Pork tacos and guacamole.
In a monumental rush to get dinner served and Josh out the door to basketball practice. Very late getting home because of slow traffic. Children ravenous, cranky. Managed it, just barely, thanks to leftover roast pork from Chuck's birthday. This is why we always, always have tortillas and avocados on hand.
Showing posts with label what to do with leftovers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what to do with leftovers. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: December 28 & 30, 2009
Family spaghetti sauce with meatballs, Italian sausages, and lamb; eggplant parmesan with leftover sauce.
I love the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Love it like no other time of year. I am on winter recess. Chuck has been taking some time off. Chuck's brother, Chris, has been visiting, which is always fun. So we're all home, and it's been mostly too cold and icy to really go anywhere, and really, where would we go if we could?
Spaghetti sauce is perfect for this kind of week. It takes four hours to make it, for one thing. But what a payoff! Besides a nice dinner Monday night with Chris joining us, we have a whole dinner of leftovers saved in the freezer for some time in February when I'm too swamped with grading to cook. And we still had enough leftover sauce for tonight's luscious, hearty eggplant parmesan.
In non-food related homebound activities, I've been using this week to organize the house and potty-train Eli. Other people use winter break to write important scholarly articles. Me, I cleaned out the pantry, arranged my sweaters by color, and set up a dedicated Lego space, all while taking frequent breaks for either potty-visiting or carpet-cleaning. A pretty productive vacation, if you ask me.
I won't be cooking for the rest of 2009: Tomorrow night we plan to get takeaway from an excellent local restaurant. In another lifetime, say maybe ten years ago, we would have dressed up and gone to the excellent local restaurant, and drank and danced and stayed late into the night. Tomorrow, we'll put the kids to bed and enjoy a late dinner, delicious and cooked by someone else, and then a glass of port, and we'll probably be asleep when 2010 rolls in.
Here's to happiness, health, peace, and prosperity--and lots of good dinners--in the new year.
I love the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Love it like no other time of year. I am on winter recess. Chuck has been taking some time off. Chuck's brother, Chris, has been visiting, which is always fun. So we're all home, and it's been mostly too cold and icy to really go anywhere, and really, where would we go if we could?
Spaghetti sauce is perfect for this kind of week. It takes four hours to make it, for one thing. But what a payoff! Besides a nice dinner Monday night with Chris joining us, we have a whole dinner of leftovers saved in the freezer for some time in February when I'm too swamped with grading to cook. And we still had enough leftover sauce for tonight's luscious, hearty eggplant parmesan.
In non-food related homebound activities, I've been using this week to organize the house and potty-train Eli. Other people use winter break to write important scholarly articles. Me, I cleaned out the pantry, arranged my sweaters by color, and set up a dedicated Lego space, all while taking frequent breaks for either potty-visiting or carpet-cleaning. A pretty productive vacation, if you ask me.
I won't be cooking for the rest of 2009: Tomorrow night we plan to get takeaway from an excellent local restaurant. In another lifetime, say maybe ten years ago, we would have dressed up and gone to the excellent local restaurant, and drank and danced and stayed late into the night. Tomorrow, we'll put the kids to bed and enjoy a late dinner, delicious and cooked by someone else, and then a glass of port, and we'll probably be asleep when 2010 rolls in.
Here's to happiness, health, peace, and prosperity--and lots of good dinners--in the new year.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: December 8, 2009
Chicken noodle soup and whole-wheat biscuits.
This is what it looked like in our backyard at 6:30 this evening.
There's no snow on the ground. The widely-heralded winter storm went north, mostly; the flurrying flakes in the photo are really the first we've seen all day. This was not a blizzard requiring an emergency run to the market.
Still, I had my roast-chicken-leftovers plan in place. And it was pretty bleak all day. It was nice to have hot soup on the stove.
