Sweet Love and Ginger

Chicken

Quick, Easy Clean: Crock Pot Chicken Broth

By

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Homemade chicken broth is the best kind of broth, that’s for
sure. It is so versatile that I use it nearly every day, but with a full time
job, and a social life finding time to spend hours simmering a pot of broth on
the stove is not always possible.

To be honest I feel silly for not having thought of this
before. There have been numerous time when my heart broke to have to throw out
an entire chicken carcass; it’s just a complete waste. But now I have the
perfect solution; the crock pot.

I usually roast my chicken in a crock pot anyway, for the
same reasons I don’t always make broth (my busy life), so why not make the
broth in a crock pot?

On this particular occasion I had roasted an entire chicken
for the sole reason to supply Chuck with lunch meat. When I see whole chicken
for sale for less than a dollar, you can bet that always buy one sometimes 2 or
3. You cannot beat that price for a couple dinners and/or a week’s worth of
lunches.

Roasting a chicken in a crock pot is pretty easy, I just rub
it and stuff it with whatever spices are on my mind at the time with (usually 2
tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp curry, and stuffed ½ an
onion and a couple cloves of garlic), line the pot with tinfoil, as shown
below, and put it on low for 8 hours. Once it’s done its edible, but I like the
crispy skin and carmelization that you get from roasting, so I use the tin foil
to transfer the chicken over to a roasting pan and pop it in the oven at 425
for 20-30 minutes, until the skin is golden and crispy.

Now since I was just planning on using it for lunches I used
the tin foil to transfer it to a cutting board where I could break it down more
easily. Everything that isn’t going into sandwiches or salads goes back into
the crockpot, along with some other things of course; the recipe is below for
all of that.

Finding time to make old recipes, and homemade food work in
this busy modern life is truly a wonderful blessing that makes my heart happy.

Crock Pot Chicken Broth

1 leftover chicken Carcass (or bones), meat removed

1 onion chopped (leave the peel on)

1 rib of celery

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 sprig fresh parsley

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 bay leaves

Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cover with water
(leaving at least ½” at the top). Place the crock pot on low for 8-10 hours;
Once cooked pass the stock through a fine sieve to remove the leftover herbs,
bones and pieces. At this point you may simmer on the stovetop for 30 minutes
to an hour to further reduce, or use as is. It can remain refrigerated for
roughly 5 days, or frozen for later use.

Random Side note: DO NOT leave the butter Dish next to the
crock pot while it is doing its thing. I have done this at least 3 times
recently, and it never ends well.

Rainy Days & Lemon Oregano Chicken Paillards

By

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Man o man this whole rain thing is really putting a damper
on my garden, there’s been so much rain that many things are having a hard time
growing, my little babies need sunshine too! Speaking of little babies, Brody
has been getting into all kinds of trouble this week, I think he could use some
sun time too. Unfortunately Chuck has to work all weekend; his crazy hours are
really starting to bug me. I told him to tell his boss I was going to have words
with him, but I don’t think I’m threatening enough. Maybe he will be able to
take all the money he’s banking and spend on me or something? Just a thought.

Without him around there’s no one to occupy the little Brody
man while I run, and his little joints are strong enough for a long run with
me, so I haven’t gone over a mile in a couple weeks. I just do not feel it’s
fair to put him back in his crate once I’m home from work, even if is only for
a 45 minute run, so if Chuck isn’t around I spend my time doing sprints with
him, or just playing. I need to get my gym together so I can actually use it!
Is it awful that we STILL don’t have the house together yet? I’m still moving
boxes from my parents, it’s pretty ridiculous.

With all this rain, and lack of actually workout time I have
had more time to experiment in the kitchen. I consider this a good thing since I
have finally been able to develop a successful recipe for Lemon Oregano Chicken
paillards. One of you asked for it a very, very long time ago when I posted my
Lemon Oregano Chicken Thighs and Green Beans Recipe. I’m sorry for the pictures,
it was late and I was tired. I promise it tastes better than it looks.

