March snows and Asian Chicken Soup

So much to write about and the mess that current administration has us in it's hard to know where to start. I love my country and respect the office of president but it is painful to see us so far off coarse. Maybe all we need is a little chicken soup and in honor of China moving in to the new millennium I give you Asian Chicken Soup.

Chicken soup is chicken soup the world around. Variations don't seem to alter the life giving properties.

 

Asian Chicken Soup

6 Chicken thighs

3/4 teaspoon Asian five-spice powder

3 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Tamari sauce

1 package fresh angel hair pasta, 9 oz. (Al Dente)

1 bag baby spinach, 6 oz. 1. Combine five-spice powder, pepper and salt in cup.  Tear chicken into small equal pieces. Rub spices onto chicken. Wash hands.

2. Heat oil in 2-quart stock pot over medium-high. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chicken broth and soy sauce; cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce heat to simmer and cook 3 minutes. Add pasta; simmer 1 minute or until tender. Add spinach; stir just until wilted.

Serving Suggestion: Ladle individual servings into deep bowls and top with thinly sliced green onions. Refrigerate leftovers.

Al Dente
In cooking al dente refers to pasta that is cooked to be edible but still firm. It is often considered to be the ideal form of cooked pasta. Keeping the pasta firm is especially important in baked pasta dishes such as casseroles. The term comes from Italian where it means "to the teeth," referring to the need to chew the pasta due to its firmness.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_dente