Leftover-Chicken noodle soup
Carcass of a large roasted chicken, most meat removed
4 carrots, peeled
4 ribs of celery, leafy tops removed, chopped, and reserved
one large sweet onion, peeled and pierced with a fork
One bunch cilantro (or Italian parsley, if you prefer), tied with a string for easy removal
2 T ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. egg noodles
Put all ingredients in a large soup pot. Cover with water and simmer on medium-low heat for 60-90 minutes, until the broth is golden and the bones have gone very soft. Remove bones and set aside to cool. Remove and discard the onion, cilantro bunch, and celery ribs. Remove the carrots and set aside. Pour the broth through a strainer into another large pot. Chop the cooked carrots and return to the pot. When the bones have cooled, pick off the remaining meat and add it to the broth. Add the celery tops. Stir, taste, and adjust seasonings; add more ginger, salt, or pepper as needed. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Add noodles and simmer 10 minutes more. Serve, adding more fresh cilantro as a garnish if desired.
This is what it looked like in our backyard at 6:30 this evening.
There's no snow on the ground. The widely-heralded winter storm went north, mostly; the flurrying flakes in the photo are really the first we've seen all day. This was not a blizzard requiring an emergency run to the market.
Still, I had my roast-chicken-leftovers plan in place. And it was pretty bleak all day. It was nice to have hot soup on the stove.
Leftover-Chicken noodle soup
Carcass of a large roasted chicken, most meat removed
4 carrots, peeled
4 ribs of celery, leafy tops removed, chopped, and reserved
one large sweet onion, peeled and pierced with a fork
One bunch cilantro (or Italian parsley, if you prefer), tied with a string for easy removal
2 T ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. egg noodles
Put all ingredients in a large soup pot. Cover with water and simmer on medium-low heat for 60-90 minutes, until the broth is golden and the bones have gone very soft. Remove bones and set aside to cool. Remove and discard the onion, cilantro bunch, and celery ribs. Remove the carrots and set aside. Pour the broth through a strainer into another large pot. Chop the cooked carrots and return to the pot. When the bones have cooled, pick off the remaining meat and add it to the broth. Add the celery tops. Stir, taste, and adjust seasonings; add more ginger, salt, or pepper as needed. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Add noodles and simmer 10 minutes more. Serve, adding more fresh cilantro as a garnish if desired.
Monday, November 30, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: November 30, 2009
Turkey curry pot pie.
The last of our turkey leftovers went into this pie. I've made a couple of versions since we first tried it at a terrific hole-in-the-wall restaurant in West Yellowstone.
The children (not counting Eli) adore this pie every time I make it. Tonight, Josh would have eaten half of it by himself if I had let him. I think it's okay, although my favorite thing to make with Thanksgiving leftovers is a cold sandwich with turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing on rye bread.
For the time being, at least, I think I am finished wrapping leftover meats in pastry.
The last of our turkey leftovers went into this pie. I've made a couple of versions since we first tried it at a terrific hole-in-the-wall restaurant in West Yellowstone.
The children (not counting Eli) adore this pie every time I make it. Tonight, Josh would have eaten half of it by himself if I had let him. I think it's okay, although my favorite thing to make with Thanksgiving leftovers is a cold sandwich with turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing on rye bread.
For the time being, at least, I think I am finished wrapping leftover meats in pastry.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: November 29, 2009
Individual beef Wellington miniatures.
One thing I didn't mention about Thanksgiving was that my mom brought a full tenderloin of beef with mushroom duxelles and wine gravy. It was delicious, of course. I think variety is fabulous, and I am happy for all contributions to the meal.
Still, part of me wonders: Did she bring it just in case the turkey didn't work out? I'll never know.
Regardless, this recipe is an excellent way to use leftover steak, especially tenderloin that has already been sliced. I used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry dough and baked the wrapped steaks for twenty minutes. In reheating the gravy I added too much Beaujolais, which turned it a slightly ridiculous shade of purple, but it still tasted good.
One thing I didn't mention about Thanksgiving was that my mom brought a full tenderloin of beef with mushroom duxelles and wine gravy. It was delicious, of course. I think variety is fabulous, and I am happy for all contributions to the meal.
Still, part of me wonders: Did she bring it just in case the turkey didn't work out? I'll never know.
Regardless, this recipe is an excellent way to use leftover steak, especially tenderloin that has already been sliced. I used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry dough and baked the wrapped steaks for twenty minutes. In reheating the gravy I added too much Beaujolais, which turned it a slightly ridiculous shade of purple, but it still tasted good.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: August 18, 2009
Grilled pizzas, slow-roasted grape tomatoes with artichoke hearts.
