Chicken Noodle Soup...with a soda on the side.

Last night's dinner was a far cry from the average typical Thursday. Scott was feeling under the weather and there was absolutely nothing to cook in his house, so I opted for rice and bacon. Let's just say the full affect of adulthood hit me in the face last night. 

Today I decided to make chicken noodle soup, because everyone who has ever been ill has craved it. Scott was at work, so hopefully he will have a nice surprise waiting for him when he arrives home. 

I've never made chicken noodle soup before, so I needed a little guidance. I went to Google, and found a really simple recipe from Tyler Florence, one of my favs on The Food Network. Here is his recipe. The only area my recipe strays from his is in the spice department. Be prepared for a lot of prep work, but it's totally worth it. Here is what you'll need:  

• olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" slices
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2" slices 
• 2 quarts chicken stock (or broth...I don't know the difference)
• 8 oz dried wide egg noodles
• 4 chicken cutlets, cooked and diced into 1" cubes
• sage to taste
• wine and garlic spice to taste
• s & p to taste
• chopped parsley for garnish 

Start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil, heat to medium heat, and place the chicken in. Cook the chicken through until there is no pink. Then, set the chicken aside on a separate plate. 

Next, add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery to the pan. Cook down for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are transparent but not brown. Add all your spices now. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the egg noodles to the pot and boil for 5 minutes. Simmer for another 5, or until the noodles are tender, and add the chicken pieces back in. Simmer, uncovered, for a few more minutes. Garnish the soup with chopped parsley. Tyler Florence says the soup should take 20 minutes to cook, but it took me between 20 and 30 minutes. Definitely worth all the preparation!

What's your favorite soup to have when you are feeling under the weather? 

Date Night Dinner for Two: Chicken Cordon Bleu

The days I'm not on Pinterest surfing through dinner recipes, I look to the Food Network for inspiration. Since my Typical Thursday journey, I have adopted a few fancy, yet inexpensive go-to dinner recipes, and Chicken Cordon Bleu is definitely one of them. Tyler Florence of the Food Network, hits it out of the park with his version.

Minus the thyme leaves, Scott and I stick to this recipe step by step. It's absolutely fool proof and absolutely delicious. All you need is:

• 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 4 slices of thin prosciutto
• 1/2 lb Gruyere cheese, grated (you can use any type of Swiss cheese)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs 
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap. Use a mallet, a rolling pin, the back side of a pan, anything you have handy in the kitchen that can pound the chicken down to a 1/4 inch thickness. Scott has a surfboard shaped, wooden carving board that I use to pound out the chicken. If you're having a bad day, I suggest you be in charge of this step...It's a great stress reliever! 

Remove the plastic wrap from the chicken. Place a piece of the prosciutto down on each chicken breast. Then, sprinkle with some of the Gruyere cheese. Roll up the chickens like a jelly roll. Be sure to not over stuff the chicken so all the contents stay in side, and be sure to roll everything up tight so it stays intact. 

Season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic, melted butter, and thyme (if you choose to use it). Lightly coat the chicken in flour, dip into the egg wash, then into the panko bread crumbs. Be gentle with the chickens during this step so they don't unravel. 

Place the chicken roulades into a greased baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. When the chicken is done, it will come out crispy, and bubbly, and delicious. If you're trying to impress a mate with a fancy date night dinner, pull out this recipe! I guarantee that it will score you brownie points! Do you have a go-to date night recipe that you would like to share?