Compassion in a Pot

Currently Reading
The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World
By Bruce W. Longenecker, Ben Witherington







The other day, my oldest son was asking me about helping make dinner, what he could do or choose for everyone to eat. As he was standing in the pantry, he listed a few things he saw, but he kept saying "Nope. Nope. Nope" All of his choices had been things he enjoyed, and usually our family would have on the table, except for these past three weeks. In connection with a spiritual fast and time of concentrated prayer, I have been fasting red meat. And it has not been a secret from the kids, but instead, they are essentially fasting just the same.

We fast as a family, and my children know that this one is not as difficult as it first sounded. Fasting is not a demanding list of forbidden choices, but instead it is a healthy nutritional version of achieving two goals - spiritual openness and physical sacrifice and self control.

The choices we have made included some very flavorful things, and still including fish and chicken. They began to understand we eat alot of vegetables anyway, and only have a little bit of meat. I have never felt called to be a vegan eater - oh do I love the smell of cooking meat, or eggs, or cheese! But if God called me into a vegan fasting period, I know we could do it. Sure I would be counting the days...but we could do it.

So his choice was to help make chicken noodle soup and get two loaves worth of bread dough rising. I hope he is able to really learn to make this on his own - candidly speaking, I believe chicken noodle soup has just as much healing powers as the medicine from the pharmacy. Even when it comes from the can, having someone care enough about you to prepare soup for you when you are sick brings God's compassionate caring and healing. Good for the stomach, good for the soul. Since today was a laundry/cleaning/maintenance day at our home, I decided another day of Chicken Noodle Soup and fresh bread will be a great addition to the day.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 pound of chicken:
For white meat: 2 chicken breasts, with bone and skin (approximately 1 pound)
Or
Dark meat: 4 chicken thighs, with bone and skin (approximately 1 pound)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into ½ inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½ -inch-thick slices
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock, homemade or canned

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed ½ inch thick
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
Salt and black pepper to taste
Parsley

Poaching chicken

Using a skillet which has a fitted lid, melt 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and then place in chosen chicken pieces, skin side down. Allow poultry to brown, 3-4 minutes. When golden brown, turn and cook another 3-4 minutes. Add 4 cups of hot water to this skillet, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes.

When fully poached remove chicken from liquid and allow to cool for 15 minutes. This poaching liquid is available for addition to chicken stock for the soup, after skimming any fat from the top.

Soup

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Serve up some love for dinner, share it with a neighbor nearby, make it for yourself as a meal that will help you all week. Consider how the ingredients are all so separate, yet when prepared and added, given time and heat, they meld together in a brand new collection of flavor, aroma and nutrition. Compassion in a pot.

I know the fasting period I had set for this time will be over in a few days, and I have to admit I don't believe I will begin eating red meat again. We'll see, but everyone seems to really enjoy the choices we have made. There are a few things which I will try to see if the recipes come near our expectation, such as turkey meatballs. Meatballs have been a favorite meal, so I need to try to make sure its just right. I'll be experimenting with it, be assured. I love how they all really liked spinach pie, and I will make it more often.

I'm not feeling like I need to run out and get a McDonald's hamburger or a steak sandwich, and that alone has felt like a surprise. It has been an important detail to consider that eating vegetarian does not mean becoming dessertetarians.

Embrace and enjoy your day, and stop by and tell me about your pot of Chicken Noodle Soup or your experience with fasting or both. I'd love to hear from you!

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen to honor, says the LORD God Almighty: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you se the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here I AM. Isaiah 58:6-9, NIV.