Chicken Soup for that hole in my soul...

I haven't posted here in a LONG time... almost 9 months... Life has been keeping me busy and I have been concentrating on other things. I am writing another blog and trying to get my crochet pattern writing/ toy making business running, but I have been missing the creative aspect of this blog.  I have been missing writing about culture, food and festivities.  I considered just posting a weekly blurb about food on my worth a knit blog, but I've changed my mind. I need to start enjoying food again and writing about food and foodlore always sparks my imagination.

 I'm still living in Egypt and I have had loads of things happen that were worth a fig in my life. I need to start documenting them again.  I have found cooking in Cairo a challenge.  Finding the ingredients you need can be tricky and often the quality is lacking.  But I have created some fabulous foods here and I've even tried some new things.  Many of my posts might be about the foods I've tried, recipes I've made and fabulous trips I've taken during my 9 months of silence. I have a lot of cool things to share. I may not write on this blog as often as I did in the past, but I need to start this up again.  So here goes... a simple recipe to get things rolling again.

For dinner last night I made a wonderful chicken noodle soup.  This is a fun one to make and my older daughter loves it.  I just finished eating leftovers for lunch and I would recommend that you make plenty because it tastes great on the second day.

4 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1.5 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon chile paste

8 cups chicken broth

12-16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into thin strips

4 cups chopped vegetables(I used a mix of carrots, bell peppers and onions)

6 oz rice noodles, prepared according to packing directions

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar, and chile paste in a small bowl.
Heat the broth in a medium saucepan. Add the soy sauce mixture, the chicken, and the vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for two minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add 1 more teaspoon of sesame oil if desired.
Pour over prepared Chinese noodles. Garnish with cilantro.

Cheers,
Jenn