budget gourmet
Friend #11 insists I should write a cookbook, the proceeds of which could fund another of my outlandish ideas (on which I will elaborate some other day....) #1 Son has already agreed to do slick top-notch photography for this dream-book. Please be my taste-testers, won't you?
Here is how I turn one 6 lb. roasting chicken, purchased at 59 cents/lb., into two satisfying meals. Cheap doesn't have to mean stingy!
Meal #1: Chicken Minestrone Soup
In a large pot, cover chicken with water and simmer for 90 minutes or so. Remove from broth, cool, and de-bone thoroughly. Reserve 2/3 of the meat for another meal. Chop the rest (perhaps 2 C) into soup-sized pieces and set aside. Add 2/3 assorted dried beans, lentils, or chick peas to broth and simmer for an hour or until tender. Add 1 T crushed garlic, 12 0z. of diced tomato, 3/4 C chopped celery, 3/4 C sliced carrot, and one diced onion. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chopped chicken, chopped fresh spinach and any assortment of leftover cooked veggies (I had green beans and a small bunch of cilantro). I also added 1/2 C of uncooked elbow macaroni and a cup of leftover brown rice. Simmer until pasta is tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve with a side of shredded parmesan for sprinkling.
(serves 6, with plenty to spare)
Meal #2: Chicken Pie with White sauce
Sautee 1 C baby carrots and 2 small onions, diced, in 6 T of butter until tender. Toss in 1/3 C flour to coat well. Add enough milk (approx. 3 C) to make a sturdy white sauce. Adjust seasonings. Cover the bottom of a deep casserole with the reserved chicken. (approx. 4 C) Toss 1 C of frozen peas over top. Pour hot white sauce and vegetables over all. Top with whole-wheat biscuits and bake at 350 degrees until brown and bubbly. (serves 6. Not much left over, as my family loves chicken pie....)
You can also reserve some chicken broth from Meal #1 to replace the milk in Meal #2.
Also, if I had my summer garden, my veggie-options would multiply!
Here is how I turn one 6 lb. roasting chicken, purchased at 59 cents/lb., into two satisfying meals. Cheap doesn't have to mean stingy!
Meal #1: Chicken Minestrone Soup
In a large pot, cover chicken with water and simmer for 90 minutes or so. Remove from broth, cool, and de-bone thoroughly. Reserve 2/3 of the meat for another meal. Chop the rest (perhaps 2 C) into soup-sized pieces and set aside. Add 2/3 assorted dried beans, lentils, or chick peas to broth and simmer for an hour or until tender. Add 1 T crushed garlic, 12 0z. of diced tomato, 3/4 C chopped celery, 3/4 C sliced carrot, and one diced onion. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chopped chicken, chopped fresh spinach and any assortment of leftover cooked veggies (I had green beans and a small bunch of cilantro). I also added 1/2 C of uncooked elbow macaroni and a cup of leftover brown rice. Simmer until pasta is tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve with a side of shredded parmesan for sprinkling.
(serves 6, with plenty to spare)
Meal #2: Chicken Pie with White sauce
Sautee 1 C baby carrots and 2 small onions, diced, in 6 T of butter until tender. Toss in 1/3 C flour to coat well. Add enough milk (approx. 3 C) to make a sturdy white sauce. Adjust seasonings. Cover the bottom of a deep casserole with the reserved chicken. (approx. 4 C) Toss 1 C of frozen peas over top. Pour hot white sauce and vegetables over all. Top with whole-wheat biscuits and bake at 350 degrees until brown and bubbly. (serves 6. Not much left over, as my family loves chicken pie....)
You can also reserve some chicken broth from Meal #1 to replace the milk in Meal #2.
Also, if I had my summer garden, my veggie-options would multiply!
posted by thisrequiresthought at 11:16 AM
5 Comments:
a cookbook - what a great idea. I'd buy it =) Of course you'd have to list more than "I don't measure" for me to benefit from it =)
I thought you had pizza last night for dinner. When did you have time to cook all the chicken? It must have been after I left.
"Budget Gourmet"
I think this would make a nice title. Great theme for a cookbook as well. I'll start testing!
And a topnotch photographer to boot. I hope he won't charge you an arm and a leg! :-)
Judes
I would so buy your cookbook! Especially with photos. (I really don't think cookbooks without photos are any fun at all, you know?!?!)
I want your cookbook too! I'm always lacking ideas. Once I have inspiration, cooking can be SUCH fun! As soon as my tummy feels up to it, I'm going to try these tasty meals!
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