I used sauce and meat left over from last night to make the pizzas. This is my first time cooking pizza on the grill, and I wasn't thrilled with the results. Leaving a pizza on long enough to melt the cheese meant that the crust got charred. I'll have to think about it and try again another time.
The tomato-artichoke thing came from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef, mostly. His recipe has you break down four globe artichokes for their hearts, which is a ludicrous task even for someone who doesn't have three restless boys bugging her while she tries to make dinner. I used a box of frozen artichoke hearts; I bet canned would be just as good.
Slow-roasted grape tomatoes with artichoke hearts (serves four)
One pound grape tomatoes, or a combination of grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, or regular tomatoes cut into the approximate size of grape tomatoes
Eight-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into ribbons
2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 2 tablespoons fresh if you have it and feel like running to your mosquito-infested herb garden for it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
A little grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
Defrost the artichoke hearts in the microwave, following package directions. Warm one T of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet. Add the artichoke hearts, garlic, and half the thyme; cook just until the garlic softens, then add the lemon juice and cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
Toss the tomatoes with one T olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil. mix well, then add to the skillet with the artichoke hearts. Mix them together and spread the whole thing evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme. Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if you like.
I used sauce and meat left over from last night to make the pizzas. This is my first time cooking pizza on the grill, and I wasn't thrilled with the results. Leaving a pizza on long enough to melt the cheese meant that the crust got charred. I'll have to think about it and try again another time.
The tomato-artichoke thing came from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef, mostly. His recipe has you break down four globe artichokes for their hearts, which is a ludicrous task even for someone who doesn't have three restless boys bugging her while she tries to make dinner. I used a box of frozen artichoke hearts; I bet canned would be just as good.
Slow-roasted grape tomatoes with artichoke hearts (serves four)
One pound grape tomatoes, or a combination of grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, or regular tomatoes cut into the approximate size of grape tomatoes
Eight-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into ribbons
2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 2 tablespoons fresh if you have it and feel like running to your mosquito-infested herb garden for it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
A little grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
Defrost the artichoke hearts in the microwave, following package directions. Warm one T of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet. Add the artichoke hearts, garlic, and half the thyme; cook just until the garlic softens, then add the lemon juice and cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
Toss the tomatoes with one T olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil. mix well, then add to the skillet with the artichoke hearts. Mix them together and spread the whole thing evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme. Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if you like.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: July 16, 2009
Chicken quesadillas, guacamole, roasted tomato salsa.
This is Round One of leftovers from our chicken on Monday. I like making quesadillas and haven't in a long time.
I made the salsa from scratch because Alex hurt his head. Around 3, we got a call from day camp reporting a tag collision. Chuck went to get Alex and found him in the nurse's office, covered in his own blood and with a flap of skin hanging on the side of his head, whereupon they departed for the pediatrician. I had to wait a long time for news; there's no cell phone use at the doctor's office, a policy apparently devised specifically for the torture of anxious relatives. I channeled my own anxiety into making salsa with some of the red and yellow tomatoes recently produced by our garden.
Alex came home just fine, three staples richer and starving. He said these were the best quesadillas ever. I really don't know if a kid with a stapled-shut hole in his head is qualified to make that call.
This is Round One of leftovers from our chicken on Monday. I like making quesadillas and haven't in a long time.
I made the salsa from scratch because Alex hurt his head. Around 3, we got a call from day camp reporting a tag collision. Chuck went to get Alex and found him in the nurse's office, covered in his own blood and with a flap of skin hanging on the side of his head, whereupon they departed for the pediatrician. I had to wait a long time for news; there's no cell phone use at the doctor's office, a policy apparently devised specifically for the torture of anxious relatives. I channeled my own anxiety into making salsa with some of the red and yellow tomatoes recently produced by our garden.
Alex came home just fine, three staples richer and starving. He said these were the best quesadillas ever. I really don't know if a kid with a stapled-shut hole in his head is qualified to make that call.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: July 5, 2009
"Barbecue" lamb, chickpea salad with sweet peppers and feta.
