Mondays can hit me hard, like a slap in the face. Suddenly I feel as if I’m in rushing water paddling wildly just to keep myself afloat. I’m in denial that the week has begun anew and floundering for something to have ready for dinner.
Mondays require a quick standby for dinner. Something I make all the time so I don’t need to think about it and therefore barely needs a recipe. A dish I know will be eaten by everyone.
My quick version of a Chicken Fricassee saves the day, even if it’s a Monday.
Basic ingredients and a simple preparation make this recipe easy to go to again and again. It also can be plunked into the crockpot to simmer all day until we are ready to eat.
A traditional Chicken Fricassee is made with chicken parts and slowly simmered until the chicken dissolves off the bone. My focus here is on something fast and easy. I prefer the simplicity of the boneless chicken breast without the sinewy twine that comes with the bone.
Using the breast (or boneless thigh meat, if you prefer) eliminates the extra step of fishing out the chicken bones and detritus, and shredding the meat before serving. It also significantly reduces the cooking time if I’m serving this right away, which is an extra bonus, especially when I’m in this panicky state.
A great one-pot meal means that everything I require for dinner is in one dish. I cut vegetables into a small dice so they cook faster and become easier for my kids to accept, even the carrots. It helps that the perceived enemy, when diced small, cooks tender and is easily scooped up in a spoonful.
Allowing kids to add final touches to their meal often makes them much more accepting of any dish. They are less likely to push away something they helped create.
When ready to serve, we’ll often pass around a small pitcher of cream and a plate of lemon wedges so each can season to their own tastes. (My resident lemon lover can douse to her heart’s content.) A small swirl of chilled cream just before serving immediately cools down a dish so it can be eaten immediately.
And don’t leave out the cream. The fat helps my kids feel satiated for a longer period of time and is a great way to incorporate calcium and other important minerals.
As I wait for the bus in the afternoon, the sharp reality of our busy lives comes into focus as the kids tumble off the bus laughing and screaming, creating a vortex of swirling energy as they rush toward me. I circle them in my arms and enjoy the moment. For it really is just a moment. Then they are off again.
Knowing that dinner is already finished and simmering in the pot, I start to relax. I’m ready to jump into the water and go with the flow…. wherever it takes me today.
- 3-4 Boneless chicken breasts
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 Carrots, chopped
- 1-2 Celery rib(s), chopped
- ⅓ cup whole-wheat flour
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock (I use Better than Bouillon stock paste which allows me to control the saltiness of the stock. I use a heaping teaspoon per 2 cups of water for a low sodium stock.)
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped (optional) In the middle of winter I often add some garlic for extra immunity boost
- ½ cup frozen peas, (optional)
- 1 tsp dried thyme or dried tarragon but not both. Let your kids take a sniff of each and decide.
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup heavy cream, optional
- Lemon juice to taste
- Trim and chop chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When hot and foamy, add chicken pieces.
- Sauté until no longer pink. They will not be fully cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. If using a crock-pot, place chicken directly into the crock.
- Add vegetables and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook stirring for a minute, which will remove the floury taste.
- Add stock and hot water and whisk continually over medium high heat (or high, if you are vigilant and confident) until the stock begins to boil and thicken.
- Once it reaches a boil, add thyme, salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium and stir frequently for about 2 minutes.
- Add chicken and accumulated juices and cover tightly for 5-10 more minutes until chicken pieces are no longer pink inside (and/or register at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer) and vegetables are tender. Or, pour the sauce over the chicken in the crock-pot to simmer on low for the day.
- Just before serving, pour in cream and a squeeze of a lemon, if desired.
- Serve over rice, which always seems to be in my rice cooker, or egg noodles.
- The leftovers are in lunch boxes the next day.