#BloggerCLUE & #WinePW – Valentine’s Day Take-In Dinner

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and The Blogger C.L.U.E. Society is featuring soups and stews this this month to spice up your kitchen adventures. I was paired with Amy from Amy’s Cooking Adventures. Amy has a lovely blog filled with family friendly recipes (she is mother to two beautiful boys and a sweet Angel Baby), and a recipe bucket list “30X30”. Her blog is visually inviting and will tempt your taste-buds! Amy’s motto is “Have fun, experiment, and remember there is always take out.” I have to admit that is one motto I can get behind! After all, there is always Domino’s.

I think the recipe bucket list is a clever idea and really pushes one to try new recipes and expand their culinary capability. Since our theme this month was all about soup, I selected Amy’s recipe for Egg Drop Soup (#11 on her bucket list). Coincidentally, many moons ago when I was in my 20’s this was one of the first soups I learned to make at home from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. Amy’s Egg Drop Soup adapted slightly from The Ktchn and is a deep, rich brown color instead of the traditional yellow – egg color. The addition of mushrooms and soy sauce for seasoning help develop not only a rich flavor profile, but the deep mahogany color. This soup is so easy to make, and can be assembled in no time with pantry ingredients. Add a side or two of sushi, and a spring roll from your local market and you have a first class “Take-In” meal at home for a fraction of the cost.

I paired this impromptu meal with a bottle of 2013 Landmark Vineyards Overlook Chardonnay. This wine is quite delightful. It has a bright, medium gold color. On the nose you get hints of pear, lemon and sage. The pear notes continue on the palate and lure you with a pit of apricot, and pie crust. The wine is quite balanced and does not exhibit oaky, toasty buttery notes like so many California Chardonnays do. It is quite refreshing on the palate. This wine pairs well with Asian cuisine, roast chicken, and pork.

Make sure you check out all the tasty soup and stew recipes from The Blogger C.L.U.E. Society this month:

• Sue from A Palatable Pastime
• Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Rebekah from Making Miracles
• Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Debra from Eliot’s Eats
• Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Anna from annaDishes
• Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Kate from Kate’s Kitchen
• Karen from Lavender and Lovage
• Amy from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Egg Drop Soup

 

Print

Prep time

8 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

28 mins

 

Author: adapted Amy from Amy's Cooking Adventures

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Chinese

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken low sodium stock
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly chopped ginger
• 8 whole sichuan peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 1½ to 2 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
• 3 green onions diced
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• (4 oz. mushrooms - optional)

Instructions

1. Place the stock in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Add the ginger, peppercorns, and cloves. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the peppercorns and cloves, discard. Add soy sauce to taste.
2. Add in the mushroom and green onions and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and cornstarch in a small, lightweight bowl (I used a plastic cereal bowl).
4. Make sure the soup is just barely simmering. With one hand, hold a fork over one edge of the egg filled bowl. Pour the egg, slowly and steadily through the tines of the fork while gently stirring the broth with your other hand. Keep stirring until the egg has all been added to the pot. Let the soup stand for 1-2 minutes while the egg finishes cooking.
5. Serve immediately, topped with additional green onions and soy sauce to taste.
6. Serves 4 side dish or 2 main dish portions

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