Chicken Porta Potti (OK, really? It's Chicken Pot Pie)

This is my mother's chicken pot pie recipe. Carlos loves it and calls it "chicken porta potti" (don't ask me). It's a good way to use leftover chicken from a whole chicken that you have cooked.

I use my "smaller" pyrex dish for this...I think it's the 9x13 one? My mom's recipe says 6x10 but I don't think my dish is THAT small? Whatever.

OK so I'm transcribing this just how my mom sent it to me. Gotta love my mother.

Cover bottom of dish w/chicken. Add whatever veggies you like (Mommy generally added some frozen mixed ones, like peas/carrots/corn/beans and the like. I do that too but I also chop onion and garlic and put on top. Whatever floats your boat.)

Sauce: (Mommy indicates to make DOUBLE THIS RECIPE, for that pyrex dish that she and I use, and she reiterates this later on...) Melt 2 T margarine in a sauce pan. Add 2 T flour; mix. Slowly add 1 cup milk, whisking as you add it. Bring to a boil over med-med high heat. Be careful w/that med-high, kids, or else your milk will scald and your flour will adhere itself to your saucepan. Badbadbad! Add 1 buoillon cube (you can smash it before adding). I buy the powdered chicken buiollon, msg-free and all, these days. Screw smashing those cubes. If you have the powdered stuff, add 1 teaspoon. Let buillon cube dissolve. Pour white sauce over meat mixture and combine.

Recap I kid you not, this is what my mother wrote, and this is where you need to pay attention, because the following instructions are what you REALLY need to follow....for this size dish, you'd use 4 T marg, 4 T flour, 2 buillion cubes and 2 c milk. (Why didn't you just say that before, Ma???) For a larger dish, make source accordingly. (I'll get right on that) You don't have to use a buillion cube fore EVERY cup of milk, i.e, if making 4 cups of sauce, use 3 cubes. (Awesome! Less smashing!) NOTE FROM AMY: I add some curry powder to this white sauce to kick it up a notch. If you don't want to, it's still fine.

*You can use milk, lactaid, or try using water. (Love the helpful hints from Momma. I use lactaid.)

Crust: I (That would be Susan Elizabeth, my mother) "eyeball" the top crust. Mix a smallish amt of bisquick with water or milk to make biscuits. (Less is more, people. Less is more.) Roll our dough onto flour covered board and plot atop meat (dude, are we doing math problems here? Truth be told, I never roll and plot. I smush between my hands and then, I guess, plot?) mixture. It may break, that's OK. For a large pan, I make the crust in small pieces so I'm not handling too much at one time. (Amy then sprinkles caraway seeds on top of her crust. Feel free to ignore this part.)

Bake at 400 for about 20 mins. I ofen place the pot pie on a cookie sheet 'cause if it runs over, the oven won't be ruined! (I myself just wield a can of EZ-off fume free afterwards if need be.)

Chicken mole w/tomatoes

I just realized that nearly all my recipes are Mexican/Latin American. Hey, I love cilantro and cumin!!! This one was cut out from some flyer I got at the health food store next door to my work. It's yummalicious.

1 T olive oil
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 1/2 C diced onion
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t chili powder
2 t cocoa powder
2 t ground cinnamon
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 t sea salt (I never have sea salt, I use regular...it's ok!)
1 1/2 t brown sugar
3 C cooked basmati/brown/whatever you want rice
2 limes, quartered, for garnish if you like
3 T chopped fresh cilantro for garnish, also if you like

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over med-hi heat. Saute chicken and onion, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink. Add cumin, chili powder, cocoa, and cinnamon. Stir to coat chicken. Add tomatoes w/liquid, sea salt, and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 mins. Serve over rice of your choice, add lime and cilantro to garnish if you please.

Chicken and green onion curry in the crockpot

I think I found this one online too. I tend to scribble recipes on sticky notes, ha!

1 med onion, thinly sliced
3 med garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 T fresh ginger root, grated (you can substitute 1 t of jarred ginger spice if you don't have fresh)
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 t ground turmeric
a dash of ground cloves
1/4 t ground cardamom
3 1/2 lbs chicken pieces with skin removed (I usually use chicken thighs as they are pretty inexpensive)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 T cornstarch, blended w/2 T of cold water
salt
1/2 c of green onions or chives, sliced

Combined sliced onion and all spices except salt in a 4-5 qt crockpot. Rinse chicken and pat dry, arrange the pieces over the onion mixture. Pour broth over chicken. Cover and cook on the low crockpot setting about 6-7 hrs, until meat is very tender and juices run clear when pierced. Geltly lift chicken to warm serving dish and keep warm. Skim and discard the fat from the cooking liquid if necessary. Mix cornstarch with cold water, blend into cooking liquid. Increase crockpot setting to high, cover and cook stirring 2 or 3 times until sauce thickens. Add salt to taste, pour broth over chicken. Garnish with cilantro and sliced green onions.

This is good served over the rice of your choice.

Improvised Chicken in Spinach Cream Sauce

What does a vegetarian do when unexpected carnivorous company drops in for dinner? This.

1.5 chicken, bought in a frantic rush while wearing pajama bottoms and then cubed.
2 green onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chopped spinach
1 tbs snipped parsley
1.5 c milk
3 tbs butter
salt, pepper
cornstarch

1. Melt 2 tbs butter in skillet/pot and add chicken, salt & pepper, parsley and green onions. Brown chicken well on all sides. Add garlic and spiniach, sautee until soft, taking care not to burn the garlic.
2. Add milk and remaining tbs of butter. Simmer on med-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Turn heat up. Add corn starch (approx 1.5 tbs, but I didn't measure) and whip vigorously to thicken sauce.
4. Turn heat on high, bring to a rapid boil, and boil uncovered for 3-5 minutes to reduce liquid.

I didn't taste the chicken (obviously) but I did have some of the sauce, over potatoes, and it was quite yummy. My mom went back for seconds and my mom never eats two servings of anything. Not bad for a fly by the seat of your pants experiment, I guess.