The power goes out and you move a hundred dollars, or so, of meat, vegetables and other perishables to a cooler and throw whatever ice you have on it. Then you wait. After two or three days without power, you think, okay...it's time to play Iron Chef! Battle: Use It or Lose It! Your secret ingredients are those defrosting pieces of meat or the produce you spent a small fortune on just days ago. I was in such a battle after Sandy did her business in NJ. Hamburger patties were broken up and browned with marinara to go over pasta. Eggs were hard boiled. But what to do with all that thawed chicken breast and produce? Today I bring you the answer in the form of Chicken a la Sandy.
To borrow from Rachael Ray, this is a 'stoup'. Not quite thick enough to evoke a stew vibe, but more hearty than your typical soup. Somewhere in the middle lies stoup. With thawing chicken breasts, carrots, kabocha squash, celery and a cast of other healthy characters, I opted for the slow cooker on this one. Yes, the power had come back by the time I threw this together, hoping for the best. The sum of all these parts was pretty darned good, even if I do say so myself. The numbers on it were also stellar. Only 330 calories and 7.1g of fat per serving. If you like, take out the potatoes and add wild rice for texture and a little more fiber. I suggest a dash or four of hot sauce upon serving (Frank's is my sauce of choice). I can totally see a bowl of this being set in front of me after a few hours of snow shoveling or perhaps a day on the slopes, if I were a skier that is. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I was so eager to dig in, I forgot to snap one.
Chicken a la Sandy
serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used crimini. You can use button or whatever type you like)
- 2 cups sliced onion, 1/8" thick
- 2 cups sliced celery, 1/4" thick
- 1 cup carrots, cut into 1/4" half moons
- 2 cups sliced Yukon gold potato, cut into 1/4" wedges (feel free to leave on the peel if you like)
- 16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1" cubes
- 1 cup water
- 32 oz. no salt added chicken stock
- 1 Tbs. salt
- 2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (tie the rosemary and thyme together with butchers twine for easy retrieval)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2.5 cups kabocha or butternut squash, cut into 3/4" cubes
- 2 Tbs. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
- 2 Tbs. all purpose flour
- 1 cup fat free half and half
Method
- Place all ingredients, mushrooms through bay leaves, in a crock pot set to high for 2.5 hours
- Add squash and cook an additional 30-40 minutes or until both the squash and potatoes are tender
- While your squash is cooking, place the buttery spread and flour in a skillet over medium heat and make a roux. Slowly whisking until the flour and spread make a paste somewhere between the color of butter and peanut butter.
- Add the fat free half and half slowly, while whisking and bring to simmer until thickened. Be sure to whisk this constantly and work out any lumps.
- Add the thickened mixture to the crock pot and stir in gently, so as not break your potatoes or squash apart.
- Once your vegetables are tender, remove the sprigs of herbs and bay leaves and enjoy your stoup.
- Serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread. The creamy liquid is great for dunking. Don't forget the hot sauce!
Cya next time,
M
What I ate Friday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean Crisp cereal and almond milk
Lunch ~ A tuna and mango roll
Snack ~ beef jerky and a decaf with fat free half and half
Dinner ~ Salad w, balsamic vinaigrette, baked clams and whole grain pasta primavera. 2 glasses of cabernet
Exercise ~ none
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