FitFoody's Kitchen Antidotes: Making the Ingredients Last

During this period of Shelter-In I have developed a rhythm to my weekly and daily cooking. I like to try new recipes, and I find I can use one ingredient in perhaps three meals. For example:

I bake a whole chicken on Sunday evening. I put either a whole lemon that I have poked with a fork to release the juice, or part of a yellow onion with fresh sage or rosemary, in the cavity. I use toothpicks to close the cavity. Bake for 1 hour 15 or 1 hour 30 minutes. I have this with a salad of choice. The next day I separate the usable meat from the bone. I take the carcass and make chicken soup in my slow cooker: just add water, salt and pepper, onions, celery and carrots. (A parsnip or a turnip adds flavor and vitamins if on hand.)

I use the chicken meat for enchiladas for Monday's dinner. I purchase the Green Chile sauce by Frontera in the packet. I coat two corn tortillas with the sauce, place them on top of each other, staggered so that I can roll them together. I add onions, a portion of the chicken, and cheese. I roll the enchilada using toothpicks to hold it in place, then repeat until most of my meat is used. I pour the remaining sauce over the rolled enchiladas, sprinkle the remaining chicken cut into smaller pieces, and add grated Mexican-style cheese, provolone, or Monterey Jack over the top. I bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the contents are warmed all the way through. Yummy.

Finally, for Tuesday's dinner, using the soup I made in the slow cooker the day before, I make any of a number of favorite slow-cooker recipes. The one I chose is from Marin Magazine (2015): Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Farro and Kale.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Farro and Kale

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (not finely)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
• 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes
• 1 (3-inch) chunk of rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 or 3 cups coarsely chopped green kale
• Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Set up your slow cooker with the 6 cups of chicken broth. Set to 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add this to your stock in the slow cooker. Add the squash, farro, tomatoes, cheese rind, bay leaf, thyme, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Allow to cook for the designated time. Devein and chop the kale into thin slices. Add to the soup and cover for about 3 to 5 minutes until the kale brightens in color and wilts. Serve immediately, providing the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Enjoy!

Whisper of the Breath Diva: "In this moment I can fully exhale, fully release tension, fatigue and fear (false evidence appearing real). In this moment I can be present!"