Chicken Portabella Saute

and lastly: the all purpose, always enjoyable saute. i can't praise the saute enough. have a hodge-podge of quickly wilting veggies in your frig? saute em! have a package of fancy pants seafood you bought under an ill conceived notion that you would have time this week to prepare yourself a beautiful dinner? just freakin saute it with some browned (aka sautéed) butter. low heat, medium-high heat, ultra high searing heat - whatever! add some oil to a pan, let it heat up, add your food stuff, season, pour a (big) glass of wine - maybe even add some to the pan to reduce and ten minutes later you're groovin on. maybe its the wine but, its never failed me. but be warned: there are so few "seasoning" ingredients involved so you have to use fresh, high-quality salt and pepper - aka non of that 2 year old pepper/dust crap from a tin and go ahead and splurge on some quality sea salt and a grinder. if your seasoning dispensers have the option to "pour", "sift" or "spoon" toss it - grinding is what you want here. think club scene; you don't want to be spooned at a club do you?

sorry back to what you came here for. left over roasted chicken and meaty mushrooms makes a superb saute. if you are following my chicken posts you should have a bit of thyme left over too so add in the sweetly acidic punch of grape tomatoes and you have yourself one of the most versatile bases for dinner / lunch/ breakfast. you can easily add in a serving of pasta and sprinkle of parmesan for a "rustic" italian meal, add a few eggs & some goat cheese for a high protein frittata or simple serve with a little greens on the side - maybe some sautéed spinach! the idea here is quick, easy and a minimal dirty pot count. what more can you ask for?

POST 4:

CHICKEN PORTABELLA SAUTE

1tbs olive oil / unsalted butter

salt & pepper

1/2c chopped yellow onion

1 1/2c grape tomatoes

1 medium portabella mushroom cap (add stem if you are super frugal like me)

1tbs fresh thyme leave (pulled from stems)

1/2 tsp dried oregano or basil (optional)

1c shredded roasted chicken

*heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat

*add the onions, cook 5 minutes until softened

*slice the grape tomatoes in half, add to the pan.

*season with salt and pepper, add the thyme and dried herbs if using.

*cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the skins are slightly seared and tomatoes are starting to release juices

*meanwhile clean mushrooms (wipe down with damp paper towel - do not rinse!) and slice into 1/4" - 1/2" dices

*add mushrooms to pan, cook another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened and almost cooked through

*add chicken cook another 2-3 minutes to heat through.

*turn heat down to low and let the contents simmer a 2-3 minutes more to allow flavors to combine. taste for seasoning and serve.

Chicken Veggie Soup

-can you handle all this comfort?-

i've made this soup so many times and with so many variations that i hesitate to give a "recipe" for this other than one of those old school "hand-ful of this, dash of that" kinda of instructions. the invariable items here are firstly the stock - don't even thing of substituting with canned, i will disown you (no i won't) - use what i gave you, just trust me. secondly are the root vegetables, use whatever variations you want but always include them. Root veggies have a particular earthy sweetness that pairs perfectly with buttery, warm comfort of the stock. i know the poetic imagery is a little overbearing in that last sentence - sorry. there is a third, not to invariable but highly recommended addition: a parmesan rind. you should all be saving your parm. rinds. pop em in the freezer and save for moments like this. add to soup when you add the stock and remove as you are ladling into bowls / containers. if you've never used your rinds to flavor soup, start today and you will never look back. you can thank me later.

like i said; i've made this uncountable times in the past and every time its a little different depending on what i have in the frig. on that particular sunday afternoon. adding the dark greens and parsnip (as in this version) makes more of "take the fall chill off" dinner. try making with a bundle of large leeks and english peas for a lighter, summer friendly version. or leave the chicken out completely and make with white beans - !

POST 3: CHICKEN VEGGIE SOUP

1 1/2 tbs olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2-3 celery stalks, chopped

3-4 medium carrots, peeled, chopped

1-2 medium parsnips, peeled, chopped

3-4 stalks fresh thyme

1 bunch kale (about 4c), leaves only roughly chopped

2 qts homemade chicken stock

1 medium parmesan rind

3 - 1"strips lemon peel (use your potato peeler)

1c shredded chicken, reserved from roasted chicken if possible (more if you wish)

*in large dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat

*add onions, cook stirring until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes

*add celery, carrots and parsnips, cook stirring occasionally about 5 more minutes. season with salt and pepper

*add thyme and any other herbs (oregano is nice too), cook stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute

*add the kale and cook just to evenly begin to soften - should only take a minute or two

*add the stock, rind and lemon peel.

