Have a look at …

... the Gallimaufry photos

I hope you'll agree – yum!

Now we're ready!

Here's my take on warm salads. I know that's a contradiction since salad is meant to be cold but rules are made to be broken. My warm salad is a “gallimaufry” - meaning jumble or a medley if you prefer!

Chicken Gallimaufry

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, sliced at an angle

(from slow cooking a whole chicken)

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

350g red new potatoes, halved or quartered

should be 2cm ish

Half a lemon cut in half

135g baby leeks, topped, tailed and cut into 1.5cm pieces

1 tbsp tapenade - 15ml

110g fine asparagus

Salt and pepper

Chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

Pre-heat oven 200fan/220c/Gas 7.

Put the potatoes and lemon wedges into the foil tray you set aside after the slow cooking (or a medium roasting tin if you prefer) and toss with 1 tbsp of oil, season and roast for 20 minutes.

Turn down the oven to 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Snap the asparagus to remove the woody ends – they should be of a similar size - then blanch, plunge into ice cold water and pat dry. You can prep ahead if you wish, then box and fridge.

Toss the leeks in the remaining tbsp of oil and add to the potatoes. Add the tapenade and fold through. Bake for 10 minutes then add the blanched asparagus for 5 minutes, fold in gently.

Whilst the potatoes et al are baking warm the stock – you should get 250ml from your chicken after straining. (This recipe is based on a slow cooked whole chicken).

To assemble, divide the potatoes, leeks and asparagus between two large bowls – plates will do. Top with the sliced chicken breast – one breast per serving - and add a liberal drizzle of the stock. A sprinkle of parsley to garnish and a wedge of lemon too.

Photos up next!

Here they are …

The chicken in all its glory, skin off

The stock, strained into a jug, ready to be cooled, covered and fridged

The stock the following day, decanted into a “pour and store” bag ready to freeze. The stock forms a golden jelly with some natural fat from the bird – you've not added any fat at all – nice colour don't you think?

Here's the chicken stripped and portioned into four

Top right and bottom left are the breasts. I would freeze each breast individually

– you may only need one in the future but should you need both it's not an issue

Top left is a leg as is, again to be frozen.

There's no doubt that if you leave meat on the bone it is less likely to dry out

Bottom right we have a mixture of leg and thigh meat

Finally what you'll also see displayed, bottom right, are the blobs of the jellied stock – don't waste it, freeze it in ice cube trays, the flavour will be great, whatever you decide to cook.

Job done – now we're ready!

My next idea …

… might seem long winded but you can slow cook a chicken and strip it ahead of the game – I can assure you it's worth it. The bonus is that you've got a stash of chicken ready and waiting to use left over from the following recipe - from sandwiches and slaw, to a curry, with noodles, a stir fry or even a pie!

Slow Cook a Whole Chicken

1 chicken – between 1.5kg – 1.75kg

1 chicken stock pot

2 tsps of garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot

generous sprinkle of oregano or garlic

Italian seasoning

OR

Alternatively use two whole star anise in the cavity

and omit the herbs

Place your chicken in the slow cooker and mix the stock pot with the garlic paste and spread over the chicken. Sprinkle with the herbs OR add the whole star anise to the cavity and omit the herbs. Switch your slow cooker to the low setting and leave it for 8 hours.

Strain the stock and freeze the resultant liquid gold if you're not using it, strip the chicken, keeping aside what you need and then bag and freeze the remainder.

You'll get approximately 250ml of stock from the chicken.

It takes no time at all to prepare and you can leave it to do its magic!

How about some helpful photos?

Warm salady photos!

A step by step chicken tikka guide

The colours are vibrant and stunning – just as they should be.

Next up your salady bag ...

Now for some warm salady stuff

Hope you had a great Easter holiday!

This “salad” is excellent hot or cold and is a great idea to include as part of a mezze or thali as they say in India!

Or it stands perfectly well on its own but better still as part of a party table. It's convenient in that you can marinade overnight and just pop into the oven when you're ready.

Or it's a perfect dish for a Saturday night in front of your favourite tv!

Tandoori chicken tikka salad

Serves 4

700g (1lb 8oz) chicken breast, cut

into chunks

Marinade

1½ tbsps ginger and garlic paste

½ tsp salt

1½ tsps green chilli paste

2½ tbsps white vinegar

5 tbsps vegetable oil

1½ tsps turmeric

1½ tsps red chilli powder

1½ tsps cumin powder

2 tsps garam masala

160g (5½ oz) Greek yoghurt

or low fat version

For the dressing

4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1½ tbsps balsamic vinegar

1½ tsps brown sugar

¼ tsp coarse black pepper

¼ tsp cumin powder

pinch of salt

In a bowl mix the chicken pieces with the ginger and garlic paste, salt, green chilli paste and the white vinegar and leave to one side.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the oil and turmeric. Add the red chilli powder, cumin poweder and garam masala to the bowl then mix well before adding the yoghurt. Combine the mixture thoroughly.

Add the chicken pieces to the yoghurt mixture. Use your hands to ensure the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the yoghurt marinade. Leave the chicken to marinade for at least an hour. You can leave it in the marinade overnight, this way the chicken will absorb all the flavours thoroughly.

Once the chicken has been marinated, place the pieces on an oven tray. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 20-25 minutes.

If you prefer a vegetarian or vegan version you can use Quorn pieces.

You'll not be disappointed!

Now for the marinade et al photos ...

The next idea ...