This lamb dish was the return of the grilled leg of lamb we had last week. We had about half of it left over, and this is one of my favorite ways to use leftover hunks of roasted or grilled meats. I plunk it into the crock pot with some barbecue sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, and a beer or whatever leftover bits of wine are in the fridge. Four to six hours later, voila! Fake barbecue! (It's not really 'cue because the meat was never slow-smoked.)
While the leftover lamb crock-potted, we took the boys to a nearby park with a good-sized artificial lake. Josh and Alex wanted to catch frogs. We saw lots of them; by this time of year, apparently, they are large and kind of sluggish. They also seem to have some experience avoiding little boys bearing fishing nets. The frogs of Antioch Park are safe. We did, however, notice, scoop, and inspect several large lake-dwelling snails. We also inadvertently gathered a quantity of mosses and assorted algae. (I don't know how to clean a fishing net. I am hoping the slime will dry up and go away.)
Then we came home to the luscious-smelling fake 'cue and this delicious crisp salad, all of which the kids devoured because they were starving after all that exploring. Eli wouldn't eat any of this stuff but I count tonight as a win anyway because I got him to try, and enjoy, whole-wheat bread and butter. Small victories with this two-year-old.
This lamb dish was the return of the grilled leg of lamb we had last week. We had about half of it left over, and this is one of my favorite ways to use leftover hunks of roasted or grilled meats. I plunk it into the crock pot with some barbecue sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, and a beer or whatever leftover bits of wine are in the fridge. Four to six hours later, voila! Fake barbecue! (It's not really 'cue because the meat was never slow-smoked.)
While the leftover lamb crock-potted, we took the boys to a nearby park with a good-sized artificial lake. Josh and Alex wanted to catch frogs. We saw lots of them; by this time of year, apparently, they are large and kind of sluggish. They also seem to have some experience avoiding little boys bearing fishing nets. The frogs of Antioch Park are safe. We did, however, notice, scoop, and inspect several large lake-dwelling snails. We also inadvertently gathered a quantity of mosses and assorted algae. (I don't know how to clean a fishing net. I am hoping the slime will dry up and go away.)
Then we came home to the luscious-smelling fake 'cue and this delicious crisp salad, all of which the kids devoured because they were starving after all that exploring. Eli wouldn't eat any of this stuff but I count tonight as a win anyway because I got him to try, and enjoy, whole-wheat bread and butter. Small victories with this two-year-old.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: June 4, 2009
Alfredo pasta with grilled chicken and peppers.
Suppose you'd been at continuing legal education all day, and suppose when you got home your children really, really wanted you to search for fossils with them. But also suppose you knew that within forty-five minutes or less, those same children--who had been outside just about all day, and who had achieved a spectacular level of dirtiness, and exhaustion to match--would turn into ravening beasts if you didn't come up with something to feed them. What would you do?
(Here is where I wonder why they care that much about playing with me. I have been home with them every day since school let out. Aren't they sick of me yet? I know I would be.)
Well, here's what I would do:
If you have leftover grilled chicken tenders and sweet peppers, and you have some half-and-half and grated parmesan cheese, maybe a little nutmeg, and if you have some whole-wheat bowties, you too could have alfredo pasta with grilled chicken and peppers, all in about fifteen minutes.
Josh and Alex devoured this, but honestly I think they were so hungry they would have eaten anything I set before them.
By the way, they really did find some cool rocks.
Suppose you'd been at continuing legal education all day, and suppose when you got home your children really, really wanted you to search for fossils with them. But also suppose you knew that within forty-five minutes or less, those same children--who had been outside just about all day, and who had achieved a spectacular level of dirtiness, and exhaustion to match--would turn into ravening beasts if you didn't come up with something to feed them. What would you do?
(Here is where I wonder why they care that much about playing with me. I have been home with them every day since school let out. Aren't they sick of me yet? I know I would be.)
Well, here's what I would do:
If you have leftover grilled chicken tenders and sweet peppers, and you have some half-and-half and grated parmesan cheese, maybe a little nutmeg, and if you have some whole-wheat bowties, you too could have alfredo pasta with grilled chicken and peppers, all in about fifteen minutes.
