Succotash Stew: With a Side of Barbecue Chicken

Let's be real folks, we have all picked up an rotisserie chicken from the deli of our local supermarket.  After a long day at the job, it be either in your home and/or outside of the home, you need an easy yet healthy meal for your family.  This bird really doesn't cut it...

Gotta Love Southern Cooking

I love succotash, the combination of flavors and it can be made with any type of vegetables, although the truest form contains lima beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, okra and some spices.

My family is not a big fan of okra so I have revised this recipe a bit.  I also like mine a bit on the wet side, so this is more of a stew than an original succotash but hey, that always seems to be my way, that is, do it my way.

To me that is what cooking is all about, take a basic recipe and then make it suit you and your family's likes.

Lima beans tend to be like every other bean, bland that is, until you add some spices & goodies to the pot and then you get a very tasty yet healthy dish your family will love.  Lima beans pack in some vitamin B's, potassium, iron and magnesium.  Not to even mention the fiber that is also an added ingredient we can all use.  They are also packed with protein, as most beans are.

Hit The Pantry

I know a lot of the so called 'experts' will tell you to stay away from canned foods, always go fresh, I say, not!  There are so many low sodium products on the market, also a lot of organic canned goods that are lovely on their own but, then add a few fresh ingredients and they become great.

I have noticed that I have started to cook more and more of these stews, as times are hard for a lot of us Americans.  A stew is ideal to make a little bit of ingredients go a long way.

Yes I use both fresh and pantry ingredients, to be quite honest, as I made this recipe up, I used what I had at the time.  I had no onions so I used onion powder.  As I have stated before, go by the basics but you add what you like.  Change up the beans, the vegetables or, make it my way and I assure you, you and your family will love this easy yet healthy meal.

What You Will Need...

2 pounds dried lima beans
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
3 bell peppers (I used 2 green & 1 red)
1 can tomatoes
1 can cream corn
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sage
1 1/2 onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
Canola oil
Butter
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 rotisserie chicken
Barbecue sauce of your choice
Bread of your choice


Plan & Soak

There are two ways to start this dish, one is to soak your beans overnight or you can go by the quick boil method.  This day I used the quick boil method.  I added my beans to a dutch oven, add enough water so the level of water is around 2 inches above your beans.  Bring your beans to a boil, cover and allow your beans to sit for 2 hours, drain your beans and place back in your pot and continue with this recipe.

If you want to soak your beans overnight than by all means do so, just drain the water and then continue with this recipe.  If you are like I am, I do most of my work around the house while all others are asleep, I always have.

Cut your veggies the night before, also go ahead and roast your bell peppers.  Place your bell peppers in a bowl, cover.  Dice your carrots and celery, place in a bowl, cover and then place both bowls in the refrigerator. This will cut down on a lot of your time once you get home from work, a day of running errands and/or just a rough day working around the house.

Do not forget to pick up that rotisserie chicken at your supermarket deli.

Start Your Dinner...

The first thing I do is take the chicken off of the bones and set aside.  Place your drained lima beans in your dutch oven and then push the chicken carcass down into your beans.  I am not adding any bacon or the usual types of meat that a lot of southern cooks place in their pot of beans, so a little chicken fat will be just fine, as they say "fat adds flavor.".

Though there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, the chicken will add flavor with very little fat, just make sure you discard the skin.

Place your bell peppers on a cookie sheet and place under your broiler and allow the skin to char, I mean turn black, turning as needed.  When your bell peppers are charred all over, place in a bowl and put a lid on it, allow them to sit while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.  This will help the skins of your bell peppers to come off so much easier.

I find it is so much easier to buy peppers in bulk (when on sale) and then roast my bell peppers this way, they can be placed in a glass bowl, covered with a bit of olive oil and then cover the bowl, place in your refrigerator.

If I do not plan on using the broiled bell peppers right away then I place a few in a sandwich baggie, after the skin is taken off and then place all the baggies in a freezer bag, store in your freezer.  Then I am able to grab one bag at a time, depending how many peppers I need.

I like millions of people watch cooking shows and after one show I watched where it called for one jar of roasted red peppers, I like most bought the jar and what I found was.  I paid over 3 dollars for one roasted pepper in that jar.  That was when I first started to do my own roasted bell peppers and the savings were huge.  If I happen to be grilling the night I go grocery shopping, I just place the bell peppers on the grill itself and do the same process, turn as the skin chars and then place in a bowl and cover with a lid, so as to steam off the skin.

Roasting also brings out the sweetness of this vegetable and makes the taste of them, twice as good.

Okay the lima beans and chicken bones are in the pot, in a small dice cut up your celery, then cut your carrots into a medium dice, place in a frying pan, on medium with 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil added to your pan and saute your vegetables until soft.

