The Frugal Kitchen: Chicken, Hominy Soup

Another quick and easy recipe with a big flavor payoff.

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. hot sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can hominy, drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. olive oil


In a pot brown the chopped onion in oil, add diced garlic and cumin and continue to brown for one minute.  Add chicken cut up into bite sized pieces and continue to brown for a couple more minutes.  Add the other ingredients and chicken stock to just cover.  Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer.  Cook until the chicken is tender and fully cooked through.

You can serve this with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side, so people can spice it up to their taste.  Add a side salad and bread or crackers for a complete meal.

Enjoy!

God bless,
Pam

The Frugal Kitchen - Moroccan Chicken

At least once a week I try to expand my horizons and cook an ethnic dish.  You can't really understand a country until you understand it's food.  Last week I made a trip back to my youth by making a Moroccan chicken dish.  I lived in Morocco for a year when I was very young and I don't remember much about it, except the stories my mom told about when we were there.

INGREDIENTS

2 lemons, one cut into 8 wedges and one squeezed to produce 2 Tbsp. juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. cumin, ground
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1 tsp. dried ground ginger or 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 cups chicken stock
chicken thighs and legs, enough to feed your family, skinless
1/2 cup green olives, pitted
salt and pepper to taste


INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook until lightly browned; add garlic and spices.  Stir quickly, then add stock.  When it begins to boil add lightly salted and peppered chicken to skillet.  Add lemon wedges, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turn the chicken once or twice during cooking time.

Add olives and lemon juice, then cook uncovered on high heat until sauce thickens (you may need to add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water).  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.  Serve over rice or starch of your choice.

This dish can be cooked in the crockpot after browning the onions.  It is an easy, flavorful dish.  I think of it as Moroccan comfort food.

God bless,
Pam

The Frugal Kitchen: Crockpot Lemon Chicken

A simple, fast and frugal (low fat too) chicken dish that can be adapted to your family's tastes.

INGREDIENTS

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. finely grated ginger root
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 lemon, sliced
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 Tbsp. water
Cooked rice


INSTRUCTIONS

Add stock, soy sauce, wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, honey, lemon juice and hot sauce to bottom of crock pot.  Lay chicken thighs on liquid and cook on high for 4 hours.  Turn crock pot to low setting, lay lemon slices over the chicken and cook for 1/2 hour.  Mix starch and water together and mix into liquid in crockpot.  Continue to cook on low for another 1/2 hour.  Shred chicken into bit sized pieces.  Serve over cooked rice.  Garnish with more lemon slices or chopped chives.  This recipe will serve 3-4 people and can be doubled or tripled.  Add more lemon juice or hot sauce according to taste.

Enjoy!

God bless,
Pam

The Frugal Kitchen: Crockpot Cashew Chicken

A flavorful Chinese dinner that can be prepared in advance, then cooked in the crockpot.

INGREDIENTS

2lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
3-4 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar or more to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews

Combine flour and pepper and use to coat chicken pieces.  Heat skillet to medium high.  Brown chicken in hot oil on both sides.  Place chicken in crockpot.  Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in a bowl; pour over chicken.  Add chicken broth or water until liquid is at least halfway up the sides of the chicken.  Cook on low for at least 4 hours.  Add more liquid if needed.  Serve over rice with green onion slices or cilantro for garnish.

Enjoy!  This should serve four people.

God bless,
Pam

The Frugal Kitchen: Leftover Chicken Mexican Casserole

Since only my daughter and I eat meat, whenever I bake a chicken there are plenty of leftovers.  I needed something I could make easily and economically, so I mixed up this casserole.

INGREDIENTS

Pre baked chicken torn into bite size pieces
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 onion chopped
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
4 cups of cooked rice
1 jar salsa
1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 Tbsp. oil

Cook the frozen vegetables in the microwave.  Saute the onion, vegetables and chicken in a small amount of oil.

Mix the soup and salsa together in a bowl.  Add about a half can of water to thin it to a sauce consistency.  You may not need to do this if your salsa has a lot of liquid.

Begin layering the ingredients in this order:  sauce, rice, veggie/meat mix and cheese.  Finish with a layer of cheese,

Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.  The cheese should be golden brown.  You can make this casserole in advance and hold it in the refrigerator, but add 15 minutes to the cooking time.

A super simple and nutritious meal.  You can substitute based on the leftovers you have on hand.  Enjoy!

God bless,
Pam

Smothered Chicken and Flavored Rice

Time to get the crockpot out because we are cooking low and slow today.  This is a traditional Southern U.S. recipe which results in a tender (falling off the bone) chicken, covered with caramelized onions and a pan sauce.

Ingredients for chicken:

4 Chicken thighs and legs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of celery seed
olive oil
3 large onions
2 peeled garlic cloves, whole
chicken broth


 The day before soak chicken in a salt water brine; leave in refrigerator overnight.  Mix flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and garlic powder together in a pie pan or plate.  Coat chicken pieces in flour and brown in olive oil on both sides.

When the chicken is golden brown remove to a plate.  Slice onions into thin rings and fry until golden brown in fat leftover in pan.  Salt onion lightly while it is cooking. Add garlic midway through cooking.  At this point you can also brown sliced celery, but I seldom use celery and it is not worth me buying it to just use a few pieces.  So, I use celery seed as a substitute.  Just sprinkle the celery seed over the onions a minute before they are done.  Remove onion from oil with a slotted spoon, placing it in the bottom of an oiled crockpot.

Place the chicken on top of the onions and pour on chicken broth to reach about 1/2 the way up the first layer of chicken pieces.  Once again sprinkle a small amount of salt over the top of everything.

Cook on high for four hours, then low for one hour.  If you are starting this before going to work you can cook it on low eight to ten hours.

Place chicken on plate, top with onions and pan sauce.  Serve with seasoned rice and a salad.

Seasoned Rice Ingredients:

2 cups white, long grain rice
water according to package directions
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 tsp chicken base
2 Tbsp butter

Place ingredients in rice cooker to cook or, if using regular pan,  follow package directions on rice.

This makes a hearty, satisfying meal for a cold day.  We have plenty of leftovers to use in other recipes.    Four chicken leg quarters cooked this way will feed us for three nights if I plan it right.

God bless,
Pam