*bring to boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the carrots and parsnips are cooked.

*add the chicken and simmer another 5-10 minutes

*taste for seasoning. remove the lemon peel and rind before serving / freezing.

Chicken Stock

- liquid gold?-

i alway get a little laugh from recipes for salads, sandwiches (other than chicken salad and the like) and stock - particularly chicken and veggie stock. what? we can't figure this out? well maybe sometimes we need help, but people just trust yourself a little bit. really, how bad can it get? unless you were planning to add a fruit roll-up to your stock i am almost positive you can create your own stock with whatever whole foods you have. please don't freak out about stock.

when i roast a chicken the first thing that i do, after scrubbing dishes, is throw the carcass in a pot of water and let the little guy slosh around while i sleep. when i wake up the apt is filled with the smell of - i don't know - warmth? excuse the poetry. but this stock is the endlessly useful. at any given time my freezer has at least 2-3 container of waiting for me. some "recipes" for chicken stock call for veggies, but i just can't be bothered with that. i have nothing against vegetables but, chicken stock should just be chicken - right?

none-the-less i will swear by this stock. its made some amazing soups (one of which i will be posting soon) for me over the years.

POST 2:

CHICKEN STOCK

1 roasted chicken carcass

a few sprigs of thyme from the stuffing

1-2 garlic cloves from the stuffing

room temp water to cover

*after carving away all the left over meat place all ingredients in large stock pot.

*bring to a boil

*turn heat down to the lowest possible - if you have a simmer burner, place on that at lowest setting

*cover after a few hours, let simmer for 6-8 hours.

*remove the carcass, garlic cloves and thyme stems - leave the tasty little leaves.

*dole out as you wish, freeze or use immediately.

Incredible Edible Roasted Chicken

-roasted chicken the only way i know how-

i love roasting (and eating) chickens, but i'm such a food safety fanatic (seriously its a problem, my hands are destroyed from excessive / obsessive washings) that lately i have just can't feel comfortable about buying a "regular" chicken. you know; the ones that cost $100 a pound, claim to be organic free-range but are in-fact just as beak-less, crammed into poop infested 6" cages and bred to have breast that are so large they can barely stand (if they had the choice). not to mention they barely even slightly tastes better that the salmonella brand. sign. woe is me.was me. about two months ago i discovered a local, small farmer that raises heirloom chickens and cornish hens. heirloom meaning the breed itself hasn't been genitically modified to have no legs and triple sized breasts. small farmer meaning the chickens are actually treated like chickens, with a yard-like place to live and eat, they are actually allowed to age appropriately (thusly the meat actually taste like something) and have no need for hormones or antibiotic. it may not carry a FDA doled "organic" sticker on it but did your great grandfather's chickens have that badge of lies? i didn't think so. and just look at the size of those gorgeous legs my birds have! beat that butterball.

-yes, that is a standard sized dinner plate with an awesome sized chicken leg on it-

so my rant is over. i've been on a semi-regular schedule of roasting a chicken (don't forget the gravy) every sunday night and feeding off it for days, months if you include all the dishes i make with the tasty meat and freeze for later enjoyment. my plan here is to have a little mini-series of roasted chicken recipes that start with the roasting and move on through to the soup and sautés that come out of the left overs.

