Although my husband fails at a lot of things (see picture of pathetic swaddling attempt below), he is a very good cook. At one point, I was a pretty good cook too (my late night toasted peanutbutter banana sandwiches are LEGENDARY) but it’s not something I ever really enjoyed.
When we first got married, I thought Mike and I would take turns cooking, but after Mike got in my face one too many times with so-called “best practices”, I relinquished the task.
FYI- When someone tells me I’ve been cutting a tomato wrong for the past twenty years, I might say something rash like— “You want cooking? IT’S YOURS.” Then promptly leave my very small kitchen, never to return again.
Mike was genuinely excited to take over cooking and I supported his helpful hobby wholeheartedly. Once we had kids, it was like his one-way ticket to get out of helping with bedtime routine. How can a man change diapers, brush teeth and read bedtime books, when he is marinating a flank steak for his wife?
Somewhere along the line, Mike got really into cooking soups. Gazpacho was my pregnancy craving so Mike used to get up early to go to the farmer’s market in Union Square to get all the ingredients and then make me a big enough batch to last all week. My mother demands Mike bring his butternut squash soup to her Thanksgiving dinner every year. And his non-dairy crab bisque might be the reason we’re still happily married.
So when PediaCare asked me to write a post about my favorite comfort food recipe to feed my family when they are feeling sick, I knew it would be dishonest of me to pretend I cooked that comfort food myself.
I asked Mike to cook and share his recipe for chicken soup. There might have been some begging, some repeated questions (including, “why am I doing this again?”) and some feigning of actual illness. But eventually, Mike obliged.
It’s not fancy.
It’s basic, but cooked perfectly.
Just like Mike.
Well, perfect if swaddling like a blindfolded monkey doesn’t count.
Seriously, MIke? Sometimes I think you do these things just so I won’t ask you again.
MIKE’S VERY BASIC CHICKEN SOUP
Ingredients:
2 – Chicken Breasts
48oz Water
32oz of Chicken Stock
6 Carrots
4 stalks of celery
1 Onion
Salt and Pepper
1/2 lb egg noodles
Instructions:
Cook chicken breasts fully in oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. Place cooked chicken into 48oz of water with carrots, celery, onions, salt and pepper. Let cook for about 45 minutes. Add 32oz of chicken stock, simmer for at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from bones and return back into pot without the bones. Add egg noodles and let cook for about 15 minutes. Serve when ready.
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Thanks for sharing. Sounds yummy. My hubs is also the chef around here – only so many times a girl can take the “this is nice hon, but would have been great with a little more/less/different ingredients etc” before it seems like a pointless exercise and gets handed over completely. I only better his cooking expertise with my lasagne, egg fried rice and fish pie. And baked goods but that’s not really cooking because I don’t think you can survive healthily on the nutritional content of cookies and brownies. You are so right in what a great deal hubby cooking was before kiddo bathtime and the “joy” that brings some evenings… However, less than par ironing (ugh shirt sleeve creases) has resulted in a non-downside handover. I recommend it!
I had dreams once of marrying a man who loved to cook and pampered me with gourmet meals. Alas, I got Jim. His claims to fame in the kitchen are French toast, scarmbled eggs, and sloppy joes. And he grills (and he’s very serious about it). Otherwise, I do all the cooking. And that’s fine – I like it and being the chief preparer of dinner every night means I don’t have to do the dishes.
We all have our gifts. Jim’s may not be his cooking prowess, but he does make me laugh. 🙂
Awesome cheat on making a huge batch that takes hours. Can you spin Mike off into a companion culinary blog? It could be a whole cottage industry over there with everybody quitting their day jobs.
Awesome! Your husbands chicken noodle soup recipe is pretty much the same way I have been making chicken noodle soup for years; without a recipe. One day I decided that I was going to make homemade chicken noodle soup & have been making it this way since. It is also really good to throw in one of the chicken stock gel packet thingy’s (can’t remember what they are called), but it adds a little extra chicken flavor to the broth. Also, I cook my chicken in celery stalks and bulbs of garlic, discard when the chicken is done..just for more flavor.
WHO IS THIS MAN?! “gets up early to go to farmers market..”???? Way to go MIKE!
Awesome that Mike cooks! My hubs and I take turns and stay out of each other’s way precisely for the reason you left. It’s nice to have the time off and also not have to wrack your brain day in and day out about what to cook next. You must share his recipe for crab bisque! LOL on the swaddling! Great easy recipe for chicken noodle. So the chicken breasts are actually bone-in type right? :D. I never though to bake them first.
I am writing down the recipe right now! what’s his crab bisque recipe?? I am hungry and curious 🙂
And now I must go cook dinner in my also very tiny kitchen. I’ll go with Indian tonight :butter chicken/rice/spinach although I am pretty sure my 2y old will only eat the rice…
This is awesome! I do not cook either. I mean, my husband occasionally suggests that I learn (not to cook for him, but just so that I won’t be constantly heating up TV dinners) and finally I looked at him and I was like, “I MAY NEVER EVER COOK. YOU NEED TO ACCEPT THAT NOW.” I think he still holds out hope, though. All I can say is that I grew up on TV dinners and I turned out fine. So there.
Also, I am lucky because he will cook occasionally and he’s a great cook. His mom is a fantastic soup-maker, too. Seriously. Her tomato-basil soup rivals any you find in a restaurant. So I think I’m set. lol. Here’s to us wives who make our husbands cook! Aww yeah.
I’m with Gaelle… how do we score Mike’s non-dairy crab bisque and butternut squash soup recipes??? 🙂 Lobster/crab bisque is my fav and my husband grows about 8 acres of butternut a year (we have an organic farm) but I’ve never done much with them. Thanks for the chicken soup recipe! My hubs also is the chef in our house 😉
Life is all about the simple things.. like your husband’s chicken soup. Although, I think PediaCare would love for you to post about Mike’s dairy-free recipe for crab bisque.. Okay, I’ll admit.. It’s me that wants you to post. So please : )
My wife would love me to be like your hubby and do all the cooking but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. I do the odd bit of cooking with the emphasis on odd but that’s as far as it goes. Anyway i shall pass this chicken soup recipe on to the wife and if she makes it I’m sure i am going to love it whether I’m feeling sick or not.