Something from Nothing

Welcome to what I hope will be my newest adventure! In these tight times, being able to make something you actually want to eat, from what is already in your fridge and cupboard, can be a challenge! So for an entire year once each week, I will endeavor to post a “Something from Nothing” episode! For week one of the challenge, I was in a Southwestern kind of mood, so I looked at what potential ingredients in my fridge were either on the way out, or needed to be used up. Here’s what I found…

From bottom to top: The rest of a jar of salsa, leftover shredded chicken, chicken stock, leftover saffron rice, lemon, cilantro, a half of an avocado going South quickly, sour cream and some Jack cheese.

The recipe search took me to Rachael Ray’s Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup – and here, with modifications based on what I had on hand, is how it went!

First, you simply bring the salsa chicken stock (mine made from bouillon with water) and lemon (instead of lime) juice to a boil…

Then, you place some of the leftover chicken and leftover rice into your service bowl. I bet you could use leftover rotisserie chicken for this, too!

When the stock and salsa mixture comes to a boil, ladle it over the chicken and rice.  I made sure to have both chicken and rice up to room temperature, so the boiling stock would actually warm them completely…

Then, grate ye up some Jack cheese…

And build your bowl! Simply add the cheese, sour cream, avocado and cilantro. I also added chopped pickled jalapenos, and some crushed up tortilla chips for crunch.  The results?

Ole’!  The only changes that I would make are to not put such a big dollop of sour cream in, and to add the tortilla chips with each spoonful as desired, as they get mushy in the broth quickly.  All in all, an amazingly fast, tasty use-up that turned a little of this, and a little of that into something wonderful!

I think of it this way…if you had to give someone 3 out of every ten dollars you made, OR, skillfully utilize your leftovers, which would you do? ‘Nuff said.

Eat well my friends….Kitchen Angel and the scone re-mix are coming this week! Love and kindness to all,

Pixie