Chicken Veggie Stew

I think that for many people, the word "stew" doesn't hold a lot of positive images. I know that when I was growing up, I dreaded coming home and hearing my mom tell my sisters to stay out of the kitchen because she was making stew. I think it was the beef and the chunky broth that really turned me off as a kid.

But what exactly is "stew"?

For me, now, it's just a way better version of soup! And don't get me wrong -- I love soup. Now that the weather is changing, it wouldn't be surprising for me to eat soup 3 or 4 nights a week. It's comforting, flavorful, and very healthy. But where a stew really picks up the slack dropped by it's sister dish is in how filling it can be. It's a beautiful thing :)

Last night, my best friend asked me to come over. "We can watch TV, cook, and hang out...." which translates roughly to "Come over and make me dinner. Maybe I'll chop something for you during commercials..." LOL

I truly don't mind -- I love to cook for other people! And it's amazingly satisfying to prepare something for someone you care about and have them really enjoy it.

My best friend asked what I thought I was going to want -- and I said soup.

His response: But... I'm hungry...

So the pressure was on -- make something hearty! So here's what I came up with...


Ingredients:

2 red potatoes
1 tbs butter
1 large yellow onion
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots
2 cloves garlic
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 tbs fresh thyme
2 10 ounce cans chicken stock
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup grated parmigiana-reggiano

In a small pot, bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil. Pierce the potatoes with a fork multiple times, then boil for 10 minutes. Set aside.

While those boil, chop the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the veggies and cook for three minutes. Chop the chicken breasts to about 1 inch cubes. Add to the veggies and let cook another 5 minutes. Chop the potatoes to 1/2 inch pieces and add to the pot. Add in the thyme. Let the mixture work for another 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lower heat to medium, and bring the pot back up to a rolling low boil. Cover, and let cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid. Stir in the cheese. Let sit for a few minutes, and serve! Will make about 4 servings.

If you're not feeding multiple people, let the stew cool while you eat your first bowl. Then divide the remaining stew into small plastic containers (3) and either freeze or refrigerate until you're ready to enjoy it again.

That's the great thing about being single and cooking stews. It's cheap to make a big pot like this, it will feed you multiple times throughout the week, it's very satisfying, and it's certainly not anything you need to feel guilty about having!

Enjoy!

Don't Always Eat Alone!

Hello, food-friends!

Ok, so here's the deal. This blog is all about my kitchen-adventures and the many different things that I create to maintain a healthy and affordable lifestyle. But we can't forget that the recipe for a happy life needs sometimes include other people!

I know, novel concept, right?

Last night, three of my close friends joined me for dinner and the premiere of America's Next Top Model. Obviously, Single Servings don't really work when there are four of you... but what does work is the same techniques that you'd use for cooking by yourself!

I left my office and made my way to the Amish Market. The very first thing that caught my attention was a small container of dried cranberries. It just so happened that they were sitting next to the chopped walnuts (kind of a "mix your own trail mix" type station) -- and that was enough inspiration for me to know EXACTLY what I would make...

CRANBERRY WALNUT STUFFED CHICKEN AND SALAD

(I made this last night for four people -- sorry, no pics cuz we were hungry! This isn't the exact recipe I used. I've changed it here so that you can do this on your own!)

1 handful chopped walnuts
1 handful dried cranberries
1 handful crumbled Gorgonzola
1 tbs softened cream cheese
1 6 oz chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/4 tbs butter
1 handful dark mixed greens
1 tbs balsamic vinaigrette

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Use a small pan to toast the walnuts over medium-low heat. Careful not to burn them! They'll get very fragrant and deepen in color when they're ready -- about 3 minutes

In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the half of the walnuts, half of the dried cranberries, cream cheese, and half of the Gorgonzola together. Season your chicken with a little salt & pepper, and then spread the cheese mixture on top. Start at a narrow end and roll the chicken up. Place in a greased baking dish and top with the butter. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

While the chicken bakes, toss together your greens and the remaining walnuts, cranberries, and Gorgonzola. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve the chicken alongside and enjoy!

So I know this isn't the healthiest of meals, but it's not like getting one of those 1400 calorie meals from some random fast food joint. If I had to guess (based on typical calorie counts for all of my ingredients) I would say this comes in between 400-450 calories.

And it's absolutely delicious! The tang of the Gorgonzola, the earthiness of the walnuts, and the sweet cranberries work together unbelievably well!

So go ahead and indulge yourself. Or a group of friends -- I promise they'll be SUPER appreciative :-)

Chinese Chicken Noodle Pouch

Stick with me on this one, okay? I know that the title sounds kinda like "What the --?" but I promise you -- Once you get this technique and realize how unbelievably cheap and easy this is, it will become a REGULAR in your single-serving repertoire!

Ok, so remember how a while back I mentioned that little voice in my head that once or twice a week talks me into ordering sushi? Well, a few weeks ago I was eating said sushi and had a thought...

I wonder what I could do with this extra ginger and wasabi....

