Chicken-vegetable soup

This soup is excellent for getting over a cold or flu!

Ingredients:
-3 or 4 chicken breast cutlets (cubed)
-carrots (chopped the way you like, cubes or julienne)
-celery (chopped)
-potatoes (cubed)
-noodles ( I use the very small and thin ones that we put with the rice, "sh3eeriyyeh")
-chicken broth (I usually take the wings and neck of the chicken-on the bone- and make the broth out of that)
-1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
-salt and pepper
-1 cube of chicken broth (if needed)

Instructions:
-Make the chicken broth (scroll down for instructions)
-Fry the chicken cutlets in the oil until the chicken is golden brown, add salt and pepper as needed.
-bring chicken broth to a boil and then drop chicken cubes, celery, carrots, potatoes
-once the veggies are almost cooked, drop in the noodles.
-taste the soup, if you feel it needs some more flavor you can add a chicken broth cube at this point. You might wanna leave off adding salt until after this step because the chicken broth cubes are usually salty.

Enjoy :)

Chicken broth instructions:
-Place chicken pieces in large pot
-Add water up til about 1-2 inches over the chicken
-bring to boil, let the "white" fat come up on the sruface then take it off with a spatula.
-after no more white stuff comes out, add a chopped onion, some cardamom and let it boil for about 45 minutes on medium-low heat.
-drain the ingredients into a strainer, while saving the chicken broth into another pot :)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

1 cup chocolate chips
1 tbspn shortening
1 box strawberries (about 15)
About 1 tbspn white chocolate chips

1) In a saucepan melt the chocolate chips and shortening on the lowest heat possible (or use a double broiler).

2) Keep stirring just until everything is smooth and creamy. It may take a while since it's on such low heat.

3) Dip the strawberries into the chocolate while it's still warm and smother deliciously. Place them on wax paper to cool.

4) Heat white chocolate chips for 30 seconds in the microwave, then take them out and stir them (they'll be pretty chunky) then heat for another 30 seconds, then take them out and keep sitrring patiently until they melt and become smooth. If you over heat them, they'll become cakelike (trust me).

5) Pour white chocolate chips into corner of ziploc bag, and snip a *teeny* piece off the corner. Squeeze to drizzle smooth whiteness over delicious brown chocolate-covered strawberries.

When you're done, leave them out at room temp for 15 minutes if you want the chocolate to be soft, or put them in the fridge if you want it to be crunchy and snap when you bite into it.

Banana Nut Cake

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup bananas (or 3 medium bananas, the more ripe the better)
2/3 cup shortening or vegetable oil
2/3 cup buttermilk or yogurt
3 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup nuts (chopped), i like to use walnuts
pinch of salt

Instructions:
-preheat oven to 350
-Combine all ingredients, mix with handmixer for 30 seconds on low speed. Then for 3 minutes on medium speed.
-Place batter in greased and floured pan (13x9)
-Bake for 45-50 minutes

Afghani rice and chicken

(note this picture doesn't include the raisins)





Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
2 chicken breasts or thighs/drum sticks on the bone
3/4 cup shredded carrots (available at the supermarket)
1 packet of raisins (I use the snack size packets)
garam masala spices, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin
1 large onion (chopped)
vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped.

Instructions:
- Fry the onion and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
-before the onions become brown, add the chicken. Stir the chicken until it becomes white all around :)
-add water and cook the chicken until it is cooked all the way through and tender (I like to simmer it, covered, on medium-low heat until it's completely cooked and almost falling off the bone). Of course you can add the salt and pepper the chicken anytime you like. I usually add it when it's almost cooked.
-Meanwhile, wash the rice and drain it about 5 times.
-In a frying pan, add carrots, raisins, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of cumin, and about 1 tsp of sugar, and a tiny bit of oil. We're not looking to cook the carrots here because they are going to cook again with the rice and they might fall apart. Just stir fry for about 2 or 3 minutes.
-Combine washed and drained rice with carrot mixture. Add 3/4 tsp of salt. Along with 1 tablespoon of garam masala spices.
-Add this mixture on top of the chicken. Add water until it covers everything by half an inch.
-Bring food to a boil, let it boil for a few minutes. Simmer and cover for about 20 or 30 minutes until rice is completely cooked.

Enjoy! :)