Pretty Darn Close To The Real Thing

 There is a restaurant that began locally after Keith and Amy Richards spent some time in Greece. Keith had been in the restaurant business here prior to the trip and soaked in the food and food preps there. When they returned they opened a small (very small) restaurant in Birmingham. Taziki's Mediterranean  was a huge hit and soon they opened opened another, and another, and another, and finally partnered with a restaurant group to begin franchising. Now you can find locations all over Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee,  and in select cities in Mississippi, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Colorado, Ohio, Indiana and Idaho. (If I left a state out I am sorry)

We have been going there since they first opened the tiny place and still go at least every other month. Though I would not say the food is the most delicious in town, but if you are considering the price, taste, food quality, and value it is one of the best restaurants around. (I can't say that with certainty about the franchises, because I go to the ones still originally owned )

I am not a creature of habit and will try something new there nearly all the time, unless I am eating lunch and then I always get a 1/2 soup, 1/2 salad plate. Their Greek lemon chicken soup is my all time favorite restaurant soup, and I have tried to recreate the broth for a long time. This is as close as I can come without knowing all of their secrets. But trust me it is delicious and unless I was eating both mine and theirs at the same time I could not tell the difference

I think learning this dance (knee permitting) will be the new thing I learn this month

                                   Almost like Taziki's Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

2 cups shredded chicken (I use leg quarters because I make my own broth and dark meat creates a richer        broth)*

1 1/2 quart chicken broth

1 large carrot (should be shredded to be like the restaurant but I cut mine into thin "coins")

1- 1 1/2  teaspoon finely chopped dried rosemary (matter of taste here, I use the heavier amount)

1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (I use Cavander's. It has salt and I am not a fan of much salt so I do not add more,)

1/2 -3/4 cup fresh lemon juice 

Cooked basamati rice to go in the bottom of each bowl (about 1/2 cup per serving. If using leftover rice make sure it is hot)

Toss everything into a soup pot except for the lemon juice and the cooked rice. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Right before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Ladle into bowls holding hot rice and serve it immediately. 

This makes enough for 4 big bowls of soup (plus a couple of lunch size cups of soup) and is perfect for these cooler nights 

*I make my broth by tossing about 8 leg/thigh quarters into a big pot of water with a little salt, a carrot, and a couple of celery ribs. When the chicken is cooked through I remove it, take it off the bone and refrigerate part of it, freeze the rest then chunk the bones back in the pot. I cook it on high for about 20 minutes, then transfer it, bones and all, to my largest crock pot, add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar and cook it on low for almost 2 days. So technically I make bone broth, but any chicken stock will do, including any bought broth.

p.s. Do not combine the leftover rice and soup in the same container. The rice gets a little gummy and the broth gets cloudy.(See picture above) Though, if I speak the truth, I probably will combine them because when I am eating warmed up soup I don't really care about the aesthetics and softer rice does not really bother me plus storage space in the fridge is always a premium here.