Recipe of the day: One Night with a Chicken   

Or: how I spent two hours and created three meals of four servings each with just me and a dead bird (and a few other goodies).                 

1 Chicken

Chicken Noodle Soup

-1/3 of the chicken meat

-about 1” round of spaghetti noodles, broken in half

-6 c. of the chicken broth

-1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

-Salt and Pepper to taste

Chicken Enchiladas

-1/3 of the chicken meat

-2 c. chicken broth

-16 oz. Sour cream

-1 c. jack cheese, shredded

-1 four oz. Can of diced green chilis

-1 tbsp. Cumin

-1 tbsp. Chili powder

-1/4 onion, diced

-2 tbsp peanut oil

-4 tbsp flour

-4 green onions, sliced thin

-salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Pot Pie

-1/8 c. each shortening and butter, chilled

-1 t. salt

-1/3 of the chicken meat

-1 c. frozen peas

-1 carrot, chopped into ½” cubes

-1 large russet potato, chopped into ½” cubes

-1/2 onion, coarsely chopped

-1/4 c. flour

-2 cups chicken broth

-salt and pepper to taste

First of all, you need to cook the chicken and make the broth:

-remove gunk from the inside of the chicken

-place the chicken in a stock pot with 10-12 cups of water, a half of an onion cut in two, one carrot cut into 1” chunks, 1 stalk of celery cut in to 1” chunks, and a bay leaf.  Simmer for about an hour, or until the chicken meat is coming off of the bone.  Remove from the liquid and set aside to cool.  Turn the heat off of the liquid, remove the veggies, and reserve.  When the chicken is cool enough, take the meat off of the bones and give them to the cat (the bones, not the meat).

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pie dough by cutting the shortening and butter into the salted flour until mealy.  Roll out and put in a pie pan, reserving enough for the top until later. Bake until almost done and set aside.

While that’s baking, boil the potatoes until just under done.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta until just done and set aside with a little oil to keep it from sticking to itself. 

When the chicken meat is ready and all the other veggies are chopped and ready, its time to rock and roll:

For the enchiladas, cook the onion in the oil until translucent.  Add the chicken, chilis and spices with about ¼ cup or so of the reserved broth and season to taste.  Set heat to low and simmer until the liquid is evaporated.  Meanwhile, put the broth in a pot and whisk in the flour.  Cook until it starts to thicken and add the sour cream and season to taste. Place the chicken and cheese in the tortillas, pour the sauce over, and garnish with the green onion.  At this point you can refrigerate or freeze until later.  If you're eating it now, put it in the oven until warmed.  

For the pot pie, mix the chicken and vegetables and place in the pie crust.  Put the broth in a pot, whisk in the flour and cook until thickened.  Season to taste.  Pour into the pie crust (don’t worry about mixing it in), place the top on and poke holes in it.  At this point you can refrigerate or freeze it.  If you’re eating it now, bake 15-20 minutes with a foil covering.  Take off the foil and continue to bake until the top is nice and golden. 

For the soup, put the pasta and chicken and parsley into the broth (make sure you’ve skimmed off fat) and season to taste.  At this point you can refrigerate or freeze until later.  If you're eating it now, just simmer until hot enough to eat. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed your evening with your chicken.  Bon Appetit!