First week of the Month Simple Recipe*

This week, as will be the case for every first week of the month, the blog will focus on a recipe that is good for you and yummy. This week's recipe is a meat recipe but it is super simple, very easy to make, and great for the summer months. I've always used a Crockpot for this but it can work with just a pot on the stove too.

I call it "Maria's Easy as Salad Chicken Salad" and here it is:

1 whole chicken
4 - 6 stalks celery
4 - 6 carrots
1 - onion
4 - 6 cloves garlic
1 large jar Light Miracle Whip
1 6oz bag chopped Walnuts (NOT finely chopped)
1 bag green seedless grapes
salt, pepper to taste

Put chicken, celery, carrots, salt, garlic, and onion in your Crockpot. Cover chicken COMPLETELY with water and add salt and pepper. Start off on high heat for four hours. Turn to low and cook for six-eight more hours, until the chicken is falling off of the bone. Turn it off and let it cool. When completely cool remove skin and bone and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.

(If you're cooking this on the stove the cooking time will be A LOT less. Bring the water to a boil uncovered then simmer it all the way down and cover it. Check it every 30 mins for water level and doneness. Look for it to be falling off the bone. I will check a few "chicken in pot" recipes and update the post next week.)

Halve the grapes and add them and the chopped walnuts to the chicken. Taste for seasoning and add as needed. Mix well. Add Miracle Whip, mix and refrigerate. Refrigerate the cooking liquid as well.

This recipe can feed anywhere from six to twelve depending upon how it is served. One good idea is on a light "salad" of baby spinach. Another good option is simply with potato (or kale) chips. Of course the recipe makes a great chicken salad sandwich. This style of cooking the chicken guarantees the most flavorful, moist, and delicious chicken and is the best chicken salad ever. It is a light and cool meal perfect for summertime and goes well with a glass of lemonade.

The cooking liquid is chicken stock which can be used as a flavor component to many dishes (add a little to a stir fry, for example), can be used as a soup base, and can be used for any recipe that calls for stock, chicken bullion, etc. and keeps very well in the freezer.

After it has been refrigerated over night the stock wil have a thin layer of solid fat on top which you can slide right off in most cases or break with a fork and remove in chunks. The actual liquid can be poured into ice cube trays (a great way to use it a little at a time without having to defrost the whole batch) or any other sturdy and clean container that can expand. Some people microwave the whole thing when they're ready to use it, refrigerate it and skim it again, and refreeze. I have never tried this method so I can't recommend it. People have also told me that they feed the leftover skin, bones, and vegetables to their dogs but I have not tried that either.

This is, however, a recipe that's both simple and multipurpose and I hope you enjoy your finished products as much as I have. A lot recipes will follow that make use of the chicken stock.

*Check back next week for the regularly scheduled housing post.