There I was, four days before launching our caravan into the Wild West, and me with a family pak of chicken thighs.
No way am I throwing those babies out. Thighs with skin and bones are my favorite parts for soups and stocks. They boil faster and easier than a whole chicken, but you still get all that good fat and flavor. (And don't get me started on why they're better than skinless/boneless anything.)
If I had more time, I could get creative -- bake some, boil some, maybe even fry a few. There's this little matter of being pressed for time in a big way right now, though. The West is calling (although some days it feels more like its presence is bearing down on my shoulders...) And remember, days before headin up 'n movin out is not the time to load more ingredients in your pantry.
And frankly, the thought of making one humongous chicken dish and eating the same thing for a few days just didn't make the impending beer-free hours (I am being *so* good) of packing/cleaning/packing/organizing/packing/sorting seem... tolerable.
So I boiled two differently flavored batches, using what I had, and wound up with some ready-made variety in my diet. Lots better than fast food.
In each case:
Boil 4 to 7 chicken thighs in about half a gallon to a gallon (depending on if you're more a fan of thin soup or thick with noodles) of water for about 45 minutes. You'll add the flavorings listed below to the water from the beginning.
Refrigerate the whole mess, thighs and liquid together.
When you're ready to eat:
Boil a package of noodles in water and drain. While they're boiling, remove the skin and bones from the thighs. Chunk up the meat, add back to broth, add cooked noodles (and other ingredients.) Warm on medium heat.
Chili Chicken Noodle
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup comino
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp kosher salt
When it's time to eat, add:
1 small can corn with peppers
Heat through. Serve with sliced avocado. It'd also be tasty garnished with sour cream and salsa, but I was too tired to drag out the salsa jug, so I had it with green beans.
Green Chicken Soup
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp kosher salt
When it's time to make soup...
Cook one bunch of greens separately (I used swiss chard from a friend's garden):
To about 1/4 cup olive oil in a deep pot, add:
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
2 tsp garlic powder
1 seeded/sliced jalapeno
Chop greens cross-wise. Add chopped stems to olive oil first. Cook on medium high for about 10 minutes. Add rest of the leaves, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Dump everything from the greens pot (including the liquid) into the noodles/chicken pot. Add salt to taste (start with 1 tsp.) Warm it up.
It all tastes better when your son helps wash those three last bowls you haven't packed yet, too.
No way am I throwing those babies out. Thighs with skin and bones are my favorite parts for soups and stocks. They boil faster and easier than a whole chicken, but you still get all that good fat and flavor. (And don't get me started on why they're better than skinless/boneless anything.)
If I had more time, I could get creative -- bake some, boil some, maybe even fry a few. There's this little matter of being pressed for time in a big way right now, though. The West is calling (although some days it feels more like its presence is bearing down on my shoulders...) And remember, days before headin up 'n movin out is not the time to load more ingredients in your pantry.
And frankly, the thought of making one humongous chicken dish and eating the same thing for a few days just didn't make the impending beer-free hours (I am being *so* good) of packing/cleaning/packing/organizing/packing/sorting seem... tolerable.
So I boiled two differently flavored batches, using what I had, and wound up with some ready-made variety in my diet. Lots better than fast food.
In each case:
Boil 4 to 7 chicken thighs in about half a gallon to a gallon (depending on if you're more a fan of thin soup or thick with noodles) of water for about 45 minutes. You'll add the flavorings listed below to the water from the beginning.
Refrigerate the whole mess, thighs and liquid together.
When you're ready to eat:
Boil a package of noodles in water and drain. While they're boiling, remove the skin and bones from the thighs. Chunk up the meat, add back to broth, add cooked noodles (and other ingredients.) Warm on medium heat.
Chili Chicken Noodle
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup comino
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp kosher salt
When it's time to eat, add:
1 small can corn with peppers
Heat through. Serve with sliced avocado. It'd also be tasty garnished with sour cream and salsa, but I was too tired to drag out the salsa jug, so I had it with green beans.
Green Chicken Soup
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp kosher salt
When it's time to make soup...
Cook one bunch of greens separately (I used swiss chard from a friend's garden):
To about 1/4 cup olive oil in a deep pot, add:
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
2 tsp garlic powder
1 seeded/sliced jalapeno
Chop greens cross-wise. Add chopped stems to olive oil first. Cook on medium high for about 10 minutes. Add rest of the leaves, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Dump everything from the greens pot (including the liquid) into the noodles/chicken pot. Add salt to taste (start with 1 tsp.) Warm it up.
It all tastes better when your son helps wash those three last bowls you haven't packed yet, too.
Love the greens soup recipe! Sounds yummy, may have to try it out on my carnivorous natives.
Posted by: Miralou | 05/19/2010 at 10:33 PM