Chicken Stew with Rice, Beans and Corn

Anita Manners puts together chicken and vegetables for her four children, relying on free chicken, potatoes and onion from a food pantry. Read Anita’s story here.

Seasoned chicken with mushrooms

About 9 servings

1 onion
4 button mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds chicken drumsticks
½ tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
½  teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns
½  teaspoon ground black peppercorns
2 cups organic chicken stock

Slice the mushroom and onions. Saute onion and mushrooms in olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Combine all herbs and spices in a bowl. Wash chicken and while wet, coat chicken in spice mixture.

Add chicken to onion and mushroom mixture. Brown chicken on all sides, add chicken stock, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

Beans and Rice

2 cups rice
2 cups organic chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 can kidney beans
1/2 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon  garlic salt
1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Place rice in a saucepan with 1 cup of chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed; see package instructions.

Place kidney beans in another small saucepan with tomato paste, remaining chicken stock and herbs. Cook on low for 40 minutes.

Roasted potato chips

6 white potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice potatoes as thinly as possibly and place on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Drizzle olive oil and salt over potatoes. Roast until golden brown.

Fresh Corn

12 ears corn
4 cups water
2 oz (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Boil water in pan. When boiling, add corn and butter. Cook for 20 minutes. Salt to taste.

Cost: The entire family’s meal costs $13.65, or $2.73 per serving. Each child gets two servings, and  Anita cobbles together her own meal from their leftovers.

[These are not cookbook recipes. Some home cooks work from written recipes, but many know their favorite dishes by heart, or improvise on the spot, or define a home-cooked meal as take-out put on a plate. We offer these as a closer look at what our 12 New Yorkers had for dinner, whether it was a set of traditional recipes, or take-out, or even a sandwich consumed first thing in the morning.]

Amber Jamieson