Another Chicken?!?

Some of the criteria for my sister's culinary endeavors are.... inexpensive, as healthy as you can imagine (little to no dairy fat, whole grains, lean meats, lots of veggies, etc), and enough to feed them dinner and hopefully have leftovers for lunch. Of course, there will be exceptions from time to time, so look out for the indulgences too. I thought of another recipe that would fit these criteria completely. It's actually one that we grew up eating. Our mom got it from a friend of hers who is Jewish and observed the Sabbath. It's a one pot meal that you can assemble the evening before. I assume traditionally it was cooked over night and served as a mid-day meal. Whole chickens are way cheaper than parts, this has whole grains, loads of veggies, and tastes amazing.

Here you go:

Wash 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup barley, then use them as the bottom layer in a roasting pan that has a lid. Scatter a big handful of green beans (fresh or frozen) over. Wash a roasting chicken, pat dry, then season with salt on the inside. Put it on top of the grains and beans, then add 3 or 4 peeled carrots, 3 or 4 potatoes (wash them), 4 whole eggs (in their shells) and another big handful of green beans. Season with salt and pepper, then slowly add 1 cup of water (try not to displace the grains). Pour a jar of spaghetti sauce over everything. Bake in a covered roaster at 325 for about 4 hours (or a little longer).

Remember the reddish roasted eggs? I think our older sister wasn't a huge fan of eggs, otherwise mom would have had to throw in a 5th so each of us could have one. This one may just make my family's menu next week. It would be so nice on a cool fall day.

Sticky Chicken

I have no idea why this is called Sticky Chicken. We originally got this from a friend who made it for us when our second daughter was born, and she got it from another friend. I've made some changes and a few variations, but the best thing is that it always makes delicious chicken without having to check the temperature and worry about undercooking poultry. It's also a wonderful way to get dinner started before everyone's hungry and have a free afternoon.

Sticky Chicken

4 tsp salt

2 tsp paprika (if you use smoked it's a whole new recipe!)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried minced onion or onion powder

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 large roasting chicken (washed thoroughly, patted dry)

1 onion, quartered

1 orange, quartered (optional)

Mix dry ingredients, rub over and inside of chicken cavity. It's best if this can sit over night on the bird, and amazingly, it can be rubbed and frozen with the spices already on it.

To roast:

Preheat oven to 250. Place onion (and orange, if using) inside chicken cavity. Roast for 5 hours, basting every 30 minutes starting about halfway though. Don't add any liquid, it will be plenty moist.

What to do with the leftovers?!? Pick the meat off the bones, and use it to make curried chicken salad. This is another recipe that can be made with any number of ingredients, depending on what you have on hand.

Curried Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken

mayo

strained non fat plain yogurt

curry powder

grapes, halved or raisins

celery, chopped

toasted nuts (slivered almonds work really nicely)

Just mix it all together to taste, refrigerate and enjoy. The yogurt adds a nice bite and is much lighter than mayo.

Chicken doesn't have to be boring!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I don't know how much this differs from the one we grew up eating, but it's a good stand by (that your beau may appreciate).

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

2 cans tuna, packed in water, drained

Egg noodles

Frozen mixed veggies (the kind with corn, limas, peas, green beans)

I can cream of mushroom soup

cheddar cheese

crackers

Preheat oven to 350. Boil the egg noodles in very salty water, according to package directions. Saute up the onion until soft, add garlic for about 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in frozen mixed veg, mushroom soup, then tuna. Fold together until combined. Then, gently combine with noodles. Put in a greased casserole dish, top with cheese and crumbled crackers (I like Ritz). Bake 30 or so minutes until golden brown and delicious.

Split Pea Soup and Pita Bread

In an attempt to be money and health conscious, here are some very simple recipes that cost almost nothing and are healthy to boot!

Split Pea Soup

1 Onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 or 2 carrots, chopped

1 Tbsp (or so) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups dried split peas

6 cups chicken stock or water

salt and pepper

Saute the onions, celery and carrots in the olive oil until they're starting to get soft, and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, saute for another minute. Add the split peas and stock. Bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 2 hours. Blend or mash before serving. I love a little squirt of ketchup in mine (the acid is a nice touch, and it cools it off faster).

Pita Bread

1 lb (about 3 1/2 cups) flour, I like about half whole wheat, half all purpose or bread flour

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup water

Combine the flour(s), salt, and yeast in a food processor or bowl of a stand mixer. Add oil and water. It should come together as a big ball. If it's too dry, add another tablespoon or 2 of water. Knead by hand for another minute, form a ball. Oil a bowl, and let it rise about 2 hours covered. It should about double in size.

Preheat the oven to 500 with a pizza stone inside. Divide the dough into 10 to 12 balls. Keep the ones you're not working with covered. Roll them on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Again, keep them covered, but don't stack them. I can fit 3 or 4 of them on my stone at a time, and they bake (and puff!) in just 3 minutes. If the pitas aren't puffing and making a pocket, they'll still taste great. When rolling them, be sure not to have any creases that might prevent the pocket from forming.

Amazing that you can start at 3:00 and have this delicious and nutritious dinner on the table by 6:00 for just pennies!