oven, saute onion and mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of butter under tender. Add remaining sherry, butter & 1/2 &1/2, allow butter to melt, add seafood & mix.  Take off the heat, mix in fettuccine, sour cream, parmesean, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.  Bake uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes (until bubbly), remove from oven, top with the other 1/2 cup cheddar, & bake another 10 minutes or until cheese has completely melted.  Remove, top with green onions, cover and let sit about 10 minutes.  Serve with a crusty bread and nice chardonnay. Makes wonderful leftover!!!

Roast Beef

Of all the things I planned for the weekend I had every intent of making a crock pot, 8 hour chuck roast with a creamy mushroom gravy. I changed my mind.  Instead I picked up an eye of round roast and did some research on how to make roast beef.  So much debate on high temperature, quick roast vs. low temperature, long roast.  The following is what I decided on.  Turned out great, will definitly be a Sunday Staple.

Classic Roast Beef
1 3 to 4 lb eye of round roast
1 onion - sliced
Garlic powder
Mediteranean Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Kitchen twine
Meat thermometer

Allow the roast to sit out on the counter & come to room temperature (around 2 hours).  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place sliced onion the bottom of the roasting pan.  Tie the twine at 3 inch intervals up the roast.  Season the roast generously with garlic powder, salt and pepper and place on top of the onions, fat side up (picture was fat side down & then I realized).  Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, halfway in.  Roast for 20 minutes per pound and check the thermometer for internal temperature.  Remove from oven and tent with foil, allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.  Slice and enjoy.

Side notes here - The meat thermometer will burn you & quickly - remove it with potholders (don't know what I was thinking, but I have a blistered fingers to prove it).
Medium Rare is going to be between 145 to 150 degrees & Medium around 160 degrees.  Remember that the roast will continue cooking while it is resting.  This cut of meat is best served from rare to medium.

I served it with fingerling potatoes with thyme, roasted asparagus (added to the oven once I removed the roast), a hollandaise sauce and a horseradish sauce.

Chicken Noodle Soup

The powers that be were in line when I decided to make chicken noodle soup for Sunday supper.  Overcast, thunderous, rainy and downright gloomy.  This is a recipe you can speed up or slow down. Your choice too on the spice - leave it out or add more.  Here we go...

Chicken Noodle Soup
2 cups each
   carrots, eyed
   celery, sliced
   onion, diced
4  fingerling potatoes, chunked
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp herbs de Provence
3 cranks Black pepper
2 cranks Mediterranean Sea Salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp hot sauce
2 Bay  Leaves
8.8 oz German Egg noodles
1 bag washed spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil

Add carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, oil, pepper, salt, red pepper, hot sauce, herbs de Provence,  garlic & bay leaves to bottom of crock pot.  Toss together lightly.  Place chicken breasts on top and add chicken broth, cover and cook on low for 6 hours, remove chicken & add pasta & remove bay leaves, stir together, and recover for 45 minutes.  In the meantime shred chicken and hold back from the soup.  After 45 minutes add spinach & shredded chicken 10 minutes before ready to serve supper - serve with saltine crackers or cornbread, Parmesan cheese and hot sauce . Perfect for a Sunday or easy night dinner.  Adjust meat, spice & cooking time as you need - hope you enjoy!