Comfort Food!

Blah! I hate being sick. I won't bore / disgust you with the details, but I have the flu. Thankfully not bird flu, I think you have contact with women birds to get that. *Sigh* It'd almost be worth it.

One of the questions the doc asked was 'have you been eating well?'
'Weeeeell...' I said
She raised her eyebrow 'Three meals a day?'
Me 'Oh. Yeah.' (*thinking* Lime and Cracked Pepper chips count as a meal. I mean lime's citrus)

I decided to take care of myself this afternoon and had some of my chicken and veg soup. This is a great in winter, especially when you're sick. I remember how excited I got when Weasel Woman got sick a couple of weeks ago and I could give her soup. My friend's sick. Yay!

I'm going to teach you how I make soup. Everyone's is a bit different. I'll give you the ingredients for my chicken soup, but also give alternative so that you can make it vegetarian too if you wish.

I make my own stock, but cheaters can use the liquid stock, or if they really have no class they can use powdered =p. For chicken stock I just boil the guts out of roast chook left overs for a few hours, then pick out the bones (leaving in the meat of course). Vege stock is trickier. I just keep all my vege scraps (peelings, onion ends and skin, etc) in a bag in the freezer and when I have enough I make up some stock. Make sure you don't use too much leafy stuff, it makes bitter stock. It's foul (learnt by experience =(). Stock will need to be cooked for at least a full day (or night).

To the stock (or stock and chicken) I add some yellow split peas, pumpkin (gives the soup a bit of texture) and carrots. I sauté some onion and add that too (if you like celery in soups - I don't - saute that too). I boil it up in the slow cooker for at least half a day with the lid off (on high), longer if it's on low. Check the flavour, if it's not strong enough keep boiling off the liquid until it tastes good.

Freeze in single or group servings and you have some good, solid meals to serve guests, family, or friends if they 'just show up.' Or you can be like me and get excited when your friends get sick =).