Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup

From: Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews

Ingredients:
6 cups water, or 3 cups water and 3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 - 2 lbs chicken parts, cut into serving pieces
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups short, wide egg noodles
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Bring the water, chicken, salt and pepper to a boil in a soup pot. Skim the impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is well cooked, about an hour. Remove the chicken, discard the skin and bones, shred the meat, and set aside. Bring the stock to a boil. Stir in the egg noodles and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender but firm. Stir in the shredded chicken along with the chopped egg and parsley. Ladle into warmed bowls. 

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was a great, hearty, filling soup. I have made this a couple of times now and it is always a big hit! 

Chicken Honey Stir-Fry

From: An old index card

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 carrots, some broccoli
hot rice

Cut chicken into thin strips. In a small bowl, mix orange juice, honey, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger. Heat oil over medium heat in skillet. Add vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Remove vegetables. Add a little more oil if necessary. Add meat and cook until it's not pink anymore. Add the vegetables and the sauce mixture. Cook until thick. Serve over rice.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Yes, I ate the entire recipe by myself. No shame. This was totally delicious. The only change I made was I used one tablespoon of soy sauce instead of three. Sometimes I feel soy sauce is overwhelming. This was a really fast recipe that was filling and delicious. I will definitely be making this again. 

Italian-Style Beef and Pepperoni Soup

From: Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup sliced pepperoni
Cooking spray
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper

Cook ground beef and pepperoni in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Rinse and drain.

Saute mushrooms and next 3 ingredients in hot oil in Dutch oven 5 minutes. Stir in beef mixture, tomato paste, and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. If desired, garnish and serve with parmesan cheese.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! I ended up having to leave out the mushrooms, onions and bell peppers because I didn't have them on hand, and it was still a really delicious soup! I will absolutely make this again. It had a great flavor, so I imagine it would be even better with the missing veggies added!