While your carrots and celery are cooking, add your can of cream corn, peppers (peeled & chopped), onion powder, garlic powder, sage, thyme and a bay leaf to your pot of beans.  When your vegetables are done, add to your pot, cover your beans with some cold water and bring to a boil.  When your lima beans come to a boil, place a lid on the pot and turn down to a low simmer.

You can always add more water (if needed) as your stew is cooking, as they say, "It is easier to add than it is to take away.".  


Fry & Simmer

As your beans are simmering away for the first 30 minutes, peel and dice your potatoes, add to a bowl and cover with cold water.  Place your chicken in a sauce pan and add your favorite barbecue sauce and put on a very low simmer, no lid, stirring every now and then.

In the frying pan you cooked your carrots and celery in, add a tablespoon of canola oil and on medium heat, add your tomatoes (drained, save liquid), salt & pepper and saute for 4 to 5 minutes.  This is will brighten up your tomatoes and just add more goodness.

As you are stirring your tomatoes, make sure to scrap the bottom to get all the flavor left over from cooking your carrots and celery.  Add to your pot, replace the lid and continue to simmer.

Drain your potatoes and it is even a good idea to take a towel and dry them off as much as you can.  Place in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of canola oil, salt and pepper.  Cook on medium high, turning every now and then.

How much salt you add is up to you, I find 1 tablespoon is perfect and lots of cracked black pepper is a must with this dish.  Remember, this is your stew so add as much as you like.

Like most beans, they do not always have a set time I can give you, I have made this stew and it has taken 1 1/2 hours to cook and yet this time, it only had taken 1 hour.  I have been told by one too many southern cooks this one secret and even though some 'experts' say it is not so...

I do not add salt or anything (tomatoes) with acid to my beans for the first 30 minutes.  The wonderful southern cooks I have had the honor of being in their kitchens say not to do so, so I don't.

When something is not broken folks, just don't try to fix it.

Yes, I Will Take 'this' Chicken...

I like my barbecue chicken served as an open faced sandwich and the bread I use is a slice of french bread. I will toast my bread in a frying pan with a thin coat of butter added to one side and toast it on a medium low heat, turn the bread over (adding no butter) and toast the other side.

The butter helps cut through that heavy barbecue sauce, helps with obtaining a golden piece of french bread and the crunchy texture is perfect for the spicy, sweet and creamy barbecue chicken.

Now why settle with a boring rotisserie chicken, I must ask, when all you have to do is think ahead and you too will have a delicious, yet healthy dinner your family will love.  I will eat on this succotash stew for the rest of the week for lunch, it only gets better after each day passes.

Please check out a few of my other recipes...

1 Chicken + 2 Dishes

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

All photographs are the property of Denise O.  Do not use unless you get 'my' written permission. All written material is owned by Denise O, it will not be shared without 'my' written permission.  Just keeping it real folks.:)

Potato, Squash & Carrot Stew + Chicken Salad: 1 chicken, 2 dishes

Adding Cilantro, a hint of lime and a ripen Tomato, makes this soup and sandwich meal over the top.  I have made many chicken salad sandwiches in my lifetime and eaten just as many or more but, this version is my go to chicken salad, it hits every one of my taste buds that want to be touched. 

I love a bowl of hot soup by itself but, to also pair it with a delicious chicken sandwich, then all I can say is you have a winning combination.  I  was raised on soups and stews, anything that would feed us hungry vultures.  By watching Mama cook, taking mental notes (might I add) and also, with my years of feeding my own crew, I have learned to cook some very tasty one pot meals and a sandwich made the right way, is the icing on this meal.

You Will Need...

For poaching

3 pounds of chicken breast (boneless & skinless)

41/2 to 5 cups of water.

3 stalks celery

3 large carrots

2 onions

6 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf (2 if they are small)

For Your soup...

5 cups poaching liquid, plus the carrots

6 cups of potatoes (will take 6 to 7, depending on there size)

3 1/2 cups of butternut squash (peeled & seeded)

1 large onion (or two small ones)

4 garlic cloves

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground chipolte chile pepper

Salt & fresh Cracked black pepper to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

For Your Sandwich

5 1/2 cups cubed chicken breast (cooled)

1 1/2 cups carrots

6 green onion

1 2/3 cups of mayonnaise

1 can of green chilies (.45 ounce can)

2 1/2 tablespoons of cilantro (fresh only please)

Juice from 1/2 of a lime

1/4 teaspoon of ground chipotle chile pepper

Parmesan shavings

2 tomatoes  (best they have, worth every penny)

6 hamburger buns

Butter (real please)

Start with Poaching...

In a 5 quart dutch oven place your chicken, onions (cut into 1/4's), carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaf and 'fresh' cracked black pepper.  After all is in, add your water to the pot, make sure you start out with cold water.