I know neither of those are things that everyone uses. So you may immediately dismiss this recipe as just being "not your thing". Just trust me on this one -- It's pretty fierce.

So last week I saved my wasabi and pickled ginger that came alongside my spicy tuna roll. I put them in their own little plastic containers and sealed them up. The great thing about both of these ingredients is that they keep for quite a while! Ginger is pickled. It ain't going anywhere. And wasabi is just a powder that most don't recognize because it's always moistened when served. So don't worry if your reserved wasabi is a little dry or grainy when you take it back out for use -- it's natural for that moisture to want to evaporate!

I knew I had those in my refrigerator and was dead-set on using them... and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

About a month ago, I caught an old episode of "Good Eats" on FN -- Alton's theme escapes me, but he did feature this technique: Pouch Cooking.

I was immediately drawn to the simplicity and cleanliness of it, so logged it for future experimentation. Thus was born the following recipe for Chinese Chicken Noodle Pouches!


Ingredients

1 buckwheat soba ramen noodle pack***
1 tsp wasabi
1 tbs pickled ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
4 medium shitake mushrooms
1 small handful snow peas
1 small handful wax beans
1 small red bell pepper
1 6-8 oz chicken breast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Tear 2 sheets of foil, about 14 inches long. Place on a cookie sheet, stacked so they run perpendicular to each other. Place uncooked noodles in the center. Lightly sprinkle with a very small amount of the seasoning from the packet in the ramen. Break up the wasabi into three small (pea sized) chunks and place on top of the noodles. Spread the ginger on top, followed by the red pepper flakes. Pull up the sides of the foil to create a bowl of sorts.

Mince the garlic next and add. Finely slice the mushrooms (caps only -- shitake stems are usually too tough and not that tasty) and the bell pepper. Add to the packet. Trim the wax beans and add next, along with the snow peas. Lightly season the chicken breast with the ramen seasoning packet, then chop into good sized chunks and add. Close up the foil, leaving just a small opening.

In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce and stock. Pour into the pouch through the small opening you left. Don't seal the packet all the way -- a small opening will allow steam to escape. Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and open pouch. Let cool for a moment before emptying into a bowl and devouring!

Clean up -- It's not all that hard to throw foil away, right?

Cost -- about $6. The Soba Noodles were the most costly -- coming in at a whopping $1.19! Shitake mushrooms might make you a little frightened, but they are another thing that you can find loose and buy by the pound. I think they were selling at $4.99 per pound. Four shitake's cost me $1.02 - so don't be frightened! The chicken was in my freezer and my wasabi and ginger were free and on hand.

I mentioned before that this is a technique that you can use for all sorts of recipes. Vegetarian? Throw whatever veggies you want in and use vegetable broth -- vwah lah! Bored with the chicken? Use raw shrimp instead!

The point is: Don't be afraid to get creative. Surprise yourself! You'll be happy you did :-)


***Buckwheat Soba Ramen is something that I stumbled on in the Asian section of Whole Foods, right by the rice noodles and pre-made microwavable pad thai bowls (ick). It really is taking that collegiate classic to a whole new level! Look for it!***

Spinach Mushroom Chicken - a basic!

Alright ya'll.... I'm completely aware that at times these recipes seem to get a little "out there". Deconstructed Guac? Alright, not so basic. (Actually, it is. That's the whole point. But I don't want to fight anymore...)

So the other night I was overwhelmed with exhaustion, and could hear that voice in the back of my head starting in on the "just order sushi!" bit that I'm such a sucker for. Did you know a Spicy Tuna roll has like 600 Calories?! No bueno.

But what could I make? I absolutely didn't want to subject myself to Whole Foods for a prolonged period of time. I had chicken breasts.... so that was a start. Here's what I came up with!

Ingredients

1 6-8 ounce chicken breast
1 tsp butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 yellow onion
5 cremini mushrooms
1 cup frozen spinach
1 vine tomato (optional)

Heat a half tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high heat in a skillet. While that's heating, salt and pepper both sides of your chicken breast. Cook the chicken in the hot skillet, 6-8 minutes per side, until juices run clear and there's not more pink inside.

In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Finely chop the garlic, and add to the butter. While that begins to cook, mince the 1/2 onion. Add to the butter. Let the onion and garlic work together for a few minutes while you slice the mushrooms and thaw the spinach. Add mushrooms to the mix; cook for another two to three minutes. Add thawed spinach, and stir until heated through, about one minute.

Spoon the spinach mushroom mixture over the chicken breast and serve alongside a fresh sliced tomato (if using). Enjoy!


Seriously folks, this can't be any more simple. And the taste is pretty freaking great! Basic earthy wholesome goodness. And is it healthy? I'd say so. You're only taking in about 200 Calories on this one. Maybe 220, tops! That's right - even with the butter!

