Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Lazy Nourishment

Cold, rainy, sad weather. I should be in the kitchen braising lamb shanks, but sometimes my mood keeps me planted in the soft chair in front of the fire.
It's not even hunger that leads me to finally eat; it's need for nourishment.
I could probably just slop out some Campbell's soup, but who needs all that sodium? I don't HAVE Campbell's soup in the house.
A couple of weeks ago I came up with this marvelous meal, and we've eaten about three variations on it already.
It's fast, as long as you have cooked rice in the fridge (which turns out to be a really good idea; make extra and store the rest). And you'll need some broth, preferably homemade. We've used both chicken and vegetable stocks (and if you keep it in the freezer, just pop some into the microwave). Optional is a little cooked chicken. We had that, too, and it's a nice addition. Not optional is some vegetables. Broccoli florets, chopped onion, mushrooms, what have you.
OK, easy-peasy: Cook the vegetables in a pan with some oil or butter, or even just water. Heat the broth.
Layer some rice in the bottom of your bowls, top with vegetables (and chicken bits), and pour in the broth, just enough to become visible but not enough to drown the food. If the rice was stone cold, microwave each bowl for a minute to get the heat up.
What you want is just a slightly wet meal. It's almost soup, but not.
It's already got a family nickname around here.
We call it "Slurry."

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't you just love leftovers? They save me all the time! (I don't keep Campbell's soup in the house either.)

Zoomie said...

Y'know, that looks really good and I love the name. Gonna try it tomorrow as I have leftover chicken (just a little) in the fridge and it will be perfect augmented with some rice and veggies.

cookiecrumb said...

Zia: Leftovers are very handy. And if you make extra food on purpose, you don't have to call them leftovers. They're on purpose.

Zoomie: Yeah, just a little chicken will do. You might want to tinker with seasonings, depending on what your other items taste like. Let me know how it comes out.

Kailyn said...

Why didn't you post this on Sunday? I have been living the last three days on roasted chicken and steamed broccoli.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Sounds like a plan for tonight, given it's 7:30 and I've not left work yet! bah. Still, dinner sorted.

Melanie said...

You know, I have always absolutely loved "soups" that I have just made on the fly. They are always so much more satisfying- both in taste and emotionally. I love creating something yummy from...well, leftovers. It's great!

Greg said...

I like the concept. At first look it seemed like a stir fry but then almost a soup. A slurry is born.

cookiecrumb said...

Kailyn: If I were you I'd be thinking seriously about chicken divan. Myself, I'm thinking seriously about it.

Mouse: That warmed the cockles of my heart, half a world away.

Melanie: Yes. You just have to "forgive" yourself that it's not going to be one of those long-simmered soups that picks up character on the stovetop. It's actually quite satisfying as "not" soup.

Greg: The liquid in this bowl comes up about to the rice. It's a nice slurpy meal.

Chilebrown said...

I rolled through the Marin market today. All the usual suspects were present, except you and Cranky. I happened to notice that a lot of the female shoppers had large thighs,legs,big boots and such. Robert Crumb must have spread his seed in Marin. Most Excelllent!

cookiecrumb said...

Chilebrown: I bet he did. You know how he spells the way his heavily endowed wife pronounces "gorgeous"?
Gwudgeous.

Sarah @ The Foodie Diaries said...

i have a similar go-to lately. savory oatmeal. mostly because i haven't had rice pre-made. such a great and filling lazy meal

cookiecrumb said...

Sarah: What a fantastic idea! Why hasn't anybody else dreamed that up? Brava.

SallyBR said...

I also love the name!

Only one thing would make this post better: a photo of your puppy, which by now should be a "very well behaved doggie"

:-)

cookiecrumb said...

Sally: I do intend to get the dog over here soon, but she will hardly hold still. Seems we got a Tasmanian devil. Not so very well behaved, but when she is, she is golden.