Josh and Alex devoured this, but honestly I think they were so hungry they would have eaten anything I set before them.
By the way, they really did find some cool rocks.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
What I Made for Dinner: May 27 & 28, 2009
Steak salad; steak tacos.
Back on Sunday when we grilled beef kabobs, we made way too much steak. The reason is that in the fall we bought one-fourth of a cow, which has worked out terrific except that the processor didn't weight-label the packages. And the meat is packed in these compact little freezer bags, maybe vacuum-sealed but I'm not sure, but at any rate the packages are much smaller than ordinary supermarket meat packages. So it is really hard to judge how much exactly is in a pack of kabob cuts, and it looks kind of small, so we decided to defrost two packages. And as it turned out, two packages is a freaking lot of beef kabobs.
Faced with a huge pile of defrosted pieces of steak, we grilled it all and hoped for the best. "The best" being creative and timely use of leftovers.
So last night was steak salad, always a tasty standby, with sweet onions and goat cheese and asparagus. Tonight was steak tacos, standard fixings (I simmered the leftovers in water with taco seasoning). I think we're done now.
In other food news, Eli had his first peanut butter and jelly sandwich today. He loved it (after he finished throwing a humongous temper tantrum at the outrage of my requiring him to eat lunch AT THE ZOO). No allergic reaction. Cool!
Back on Sunday when we grilled beef kabobs, we made way too much steak. The reason is that in the fall we bought one-fourth of a cow, which has worked out terrific except that the processor didn't weight-label the packages. And the meat is packed in these compact little freezer bags, maybe vacuum-sealed but I'm not sure, but at any rate the packages are much smaller than ordinary supermarket meat packages. So it is really hard to judge how much exactly is in a pack of kabob cuts, and it looks kind of small, so we decided to defrost two packages. And as it turned out, two packages is a freaking lot of beef kabobs.
Faced with a huge pile of defrosted pieces of steak, we grilled it all and hoped for the best. "The best" being creative and timely use of leftovers.
So last night was steak salad, always a tasty standby, with sweet onions and goat cheese and asparagus. Tonight was steak tacos, standard fixings (I simmered the leftovers in water with taco seasoning). I think we're done now.
In other food news, Eli had his first peanut butter and jelly sandwich today. He loved it (after he finished throwing a humongous temper tantrum at the outrage of my requiring him to eat lunch AT THE ZOO). No allergic reaction. Cool!
What I Made for Dinner: April 22, 2009
Pizzas: One with pepperoni and the other with roast chicken, broccoli, roasted garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes.
So this is what I decided to do with the leftovers from last night. The chicken-broccoli-etc. is my very favorite kind of pizza, and no one makes it commercially! Why is that? I don't think it's THAT weird. (In fact, there was a Lebanese deli next to the poster shop where I worked in college, and the deli sold Boboli pizzas very similar to the one I made tonight.)
I would love to hear about interesting pizza combinations others have discovered.
So this is what I decided to do with the leftovers from last night. The chicken-broccoli-etc. is my very favorite kind of pizza, and no one makes it commercially! Why is that? I don't think it's THAT weird. (In fact, there was a Lebanese deli next to the poster shop where I worked in college, and the deli sold Boboli pizzas very similar to the one I made tonight.)
I would love to hear about interesting pizza combinations others have discovered.
What I Made for Dinner: March 11, 2009
Gnocchi with butternut squash and fried sage, green salad with lemon vinaigrette.
A while back, a friend and I took a gnocchi-making class at the Kansas City Culinary Institute. The teacher was the chef de cuisine at Lidia's, my favorite restaurant. So we got his recipes and techniques, and I learned how to make gnocchi, but mostly I learned that making gnocchi is a time-consuming pain in the ass. And also largely unnecessary, because nowadays supermarkets carry vacuum-sealed or frozen gnocchi that's perfectly good.
However! Back on New Year's Eve, we had company and I put together a shrimp boil. In the aftermath of the shrimp boil, we had about three pounds of leftover cooked red potatoes. Any sane person would have just thrown them away. But I am not any sane person. When faced with a quantity of leftover potatoes, I made gnocchi. A lot of it, as it turned out. And then I froze it.