The previous recipe used whole chicken thighs, so I didn’t have
to contend with crisping the skin, or making sure it was cooked through (bone
in are always more difficult that way), however there were a lot less drippings
in the pan to help punch up the flavor. Also the lemons don’t get quite as caramelized
in this recipe, but they are still pretty delicious, that is if you like to
suck all the life out of them like I do. 

Lemon Oregano Chicken Paillards

4 Chicken Paillards

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tbs butter

2 small shallots, diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 sprigs fresh oregano

½ a lemon, sliced & De-seeded

½ cup low sodium chicken broth

Heat oil over medium high heat and liberally season the
chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes a side, or until
the juices run clear. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add butter to the pan and
sauté shallots, oregano and garlic until it becomes aromatic (1-2 minutes).
Place the lemon slices flat in the bottom of the pan and cook for an additional
minute. Deglaze with the broth and cook for 3-4 minutes while the broth reduces,
scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the
pan and toss with sauce. Serve warm, placing a lemon on top of each paillard.

Oh! I didn’t have green beans, but you can blanch them and add them to the pan with the chicken much like the last recipe, and I suggest serving it with the Simple Parmesan Pasta that I posted recently, the parmesan cheese blends so well with this dish. And a final note if you don’t know what in the hell a paillard is, check out this post.

D41: Baked Chicken Risotto

By

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Since moving out, and trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle, I
have found that it helps to keep leftover shredded chicken in the freezer.
Having it on hand makes so very many meals easily through together on a whim,
or if I happen to have an unexpected guest.

That where this recipe came from. I had roasted a whole
chicken and found out that Chuck had to go out of town the whole week, and an
entire chicken to freeze is a little more than my tiny freezer can handle, so I
made some Pesto Chicken one night, and a variation of this baked
chicken risotto I saw on Giada at Home, with a few alterations of
course.

In her recipe there are a lot of additional ingredients, but
for mine I stuck with just what I had on hand, simply to avoid a trip to the
store. If you don’t have already roasted vegetable leftovers it’s not a big
deal, you can always toss in your choice of frozen veggies, or roast some up
first.

This recipe is actually great for any size family, if you
simply multiply the ingredients. Also if you wanted to make it a one pan
wonder, simply use a Dutch oven or oven safe pan from start to finish. I only
used 2 pans because I really wanted to use the single serving dishes I just
got, and I know that not everyone has a pan the right size for this sort of
thing.

Leftover Baked
Chicken Risotto

½ tbs olive oil
½ tbs butter
2 tbs onion, chopped
¼ cup Arborio rice
¼ cup cooked chicken, chopped
¼ cup roasted carrots and parsnips chopped
2-3 cups chicken broth
1-2 tbs parmesan cheese
1 tsp Fresh chopped chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 375. In a small thick bottomed pan heat oil
and butter over medium high heat. Sauté onion until it begins to turn
translucent and tender (1-2 minutes). Stir in rice and cook and additional 2-3
minutes, as the rice begins to brown. Add additional vegetables, chicken and
broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour contents into an oven
safe pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the creamy, and the rice is
nearly cooked (you still want it to be slightly firm to bite). Stir in parmesan
cheese, top with chives, and serve warm.

 

D4One: Clean Bruschetta Chicken & Alfredo Sauce

By

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I am super excited about this recipe. It’s got a great
combination of fresh ingredients, with wonderful bold flavors, that meld
together wonderfully for a wonderfully well balanced meal.

The alfredo sauce is rich, creamy and wonderfully thick,
something that is not always found in clean recipes, but makes me so happy. I
especially love how wonderfully it picks up the flavors of any herbs and spices
that are added. This paired with the bruschetta chicken is a real winner,
especially when you add just a little bit more of the tomato mixture. The fresh
juicy tomatoes and basil add brightness and texture to the dish which really
makes a great visual impression. I really like the combination of the cold
tomato mixture on top of the warm chicken, alfredo and melty cheese.

