Flu bug = Chicken Soup

Our house has been hit by yet another flu. Same drill: cough, congestions, fever, blech... In honor of our new unwanted friend, I have been trying to make chicken soup. Safeway had some whole chickens on sale for 50% off. The price of a whole chicken is ridiculous. I took it home and pressure cooked the chicken in a whole 30 minutes! Amazes me every time I cook with my new baby. Then I pressure cooked the broth. Have had the stuff for chicken soup ready to throw in pressure cooker for two days but this fever is kickin' my butt so today I am just gonna throw it in the crockpot and be done with. Too lazy to run to the store for egg noodles so I will be using fettuccine noodles. We will see how the kiddies will take to that one. I have been sippin the chicken broth. It is the best I have made in awhile.

Chicken Broth

Place a clean chicken, without gizzards, but with neck in pressure cooker. Cover with water plus one inch if space allows. (You aren't supposed to fill a pressure cooker over halfway.) Add a cut-up orange and some bay leaves. Bring up to pressure, lower heat to maintain pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken. Strain the broth that is left into a bowl. Let chicken cool and then debone. Set aside for whatever you would like to use the chicken for. Place the bones back into the pressure cooker along with the strained broth. Add the following indgrediets: the tops (leaves and all) chopped, a couple of carrots, a handful of chopped cilantro, one inch piece of ginger, 10-12 whole cloves, 3-4 garlic cloves, peppercorns to taste, Italian seasoning and you can also add a chopped onion (I was out so I didn't use one and it still came out good). Bring up to pressure, lower heat to maintain pressure, and cook for another 30 minutes. Let cool and strain. Put in the fridge overnight and then you can remove the layer of fat on the top that forms. Use right away or freeze in separate portions for later use. I love homemade broth because it isn't full of sodium and plus it is thrifty using left over veggies in the fridge.

Now I must run off to the kitchen to throw the chicken and veggies in the crockpot! We like to use the traditional carrots and celery but like to add chopped mushrooms too. My kiddos have an aversion to green things (seasoning) that they can see floating in soup so I probably won't add too much seasoning but a few cloves of garlic and possibly another orange.