Good name, dontcha think? I haven’t heard it before. Which isn’t to say no one has thought of it before. How could they not have? I don’t think I’ll Google it though, lest I burst my proud bubble.
Again with the leftovers - I had some filling left from Monday’s event, at which I made spanakopita. Rather than do another omelet (although that would have been pretty divine) I sprinkled the mixture over tomato paste-spread whole wheat pitas and topped them with part-skim mozza, then baked them in the oven. It’s easy being cheesy.
Also, a batch of roasted chick peas with garlic and chard, because I had a bunch of chard and couldn’t think of a better use for it. It’s so intense – heavy-duty, garlicky, oily and fantastic – when I brought it to the table Mike groaned “oh yeah” – not quite like the Kool Aid guy, but more as if I had just set a Porterhouse in front of him. Yay me.
After making it close to ten times I have distilled the recipe somewhat – I roast the chick peas, garlic, oil and bay leaves (the last few times without onion), then take them out with a slotted spoon and saute the chopped chard in the uber-garlicky oil, then return the chick peas to the pan. No need for more garlic or chicken stock, really.
November 27 2008 | leftovers | 7 Comments »
Creamed chicken and biscuits is like the edible version of flannel sheets that have been washed a thousand times. I almost had to go have a hot bath and wrap myself in a robe and my biggest, ugliest socks before eating it, just to complete the experience. Except that I had to go to an office-less Christmas party, and I knew it would set me up to be a no-show.
(I can’t believe you guys are still with me, and that I haven’t bored you to death. I’m starting to bore myself; no wonder I’m so sleepy. I think my writers’ block has followed me into the kitchen.)
So – my motivation: I had pulled a baggie of leftover roasted turkey from the freezer and tonight had to come up with some use for it. No salsa – quesadillas are out. I didn’t feel like fried rice, or turkey salad sandwiches. I could not think of one original use for it, despite my near-constant raves that roasted chicken and turkey make the very best and most versatile of leftovers. (They do, honest. You just need to have some brain function.) I thought of chicken pot pie first, but didn’t have the energy… this is like a disassembled chicken pot pie, with the guts spooned over biscuits – whole wheat and olive oil biscuits, to be precise. The chicken part can be made in under 20 minutes, while the biscuits are in the oven, and I bet you have all the ingredients in your kitchen. (I just realized I unintentionally made a recipe using turkey leftovers the day before US Thanksgiving.)
Creamed Chicken (or Turkey) and Biscuits
For a different flavour, try adding 1 tsp. curry paste or powder in place of the thyme or Italian seasoning.
canola or olive oil, for cooking
small lump of butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
a few mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1/2 tsp. thyme or Italian seasoning, or 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. flour
1 can chicken broth + 1 can water
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4-1/2 cup half & half (or milk, or heavier cream)
salt and pepper
1 batch biscuits
In a skillet, heat a drizzle of oil and a small lump of butter. When the foaming subsides, add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Add the celery, carrot and mushrooms and cook until they soften, release their liquid and then the mushrooms and onion start to brown a little. Add the herbs at some point while you’re cooking them. Sprinkle the flour overtop and cook for a minute, then add the broth and water and bring to a simmer. Let it bubble for at least a minute, then add the chicken and peas and cook for 5 more minutes. If it’s too thick, add a bit more stock or water. If it’s too watery, keep cooking until it cooks down and thickens. Add the half & half and bring to a simmer again, just to heat it through. Season with salt and pepper and serve over warm biscuits.
And – oh yes! Today marked a Momentous Occasion. Much like the first day of school, today was the first day W was old enough, tall enough and potty-trained enough to go to Småland in IKEA all by his very own self. They grow up so fast. Snif.
Mike and I lingered over coffee and cinnamon buns and shopped for a full hour, gripped intermittently with fleeting waves of panic that we had lost him. It was glorious. It’s going to be really hard not to bring my laptop and go hang out in the IKEA cafeteria every morning…
Print Post
November 27 2008 | chicken & turkey and leftovers | 17 Comments »