This meal made me feel like I was eating at a restaurant,
except that I was really in sweatpants, watching White Collar, and it only took
about 20 minutes. Do you believe that? I mean really! I started boiling the water
for the pasta, and had the chicken done long just as it started to boil, and by
the time the pasta was done so was its sauce. That’s great right?

Clean Bruschetta Chicken

1 medium tomato, deseeded and diced

2-3 large basil leaves, staked rolled and sliced thin

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tbs oil

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 chicken paillard

1 slice low fat mozzarella cheese

In a small bowl combine the tomato, basil and garlic,
tossing to mix, set aside. Preheat grill, grill pan, or skillet (be sure to
grease the pan with cooking spray). Combine oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Place
chicken on the grill and brush top and sides with balsamic mixture. Continue to
cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes a side, brushing with vinegar mixture continuously.
Once chicken is nearly cooked through add cheese to the top and cook for an
additional minute or 2 until the cheese melts. Remove from heat and serve with
tomato mixture on top.

 

Clean Alfredo Sauce

1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup skim or other low fat milk

¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

½ cup low fat ricotta cheese

In a thick bottomed sauce pan heat oil over medium high heat
and sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes or until it begins to brown. Reduce heat to
low and add milk. Slowly add in parmesan cheese and whisk until well blended.
While whisking add in ricotta cheese. Continue to whisk until well blended and
smooth. Sreve warm over prepared pasta.

Random thought: Does anyone else feel an incredible urge to
drink wine while watching a show like White Collar? I swear it gets me every
time!

Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings

By

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Have you ever been to Five Below? That place is a maze of
awesomeness, it’s just like the dollar store but the stuff lasts two weeks
instead of just one, and costs $5 or less. I happened to be poking around there
recently and came across this Irish Cook Book.

 

Now anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Ireland, especially the food. I grew up with stews, green peas, scones and tea; don’t even get me started on my dad’s favorite, boiled dinner. I flipped through this book thinking, that it would probably be wicked boring, and to my great surprise it was filled with recipes that I really wanted to try, so I sprung for the 4 bucks and bought it. I hope you are ready for about a trillion new Irish recipes.

Earlier this week I had a really awesome spring cold. The kind that feel like a bomb went off in your sinus cavity, yeah it was pretty fun. So on Monday I decided to make myself some chicken soup and use the herb dumpling recipe from this book.

The original recipe was for a roasted pork shoulder with the dumplings boiled separately, but I just tossed them in to the pot with my stew and they came out perfectly. Also the original instructions suggested using parsley and mint or anything other preferred herb. I went with chives because I had them, but my guess is that the use of mint would be great in a lamb stew. Just a thought.
Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings
Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbs oil
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 large celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tbs all purpose flour
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp pepper +more to taste
  • 1 lb cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Salt to taste
  • For dumplings:
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs chives, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbs softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbs milk
Instructions
  1. In a thick bottomed sauce pan Heat oil, and melt butter.
  2. Add carrots, onion, celery and thyme and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
  3. Stir in flour until well blended before adding broth.
  4. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
  5. Add bay leaf, pepper, and chicken. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile sift together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and herbs for dumplings. With a fork blend in butter, until it begins to forms loose crumbs. Carefully stir in egg and milk until a dough forms. With lightly floured hands form 2 inch diameter dumplings.
  7. After 15 minutes stir frozen peas into the soup and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
  8. Add dumplings and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to float.
  9. Remove bay leaves, adjust seasonings, and serve warm.

 

 Even in my numbed taste buds enjoyed this one, and Chuck especially did. The stew was wonderfully creamy, and flavorful, the vegetables perfectly tender, and the dumplings light and refreshing. It was the perfect antidote for my cold symptoms. Ok maybe I had a little help from cough drops, honey, tea, and Alka-Seltzer, I’m still saying it was the soup though.
Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings

 

This might also be a helper (comfort meal?) in light of this weeks most recent events in Boston and in Texas. My prayers are filled with hope and sorrow.