So my point is, even though this dinner might seem fancy, and certainly homemade gnocchi is a lot of effort, this particular meal took me literally fifteen minutes to make. I put the water on to boil, melted the butter for the sauce, and microwaved the frozen butternut squash. By the time the water boiled, the sage was crispy and the defrosted squash was sauteeing in the butter. The frozen gnocchi went into the water, floated almost immediately, came out of the water and into the butter sauce, where I let it brown for a couple of minutes. Salt, pepper, liberal dousing in grated parmesan cheese. All done.
It was delicious. I struggled not to eat thirds (I prevailed). The children ate a ton of it and didn't even seem to notice the squash, or else I'm pretty sure I would have heard about it.
A while back, a friend and I took a gnocchi-making class at the Kansas City Culinary Institute. The teacher was the chef de cuisine at Lidia's, my favorite restaurant. So we got his recipes and techniques, and I learned how to make gnocchi, but mostly I learned that making gnocchi is a time-consuming pain in the ass. And also largely unnecessary, because nowadays supermarkets carry vacuum-sealed or frozen gnocchi that's perfectly good.
However! Back on New Year's Eve, we had company and I put together a shrimp boil. In the aftermath of the shrimp boil, we had about three pounds of leftover cooked red potatoes. Any sane person would have just thrown them away. But I am not any sane person. When faced with a quantity of leftover potatoes, I made gnocchi. A lot of it, as it turned out. And then I froze it.
So my point is, even though this dinner might seem fancy, and certainly homemade gnocchi is a lot of effort, this particular meal took me literally fifteen minutes to make. I put the water on to boil, melted the butter for the sauce, and microwaved the frozen butternut squash. By the time the water boiled, the sage was crispy and the defrosted squash was sauteeing in the butter. The frozen gnocchi went into the water, floated almost immediately, came out of the water and into the butter sauce, where I let it brown for a couple of minutes. Salt, pepper, liberal dousing in grated parmesan cheese. All done.
It was delicious. I struggled not to eat thirds (I prevailed). The children ate a ton of it and didn't even seem to notice the squash, or else I'm pretty sure I would have heard about it.
What I Made for Dinner: March 10, 2009
Chicken and black bean tacos.
I served the tacos with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red bell peppers, green onions, shredded carrots, guacamole, and shredded cheese. Mandarin orange sections on the side.
This was Meal No. 3 from the roast chicken on Friday night. I departed from Gourmet's suggestion of gyro sandwiches because I already had taco shells and the right kind of cheese. (Also because in a weak moment, I bought an institutional-size box of taco seasoning from Costco. We need to eat a lot of tacos to make that bargain pay off.)
So the answer is yes, it is possible to get at least three dinners for five people out of two chickens. In fact, we have enough leftovers, of both the chicken pie and the taco mixture, to make about four individual lunches. If I had been conservative, I definitely could have stretched the meat for one more dinner. (It would have been a stir-fry.) Inner frugal housewife is very pleased with herself.
I served the tacos with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red bell peppers, green onions, shredded carrots, guacamole, and shredded cheese. Mandarin orange sections on the side.
This was Meal No. 3 from the roast chicken on Friday night. I departed from Gourmet's suggestion of gyro sandwiches because I already had taco shells and the right kind of cheese. (Also because in a weak moment, I bought an institutional-size box of taco seasoning from Costco. We need to eat a lot of tacos to make that bargain pay off.)
So the answer is yes, it is possible to get at least three dinners for five people out of two chickens. In fact, we have enough leftovers, of both the chicken pie and the taco mixture, to make about four individual lunches. If I had been conservative, I definitely could have stretched the meat for one more dinner. (It would have been a stir-fry.) Inner frugal housewife is very pleased with herself.
What I Made for Dinner: March 9, 2009
Chicken curry pie.
This is Meal No. 2 from the roast chickens we made on Friday night. Gourmet magazine has some other suggestions: a cheesy chicken lasagna and chicken gyros. But we don't like lasagna much because when it's served it looks, shall we say, unappetizing. I will omit any descriptive similes. So instead of lasagna, it's chicken curry pie.
