Chicken Packets

Hi WEEC listeners,

Here is today's recipe.  Hope you enjoy it.  :-)

CHICKEN PACKETS

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
4 tsp. butter(or more to taste)
2 (16-oz.) cans green beans, drained 
4 pcs. heavy duty foil
4 sm. potatoes, peeled and cut into slices 
dash of onion powder
2-3 large carrots, peeled and julienned 
dash of garlic powder, if desired
salt and pepper, to taste
4 pieces heavy duty foil

Lay out piece of foil and place chicken in the center. Place 1/4 of the green beans next to the chicken, then the potatoes next to that, ending with the julienned carrots on the opposite side of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and top with the butter.

Sprinkle on the onion and garlic powders, to taste. Bring all the corners of the foil together and crimp the edges sealing them so that the juices and steam do not escape during cooking.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Carefully unwrap the foil using 2 forks so as not to burn yourself. The chicken will be moist and the vegetables steamed tender.

Transfer to a plate and enjoy.
Note: These remind me of the "Hobo dinners" we made at Girl Scout camp cooking over a fire. I find this meal especially easy when everyone in the family eats according to their own schedule. I vary the seasonings and vegetables according to
what I have on hand and sometimes sprinkle a crushed bouillon cube on top of the chicken for extra flavor.  Dry Ranch dressing mix would be good, too.

Roast Lemon Chicken

ROASTED LEMON CHICKEN


1 whole chicken, 3-5 lbs. 
1-2 tsp. lemon -pepper seasoning
1 lemon
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 c. butter, softened
Preheat oven to 425°. Remove zest from lemon and mix with softened butter. Squeeze  juice out of lemon and mix 1 T. with the butter and zest. Salt and pepper the mixture as desired. Place chicken in a roasting pan and remove the neck and gizzard; discard.


Separate the skin from the chicken starting at the neck. Avoid piercing the skin, if you can. Using your fingers, slide most of the butter under the skin. (This is messy work.)


Rub the rest of the butter all over the surface of the chicken. Place in roasting pan, breast side down. Sprinkle liberally with the lemon-pepper, and season with the salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes; then turn the chicken over. Sprinkle the rest of the lemon juice over the top and season with this side the lemon pepper and salt.


 Bake for 1 hour, until meat thermometer registers 170° or until juices run clear when the meat is pierced. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftovers are good for sandwiches, pot pies or salads.


Note: I also like to roast a chicken using only garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sometimes simple is the best. De-fat the drippings by skimming the fat off the top or refrigerating until the fat solidifies. Add to a gravy mix as part or all of the required liquid and you will have a topping for mashed potatoes that will be
hard to beat.

Fluffy Rice & Chicken

FLUFFY RICE AND CHICKEN


1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 jar mushrooms, sliced with liquid (opt.)
1 soup can milk 
1 (1.4-oz.) env. onion soup mix
3/4 c. white rice, uncooked
 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Heat oven to 350°. Mix chicken soup and milk. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture.

Mix in the onion soup mix, rice, and mushrooms. Pour into ungreased baking dish.


Place chicken breasts on top. Pour reserved soup mixture over chicken. Cover with foil and
bake one hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.


Yield: 4 servings Add a little extra chicken broth at the end of cooking time if needed.

Circle Of Friends Recipe

Recently a close friend of mine came down with a really bad case of the flu.  I found out about it when the worst was over and she was ready to face eating something.  I love to cook for my friends and I love the challenge of using what I have on hand.

Hmmm….what to make?  I realized I had a frozen rotisserie chicken leftover in the freezer.

 My friend loves brown rice and I know that is gentle food to an irritated stomach.  A few basic steps, and this soup was born.  It is now her new favorite.

Chicken & Brown Rice Soup

Rotisserie Chicken-(leftovers are fine)
water 4-5 cups
1-2 T. Chicken Soup Base
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
½ cup celery, chopped
1.2 c. carrots, chopped
dried parsley

I simmered the entire chicken, bones and all, in a large stock pot with about 4-5 cups water for about a hour.  The broth was not concentrated enough to give me the flavor I wanted, so I added to taste a product called Chicken Soup Base.  I use this a lot!! Find it in the soup section of the grocery store. It comes in other flavors like ham and beef, too.  It is more concentrated and less salty than bouillon.

Strain the broth. I added a tbsp or so, to taste, to the strained broth to make a rich stock, then cooked the brown rice in the chicken stock 2 ½ c to 1 c dry brown rice. Set aside the meat to chop up and add to the finished soup.

Simmer about 45 minutes.  Toss in chopped celery and carrot during the cooking time for extra flavor, color contrast, and nutrition.

Add some dried parsley and the chicken.  The leftover broth and ¼ cup all purpose flour was mixed together and added to thicken the soup.