I do love producing meals from left overs, its one of my favourite activities I think. To look at a cold chicken and ponder the many possibilities of what can be produced from the already plundered carcass can only give pleasure to the home cook. Over Christmas I noticed that Babycham had come back on the market – or maybe it never went away – and it wasn’t bad for the odd glass of bubbles. Having a bottle left an idea took shape.
Using the chestnut mushrooms from our veg box, I shredded the chicken, fried the onions and garlic and mushrooms, added the chicken and then whisked two tablespoons of flour into the Babycham threw that in closely followed by some water and some milk until I had the right consistency, then added salt and pepper. It was absolutely delicious… I will be doing this again and again, it was that good. 
Next I had some bubble and squeak that I had made from the carrot, spring greens and potatoes of the previous veg box. Mixed in about 3 oz of flour and a couple of eggs and this time about 3 oz of strong cheddar, because that is what I had, it could have been Parmesan. 
And then made gnocchi. 
Some we placed in boiling water, simmering very gently and let rise to the surface and then cook for a few minutes until all the flour was cooked and they were lovely little dumplings with our chicken and mushroom. 
And some I roasted off, I sprayed them with a fine mist of olive oil and popped into a moderate oven. 
And they were brilliant the next day after a hard day wandering around London, cheesy and crunchy, just yummy, with a soft centre on a bed of the chicken, mushroom and Babycham fricassee.
Wannabe Gastronomy indeed.
blossom and sunshine 
I love adventures like this with cooking! Living here in Serbia or anywhere you find you cannot find an ingredient or you just don’t have it in the larder when you need it. The art of substitution, ingenuity, etc. is where food becomes fun and we are the Chef of the Day.
Jamie Oliver has dedicated a series of programs to using up what is in our kitchens as our bins become the healthiest place in the house otherwise. Well done Mandy and hubby for showing the way through a veg box.
I have a green grocer right on the corner of my street. I begin my shopping there, then move on to the butcher and then on the chain grocer for anything else we can’t live without. I work my menu around what is fresh that week and with my husband not being such a veggie lover, this gets interesting. I have learned he likes the flavours they give so chop away! He is eating healthier each day and he doesn’t even know it.
Bon apetit!
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I didn’t know that about Jamie Oliver, I’ll have to look out for that series, its always good to get a new spin on things. When I left home at just 17 there was often very little in the food cupboard and one comment that often came about from friends was how I was able to make a meal out of nothing. They would see nothing to eat, I would see a realm of possibilities, its stood me in very good stead financially over the years.
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