Jul 7, 2012
Remember last week when I made this delicious Chicken Stock & Soup?
And the next day I used the vegetables to make this fantastic Chicken Soup With Rice?
After indulging for four servings on the soup, my freezer now contains four more soup servings, six cups of stock, and four cups of shredded chicken meat. And quite a list of recipes to make.
So I took two cups of the chicken meat and let it thaw in the fridge. Look at this delectable goodness.
I combined it with a family-size box of my favorite easy-to-make Mac-n-Cheese.
And after all the effort it took to boil water for ten minutes, I ended up with this:
And yes. It really is as delicious as it looks.
Six servings. For less than $5.00. Now I call that eating on a budget!
I was going to make garlic toast and a salad to go with it for dinner. But as a stand-alone lunch, it’s definitely hearty and filling!
What’s on your plate?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jul 1, 2012
I love chicken soup. I love chicken soup plain. I love chicken soup with noodles. But mostly, I love chicken soup with rice.
So after I made my chicken stock, I knew exactly what my first recipe was going to be. Starting with the base recipe in yesterday’s post, today I made Chicken Soup With Rice.
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 cups vegetable solids
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup rice
I heated the ingredients on medium heat for five minutes.
And the result is 8 cups of a hearty, delicious soup. I froze 4 cups for later, and put 4 cups in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch. I just need to reheat on the stove or in the microwave and serve with either a salad or bread or both.
There’s plenty… who’s coming to dinner?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jul 1, 2012 |
My theme for the Month of July is Chicken. As in, don’t be chicken to reach for goals. Don’t be chicken to ask for what I need. And don’t be chicken to try new things in the kitchen. See how that all wraps up nicely? [Ooh! Wraps. NOTE TO SELF: Add Chicken Wraps to the recipe file.]
I love chicken. I love chicken. And just in case I wasn’t clear, I. Love. Chicken.
I could write an entire cookbooklet with all the chicken recipes in my head. [Promising Project No. 42, yah?]
And of course, I would want to share the recipes with my readers. So here I am with the first of what I hope will be several delicious chicken recipes to get us through the long, hot month of July.
I spent less than $20 at the store for the ingredients. The only extra is Kosher salt. I always keep that at home so it wasn’t included. I usually keep peppercorn kernels in the pantry as well, but was running low. The salt, pepper, celery, garlic and herbs have quite a bit left over to go into upcoming recipes. So I’d have to say the breakdown of costs would be about $14 to make today’s dishes.
Today I’m making my own chicken stock and soup. I’m turning this
Into this
And I couldn’t be more excited. It’s 91 degrees outside, and I don’t have to turn the oven on. That already earns three points in my Gold Star Book.
Chicken stock is fantastic. It’s better than broth. It’s more flavorful. You can use it as a base for soups or a baste for roasts. Use it in place of water when mixing up mashed potatoes or other side dishes. It’s downright delicious.
And what’s easier and more nutritious than chicken soup? If you’re sick, it will make you feel better. Studies have proven chicken soup actually improves your health. Chicken soup is a great fix for dinner, lunch, or even a drinkable on-the-go snack. Add half a sandwich or salad and you’re all set.
Today’s recipes are basic. A flavorful beginning to some wonderful homemade tastes. The best part of a basic chicken stock and soup recipe is that the extra ingredients are up to you. Do you like spicier flavors? Add more pepper and seasonings. Want a French feel? Drop in more onion and maybe some marjoram. Italian? Don’t forget the oregano and rosemary.
After removing from the stove and letting it come to room temperature, you can freeze the stock and soup or store them in your refrigerator.
A few notes:
I started with my smaller Dutch Oven because it’s pretty and I wanted nice photos. Although it looked nice, it wasn’t nearly big enough. So I easily transferred everything over to my larger stockpot instead. Not as pretty, but more functional!
This recipe was based on several basic chicken stock and soup recipes. As always, I made it my own by modifying a few ingredients. If you choose to make just the stock without soup, you don’t need to cut or dice any of the ingredients. Just add them whole or in half to the stockpot. The simmering will draw out the flavors, and you can discard all the solids when it’s done cooking.
Ingredients
- 3 - 5 lb. whole chicken
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut
- 1 celery stalk, cut
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 head garlic, peeled, cut in half
- fresh parsley, cut
- fresh thyme, cut
- fresh dill, cut
- kosher salt, to taste
- peppercorn kernels, to taste
- 12 cups water
Instructions
- Clean chicken. Remove neck and liver from cavity. Rinse.
- Place chicken in large stockpot.
- Add all ingredients.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat.
- Simmer for four hours, uncovered.
- Remove chicken.
- Strain remaining ingredients through colander or strainer.
- Set aside solids.
- Chill chicken stock overnight in refrigerator.
- Remove the surface fat.
- Use or freeze the stock.
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2012/07/01/recipe-chicken-stock-soup/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove skin and bones and dice or shred the meat. Use immediately or freeze in air-tight containers for later use.