POST 1:

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN EVER

(1) 3 1/2 - 4lb chicken

1-2 tbs melted butter

1 tbs kosher salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh thyme

1 lemon, cut into 4-6 wedges

1 garlic clove, slice in half

1 large onion, cut into 6-8 wedges

*preheat oven to 425F

*rinse chicken in cold water, pat dry

* season the cavity, stuff with the lemon, thyme and garlic

*place onions in roasting pan

*place the bird on a roasting rack (in your roasting pan)

*tie the legs together and tuck the wings in

*brush generously with the melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper

*bake for 50 - 75 minutes depending on size. don't over bake, start checking after 50 minutes

*leftover recipes to follow - or if you are feeding 4-6 people, you won't have any so...*

*and don't forget the gravy! if you need a step-by-step on that - just leave a comment and i'll hook you up*

Chicken and Dumplings

-a bowl of low country love-

believe it or not: until today i've never ever had chicken and dumplings. i've never been at a table with chicken and dumplings or even seen a bowl of it in person. interesting right? how is it possible a southern lady like myself let this dinner staple slip past me all these years? this i can not answer but i have to say that being that this was my first attempt i am pretty proud of what has come out of my exhaustive research on the matter. josh gave it a thumbs up and had himself second, which never happens. i was throughly intrigued at how the balls of dough transformed into pillowy steamed biscuits. i know this brought josh "back home" and i am sure that it would have done the same for me, if i would have ever eaten it before but non the less it made me happy. its chicken and dumplings for god's sake!

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

1 tbs oil

(1) 3 1/4 lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces, and neck

1 oz butter

1 onion, diced

2-3 celery ribs (inner ribs w/ leaves preferred), diced

3-4 medium carrots, diced

3 tbs flour

2 tbs dry sherry

3c chicken stock

2 tbs whole milk

3-4 sprigs thyme

2 small bay leaves

1 tsp chopped rosemary

1/2c frozen peas

3 tbs chopped parsley

DUMPLIN':

1c cake flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2c whole milk

1 1/2 tbs reserved chicken fat or butter

*heat oil over medium heat in your dutch oven, add chicken pieces, browning in two batched if needed - do not over crowd.

*remove the chicken and place on plate to cool - once cooled enough, remove and discard the skin

*drain off and reserve the fat in the pan

*add butter and onions until starting to soften

*add celery and carrots, cook about 3 minutes

*add flour, stirring constantly for a minute

*add sherry (or dry white wine if needed) with whisk, deglaze the pan

*add in the broth, milk, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves, stir to combine everything

*place the reserved, skinless chicken back in the pan, nestling into the broth

*cover and simmer for about 1 hour

*remove from heat, remove chicken to a plate. once cool enough to handle remove the meat from the bones and discard the neck.

*this should have given the fat time to rise and pool at the top of the broth. skim and discard as much fat as you can.

*add chicken back to the pan with the broth and vegetables

make the dumpling dough:

*combine the milk and fat (either reserved chicken fat from earlier or butter) and microwave for 45 second - just to warm it up.

*in a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder

*with a wooden spoon stir in the milk combo

*turn heat on dutch oven to medium, add in the peas and parsley, bring back to a simmer.

*drop tbs sized balls of dough (about 18 total)

*cover the pan and let cook, undisturbed (see above note) for 15-16 minutes.

*the dumplings should double in size once cooked.

Chicken and Lentils

something about lentils. i see them in the store, i think to myself "i like lentils, they come in different colors (fun!) and they're a quick cook, why not?" then i buy a pound. after this i they sit in my cabinet for about a year taunting me, guilting me for ever bringing them home and letting them waste away when someone else could be making a delicious dinner out of them. in my defense; i had a bit of an incident with lentils a few years back when i was vegan and just getting back into the swing of cooking. it seemed that a.) i was very very poor and b.) wanted to cook only super simple (and by this i mean only water and maybe salt) to compliment my bachelorette life. this horrible combo doesn't really give optimal results - in other words everything tasted like crap. but with no one else to share this food like stuff with, i never felt the need to say, go out and by a few spices or maybe some quality olive oil. to make an already long story short - i made some kind of lintel dish that tasted just like - i am not kidding or exaggerating - it tasted like dirt.

alright so now we come full circle: after the being plagued for months by the brown lintels sadly sitting there every-time i reached for the black beans or brown rice i found this NYTimes recipe for chicken and lentils. i'm on a dutch oven kick lately, maybe its just the winter thing, and this was a perfect fit. i think this dinner cured me of my dirt eating phobia. this was perfect! its a great winter(y) dish that isn't heavy or overly "stew like", if that even makes sense. try it out, i promise you wont be sorry. its cheap to make, scrumptious and best of all doesn't take much man power.

i made a few changes to the original recipe: completely omitted the 2 garlic cloves, used apple cider vinegar and removed the chicken skin after browning - i find the skin just gives off too much fat and turns slimy when slow cooked, but make sure to leave it on when you are browning the chicken it adds flavor when it needs to. oh and next time i think i'll add in carrots. delish all the same. enjoy!

