Avgolemono Soup

Happy New Year Everyone!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the holidays and time off from my usual obligations! But, it is time to get back to work and putting up new recipes and ideas as you prepare to head back for the semester and off-campus living!

After all the excitement, and Hallmark movie marathons, have passed, we settle back into our usual routines...and to some degree we need to, right? Life goes on, class assignments are due, term papers need to be written, bills to be paid, and New Year's resolutions to tackle (and survive the cold winter days until Spring).

To counter 'the routine' of the upcoming months, I will be sifting thru the many cookbooks I received this Christmas, having friends over to try new flavors, and looking for recipes most compatible with college living, cooking skills and budgets!

Check out this awesome recipe of the classic Greek Chicken & Lemon Soup, or Avgolemono, that will warm your soul as you head into January 2015! Jon (my son) and I always ordered this at the Greek Restaurant in our neighborhood; and, when it recently closed...well, had to find another option!!

(Adapted from This Is A Cookbook by the Sussman brothers)

Avgolemono

Equipment:
5 quart stock pot

Lemon juicer

Ingredients:

10 cups Chicken broth

2 1/2 cups long grain white rice

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed

4 egg yolks

Juice of 3 lemons

Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands. 

2. Bring broth to a boil and add rice. Reduce heat to a simmer.

3. Simmer rice until rice tender, approx 20 min.

4. Remove 2 cups of broth to cool slightly. Set aside.

5. Add the chicken meat to broth and rice. Stir to combine.

6. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl, and very, very, very slowly, begin adding warm (not piping hot) broth to egg yolks.

TIP: If you do not take this slow, you will have scrambled, curdled eggs.

7. You should have a beautiful light yellow liquid in front of you!

8. Add the egg-mixture to the soup.

9. Squeeze lemon juice, approx 1/2 cup, and add to soup. I suggest doing this slowly to balance the lemon to your taste!

10. Season to taste with salt and pepper! 

Tell me you can't find your comfort zone with this soup and a good book or movie!