The measurements in this recipe are a mere guideline. Feel free to add more vegetables or more stock, depending on your own tastes.
Ingredients
- Solids from Chicken Stock recipe, above
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups diced chicken
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients.
- Heat over medium for 5 minutes.
- Enjoy!
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2012/07/01/recipe-chicken-stock-soup/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
If you prefer, you can use 2 cups chicken stock with 2 cups water.
You can also add a cup of pre-cooked rice or pasta to your soup. If you want a finer soup, mix the solids in a blender for 20 seconds. For a chunkier soup, pre-cut the vegetables into thick pieces before making the stock.
And there you have it. Two delicious, healthy recipes to get you started.
Happy Eating!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jan 1, 2012
This isn’t really a recipe, although I’ll tell you in a minute what I made and how I made it. I’m just fairly tickled that it turned out so well.
The other day, Dot was hungering for some authentic Mexican flavors and Del Taco just didn’t fit the bill. I wasn’t about to toss $20 at a waiter for Spanish rice, either, so she had to make do with whatever was in the Stock Pantry.
Taking a notion from her mother (more like a push while saying, “Just go look!”), she returned to the kitchen with several canned goods and proceeded to make her own delicious little combo.
Here’s the (Not) Recipe part: She drained a can of white meat chunk chicken and broke it up into a frying pan. On low heat, she warmed it up and added a few tablespoons of red enchilada sauce and then a spoonful or two of diced green chilies. Separately, she heated up a can of refried beans. When all was said and done, in about five minutes, she had her Mexican flavors all blended together. Simple, right?! The only thing missing was the tortilla (which I have been reminded, several times, to add to this week’s grocery list).
I know, I know. That’s breakfast? Nope. Not at all. Now comes the second (Not) Recipe part of this post.
This morning we woke up and headed into the kitchen. In keeping with last month’s determination to have breakfast together, every day (and I’ve only missed twice in three weeks, thankyouverymuch!), I offered to make up some eggs and real fried bacon. I say real fried bacon, because I used to cook turkey bacon. On paper towels. In the microwave. And then I was reminded by my mom, who taunted me with flavor and taste, how wonderful real bacon is, especially from the frying pan. Not only that, but saving the bacon fryings to use for cooking up eggs and such later… It brought me back to my childhood, to my mom’s kitchen, to wonderful memories and smells and flavors… all the things I want for Dot. So. I’ve reverted back to the wonder that is pan-fried real bacon.
And eggs cooked in the bacon fryings: that flavorful fat that drips off the meat in such heavenly aroma as to make me wonder how I ever thought microwaved turkey bacon could be satisfactory. The oily crunchy bits of ham danced in the pan, waiting to be absorbed by the eggs. It was a delicious moment.
Ah, the eggs. I’m forgetting the eggs! Well, as is a weekend (and often, weekday) habit, I called my mom and offered her a seat at the breakfast table which she accepted. When she arrived, I offered a cup of coffee (which is an entirely separate review for my Keurig, sigh upon sighs…!) and proceeded to mix up the eggs.
I’ve been wanting to make frittata for a while now but Dot hates waiting that long in the morning. So I offered to make scrambled eggs with some mix-in’s. A fairly decent compromise, if I do say so myself. But what will I mix in that three different people would like? I peeked into the fridge and lo and behold! There was a container with some leftover enchilada chicken mix. I’m pretty sure I began to sing or something.
I cracked open six eggs. Blended them up with a little milk. Added about a cup of the chicken mix and a half cup of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese. (The refried beans were not included in this party, just in case you were wondering and thinking it might a little gross.) I cooked the egg mixture with a tablespoon of bacon fryings.
It was, as they say, bon appetit! I’m excited to use Dot’s chicken mixture in frittata next week. All she wanted was a little Mexican flavor. She had no idea the great recipes she’s influenced. I’m glad to see her taking after her Momma.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Nov 10, 2011 |
I was at a loss what to cook for a quick, cheap, and healthy dinner. For the same reason as everyone else, I don’t typically like the heavier fat-laden fried foods, but last night’s chill in the air begged for something warm and delicious.
I heated up some of my Infused Olive Oil in a skilled, added four pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and let them cook, covered, while I prepared the other foods.
After four minutes, I turned the chicken, sprinkled with a small mix of freshly chopped herbs from my garden (sage, chives, basil, oregano, and parsley), and cooked, covered, for another five minutes.
Because I like my meat well done and seasoned, I turned the burner off, turned the chicken once more, and let it finish for another five minutes as I finished the potatoes and vegetables.
It was quick, easy, nutritious, delicious, and warm.
But the best part? When my daughter came home today and said she told all her friends at school she couldn’t wait to eat the left-overs.
*This recipe has been submitted to the 2011 Holiday Recipe Exchange. “Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Shenandoah Growers Organic Fresh Herbs.”
