Chicken and...Yummy Leftovers!

This shall be considered my post-in-progress....

PART 1:
I am grilling a chicken right now, with plans to have it for dinner with cornbread and steamed broccoli. The leftovers will be turned into Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas, and another night I'll make a stock for a southwestern soup of sorts.

Starting out, I have to cook the chicken. I selected an organic bird from the grocery store. I am aware that they're not usually farmed much better than the conventional, but until I can get my hands on pasture-raised birds* we're making due, having chicken less often.

A few hours before you want to cook the bird, or the night before, rinse and dry it with paper towels. Prepare a rub of your choice** and thoroughly coat the bird, inside, out, and under the skin. Tie the legs together, if desired. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

We are fortunate to have a smoker to add a bit of flavor, so sometimes we'll start the bird there, transferring it to the grill after about an hour. You can, of course, just roast the bird in the oven, but for a mess-free clean-up I like to place it over a half-full can of water or beer in a preheated grill. Turn off one burner, so the chicken isn't right over the flame (to avoid flare-ups). Our grill has a thermometer attached; I keep the temp about 400 degrees. Cook, turning the bird halfway through, about 45 minutes-1 hour total, or until a meat thermometer indicates 180 degrees. Allow to rest about 10 minutes before carving.

*Pasture-raised birds do not exist where I live, as is probably common in a lot of areas. Whole Foods and other specialty stores offer many different selections; air-chilled birds have the lowest contamination rates (VERY hard to find, though, most are water chilled). Even Foster Farms can call their birds "natural"; this means very little. Look for organic at the very least, pasture-raised will have the best flavor. Even better is to find a local farmer to buy from. They often stock frozen birds, or you can arrange to pick up fresh ones on the day of slaughter (in some cases they'll give you a discount if you help!!). I have purchased birds from Willow Witt Ranch and Rogue Valley Brambles.

**The southwestern rub I used for this particular dinner consists of: Penzeys Chili Powder (ancho, oregano, garlic, cumin), kosher salt, and olive oil. If you have it, add some minched fresh garlic and pureed cilantro. Another, more basic rub that we like is Italian seasoning, kosher salt (unless the seasoning blend has salt in it), freshly ground pepper, and olive oil.




PART 2, two days later:

With the leftover chicken meat you can make some yummy wrap sandwiches, tacos, or salads, or you can get a bit more creative and make some empanadas! These little hand pies are delicious, loved by children, portable, and easy to put together. Make them as spicy (or not) as you like with the added chipotles and serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for dipping (my two year old went for the ranch dressing...!). I didn't specify how many this recipe will make because it depends on the size of circles you cut out. Use a biscuit cutter for cute appetizers or a medium sized bowl for large adult-sized pockets.

Chicken, Black Bean, and Chile Empanadas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed, and slightly smashed
about 1 1/2 cups leftover southwestern-spiced chicken, chopped
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped finely
1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, pepper jack, etc)
1/2 tsp cumin

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until translucent. Add two cloves garlic, minced, and saute 30 seconds. Stir into the bean mixture and set aside.

In a second large mixing bowl, stir together:
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp, whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp, all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Using the same grater you used for the cheese (to save on dishes), grate 6 tbsp cold butter over the flour. Toss and stir lightly to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together:
2 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup ice water
1 egg yolk (reserve the white)
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

Pour into the flour mixture and stir together, adding more water as necessary. Don't add too much, as you will need to be able to knead the dough slightly to make it cohesive but not sticky.

Turn out onto a floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into circles as desired. Fill with a scoop of the bean mixture and fold the top over. Using the tines of a fork, press the edges together to seal. (If you have difficulty getting them to stick, wipe a small bit of water on the inside edge first.) Place on a greased cookie sheet and repeat, gathering dough scraps and re-rolling as needed.

Whisk the egg white lightly. Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the tops of the empanadas. Bake 15-20 minutes (depending on the size), until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 min before serving.

I didn't have leftover filling or pie crust, but if you do, use the filling in an omelette for breakfast the next morning or as taco filler. Roll out the scraps of dough and cut into strips or shapes. Transfer to a cookie sheet, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until crispy for an easy dessert!