Quick Winter Fruit Salad

This versatile salad was a staple for family meals when I was growing up. About a year ago, I needed a make-ahead salad for our small group meal, so I made this simple salad. It was a hit with everyone and has been requested several times by the group.

1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, packed in own juice. (don't drain as the juice is the dressing)
2 navel oranges, peeled, sectioned, and cut into bite-sized pieces. (cut over mixing bowl and add juice to salad)
1 banana, sliced

Mix ingredients and chill about 3 hours.

Optional additions: Sliced strawberries (when in season), chopped nuts, or flaked coconut. Mom sometimes added halved maraschino cherries for color, but I am not sure how healthy that might be today, considering the concern over red dye.

Mac and Cheese with a Twist

Since I always have cooked chicken in the freezer (see Money Saving Hint #1), I am also looking for delicious and different ways to serve it. Recently, I found a recipe that made a hit with all of us. I have made it twice in two weeks, and I am sure we will fight over who gets the last of the leftovers. For years a quick standby family meal was a box of Mac and Cheese mixed with sauteed onions and green peppers and cooked chicken. Served with a veggie and tossed salad, it was quick and somewhat satisfying. This new recipe is not as quick, but much more tasty.

CREAMY MAC AND CHEESE WITH CHICKEN

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk, or 2 cups low fat milk

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 cup (4 oz.) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Topping:

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped peanuts, or pecans (optional)

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute the onion and green pepper in butter. Remove pan from heat and add the flour, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir until blended. Gradually add milk and return pan to heat. (If using evaporated milk, add 1/2 cup of cooking water from macaroni). Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Drain macaroni; add the white sauce, chicken, and 3/4 cup of cheese. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the topping ingredients and 1/4 cup cheese; sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and golden brown on top.

Serves 6.

Money Saving Hint #1 Cook the whole chicken

Having packages of cooked chicken in the freezer has saved both time and money when cooking family meals. I buy whole chickens when they are on sale (currently $.89 a pound when on sale, over a $1 if not**), cut them up, and stew the pieces. Then I cool the cooked pieces and pick the meat off the bone. After chopping the meat into casserole size pieces, I freeze this cooked chicken into 1 1/2 or
2 cup packages (Ziplock freezer bags make great flat packages when the air is pressed out of them) and label with date and contents.
These packages will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months and can be used for a variety of recipes such as chicken noodle soup, tortilla soup, chicken salad or filling for sandwiches, and a variety of casseroles.
The bonus to this is the delicious homemade chicken broth which also freezes well for up to 3 months and can be used to flavor cream sauces, cook pasta, use as soup stock, or in any recipe requiring chicken broth. I never have enough of this broth. It can be frozen in Ziplock bags (always use the freezer weight to avoid freezer burn), or plastic freezer containers. I freeze these in 1 cup packages. When thawed it will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
After I remove the cooked chicken from the stock, I strain the broth using a colander and pouring it through cheesecloth or an old flour sack dish towel (rinse out the towel and launder it in a hot water and bleach solution). Next I cool the broth in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. The fat rises to the top and solidifies. Scrape this fat off and discard it in the trash (do not pour it down your drain!!); I save pickle and peanut butter jars for this. Since the broth has now jellied, I heat it up just enough to liquify it, then measure it and package it up.
One whole chicken will yield about 3 cups of chopped cooked chicken and 5 cups of broth.
I use a 6 quart Dutch oven to cook one whole chicken. A larger stock pot could stew more.
The following recipe is one I have used for years for this process. When I need to cook several chickens, I use the same batch of broth, cooking one chicken at a time in it.

STEWED CHICKEN

1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut up

3 stalks celery, cut up

2 carrots, cut up

1 large onion, quartered

2 sprigs of parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, sage, or basil, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 bay leaves

6 cups water

Wash and skin chicken. In 6 quart Dutch oven combine chicken, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, salt, thyme (or sage or basil), pepper, and bay leaves. Add water. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove chicken, cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones; discard bones. Chop meat and package as described above.

Strain broth and follow directions above.

**A butcher told me that HEB cycles meat sales about every 6 weeks, so I buy as many as 4 chickens when they are on sale knowing it will be a while before I see the sale price again. I have found that this cycle is true of other popular meat cuts. Other meat cuts I stockpile are boneless pork chops, tenderloins, roasts, and beef roasts and sirloins. Watch your favorite store and see if you can find their sale cycles. Then plan your purchases accordingly. I have never discovered such a cycle for fish, unfortunately.