With the current economic downturn in full swing, I'm grateful to my late grandmother for all of the helpful tips she taught me about making do with less. She learned from her own mother's experience of the Great Depression, where the motto of housewives was, "Eat it up, make it last, improvise or do without." My grandmother had just gotten married when World War II began, and she put much of that knowledge to use when rationing began in 1942.
Over the weekend, I delved into that history for a series of meals that I've been making since I first moved out on my own and had no choice but to get by on the princely salary of $14,500 per year. It starts with a single stewing hen and – for my two-person household – ends up making three dinners and two or three lunches' worth of leftovers. Here's how it goes:
Chicken and Dumplings
1 stewing hen
1/2 cup cornstarch
Rinse hen (remove giblets and discard or freeze for later use), place in a large stock pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for four to six hours until tender. Remove chicken from pot, discard skin and bones, and return meat to boiling liquid. It can be difficult to track down all the bones, so don't be surprised if one or two slip past you. Dissolve cornstarch in cool water and add to boiling stock to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Dumplings:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. oil
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Combine egg, milk and oil; add to dry ingredients to make soft dough. Drop by tablespoons into stew. Cover and steam for 15 minutes. Perfectly Good Alternative: Make Bisquik dumplings per package directions.
Serve over boiled potatoes with a vegetable side dish.
* * * * *
Refrigerate the leftover chicken gravy. The next day you can make:
Chicken Pot Pie
2-3 cups chicken gravy
2-3 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen green beans
1 tbsp. cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pastry crusts
Place bottom pastry crust in deep pie plate or casserole dish. Saute carrots, celery, garlic and onions in oil until onions are translucent. Stir in other vegetables and gravy and season to taste. Fill pastry crust with gravy mixture and seal with top crust. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until top crust is golden brown, about 30-45 minutes. Alternatives: A small bag of frozen mixed vegetables can be substituted for the separate carrots, corn, peas and green beans. If you're not much for homemade pie crust, I find that Jiffy mix works well for this.
* * * * *
On the third evening, make:
Chicken Noodle Soup
Remaining chicken gravy
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. basil
1 tbsp. cooking oil
3 carrots, sliced
1 clove garlic, pressed
3/4 tsp. dried parsley
1 small package frozen egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a large soup pot with oil. Add chicken gravy and enough water to fill about 3/4 full. Bring to a boil, add seasonings and noodles. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes or until noodles are done.
* * * * *
So that's how I can make an $8 chicken stretch over three dinners. If you think that's more chicken dishes than your household can take in a three-day period, you can always freeze the leftover gravy and make some of the secondary dishes later.
For example, make a chuck roast and you'll be all set for beef hash the next night!
What are your favorite "planned leftovers" meals?