The pie is based on one we had at a cafe in West Yellowstone, Montana. We asked some locals for a good buffalo burger joint and they sent us to Kiwi's, which turned out to have excellent buffalo burgers indeed. The proprietor of Kiwi's was a New Zealand transplant so in addition to the burgers, the menu offered meat pies. The kids devoured the chicken curry one.
It's easy to make if you have leftover roast chicken and vegetables. I chopped up about a cup of the chicken and about two cups of mixed roast potatoes, carrots, and onions. I added frozen peas. To this mix I added the leftover chicken gravy, half a cup of cream, and two tablespoons of curry powder. Put the mixture between two refrigerated pie crusts and baked it for an hour. It came out remarkably similar to the New-Zealand-by-way-of-West-Yellowstone version.
There is one thing I am kind of proud of myself for: We were, annoyingly, out of regular frozen peas. But way back in the freezer I had a box of Green Giant baby peas with butter sauce. Wanted the peas, not the butter sauce. What to do? Aha! Put the frozen mass of peas/sauce in a colander and rinsed it until the sauce was gone. Presto, peas!
So we scarfed down the pie and then we put on our costumes and went to our temple's Purim Spiel and ate too many cookies. Time for bed.
This is Meal No. 2 from the roast chickens we made on Friday night. Gourmet magazine has some other suggestions: a cheesy chicken lasagna and chicken gyros. But we don't like lasagna much because when it's served it looks, shall we say, unappetizing. I will omit any descriptive similes. So instead of lasagna, it's chicken curry pie.
The pie is based on one we had at a cafe in West Yellowstone, Montana. We asked some locals for a good buffalo burger joint and they sent us to Kiwi's, which turned out to have excellent buffalo burgers indeed. The proprietor of Kiwi's was a New Zealand transplant so in addition to the burgers, the menu offered meat pies. The kids devoured the chicken curry one.
It's easy to make if you have leftover roast chicken and vegetables. I chopped up about a cup of the chicken and about two cups of mixed roast potatoes, carrots, and onions. I added frozen peas. To this mix I added the leftover chicken gravy, half a cup of cream, and two tablespoons of curry powder. Put the mixture between two refrigerated pie crusts and baked it for an hour. It came out remarkably similar to the New-Zealand-by-way-of-West
There is one thing I am kind of proud of myself for: We were, annoyingly, out of regular frozen peas. But way back in the freezer I had a box of Green Giant baby peas with butter sauce. Wanted the peas, not the butter sauce. What to do? Aha! Put the frozen mass of peas/sauce in a colander and rinsed it until the sauce was gone. Presto, peas!
So we scarfed down the pie and then we put on our costumes and went to our temple's Purim Spiel and ate too many cookies. Time for bed.
What I Made for Dinner: February 4, 2009
Pasta with breadcrumbs, roast chicken, and broccoli; served with a mixed green salad.
I hesitated to chronicle this pasta dish because I am a little embarrassed to admit that I ate it. It is carbo-licious!
The breadcrumbs get toasted in olive oil and garlic. Then to make a sauce, you mix in lemon juice and some of the pasta cooking water. That's delicious on its own, but then I added the leftover roast chicken and some steamed broccoli, and sprinkled the whole thing with parmesan cheese.
Alex and Eli got the pasta plain and the chicken and broccoli on the side.
Maybe the broccoli cancels out the fried, I mean toasted, breadcrumbs. Maybe the virtue of using the leftover chicken somehow redeems the amount of fat (good fat! It was all good fat!) included in the dish. Or maybe I should try harder to get over my food issues.
I hesitated to chronicle this pasta dish because I am a little embarrassed to admit that I ate it. It is carbo-licious!
The breadcrumbs get toasted in olive oil and garlic. Then to make a sauce, you mix in lemon juice and some of the pasta cooking water. That's delicious on its own, but then I added the leftover roast chicken and some steamed broccoli, and sprinkled the whole thing with parmesan cheese.
Alex and Eli got the pasta plain and the chicken and broccoli on the side.
Maybe the broccoli cancels out the fried, I mean toasted, breadcrumbs. Maybe the virtue of using the leftover chicken somehow redeems the amount of fat (good fat! It was all good fat!) included in the dish. Or maybe I should try harder to get over my food issues.