CHICKEN AND LINTELS

1 tbs olive oil

2oz pancetta (thick slice - one should be 2oz), diced

1 1/2 lb skin-on, bone-in chicken thigh (organic)

1c finely chopped onion

1/2c finely chopped celery

1 tsp fresh ground cumin

1c lentils

1 1/2c chopped radicchio (1/2 head-cored)

1 1/2 - 2c chicken stock

1tbs finely chopped fresh sage

1 1/2tsp apple cider vinegar

*preheat oven in 300F

*over medium heat, heat oil in dutch oven, add pancetta and cook to golden - remove and reserve

*season chicken with salt and pepper, add to dutch oven and brown

*remove chicken and reserve, remove the skin once slightly cooled, pour off all but 2tbs of the fat

*add the onion and celery, saute until translucent, scraping the pan down to get all the browned bits up .

*add in the cumin - cook until fragrant

*add in radicchio, sage and vinegar - saute briefly

*add lentil, reserved pancetta and stock

*add reserved chicken, bring to a simmer, cover and cook in oven 1 hour

*check after 45 to add more stock if you need to.

*after an hour the lentils should be done and the chicken just about to fall off the bones. season to taste and serve.

(makes about 2-3 servings)

Chicken Pot Pie

who can forget the stouffer brand frozen pot pies? growing up i ate like a hog. i would eat a frozen pot pie as an after school snack. a snack, that is before dinner. have you ever turned over one of those boxes? its horrifying and if memory serves me there is more that one serving to that ball of heart attack. no seriously its scary. i took a looksee at the official stouffer website and someone actually left a comment on the pot pies asking the company to include and addition packet of gravy to go along with the frozen pie so that they could pour it on after it was cooked. yikes! more gravy? is the 83% of your daily value of saturated fat not enough? yeah maybe you are right lets try and top the 100% mark, get it all done with in one meal. don't be a gravy topper people, its just not worth your heath.

so needless to say; josh loves a pot pie. that request probably came from him. but there was no way he will ever live to see me pop a frozen pot pie in the microwave. or cook anything in a microwave for that matter. so i scrounged around and found an ina garten recipe that looks pretty darned good and set out to tweak it for my use. in other words - lighten it up.

it a favorite around this tiny apartment, not so much with me - but josh literally lights up when i mention pot pies. the secret is the crust. the secret is always the crust. i hate saying it because you always here it and it just mounds a huge "pressure to preform" on the cook, but really - don't screw up the crust!

CHICKEN POT PIE

Filling:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast

olive oil

salt and pepper

2 1/2c chicken stock

1 chicken bouillon cube

6 tbs butter

1c chopped onion

6 tbs flour

4 tbs whole milk

1c diced carrots

5 oz frozen peas

1c pearl onion

1/4c minced fresh parsley

*preheat oven to 350 F

* rub chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper

* cook for 30-35 minutes, just to cooked thru

* let cool then cut into 1/2" dice

* in a large pot melt butter

* add onions and cook to tender, about 10-15 minutes

* add flour, stir constantly for 2 minutes

* add in heated stock and bouillon, simmer for 1 minute

* add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and milk, stir to combine

* add chicken, carrots, peas and parsley

* spoon into your "pie pan" of choice. i use 12 oz ramekins

Crust:

1 1/2c flour

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 c shortening

1/4 c cold butter, cubed

1/3 c ice cold water

*mix all the dry ingredients

*cut in the shortening and the butter with your hands

* add in the water and stir just to combine - do not over stir! you do not want to develop the gluten.

* form into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes

* remove from frig and roll out

* place over your "pie pan".

* beat on egg with 1 tbs water - brush all over your prepared dough

* sprinkle w/ salt and pepper

*bake the whole thing in a preheated 375 F oven for 1 hour, the insides will bubble and most likely ooze out. let cool a few minutes before attempting to nosh.