Cream Cheese Chicken Soup Recipe

This easy chicken soup recipe gets its creamy goodness from the addition of cream cheese. Thanks to some frozen veggies and a can of creamed corn, this old-school chicken soup recipe is very fast to make. This recipe was adapted from one from Jane Lim and her blog, Little Corner of Mine.

Makes 6 Cups Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 chicken breasts, sliced
• 1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 can (14-oz) cream-style corn
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
• chopped cilantro or parsley as garnish, optional

Preparation:

Melt butter in a saucepan, over medium heat, and add onions. Saute until golden-brown, then add the sliced chicken breast. Cook for a few minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink, add peas and carrots. Add cream cheese, stir until cheese melted. Add cream corn and milk. Stir well to mix. Add the chicken broth. Stir and bring to a simmer; turn off heat and stir in the mozzarella and a dash of black pepper. Taste for seasoning, adjust, garnish, and serve hot.

Mexican-Style Shredded Chicken Soup Recipe

This easy and brightly flavored chicken soup recipe is inspired by the classic Mexican tortilla soup. You can make this chicken soup as mild, or wild as you want by simply adjusting the amount of hot peppers. Garnish with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream for a hearty meal, or eat as-is for a light and tasty treat.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 14 ounces whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips to garnish, optional

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, or until the onions start to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken breasts, chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and cook at a low simmer.

After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the soup with tongs, and allow to cool on a plate. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat, and add back to the soup. Continue simmering the soup until the vegetables are tender. Serve soup hot garnished with optional toppings.

Caramelized Lemon Roast Chicken Recipe

This roast lemon chicken recipe features a rich, intense sauce made with the caramelized drippings in the roasting dish. The roasted chicken is served over some romaine, which is slightly wilted with the hot sauce. You can do this same recipe on watercress, spinach or arugula.

Makes 4 Portions of Caramelized Lemon Roast Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole large chicken, about 4 lbs, rinsed, dried
• 4 lemons, juiced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 hearts of romaine, sliced into ribbons

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, add the lemon juice, cayenne, cumin, black pepper, olive oil, and about 1/2 tsp of salt. Whisk together and add the chicken to the bowl. Turn the chicken to coat on all sides; leave to sit out at room temp for 20 minutes, breast side down in the marinade. Choose a heavy-duty 9 x 13-inch metal or flame-proof glass baking dish, and grease the bottom with a little olive oil. Season the cavity with the dried herbs, pour in half the marinade, and tie the legs together with butcher string. Place the chicken in the baking dish, and pour over the rest of the liquid. Season generously with salt, and place in a preheated 375 degrees F. oven for 45 minutes. Remove, and brush the chicken all over with the fat from the bottom of the dish. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock to the pan. Don’t worry if the marinade has caramelized on the bottom – it will look like a dark tar, but that’s what makes the sauce so great! Return to the oven, and roast until done, about 30 minutes more (internal temp of 165 degrees F). Remove and cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate (let any liquids from the cavity drain into the baking dish when you do this), and cover with foil again while you make the sauce. Place the baking dish on high flame, and add the last 2 cups of chicken stock. Reduce by 1/2 volume to form a brown and tangy jus (pan sauce). While it’s reducing, scrap the bottom of the pan to deglaze any of the caramelized marinade. These dark bits will melt into the sauce and give it a rich flavor. You can skim some of the chicken fat from the surface if desired. Taste for salt and fresh ground black pepper, and adjust. To serve, toss the romaine with some of the hot sauce to wilt it very slightly. Divide the greens on plates and top with the chicken, spooning over the remaining sauce.

Lemon and Rosemary Poached Chicken Breast Recipe

This lemon rosemary poached chicken breast recipe is very light, but not lacking in great taste. The flavorful poaching liquid gently cooks the breasts, and is then reduced to make an easy sauce to top this tender chicken.

