An Entrance to Satisfaction

Monday, I can tell you why I hate Mondays it will be for the same reasons everyone else does however there is one bright spot to the dank dark misery that is Monday - Left Overs.

I love left overs almost more than the main event, unless you are talking lamb in which case not so keen. We always have a roast chicken in the fridge in case of sandwich or supper emergencies any left over left overs (if there is such a thing) go into Harry's bowl along with the jelly stuff at the bottom of the tin. The carcass is always boiled up into stock and again Harry gets the all the bits I can pick off the carcass and the carrots from the stock. Not a thing ever goes to waste which is quite rare in our house!

The chicken we buy is always free range and organic as well as being processed on the farm they live on. The chickens are stress free and as happy as a chicken can be and although they are not £5.00 for 2 turkey sized monsters they aren't a huge expense when you think that they will last us for at least three meals. For example:

1 x £11.00 chicken makes
Roast chicken
Lunch time sandwiches for one day for 2
Cous cous salad with chicken
Stock which makes - Thai ish noodle soup and Lobby

Looked at that way a chicken is an investment for the week as well as a real luxury when they are as tasty as the ones we eat.


Lobby - A staffordshire treat

I had never heard of Lobby before shacking up with a Stoke bloke now I love it although it is a winter dish and is probably more of a thick soup than the traditional stew type dish. It is a peasants dish and gets its name from the lobbing in of ingredients - I kid you not. Basically you lob in left over meat, bones, veg and water however I skip the bones part by using my lovely chicken stock.

I could give you a recipe but it really depends on how much chicken stock you have and what veg you like but feel free to use the below is a guideline for a large pot...

2 pints chicken stock - fat skimmed off
Left over chicken
2 x carrots
1 x onion
1 x leek
1/2 a swede
1 sweet potato
2 x sticks celery
Herbs - I use dried Provence herbs however I have also used thyme, parsley, rosemary etc
Salt & pepper

Chop everything up so that you have nice chunks of veg lob it all into a pot and cook covered for about 15 - 20 mins until everything is soft. Eat safe in the knowledge that this is low fat, high protein and contains more veg than you can throw a stick at if you care about that sort of thing...

Ps Sorry about the lack of picture but it is not that pretty and we ate it all before we remembered!