Chicken, Chapter 7
First Meal:
Use whole chicken(s).
Use only the breast, drumsticks, and thighs for this meal.
You may have to
use more than one chicken for your family.
Either roast the chicken whole and slice off the pieces,
or cut off
the breast, drumsticks and thighs of the uncooked chicken and
fix them in your favorite
way.
Save the bones (freeze, if necessary)
Second Meal:
Cut off remaining chicken meat and use in Chinese Fried Rice (see recipe under "Rice").
Save the bones.
Third Meal:
Cover the bones (including the ones from the first meal) with water.
Add:
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 large onion, diced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Simmer about 45 minutes. Strain the broth into another pan.
noodles
Add noodles. Cook until noodles are done.
Optional additions: green peas; string beans; sliced green onions; tofu; substitute rice for the
noodles; onions; leftover potatoes, diced; and whatever else you have in the refrigerator.
Or
dribble lightly beaten eggs into the soup just before serving.
For an easy dessert with the third night try Apple Crisp (Apples, Chapter 2)
For the chicken:
To baste the chicken:
For the potatoes:
Oven: 350 degrees for 2 1/4 hours.
Need: bowls, 12 x 18 inch roasting pan with rack, basting brush.
Discard or freeze for something else the innards (in a bag), plus the neck from the chicken.
Wash
and drain chicken. Pat outside dry.
Put the lemon chunks and rosemary sprigs inside the chicken.
Place chicken, breast-side up, on
the rack in the open roasting pan.
Basting for chicken:
stir together the minced rosemary, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Brush this
rosemary mixture all over the chicken.
Use leftover mixture to baste the chicken as it cooks.
Scrub potatoes, dry them, and cut in half.
In a medium bowl mix together the 2 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Coat
potatoes with the mixture in the bowl.
Spread the potatoes around the roasting pan.
Sprinkle any
leftover lemon juice/olive oil mixture over the potatoes.
Put chicken in oven.
Baste chicken with rosemary mixture and pan drippings.
If chicken turns golden before cooking
time is up, cover loosely with a tent of foil.
Remove foil 15 minutes before it's done, and baste
again with pan drippings.
Serve with pan juice. (Or sometimes I make a gravy with the pan juice.)
Need: blender, plastic bag, large skillet with a lid.
Put the basil, white wine, and lemon juice in the blender.
Put aside.
Put the flour and sugar in a plastic bag.
Cut the chicken into small cubes or strips (they get slightly larger when they cook).
Lightly salt
and pepper the chicken pieces.
Put them in the plastic bag and shake to coat with the flour.
Heat the oil in the skillet.
Add coated chicken, along with the rest of the flour in the bag, to the
skillet.
Cook, stirring constantly, until light brown.
Remove from the heat.
Stir in the water, stirring constantly so it doesn't lump.
Add the chicken base or bouillon cube.
Return to the heat.
Bring to a boil, stirring.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir
once or twice.
It should be a fairly thick gravy.
Remove from the heat.
Jog the blender to chop the basil.
Add the cream and jog the blender until reasonably smooth but
you can still see bits of the basil.
Add this and the chives to the chicken mixture in the skillet.
Return to the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
Serve with rice or noodles. If you have a 4 cup ring mold, make 4 cups of rice and put the sauced
chicken in the center. Serve the extra sauce on the side.
Need: large top-of-the-stove pot.
Heat the oil in the pot.
Sautè the chicken pieces in the hot oil until golden.
Add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Brown lightly.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot.
Simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is fork tender.
Remove the bay leaves.
Serve with spaghetti.
The leftover sauce is good with meatballs.
Need: small bowl, large skillet.
In the small bowl combine the chives, parsley, seasoning salt, lemon juice, brandy, mustard, and
water.
Put aside.
Pound chicken breasts gently to make them about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick.
Sprinkle lightly with salt
and pepper.
Heat the butter and olive oil in the skillet on medium until butter is melted.
Cook chicken in the
fat 4 minutes on the first side.
Cook 4 minutes on the other side, or until done. Don't overcook,
they'll be tough.
Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.
Remove the skillet
from the heat.
Add the flour to the skillet. Stir in well.
Return to medium heat and stir constantly until light
golden brown.
Remove from heat.
Add the herb-water mixture from the small bowl, stirring quickly so the mixture doesn't lump.
Return to heat, and stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
Stir in capers.
Pour over chicken. Serve
with lemon wedges.
My husband likes to make a pot of the sauce for rice, noodles, or riced
potatoes.
Sometimes I double the gravy ingredients except the flour and use it as a gravy rather
than a sauce.
Oven: to warm taco shells.
Need: skillet, baking pan.
Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high.
Add the chicken breast. (If you use leftover chicken,
shred it first.)
Cook lightly, until the meat is no longer pink.
Stir the taco seasoning or chili
powder and seasoning salt into the meat.
Stirring constantly, cook
on medium-low for 2 to 3 minutes, until well mixed.
Remove from heat.
Warm taco shells according to directions on the package (usually 350 degrees for 5 minutes).
Spread some of the seasoned chicken in the bottom.
Spread cheese on top of the chicken.
Serve, letting each person put on their own tomatoes, lettuce, and taco sauce.
If you use cheese that is frozen, do not pre-heat the taco shells.
Put the seasoned meat in the
bottom of the taco shell and put the grated cheese on top of that.
Heat in the oven at 350 degrees
for about 5 minutes.
Also, this makes a taco shell that doesn't break apart as easily.
I sometimes stir in a small amount of leftover potatoes or refried beens into the meat mixture
it helps to hold it together.