What I Made for Dinner: February 2, 2009
Roast chicken with carrots and potatoes; sauteed spinach; garlic toast.
There are many things to love about my job; one of them is that I do not have to go to the office on Mondays or Tuesdays. This weekend was so busy I had no time to cook, except for competition chili. So today, I made a big roast meal. It's actually easier than it sounds, because it only takes about ten minutes to get the chicken and veggies ready to go into the oven, and then I don't have to do anything else while it cooks (which takes about two hours).
The chicken came out well, and I made an extra one so I can make a fast pasta dish, with shredded leftover chicken, later this week when I get home late from work.
I make garlic toast with Costco's roasted garlic loaf. I just split it open, brush it with olive oil, and toast it in the oven. It's delicious, but we can't think of anything creative to do with the leftovers (other than just reheating and re-serving).
I am very serious about using leftovers. I have an inner Depression-era housewife. For example, tonight's chicken will get used twice more, once for that pasta dish and once for chicken salad for lunch. Usually, when I roast chicken I boil the carcass to make stock, but not tonight because I already have a freezer door full of stock.
I will, however, be making banana muffins with the black bananas sitting on my fruit stand.
There are many things to love about my job; one of them is that I do not have to go to the office on Mondays or Tuesdays. This weekend was so busy I had no time to cook, except for competition chili. So today, I made a big roast meal. It's actually easier than it sounds, because it only takes about ten minutes to get the chicken and veggies ready to go into the oven, and then I don't have to do anything else while it cooks (which takes about two hours).
The chicken came out well, and I made an extra one so I can make a fast pasta dish, with shredded leftover chicken, later this week when I get home late from work.
I make garlic toast with Costco's roasted garlic loaf. I just split it open, brush it with olive oil, and toast it in the oven. It's delicious, but we can't think of anything creative to do with the leftovers (other than just reheating and re-serving).
I am very serious about using leftovers. I have an inner Depression-era housewife. For example, tonight's chicken will get used twice more, once for that pasta dish and once for chicken salad for lunch. Usually, when I roast chicken I boil the carcass to make stock, but not tonight because I already have a freezer door full of stock.
I will, however, be making banana muffins with the black bananas sitting on my fruit stand.
What I Made for Dinner: January 20, 2009
Cream of asparagus soup and broiled chicken breast sandwiches.
You can get asparagus all year round at Costco, but the winter asparagus is really thick and so only the tips are good to eat. When I made risotto on Sunday night, I used just the tips. The depression-era housewife in me felt outraged at the idea of throwing out all those stalks. Usually, the thing to do with less-than-ideal veggies is to make soup. So I consulted Joy of Cooking, the '97 edition.
Some people complain that the 1997 iteration of Joy of Cooking was too highfalutin', that it departed from the practical-everywoman vibe that had made it such a masterpiece. I don't agree. I can always find a little of everything I need in the '97 version, which was a wedding present from my friend Tamara. One time I needed to make Hollandaise and didn't know how; Joy of Cooking taught me. Get a taste for Spanish tortilla? Pad Thai? Hummus bi tahini? Chicken and dumplings? It's all there. And so it was with cream of asparagus soup.
Five ingredients and one unfortunate-but-fixable misjudgment of my food processor later, and dinner was served.
You can get asparagus all year round at Costco, but the winter asparagus is really thick and so only the tips are good to eat. When I made risotto on Sunday night, I used just the tips. The depression-era housewife in me felt outraged at the idea of throwing out all those stalks. Usually, the thing to do with less-than-ideal veggies is to make soup. So I consulted Joy of Cooking, the '97 edition.
Some people complain that the 1997 iteration of Joy of Cooking was too highfalutin', that it departed from the practical-everywoman vibe that had made it such a masterpiece. I don't agree. I can always find a little of everything I need in the '97 version, which was a wedding present from my friend Tamara. One time I needed to make Hollandaise and didn't know how; Joy of Cooking taught me. Get a taste for Spanish tortilla? Pad Thai? Hummus bi tahini? Chicken and dumplings? It's all there. And so it was with cream of asparagus soup.
Five ingredients and one unfortunate-but-fixable misjudgment of my food processor later, and dinner was served.
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