January 9th - January 15th Menu

We had snow yesterday! It was very pretty but I don't like going out in it so I stayed home where I knew I'd be comfortable and warm. I did some cleaning and reading, watched a couple of Netflix movies I had lying around and even took a nap, though it was a very short one.

Speaking of short, this will be a short work and cooking week for me as I'm taking a few days to do nothing but rest and relax. I'll probably end up cooking something and if any of it's good I'll share it here.

Saturday evening I made some delicious creamy chicken enchiladas and had one of those with salad and faux rice Sunday night. Tonight I went out to eat with a friend and the rest of the week I'll have:

Grilled steak with half a baked sweet potato and brussels sprouts

Herb and lemon white fish with creamed spinach and salad

Low carb tortilla with scrambled eggs, turkey ham and plenty of cilantro salsa
half and a salad

And that's it for this the next few days. Nothing really exciting but it's all healthy and thrifty. I shouldn't have any leftovers by the time Sunday night rolls around and I can start a new cooking week.

Have a great week and make sure to check out Menu Plan Monday and let us know what's on your plate!

Savory Chicken and Onions

This isn't my recipe. I found it on a forum and don't have a clue of it's origin. It had no name and after making and eating this dish, I decided to call it Savory Chicken and Onions. If anyone knows more about this recipe, please let me know. It's absolutely delicious and very thrifty. This will be a regular with me now.

 Savory Chicken and Onions

1.5 - 2 lbs. chicken thighs
1 onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 can chicken broth or 1 cup of stock or white wine
2 tb flour
2 tb olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt & pepper.

Heat a large skillet, add the olive oil, then add onion and cook until softened. When the onion is softened, add the shallots, cook down for a minute or so, then the garlic.

Move all the veggies to a large roasting pan then add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Brown on both sides, remove from skillet and place in the large roasting pan. You may have to do this in batches.

When all the chicken is browned, deglaze the pan with most of the liquid.

Let the liquid cook down and thicken a bit. If it isn't thickening, mix the flour with some water or cornstarch and add to the skillet. When thickened, cover the chicken in the roasting pan with the liquid, cover the whole roasting pan with some foil, and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Denise's note - I used 1 chicken breast in this recipe and it made four hearty servings. It's definitely a thrifty addition to my favorite recipes.

January 2 - January 8 Menu

I'm starting the new year off right by spending a lot of time in my kitchen. I woke up at 2 AM yesterday and couldn't get back to sleep so by 3 AM I was making a low(er) carb chicken pot pie.

It's delicious, by the way! By 4 AM I had an unnamed chicken and onion dish (which I now call Savory Chicken and Onions) baking in the oven and the scent of it cooking was incredibly enticing.

By 10 AM I was napping. Oh well, naps are good for us now and then, especially when we wake up long before the roosters. I worked in the evening so the sleep was most appreciated.

I haven't done any grocery shopping for awhile because I have plenty of food. So here's this week's menu, in no particular order except for last night's and tonight's fare which are listed first and second, respectively:

Homemade chicken pot pie with tossed salad and steamed spinach

Savory Chicken and Onions with green beans and steamed mukimame

Vegetable stir fry made with zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli, green beans, leeks, red onion, shallots, and any other vegetables that strike me as sounding good at the time

Braised beef tips with spinach salad and faux mashed potatoes

Low Carb Enchilada Chicken Paillard with mexican faux rice and garlic black beans (Note that I'm not following the HCG diet but I find low carb recipes in all sorts of places!)

Grilled chicken breast with cheese soup and a tossed salad

Beef and broccoli with a tossed salad and sesame seed faux rice

Several of the dishes I'll make this week are from recipes that are new to me and the Chicken Paillard is one I'm really excited about trying.

For more menu ideas make sure to look at Menu Plan Monday and join us so we can see what's on your plate for the coming week!

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

Lowe(er) Carb Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie
Servings: 4 to 6, about 20 grams of carbs per serving
Preheat: 350 degrees

Sauce:

1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
2 ounces cooked frozen green peas (use mukimame to lower the carb count a little more and increase the fiber count)
2 ounces cooked frozen corn
1 small red potato, cooked and cut into small chunks
1/8 cup liquid (milk, cream, water or broth)

Combine the soup, peas, corn and potato in a bowl. Add chicken then add liquid and stir just until liquid is incorporated. Pour into a baking pan. 

Topping:

1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese
dash or two of salt
liquid (milk, cream, water or broth)

Mix and spread over the top of the chicken mixture in pan.

Bake in 350 degree oven until top is brown, about 25 minutes.