Snowy Day Comfort Food

So today it snowed...again! Massachusetts has been bombarded with blizzard after blizzard this winter. There is snow everywhere!! School was not closed today, but we were released early at 12:30. Instead of heading right home, I stopped quickly at the grocery store to grab the last ingredients for tonight's dinner. I decided that since I had to drive home in this:

I was going to make an extremely comforting, hot meal! 

On the menu was: Chicken Soup and Olive Bread! 

I began with the olive bread. I saw this recipe in a Greek cookbook, and was drawn to it, because I love olives and I love bread =) I was a bit worried though....I had never made homemade bread before, but I decided there was a first time for everything! And I am so glad I made it, it was delicious! 

Here is how I did it: 

First, chop one whole Spanish onion (yellow onion). Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Add salt to the onions and mix. It is important to add salt when frying onions, because the salt pulls out the moisture in the onions and allows them to cook better. 

Then, chop parsley. I used curly parsley, but you can use the flat leaf variety as well. It is easiest to cut herbs if you ball them together, hold with your fingers, and use a large knife to chop them. The parsley should be finely chopped. 

Chop 2 cups of pitted olives. I used kalamata olives, but you can use any type you like. Just make sure they are pitted! Add the sauteed onions, chopped parsley, and chopped olives to a bowl along with 7 cups of white bread flour, 4 tsps rapid rise yeast, 1 1/2 tsp of salt, and 2 cups of hot water (the water should be hot, but cool enough to touch without being burned). 

Mix this all together. Make sure all the ingredients are combined well!

Put the ball of dough on a clean, floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Make sure your hands have flour on them or the dough will stick to you. 

Then put the dough in an oiled bowl (rub a small amount of olive oil around the bowl so the dough doesn't stick). Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm area. Let sit for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in bulk. 

Once the dough has doubled in bulk, cut it in half, form it into loaves, and place each loaf on an oiled cookie sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit until each has again doubled in bulk. Once the dough has doubled in size, cut three slits into the top of each and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. 

The bread should look like this when it is done! It was so yummy! I got rave reviews from everyone who tried it! 

And now for the chicken soup! 

Wash and remove the skin from the chicken pieces. I used a whole cut up chicken, but you can use any pieces you like. Your pieces must have the bone in though! If they do not, your broth will not be as rich and the soup will lack flavor. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Sazon seasoning (made by Goya). 

Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot, and put the seasoned chicken in when the oil is hot. Brown the chicken all over. 

Cut a large Spanish onion and many cloves of garlic (I love garlic, so I used all of these). Add these to the chicken. Then fill the pot almost to the top with water. Cook over high heat. 

While the chicken, onions, and garlic begin to boil, peel and chop the potatoes and carrots. Then add those to the pot. 

Let the soup boil until the potatoes are almost soft. 

Then add a large bunch of chopped cilantro, two diced tomatoes, and a bag of frozen corn to the pot. 

Boil until all vegetables are soft.

And then, enjoy! 

Here is the finished product: 

It was amazing!!

Olive Bread (Written Recipe)

Makes two 1 1/2 lb loaves

Ingredients: 

1 large Spanish onion (diced)

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

2 cups pitted kalamata olives (chopped)

7 cups white bread flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 tsps rapid rise yeast

4 tbsps chopped parsley

1. Fry the onions in the oil until soft. Roughly chop the olives and finely chop the parsley. 

2. Put the flour, salt, yeast, parsley, olives, and fried onions into a large bowl. Pour 2 cups hand-hot water in and mix to a dough. Add a little more water if the mixture is too dry. 

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. 

4. Put in a clean, oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place until doubled in bulk. 

5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Lightly grease two baking sheets. Turn the dough on to a floured surface and cut in half. Shape each half into a round and place both on the baking sheets. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until doubled in size. 

6. Slash the tops of the loaves with a knife and then bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped at the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with butter.