Place on the stove having your burner set on medium heat, right before it comes to a boil and you can see bubbles starting to rise up to the surface, turn the temperature down to a low simmer and cover with a lid.

Do not allow your chicken to come to a boil, if so then the vegetables and spices are not allowed the time to soak up all that goodness.  Also, you do not want over cooked chicken on the outside.

How long you cook your chicken will depend on a few things, 'your' stove and the size of chicken pieces you are using and actually, just the meat itself can change the temperature.

Mine takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.  Please invest in a meat thermometer, when inserted into your chicken breast and it has reached 165 degrees, it will be done. I check every 5 minutes after the first initial 20 minutes.

Cool it Down

When your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, then it is done.

Pace your chicken breast in a bowl, add a few strips of lime zest, trying not to get any of the white, as it is bitter and then add the zest to your bowl of chicken breast and then top the chicken off with some of the poaching liquid.

Place your chicken breast in the refrigerator so it is able to cool down, nothing worse than adding mayonnaise to hot chicken when making chicken salad.

Strain your poaching broth into a bowl and add the carrots, the rest has met its doom, no flavor left so I discard them.  Place your broth in the refrigerator to cool down.  I would say in about 2 hours, the broth and chicken should be cooled down enough to continue on.  Placing your broth in the freezer will cool it down faster.


All Your Ducks in A Row

The best way to make this soup is to have all your ingredients ready to cook, sitting right next to you.  I find sitting at the kitchen table and cutting up vegetables is very relaxing.  Also having your spices already measured out and on a plate, will help in making sure you have all your spices you will need.

Drain your cooked vegetables from your poaching broth, saving the broth and carrots, set aside.

Peel and dice both your squash and potatoes.  Dice your onions in a medium dice and then slice the carrots that you just saved from your poaching liquid, slice cross wise, about a inch long.

Peel the skin off of your garlic cloves, cut in half and add to your spice plate.  Make sure your honey and pepper mill is close by.

Fry & Boil

Place your cubed potatoes into your cooking broth.  Cook for ten minutes after ten minutes has passed,

Add the carrots left over from your poaching broth.  Grab your potato masher and start to mash.

Keeping the heat on medium low.

In a frying pan, on high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil, allow the pan to get hot, then add your onion  and squash.  Stir fry for around 3 minutes.

After 3 minutes are up lower your heat to medium, add your spices and garlic cloves, stir for a minute, or until you are able to smell the garlic cooking, cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on low, until the squash is tender but, not falling apart.

 

Please do not skip the cooling down process of your poaching broth, if you do then you will have cooked potatoes on the outside but hard un-cooked potatoes in the middle.

Simmer that Goodness

When mashing your potatoes and carrots remember that you want your soup to resemble a more rustic consistency.

Cook on simmer for 5 minutes, stirring once, make sure you hit the bottom of the pan with your spoon, so as your soup will not scorch.

Remove the garlic cloves from your squash & onions and then add to your potato and carrot pot.  Add your honey, taste and then adjust for salt and pepper.  Cook together on medium low for around 6 to 8 minutes.

I like to add a few tablespoons of heavy cream at the end, it adds some depth and makes for a more luxurious soup.  As they do say 'fat adds flavor'.  

Sandwich Time

Take your chicken out of the broth, discard the lime zest and add the broth back to your pot of soup and mix.  Dice your chicken in bite size chunks, add back to your bowl. 

Grate your carrots, slice your tomatoes, green onions add to your bowl of chicken.

Strain the green chili's in a small mesh strainer, take the back of a wooden spoon and push out all the juice.  Then add the juice of half of a lime over your green chili's and set aside.  Allow the chili's and lime juice to drain as you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

In a separate bowl add mayonnaise, ground chipolte pepper and cilantro, mix well.   After your mayonnaise is well incorporated, add to your chicken and toss in your green chili's. 

Buttered UP!

In a separate bowl add mayonnaise, ground chipolte pepper and cilantro, mix well.   After your mayonnaise is well incorporated, add to your chicken and toss in your green chili's.

In the mean time butter your hamburger buns, one side and plate on a griddle or a frying pan and toast one side of the bread.

I have found that using real butter makes this sandwich go from great to 'fantastic'.

Also, it is key to get a ripen tomato, I actually paid 4 dollars for these two (big) well ripened tomatoes, it is so key to making this sandwich as mouth watering as it is and also, salt & pepper your tomatoes as you add them to your sandwiches.

 Make it 'even' Better...

After you have topped off each hamburger bun take a chunk of parmesan cheese and a potato peeler, shave a few slices of parmesan cheese and place on top of your chicken salad and then top with a tomato slice and then top it off with your bun.

