A Secret Recipe Club Gem
I have been participating in the Secret Recipe Club for just over four years now, and through this unique recipe swap and exchange, I have met some wonderful people, many of whom I’m pleased to count as good friends; so, when I was sent this month’s “secret” blog, I was thrilled to be allocated to someone I met four years ago, someone whom I admire and respect very much……..and someone whose blog I know well…….yes, this month, I was assigned to my old (not as in age) friend Sally from Bewitching Kitchen. Hello Sally – here I am making something from Bewitching Kitchen again. Now, Sally comes from Sao Paulo in Brazil, although she has lived all over the world, including Paris, California and now Manhattan in Kansas. A fitness fanatic, golfer, runner and cook, her vibrant blog is brimming with the most amazing and tempting recipes, and I was stuck on her recipe index page all evening trying to decide what to make……..here’s just a few recipes that I’ve bookmarked:
Baked Ricotta with Goat Cheese
Chorizo, Spinach & Manchego Stuffed Mushrooms
Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze
POLLO EN MOLE DE CACAHUATE – Chicken in Peanut Mole Sauce Image: Bewitching Kitchen
But, in the end I decided to make something Brazilian, from Sally’s Brazilian recipe collection, being as Sally comes from Brazil and how I love International cuisine, it seemed very apt. I loved the look of all of them, but I kept coming back to the same recipe over and over again, Sally’s recipe for Canja de Galinha (Chicken & Rice Soup)…….simple though it may be, it reminded me of a soup I used to enjoy when I lived in Cyprus, called Mercimek çorbası in Turkish and Fakes Xithati in Greek, it’s a lentil and rice soup with fresh lemon juice that I absolutely love. So, when I saw Sally’s version of Jewish Penicillin aka chicken and noodle soup, and with a howling gale raging outside, Canja de Galinha was the recipe I decided to make.
The soup was duly made, and photographed, as you can see, and we BOTH loved the addition of fresh ginger and salty soy sauce to the soup base. I have shared Sally’s recipe below, with JUST a couple of tweaks and in metric for the benefit of my European, Australian, New Zealand, South African and Canadian readers…..I didn’t have any celery when I made the soup, but decided to add lots of fresh parsley as Sally says is traditional in a proper “Canja”. The soup was warming, restorative and quite a filling meal……..we needed no bread or anything else to eat until well into the evening. “Obrigada” Sally! PS: DO you see I managed to find some Brazilian flags too?
Canja de galinha (European Portuguese: [kɐ̃ʒɐ ðɨ ɣɐˈlĩɲɐ], Brazilian Portuguese: [kɐ̃ʒɐ dʒi gɐˈɫĩjɐ], literally “chicken congee”), or simply canja, is a popular chicken soup of Portuguese, Cape Verdean, and Brazilian cuisine. The Portuguese term galinha literally means “hen”, but became the generic name for the species, much like chicken in English.
CANJA DE GALINHA
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
INGREDIENTS:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
115ml soy sauce
3 slices of ginger (1/4 inch thick), slightly crushed
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 shallot, peeled and minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
1,500ml chicken stock
8 new waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
350g cooked white rice
Juice of half a lemon
chopped fresh parsley
METHOD:
1. Poach the chicken breasts: in a saucepan, bring to a gentle boil the soy sauce, ginger pieces, and
enough water to just cover the meat. Once the water starts to boil, immediately turn off the heat,
cover the pan, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Lift the chicken breasts from the liquid, and once
they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat using two forks or your fingers. Reserve.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan, sauté the shallots until barely soft, don’t let them get golden. Add
the carrots, season with salt and pepper, cook for about 5 minutes over medium-low
heat, stirring every now and then.
3. Add the chicken stock and the potatoes, cover the pan
and simmer until the potatoes are beginning to get tender.
4. Add the cooked rice and the chicken, cover the pan again and simmer everything together for 10 minutes over a medium-low heat.
5. Add the lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and serve with lots of chopped fresh parsley.
I am also adding this to Tea Time Treats, which is being hosted by Janie this month the theme is: Soups, Broths and Stocks.
Oh Karen, those Brazilian flags are fantastic! This post is such a wonderful tribute to Sally! As always, your photos are amazing!
Thanks Karen – I KNEW I has some stashed somewhere and was thrilled when I found them! Karen
i’m sold! Well, you know me and my Jewish penicillin! This looks so divine and the ingredients are quite plain for something Brazilian so I am intrigued as to its heritage. Anyway, I glorious bowl of chicken soup is always the answer for anything!!!
I DO know you and your chicken soup Dom! I am also intrigued as to why this is so Brazilian, maybe Sally will be able to tell us when she stops by later!
I love Sally’s blog! This soup looks amazing – kudos to you to for finding Brazilian flags!
Me too Christine – it took me ages to wade my way through all of her amazing recipes! Karen
Oh, this is simply too much for my little heart to stand! YOU got my blog????
doing the extended version of a happy dance here! Thrilled, just thrilled, and what a great post you composed, with cute Brazilian flags and all!!!!
thank you thank you thank you!
Made my day, week, month, YEAR!
😉
Hahahaha! 🙂 🙂
Thanks Sally – it was a pleasure to be able to peruse your lovely site……and I was thrilled to bits when I discovered come Brazilian flags in the nick-nack drawer for my food styling and photos!
Happy FOUR year anniversary to you too!
Karen
Oh, this looks amazing! I love chicken soup, especially on these chilly fall days, and Sally’s Brazilian version (with your styling!) looks divine. Awesome choice for this time of year, and the SRC. Happy Reveal Day!
Thanks Amy – it was such a thrill to have Sally’s blog this month, as hers was one of the first blogs I made something from over 4 years ago! Karen
Thanks for the recipe inspiration! This recipe looks truly delicious! I love soup so much right now especially since the first snow is falling in Switzerland and its soooo cold! There’s nothing better than a good hot soup when you come home! xoxo Katie
Thanks Katie – I bet there will be a lot of soup in your home once the snow arrives! Karen
I am always on the lookout for different chicken soup recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Try this one Wendy, it is really lovely and comforting! Karen
I love the idea of The Secret Recipe Club and this recipe looks amazing! Definitely bookmarking this one.
Thanks Eb – if you have more than 100 recipes, you can apply to join too! Karen
This soup looks amazing! I bet it does wonders when you aren’t feeling well. Great pick!
Thanks Emily – It would be a GREAT pick me up for when you are under the weather, I agree!
Such a beautiful soup! And love the addition of the Brazilian flags!
Thanks Tara! Karen
Dang that looks fine Karen! Thanks so much for sharing with last months Tea Time Treats linky party, and now I’m off to join yours for this month 🙂
Janie x
OH this would be a great recipe to use up leftover turkey from thanksgiving!