Quick Economical Chicken Dinner for those who are thrifty (celery, carrots, paprika)

[Steve Bagu]

Well I'm back again; With the price of groceries now days...you can't beat chicken at $1.09 a lb plus a little veggies for a meal.

Economical Chicken Dinner:

6-8 pieces of Chicken Thighs
2 carrots or salad carrots
4-6 medium potatos
1-2 sticks of celery
Any other veg. can be substituted
Spices/Red Paprika/salt/Garlic salt/or any spice of choice in Cabinet

Preparation:

Clean chicken of skin and fat...soak in COLD water for two hrs (Drain often)
After soaking chicken two hrs drain water
Clean and cut potatos into cubes
Clean Carrots as needed...cut into 2" pieces
Clean Celery...cut also into 2" pieces

Cooking prep;
Place chicken on paper towels into micro for 2-3 min depending on remaining fat
After micro chicken...place into pyrex or micro dish (I use a rectangular dish for a large micro oven)
Sprinkle on spices
Add potatos
Add celery
Add carrots
Add water to dish until 3/4 full
Cover with saran wrap to seal in steam
Place in micro for 35 min at pwr 8 level

You can have a side salad or fruit if desired with the chicken

I buy this chicken also for the bones for my two dogs that they enjoy along with 3-4 potato cubes on their dry dog food along with some of the flavored broth.

Steve

[jlawrence01]

If you shop around a little, you can purchase leg quarters for $0.39-0.59/ lb in many places.

There is no way that I am going to microwave chicken in water. There is too much risk that microbes are not fully killed in the microwave.

[Steve Bagu]

Different strokes for different folks is my opinion.

Prices will vary depending on what part of the country a person lives.

Doing the micro for 2-3 mins to remove some of the remaining fat and/or water works well and does cook a little on the inside the same time.

I'm pushing 80 yrs old and have been doing this cooking process a very long time...I'm still kickin.

Have done rump roast...pot roast the same way and has been well cooked inside each time. The water sealed inside the dish creates a steam that leaves the meat tender along with the potatos etc.

Power level and time cooking will vary on size of the micro oven. I have a large and also a small one.

[andthentherewere3]

Hmmm, that might be tasty in a regular oven.(not that your version isn't. I just like my chicken, potatoes, and veggies a little browned. We actually love chicken thighs. Maybe even cooked in one of those oven bags, so it steams like what you are getting in the microwave? I also tend to use a low-salt chicken broth sometimes when a chicken recipe calls for water. Just my personal preference. Thanks for the recipe!

[Steve Bagu]

Can understand that some people are not to thrilled with the current usage of the microwave oven.

Went to a Burger King once and ordered a (hot?) sandwich to go. They put it in a bag and while driving home a few miles away decided to take a bite. Guess what!!! The sandwich was COLD right out of the ice box and NOT freshly cooked. The girl forgot to "microwave" before placing into the bag. Stupid me did not realize that the bag was not warm.
Bottom line is that many food items are precooked (who knows where) and routinely micro'd for the customer who thinks the food is freshly cooked.

Next time you order something...watch the girl who is preparing to see if the micro is being used.