braise your chicken people.  braise it.  

Around here we (I) cook meat once every ten days or so.  Mind you, I make it last at least three meals and a few lunches, at least until my boys are ravenous adolescent boys that is.  But for now, though its been quite a transition for the man of the house, it works out just fine.

For this you put a chicken, some chopped onion, celery and carrots, two bay leaves, one star anise pod, some fresh parsley, some fresh thyme, and a big honkin chicken in a pot.  Cover it with some good old stock and simmer for an hour.  Turn off the stove and let it sit for another 30 minutes.  Serve chopped up with some broth, and some of those veggies and woah.  Succulent.

This week it turned into Caribbean Rice with chicken and garbanzos… delish.  And again was transformed into a chicken pita with cucumber yogurt sauce, black rice, and kale salad.  I also simmered a pretty stock that will flavor our meals to come.  Don’t forget to leave your onion skins on when you make a stock, it makes the richest color!  You won’t regret it.

So, go ahead.  Braise it baby.