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Monday, March 12, 2012

SOL 12 Food For Thought: Chicken In a Pot

In most families, there are cherished recipes. Many are meals to be enjoyed on holidays or special occasions, like Grandma's eggplant.  Not us, we're into something called affectionately, chicken in a pot (CIP).

The recipe has roots in my mother in law's kitchen where as a busy working mother (back in the 1950s when few women worked outside of their homes), it was a way to make the cooking of one chicken last 3-4 days!  It started as soup and later, with  canned tomatoes added, was popped on top of pasta.

In my own kitchen, CIP has slowly changed as our family grew and changed.  As a working mom with busy children, it became a Sunday staple that reappeared on Monday and Wednesday in some form or other.  It was always available as a healthy meal even if sports' schedules disrupted cooking time.  With Minute rice (fast) or pasta, I could make it stretch where few meals could go!  When they came home from college or when I visited, CIP was the requested meal.  When friends came for dinner, they all seemed to all know about CIP, and were disappointed if something else was served!
There are no rules for this recipe and this recipe is far easier than my MIL's original.

Chicken In a Pot

Take onion(s) -green, yello -  whatever you have and garlic - saute in a little oil
Push them to the outside of the pot when they are soft cooked
Add boneless chicken breast or thighs - cut up - whole - if still frozen, just add anyway
Cook a while, then add cut up peppers (frozen or fresh) - red - green - yellow
Cut up and add whatever veggies you have available (eggplant, carrots, green beans, peas)
If you have no other veggies, that is OK too!
Add canned or fresh tomatoes - not too much juice - just the fleshy parts
Add basil + oregano - fresh or dried
Add onion powder and salt

Variations include, adding black or kidney beans and chili pepper; or an all veggie CIP (just leave out the meat and add more beans!)
The beauty in CIP is that YOU CAN NOT MAKE IT WRONG and it never is exactly the same although I have concluded after many batches that onion powder and tomato pieces are the key!  Thus, you can eat it every week....and we have been....for many years.....but still, when they come home, or when I visit...they ask for CIP!


5 comments:

Kelli Traber said...

That is my kind of cooking! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Love how you talked about the emotional significance of this dish to your family. Amazing how a few bites of something familiar can bind you all together.

Linda B said...

I love how tradition can make any meal a favorite, & your direction "cook a while". Very fun. Our 'recipe in progress' has to do with beans. A big pot of beans can last a few days with different editions. Thanks for this good family story, Anita.

Cindy said...

Sounds like a great meal plan. Thanks for sharing. I especially like a recipe with a story.

MaryHelen said...

I love the story behind the CIP. Many slices can come from the dinner around the CIP. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Robin said...

I always love the story behind the recipe. I think it's sad that so often we share our recipe's but those back stories get lost. And I think CIP sounds amazing - both as an easy go-to dinner to cook and an enjoyable meal to eat! Yay for new recipes!