Buy in bulk and you’ll have dishes for days

Sara Gore shows how starting with more yields delicious results

Video: Use chicken for these delicious meals

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>>> dinner? how to use fresh food purchased in bulk. you know, you can buy a few chickens, and with some planning, you can have several meals on hand, saving you both time and money. sarah gore is the co host of "lx new york." good to see you.

>> good to see you, al. always good to be in the kitchen with you.

>> here's the deal. we hear about buying the staples in bulk, but fresh food, people are nervous about that.

>> you know why, my sister called me and said i have so much chicken right now, i don't know what to do with it. but if you plan ahead, you can make stock and always have it on hand in the freezer, package frozen chicken into however big your family is.

>> so that's probably the key, is, like, freezing and using --

>> friends with the freezer.

>> friends with the freezer.

>> use every bit of a whole chicken .

>> so this is a chicken .

>> yes. okay, so you butcher the chicken and we've got the wings, the car cast, the breast.

>> is it easy to butcher?

>> yes, it is. and you can take the backbone out and flatten and do it that way and keep the bone in and cook it.

>> mark bitman has a great video on new york times.

>> and in his book, everything with pictures and he's excellent.

>> yes. okay. so you cut it up.

>> okay, so we're going to start with making a soup. and we're going to use the carcast and the wings. i'm not going to use this for anything else and give it a nice chicken flavor. so in here, we have any leftovers scraps of veggies you have, carrots, celery, onions, herbs, thyme and parsley. you're going to cook that down at least an hour or two. but the longer the better, obviously. and you strain it and there's our chicken stock right there. so you can freeze that at this point. if you chill it and scrape the fat off the top, it's better.

>> so we're making a tuscan bean soup.

>> we are. so we have celery, carrots, onions.

>> called the holy trinity .

>> i call it that, too. so we're going to add chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. giving it a kick. if you like it spicy -- sure. okay, so i didn't want to burn the car lick garlic so i added that after.

>> that smells good.

>> doesn't that smell good? the holy trinity is making it happen. okay. so then to this we're going to add white wine . and the chicken stock .

>> right.

>> and then will you grab those legs? is.

>> okay. give me the chicken .

>> not mine.

>> yikes.

>> friendly sarah gore.

>> getting fresh in the kitchen. okay. so that's going to cook for like 20, 30 minutes .

>> okay.

>> and then you're going to remove the legs, and as i was doing before, you can pull the meat off. and this is cooked down. i'm just going to add this. you can break it up more, but it has one already in there. the chicken is broken farther. we're going to add two cans of beans, and fresh spinach --

>> this is a very healthy dish.

>> very healthy. you could use arugula, spinach, your favorite greens. i like to add fresh parsley and then some parmesan cheese . and obviously, that shin afternoon is going to wilt quickly. and then we're going to serve some in here.

>> i guess i should have taken the plate over to the dish.

>> i could have done that for you. but look, it's very healthy. and you serve it with crosstini.

>> come back and join us. there's a second way to do this.

>> so this is the breast you had over there. you poach it --

>> mmmm.

>> okay, so we're going to make a yogurt/curry mayonnaise, i know. so cilantro, some curry, some lime juice. thank you, al. and some honey. and then we're going to add the chicken to this.

>> mix it all up.

>> yep.

>> easy. so easy.

>> super easy. and as healthy as we want. that is toasted coconut, golden raisin and toasted cashews, all in.

>> lover that.

>> should have worn an apron today.

>> and neat wraps.

>> and butter lettuce, really healthy.

>> and the whole roast chicken .

>> amazing, thyme, butter, fennel, caramelized onions , with or without gravy. thank you.

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 3/24/2011 8:24:04 AM ET

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It’s easy to buy a whole chicken — and even easier to use it to make multiple meals! From Tuscan bean soup to curry chicken lettuce wraps, Sara Gore’s recipes prove that buying in bulk has many benefits.

Recipe: Tuscan white bean soup (on this page) Recipe: Curry chicken lettuce wraps (on this page)

Recipe: Tuscan white bean soup

Sara Gore

Ingredients

For the stock:
Chicken carcass, including neck and scraps
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, quartered
5 sprigs parsley, including stems
Small bunch of thyme
4 cloves smashed garlic
5 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
For the soup:
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
6 cups stock
3/4 cup white wine
Thigh or leg meat with the bone in
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
3 ounces of baby spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped parsley
For the garnish:
Parsley
Parmesan
White truffle oil
Crostini crouton, or a baguette sliced thin and toasted with olive oil and salt

Preparation

In a large stockpot, add all stock ingredients and cover with water. Cook over high heat until it starts to bubble. Turn down to medium-low and cook for one to two hours, skimming occasionally. Strain. Season with salt to taste. Cool and skim off fat. If you want to skip this step, you can buy good-quality stock.

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, saute carrots, celery, and onions in olive oil until onions are translucent and carrots are tender. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and saute another few minutes. Add chicken thighs, stock, and wine and simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove thighs from pot and shred meat, discarding the bone, and return shredded meat to soup. Add beans, spinach, parsley, and Parmesan and simmer another five to 10 minutes.

To serve, top with Parmesan cheese, a little parsley, drizzle with a little truffle oil and serve with a crostini crouton.

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Recipe: Curry chicken lettuce wraps

Sara Gore

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock
2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup 2 percent or 0 percent Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup roasted cashews, rough chop
1/3 cup toasted coconut (350 degrees Fahrenheit for eight minutes on a sheet tray)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Boston lettuce

Preparation

Bring four cups stock to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, for eight to 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is cooked through, which takes about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool for 10 minutes. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside in medium bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together mayo, yogurt, curry, lime, honey, salt to taste and cilantro.

Mix enough curry yogurt dressing to generously coat chicken in medium bowl. Mix in raisins, cashews and coconut.

Serve curry chicken salad on bed of Boston lettuce. Top with a little extra cilantro and coconut. Wrap individual leaves with as much chicken salad as desired. Enjoy!

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