Beans on Toast

So being in need of comfort, I wanted to see if everything Uma said about baked beans on toast was true.

I had this awesome multi-grain boule which I toasted up. I followed Uma's recommendations used Heinz Vegetarian beans and topped with bits of cheddar cheese.

So was all Uma said true?

In two words: um, yes.

YES!! Holy cow, this was delicious! The one 8-oz can of beans on one long oval of toast made the perfect size lunch for me. I might even have this for breakfast. My friend Julia, whose mother is British, says her Mum would make this with a fried egg on top. Something definitely worth considering.

P1060027

Chicken Soup

• 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• 1 onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled, and sliced
• 2-3 outer stalks of celery, and entire inner heart, sliced, leaves and all.
• 6-8 carrots, peeled and sliced
• At least 1, and some of a second box of chicken broth, approx 6 cups total.  Ish.
• 3/4 cup small pasta such as orzo, stellini, acini de pepe or even alphabets
• Fresh chopped parsley
• 3-4 egg yolks (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour. Let cool. Eat skin if you're that kind of person. Discard skin if you're not that kind of person or give it to me. Take meat off bones and roughly chop or shred. Discard bones. Don't give them to me.

Heat little bit of olive oil in your soup pot. Add all the veggies and saute 5-7 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta, lower heat and cover. Simmer until vegetables are tender and pasta is cooked. Add reserved chicken. If desired, slip egg yolks into broth while simmering and poach until cooked through.

Add chopped parsley and serve.

A good trick to cool down soup for kids is to put some frozen peas in the bottom of the bowl and then ladle the soup on top. Clever, huh?