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A big, plump bird on the dinner table is such a rare treat. Most people enjoy it only for special occasions. Roast chicken is so easy to prepare, you may wonder why you don't make it more often. It's the leftovers, however, that's the real magic. It turns into delicious, lickety-split meals later in the week.
 | Chicken is highly susceptible to bacterial contamination. Removing the chicken meat from the bone as soon as you finish your meal reduces the risk of bacterial spoilage. Wrap the boneless chicken in packages and refrigerate or freeze. |
Chicken that you're using in a day or two needs an airtight wrapping, so it doesn't dry out. Put the chicken on a plate and cover with two layers of heavy plastic wrap or place the chicken in a refrigerator-freezer bag, press the air out of the bag, and seal. Store leftover cooked chicken in the fridge (at 40 degrees F) for three to four days. If the chicken is covered with sauce, cut the storage time back to one to two days.
If you're freezing the leftover chicken, divide the chicken into one-recipe bundles, about 2 cups of cooked chicken per bundle. Place the chicken in freezer storage bags and press the air out of the bag. Cover each bag with a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Label the package with the name of the item, the date that you freeze it, and the date that you should defrost and use the chicken. Store cooked chicken in the freezer (at 0 degrees F) for four to six months.
The chicken and the egg
Don't wait long to make enchiladas with chicken — this recipe is that good. The chicken and egg-filled tortillas answer the age-old question of which comes first. It's neither. The chicken and egg are on equal footing in this rich and satisfying dish.
Chicken and Egg Enchiladas
Cheese should melt into a velvety blanket for this luscious enchilada dish. Choose a traditional Mexican-style cheese, such as mild-tasting and quick-melting asadero (ah-sah-deh-row) available in supermarkets in areas that have a Hispanic clientele. Otherwise, use Monterey Jack cheese, which melts evenly. To bring up the heat level, select Monterey Jack cheese with crushed red pepper flakes.
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 large celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
1 can (7 ounces) diced mild chiles, undrained
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2 cups diced cooked chicken
4 flour tortillas, each 9 inches in diameter
1 cup grated asadero or Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery and sauté over high heat 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute to form a paste. Stir in the milk and cook 1 minute or until the mixture is thick. Stir in the chiles, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook 30 seconds for the flavors to blend. Stir in the eggs and the chicken and heat through, about 1 minute.
3. Butter a glass 9-inch square baking dish. Working with one flour tortilla at a time, spoon 1/4 of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla. Fold the sides of the tortilla tightly to the center to enclose the chicken filling. These tortillas are stuffed to capacity, so be careful placing each seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken filling and tortillas.
4. Mix the cheese and cilantro together with your fingers. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the tortillas.
5. Bake the enchiladas for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove the dish from the oven and let stand 1 minute.
Vary It! Freeze leftover enchiladas so you can have a quick and filling lunch up to six months from now. Place individual enchiladas in small freezer containers and seal. Reheat at medium high in a microwave oven.
Per serving: Calories 534 (From Fat 263); Fat 29g (Saturated 13g); Cholesterol 189mg; Sodium 764mg; Carbohydrate 38g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 30g.
Chicken skillet dinners
Adding cooked chicken to a rice dish turns it into a substantial meal. As long as you have a box of rice in the cupboard and a package of cooked chicken in the freezer, you can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Hot and Spicy Chicken with Rice
Fresh ginger has an alluring sweet and spicy scent that can whet an appetite. It's worth taking a minute to grate the knobby root rather than substituting ground ginger. Use a hand-held vegetable grater and grate the ginger onto a plate. After you feel confident about measuring ginger by looking at it, you can grate ginger directly into the dishes that you're cooking.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup parboiled or regular long-grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla), or 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bell pepper, onion, red pepper flakes, and gingerroot and sauté 2 minutes.
2. Add the chicken, rice, broth, salt, and pepper and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 18 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Add the scallion, fish sauce, and lime juice and stir in. Serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories 380 (From Fat 124); Fat 14g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 41mg; Sodium 1,129mg; Carbohydrate 46g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 17g.
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