Now this would make a great lunch or supper for anyone, just add a few chips on the side.  If I decide to give my dear husband this sandwich for his lunch during his lunch break, I take a few extra steps.

I will toast the bread, make sure it has cooled down before I place it into a sandwich bag.  I place the chicken salad in a container and the tomato slice is also placed in a separate baggie.  This was my husband can put it altogether at work during his lunch break and not have a soggy sandwich.  Well worth the trouble.

Soup & Sandwich...

Yes the sandwich is delicious on its own, as is the soup but add them together and you have the perfect match.  Between the hot healthy soup, paired with this flavor packed sandwich your family will be begging you to make this meal every week.  Since I came up with this recipe, we now have it once a week.

For another delicious yet easy recipe...

Lentil & Vegetable Soup

All photographs are the property of Denise O.  Do not use unless you get 'my' written permission. All written material is owned by Denise O, it will not be 'used' (sharing my article is different, it is acceptable and appreciated) without 'my' written permission.  Just keeping it real folks.:)

Lentil & Vegetable soup: Vegetarian or Ham Bone!

I like recipes that give you a choice of either having it vegetarian or as a meat dish and still taste good, no matter which way you choose to make this recipe.

When I was young, I loved to visit my grandmothers home in New Mexico, she was such a accomplished cook and the aromas that were always floating in the air in her home made my stomach growl.   Not just in my Grandma's house but, all through the neighborhood. One thing l learned from grandma is, do not add everything to your pot at once.  Let the flavors develop, one step at a time and an also a good broth is key. 

If you would like this soup to be vegetarian, omit the ham bone. Replace the 4 1/2 cups of water with vegetable stock, homemade or store bought, your choice.


Ingredients

1 ham bone
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 onion
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 cup of chopped carrots
2 14.5 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes
2 14.75 oz cans of cream corn
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed
1 cup rice
1/2 green bell pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic 
2 teaspoon dried oregano 
1 tablespoon chili powder 
1/2 teaspon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle peppers
3 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
A pinch or two of red pepper flakes

It will be Just fine...

Do not let the amount of ingredients deter you from making this lovely soup. 

It is really easy and I will guide you along the way.  Soon this soup will become second nature to you. 

Basically there are very few steps you must go through and in the end, it will be well worth it, I promise.

Dice onion and garlic.

Grate 1/2 cup of carrots. 

Slice carrots and set aside.

Grab all your spices and head to the stove.

Fry it up in a Pan

On medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a 5 quart pot. 

When the oil gets hot, add your onions, grated carrots and saute for 3 minutes or until your vegetables have started to brown around the edges. 

After 3 minutes, add to your pot, garlic, chili powder, cumin, sweet paprika, black pepper, chipolte pepper, dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of salt and red pepper flakes. 

Saute on medium heat for 1 minutes.


Ham it up!

Place your ham bone in your pot, cover the ham bone with 4 1/2 quarts of water and add your bay leaf. 

Bring your soup base to a boil, turn down the heat to low , cover and cook for 1 hour.

Take off your lid, turn your burner up to medium high, cook for 20 minutes.


Almost There

After your 30 minutes is up, remove the ham bone.  When the ham bone has cooled a bit, you can remove the bits of ham and add to your soup.

Add 2 cans of tomatoes and 2 cans of cream corn.  Add your sliced carrots.  Cook for 30 minutes, on medium heat.


Add those Lentils

Rinse your lentils in a strainer, add your lentils and 1/2 of a green bell pepper (or any other bell pepper you have) to your pot. 

Bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer.

Cover with your lid and simmer for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, add your rice and bring to a boil. When your rice reaches a boil. place your lid back on your pot, turn your burner on low and simmer for 20 minutes or until your rice is cooked all the way through..


While your Soup is Simmering

Place your spinach in some cheesecloth and squeeze the water out of your spinach.

In a frying pan on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the pan gets hot, add your spinach. 

Saute your spinach for 3 minutes. 

Watch out, the spinach might splatter and it does hurt a bit.   Add your lemon pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, honey and saute for 2 more minutes.

Add your spinach to the soup. Cook your soup on medium heat for 5 minutes and then serve.


If you don't have lemon pepper available then just add the zest of 1/2 of a lemon and about 1/2 teaspoon (or more if you like) of 'fresh' cracked black pepper.


Dig on in!

With a nice piece of bread of your choosing, this lentil soup makes a wonderful meal. Soups and stews are very healthy and I find them economically low for a large amount of hot goodness. 

For a few more of my soup/stew recipes, please visit my pages...

Succotash Stew 
Potato, Squash & Carrot Soup

All photographs are the property of Denise O.  Do not use unless you get 'my' written permission. All written material is owned by Denise O, it will not be 'used' (sharing my article is different, it is acceptable and appreciated) without 'my' written permission.  Just keeping it real folks.:)