With the rising price of food and a slumping economy, I've been following several articles about family meals below $10. I'm always looking for ways to cook and eat economically, so last week I took a "Family Style" package of chicken ($6.50 on sale) , and divided it in two. I put a few pieces into a baggie and back into the refrigerator, and the first night I made one of my husband's favorite meals, Hot Braised Chicken.
Day 1: I got this recipe from a Filipino friend of mine, named Liz.
Hot Braised Chicken
Ingredients:
Approx. 1 lb boned chicken pieces, cut to desired sizes
flour, salt & pepper
vegetable oil
2-3 Serrano chili peppers, sliced
1/2 - 1 bottle soy sauce
water
Cooked rice
Directions:
Add oil to a deep pan, less than 1/4 inch. Heat oil over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Don't add much salt, as you will get a lot more from the soy sauce. Drop the chicken into the hot oil and fry on each side a few minutes until cooked and browned. Remove from oil and repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
When the chicken is finished, make sure there is still some oil in the pan. Add the peppers and saute, and the oil will take on the flavor from the chilies. After a few minutes, add soy sauce and water it down a bit, to taste. Add chicken back to pan and simmer in the hot sauce until heated through.
Serve over cooked rice.
Day 2 - I made up this recipe. It's easy and delicious (IMHO).
Crock Pot Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
Few chicken pieces (1/2 - 1 lb)
1 15 oz can corn. drained
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes w/green chile
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic seasoning, red pepper flakes
Condiments for serving*
Directions:
Put chicken, drained corn, canned tomatoes and spices to crock pot. Don't add salt yet, as canned vegetables often include salt. Cook on high 5 hours +. When almost ready to eat, remove chicken and allow to cool. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot. Salt to taste.
Serve condiments for garnish. Allow each person to create their own bowl according to their taste.
If you don't have a crock pot, you could cook this soup over low heat for 1 hour, then shred chicken pieces.
Suggested condiments:
Corn chips
corn tortilla strips **
cheddar cheese
cilantro, fresh
avocado, diced
sour cream
minced onions
**To make corn tortilla strips, take a short stack of corn tortillas and cut into thin strips. Toss with oil and bake on a baking sheet at 300 degrees, turning over every 10 minutes until crisp and brown. Salt to taste.
Enjoy!
1 comment:
The other day I used a can of pinto beans with jalapenos (already in the can) instead of black beans. I drained the liquid but left the jalapenos in, and the result was pleasantly hot & spicy!
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