Makes 4 Lemon Rosemary Poached Chicken Breasts

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• salt to taste
• pinch of fresh ground black pepper
• pinch of cayenne
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp cold butter
• lemon wedges to garnish
• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes (optional)

Preparation:

Add the wine, chicken broth, rosemary sprigs, onion, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, cayenne, and lemon to a 10-inch skillet (pan should be just large enough to fit the 4 chicken breasts). Bring to a simmer over high heat, and add chicken breasts. Turn the heat down to very low, and simmer the chicken breasts gently for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through. The chicken breast will spring back lightly when poked. Internal temp should be 160-165 degrees F. Do not overcook the chicken breasts or they can get dry. When done, remove the breasts to a plate and cover with foil. Turn the heat up to the highest setting and boil the liquid for 5 minutes to reduce. Toss in the cold butter and whisk until gone. Boil for 2 more minutes and turn off heat. Taste for salt, and adjust. Place a scoop of hot mashed potato into 4 shallow bowls. Slice the breasts into 5 or 6 pieces each, and arrange over the potato. Spoon over the hot reduced poaching liquid (discard onions, or serve if desired), dividing it between the 4 portions. Serve hot with extra lemon if desired.

Sausage with Cider-Braised Sauerkraut Recipe

This sausage with cider-braised sauerkraut recipe is an example of old-world cooking at its best. The smoky sausage and sweet/tangy cabbage trade flavors and the results are wonderful. This sausage recipe is great for both a cold weather dinner, and in a bun for a summer picnic. Makes 8 Sausages with Cider-Braised Sauerkraut

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 8 Polish-style or other smoked sausages (almost any sausage will work in this recipe)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 (15-oz) cans sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups apple cider or juice
• hot mustard, optional

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the sausage. Brown on both sides and remove to a plate. Add the onions and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes. Rinse the sauerkraut in cold water, and drain well. Add to the onions along with the caraway, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes and then add the apple juice. Top with the sausage, cover and place in a preheated 325 degrees F. oven for 40 minutes. When done, serve sausage over the braised sauerkraut with hot mustard if desired.

Honey Mustard Pork Chops Recipe

Honey and mustard are such a good combination in all kinds of recipes, but they really work especially well with pork recipes. This very simple, but very delicious honey mustard pork chops recipe is quick to make and requires no slicing or dicing.

Makes 4 Honey Mustard Pork Chops

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 boneless center-cut pork chops, about 1-inch thick
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp orange blossom honey, or your favorite variety
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• pinch of cayenne
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp cold butter

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over med-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, and add to the pre-heated pan. Cook for about 5 minutes per side for medium, or until they reach desired doneness. Remove from pan and reserve on a plate. Add the broth, honey, mustard, and cayenne to the pan. Whisk together and turn off heat. Add the butter and swirl around in the sauce until melted. Add the pork chops, and any juices, back into the pan to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately with some of the sauce drizzled over top.

Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site.

Mobile catering

A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose. Mobile catering is common at outdoor events (such as concerts), workplaces, and downtown business districts.

Event catering

Event ranges from box-lunch drop-off to full-service catering. Caterers and their staff are part of the food service industry.

When most people refer to a “caterer”, they are referring to an event caterer who serves food with waiting staff at dining tables or sets up a self-serve buffet. The food may be prepared on site, i.e., made completely at the event, or the caterer may choose to bring prepared food and put the finishing touches on once it arrives.

The event caterer staff are not responsible for preparing the food but often help set up the dining area. This service is typically provided at banquets, conventions, and weddings. Any event where all who attend are provided with food and drinks or sometimes only hors d’oeuvres is often called a catered event.

Many events require working with an entire theme or color scheme. A catering company or specialist is expected to know how to prepare food and to make it attractive. As such, certain catering companies have moved toward a full-service business model commonly associated with event planners. They take charge of not only food preparation but also decorations, such as table settings and lighting.

The trend is towards satisfying all the clients senses with food as a focal point. With the correct atmosphere, professional event caterers with experience can make an event special and memorable.

Beautifully prepared food alone can appeal to the senses of taste, smell, and sight – perhaps even touch, but the decorations and ambiance can play a significant part in a successfully catered event.

Catering is often sold on a per-person basis, meaning that there is a flat price for each additional person. However, things like lighting and fire permits are not scaled with the guest count, so per-person pricing is not always appropriate. It is necessary to keep the cost of the food and supplies below a price margin in order to make a profit on the catering.

As many others in the food service industry, caterers and their staff work long hours. It is not uncommon for them to work on holidays or 7 days a week during holiday event seasons.

A comprehensive, formal full-service catering proposal is likely to include the following elements:

* Time-line matters: rental arrival time, staff arrival time, bar open time, meal serve time, bar close time, rental pickup, out-of-venue time. Each of these factors affects the catering price.