ChowBaby

A few days ago, while still recovering for our colds, Mike and I took Isaac to the NYC transit museum for a much needed outing. By the time we returned home, I was pooped. I opened the fridge hoping to find a complete leftover meal and instead found about 2/3 of a rotisserie chicken (New Yorkers: Fresh Direct sells tasty roasted antibiotic free chickens). I hit the pantry and pulled a can of chickpeas and a container of Maya Kaimal curry sauce. (As you can tell by the frequency with which Michelle and I mention these all natural sauces, they are a lifesaver that keep me from defaulting to mac-n-cheese every time I'm super short on time.) Next stop, the freezer for 1 box of frozen spinach. Within 15 minutes (total prep and cooking time), a well-rounded meal, topped with a little yogurt, was on the table.

Could dinner have been better had I sauteed some fresh garlic and ginger first? Or added a little cilantro and lime juice? Sure. Was it necessary? Nope. Not on this night. That was the beauty of it. Dinner was so easy, in fact, that I got to thinking: what else could I make with 1 store bought rotisserie (or leftover) chicken, 1 box of frozen spinach, 1 can of beans, and some pantry staples?

Here's what I came up with. (A little jaunt around the globe!) I didn't bother with with exact measurements--you can play with each "recipe" based on taste and also consistency (e.g., you may want a soupier dish if serving with noodles, a thicker sauce if serving plain or with rice). Some of these "recipes" will take longer than 15 minutes to cook down the sauce (since they don't call for pre-made sauces like the curry one I used the other night). I also gave some ideas of other ingredients you can add if you feel like getting fancier. Would love to hear your ideas, too.

GREEK style with chickpeas and avgolemono (egg-lemon) sauce
1. Put some organic chicken broth over medium heat. The amount of broth depends on what consistency you want. One whole box (32 oz) or more will make a soup (to which you can add orzo or rice). Just a little less will make a stew-like meal. A whole lot less will make just enough egg-lemon sauce to coat your chicken, chickpeas, and spinach.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute chickpeas and shredded chicken in a little olive oil. Add thawed & drained spinach. Set aside once all 3 ingredients are well mixed and excess water from spinach is cooked off.

3. Beat 2 eggs until they begin to froth. Continue beating while slowly adding juice of 2 lemons. When the mixture is very frothy, slowly add some hot broth. The point here is to slowly raise the temperature of the egg/lemon mixture so that it won't curdle (ie, the egg won't cook) when you add it to the rest of the hot broth.

4. Once your frothy egg-lemon mixture is hot, bring all of the elements (egg-lemon sauce, any remaining broth, chicken/chickpea/spinach) together. Season with salt and pepper.

you can also add...frozen peas, sauteed onions, fresh dill
serve with...orzo, rice, couscous, top with a dollop of yogurt

FRENCH style with white beans (inspired by cassoulet)
1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add fresh or dried thyme or herbs de provence.

2. Add white beans, shredded chicken, and thawed & drained spinach. Cook until excess water from spinach is cooked off.

3. Add a bit of red wine or balsamic vinegar and a can of whole peeled tomatoes, breaking each one up with your hands. The amount of juice you include depends on the consistency you want to achieve. (If you want something even soupier than what you can achieve by adding the whole can of tomatoes and juice, add chicken broth.)

4. Cook down until the sauce thickens as much as you'd like. Season with salt and pepper.

you can also add...sauteed carrots and/or celery, sage, rosemary, sausage
serve with...couscous, egg noodles, rice, top with breadcrumbs

TEX-MEX style with pinto or black beans
1. Saute onions and garlic in a neutral oil. Add cumin, a little chile powder, and a chopped jalapeno (if you want a little spice).

2. Add an all-natural enchilada sauce or a can of tomato puree. If using tomato puree, you may need to add a little broth and additional spices, and cook down until the thickness of an enchilada sauce.

3. In a separate pan, saute beans, shredded chicken, and thawed & drained spinach in oil. Cook until all ingredients are well combined and any excess water from spinach is cooked off. 

4. Add sauce to chicken, beans, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

you can also add...unsweetened cocoa powder (add at the same time as cumin and other dry spices for a depth of flavor), frozen or canned corn, sauteed peppers, fresh lime juice
serve with...tortillas, rice, lime wedges, salsa/pico de gallo, top with a dollop of sour cream and/or shredded cheese

ITALIAN style with white beans (inspired by chicken cacciatore)
1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add fresh or dried rosemary and/or oregano.

2. Add white beans, shredded chicken, and thawed & drained spinach. Cook until excess water from spinach is cooked off.

3. Add white wine and simmer a few minutes.

4. Add a can of diced tomatoes and juices. Cook down to desired consistency.

5. Season with salt and pepper and a final drizzle of olive oil.

you can also add...sauteed mushrooms, olives, capers, frozen peas
serve with...polenta, pasta, noodles, rice, top with grated cheese

MIDDLE EASTERN style with chickpeas and yogurt sauce
1. Saute (a bunch of) garlic in olive oil. Add a lot of fresh or dried mint, yogurt (the thick greek kind will work best), and fresh lemon juice.

2. In a separate pan, saute chickpeas, shredded chicken, and thawed & well drained spinach in olive oil. Cook until excess water from spinach is cooked off.

3. Add yogurt sauce to chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

you can also add...bits of pita chips, cubed cucumber (at the very end), white wine (add to chicken, spinach and chickpeas, cooking off before adding yogurt sauce)
serve with...couscous, rice/pilaf, top with slivered almonds

and, of course, you can always just toss cooked penne or other cut pasta with the beans (chickpeas and white beans would both work well), spinach, and chicken in olive oil and a little broth (or a can of all-natural jarred sauce, if you can find one you like), and top the whole shebang with grated cheese. yum.

-S

related posts: talking turkey with you chickens (plus turkey paprikash for 10+ mos)