And how'd our wallet do? Well, it's about $1 for chicken. A cup of frozen spinach is around 40 cents. An onion is about 70 cents. And cremini's? Those you can find in the produce section. There's usually a box where they're loose, so you can take as many (or few!) as you want and buy by the pound! So five mushrooms cost me... about 20 cents.

So you do the math. A frakkin' cheap meal? Absolutely :-)

It's nice to be nice to your wallet AND your tastebuds, don't you think?

Italian Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Boats

Yesterday was laundry day. 

But then of course mid-day I remember that it's also dodgeball night...

Dodgeball? Or Laundry?

Guess what won?

Dodgeball. And going to Geoffrey Beene and buying a new outfit for work :)

So TONIGHT became laundry night at Casa di Spence. And what was on the menu? I had no idea... but I was totally craving zucchini... wierd, right?

Eating Well Magazine had done a stuffed zucchini a few months ago (I don't remember the exact issue...) and I remember thinking it looked appetizing. So while standing in the produce section of Whole Foods at Colombus Circle, I decided that whatever I came up with would be based on my memory of that...

...and thus was born my recipe for Italian Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Boats!

Ingredients

2 small red potatoes

1 zucchini

1 tsp EVOO, plus some for brushing

1 garlic clove, cracked

2 cremini mushrooms

1 tbs skim milk

1 4 oz chicken breast

Italian Seasoning

--Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Oregano

1 vine tomato, seeded and chopped

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer until fork tender (about 10-15 minutes). Drain the pot, and set potatoes aside. Return the pot to the heat. Let any remaining water evaporate, about 30 seconds. 

Add 1 tsp EVOO to the pan with the cracked garlic clove. While oil is warming, roughly chop the mushrooms. Add them to the oil and let them cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. While mushrooms are working, quarter the potatoes. Remove garlic from the mushrooms, and then add the potatoes and milk. Give it a rough mash until it's reached the consistency you want (I like it kinda lumpy) Season with a little of the Italian Seasoning and add a little parmesan cheese (if using).

Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Half the zucchini and lightly brush with EVOO. Grill, flesh side down, for about 3 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

Lightly oil the chicken breast, and season with Italian Seasonings. Grill, 4-5 minutes per side.

While chicken grills, use a spoon to hollow out the zucchini (like a canoe!) Roughly chop the removed flesh, and stir into the potato mash. Spoon the potato zucchini mixture back into the zucchini boats. Top with chopped tomato, and extra cheese (if using) Serve with chicken alongside.

My guesstimated budget for tonight? This cost me about $8.00

And here's the other thing! I was too full to eat one of my zucchini halves, so it's now in a ziploc tupperware container in my fridge. So if I eat that another night, with another grilled chicken breast... that would make each meal about $5!

Five Dollars, ya'll. 

You can barely get a Venti Non-fat Soy Latte for that.

For the record -- I would never order a Venti Non-Fat Soy Latte. I'm a Sugar-Free Vanilla Red-Eye kind of guy. But I thought the other things just sounded better :)

Lime-Garlic Grilled Shrimp and Deconstructed Mango Guac

It was definitely one of those days today... it was like one thing after another -- and it totally kicked my butt! After coming off of a fabulous weekend at a friend's beach house I was completely exhausted.

So I knew that I was going to want something tasty, to reward myself working my butt off today...

And also something easy, cuz HomeBoy is too tired to get too fancy...

There's nothing easier than grilled shrimp. And this Deconstructed Guac is also SUPER simple! Chop, Grill, and Eat -- it's that easy!

Ingredients

1 Garlic clove

1 lime

7 mid-size raw shrimp

1 tbs olive oil

1 mango, quartered and peeled

1 avocado, quartered and peeled

1/2 red onion, cut into four wedges

1 jalepeno, halved and seeded (optional)

Pre-heat Grill pan over medium-high heat.

Grate the garlic over a cutting board. Use a small grater to get a fine garlic paste. Zest the lime on top of the garlic, and mix together with your fingers.

Skewer the shrimp, and lightly brush with oil. Rub the lime-garlic mixture into the shrimp, and set aside.

Lightly brush the mango, avocado, onion, and jalepeno (if using) and grill each until there are visible grill marks. Set aside, and grill the shrimp skewers, about 2 minutes on each side. Shrimp will be opaque and pink when done (you'll recognize it, I'm sure)

Plate the grilled mango, avocado, onion, and jalepeno, and place shrimp skewers on top. Serve with a few lime wedges for squeezing on top.

To eat, cut up the grilled components into bite-size pieces, and get each part into every bite. The sweet of the mango with the smoothness in the avocado -- all of which have an amazing smokiness because we grilled them -- will leave you wanting more!

Oh, and for all my budgetors out there -- This cost me less than $9.00 :)

Adding Photos!

So now that I've got my new toy I'm going to try to photograph my dinners so you can see what the finished products look like. I had one from the Tangy Spinach Chicken recipe, so I already added that to the actual post.

Now, I'm not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination -- so I'll do my best to make it all look pretty and styled, like what you see in a Bobby Flay book.

But I make no promises... ;)