… is “a sandwich for the soul”

It's my take on a “takeaway” chicken idea for the weekend. If there are four in your household then you might want to consider slow cooking a whole chicken just for this purpose, lets be honest, it doesn't take a great deal of effort, nor break the bank either. I'd recommend too that you use the star anise option in the cavity, the flavour is divine. You'll also produce lots of moist chicken which shreds very easily, it almost melts before your eyes.

We've already had chicken soup for the soul – now here's a chicken sandwich for the soul – I have it on good authority that this is the best ever and well worth slow cooking a whole chicken solely for that purpose!

You'll need delicious bread and when I say delicious bread I mean a loaf (or may be two) that can be sliced into doorsteps. You could serve with a side of wedges or fries too!

Who likes what?

It wouldn't be a sandwich without the extras, here are my

suggestions and it is not an exhaustive list!

Avocado, sliced or mashed to suit, with lemon

juice

Crispy bacon – and bits are better!

Good quality mayo

Beef tomatoes, sliced thinly

Beetroot relish or slices if you prefer

Any salad item you love – spring onions, shredded

iceberg lettuce

capers, cornichons

A slaw of your choice – here's an Asian

recipe that will compliment your anise infused

shredded chicken

Asian Coleslaw

110g white cabbage, finely sliced – approximately

one third of a medium size cabbage

1 carrot – peeled and sliced with a

julienne peeler

1 spring onion – 15g finely sliced

if you want to create a basic slaw stash then

double the amounts given above

3-4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp caster sugar

Half tbsp rice wine

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp peanut butter

Half tsp chilli powder

4 tbsp fresh coriander

Combine all the above ingredients except the fresh coriander.

Marinade for at least an hour – 2-3 is better still!

Just before serving strain off the excess liquid, stir in the coriander and serve!

If you don't want to be bothered ...

The sauce recipe

 

Sauce Supreme

15g unsalted butter

15g plain flour

250g cold chicken stock

½ tsp Dijon mustard

200ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously making a roux sauce – do not walk away.

Tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

You can freeze the sauce if it's more convenient – it's every bit as good from the freezer.

You have choices for your pie lid. I'm using the potatoes I've already baked and have stashed in my fridge.

You could use the ever popular puff pastry sheet, again taken from your freezer stash.

Add the mushrooms to the chicken and then fold through the sauce. Pour the filling into a casserole measuring 23x23 cms approximately or, in my case, a foil tray - layer the sliced potatoes over the top, add a little salt and pepper and a dot or two of butter . Place in the oven for 25 minutes and serve.

A perfect meal for when there's a chill in the air!

Or even a pie

Who doesn't love a pie – how about chicken and mushroom? You get to use your chicken stock – it's now called liquid gold in my kitchen. It's intense and rich and what better way to show it off than by making the sauce for your chicken and mushroom filling. I apologise, I should have said that you get between 250/300ml of stock depending on the size of your chicken.

Here are a few helpful photos :

The stock, strained into a jug, ready to be cooled, covered and fridged.

The stock the following day, decanted into a “pour and store” bag ready to freeze. The stock forms a golden jelly with some natural fat from the bird – you've not added any fat at all – nice colour don't you think?

Here's the chicken stripped and portioned into four.

Top right and bottom left are the breasts. I would freeze each breast individually – you may only need one in the future but should you need both it's not an issue. Top left is a leg as is, again to be frozen. There's no doubt that if you leave meat on the bone it is less likely to dry out. Finally bottom right we have a mixture of leg and thigh meat. What you'll also find when you strip the chicken the next day is that you'll have blobs of the jellied stock – don't waste it, freeze it in ice cube trays, the flavour will be great, whatever you decide to cook.

You can choose the chicken you prefer for your pie it's entirely up to you!

Chicken & Mushroom Pie

2 x slow cooked chicken breasts and/or

a mixture of leg and thigh meat -

400g in total, diced and placed in

a large bowl

250g chestnut mushrooms

Sauce Supreme – using your

chicken stock

Sliced cooked baked potatoes – 3 medium size

skin on or skin off, whichever you prefer

salt and black pepper and a dot or two of

butter

Preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Ensure that your chicken and stock have been taken from your freezer and fridged overnight.

There are only two elements to cook – the mushrooms and the sauce.

Heat a medium sized frying pan, slice the mushrooms and sauté with 50g of unsalted butter adding salt and black pepper. Turn the mushrooms – they'll produce water and the idea is that you use a high heat to reduce the liquid.

Add a glug of dry sherry or red wine and reduce again. The sherry or wine enhances the flavour of the mushrooms.

Whilst I'm at it don't be afraid to use mushrooms that might be past their “best before” date - they have more flavour.

Just a tip or two!

Now for the Sauce Supreme ...

Your chicken stash

You could use the remains from your Sunday roast chicken or if you wanted to create the basics for heaps of dishes you could slow cook a whole chicken

Slow Cook a Whole Chicken

1 chicken – between 1.5kg – 1.75kg

1 chicken stock pot

2 tsps of garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot

generous sprinkle of oregano or garlic

Italian seasoning

OR

Alternatively use two whole star anise in the cavity

and omit the herbs

Place your chicken in the slow cooker and mix the stock pot with the garlic paste and spread over the chicken. Sprinkle with the herbs OR add the whole star anise to the cavity and omit the herbs. Switch your slow cooker to the low setting and leave it for 8 hours.

Strain the stock and freeze the resultant liquid gold if you're not using it, strip the chicken, keeping aside what you need and then bag and freeze the remainder.

You'll get approximately 250ml of stock from the chicken.

If you want to make your own stock - use a large saucepan, cover the carcass with water and any veggie stock you've got and bring to the boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it do its magic for 30/45 minutes. Strain the stock, cool, cover and set aside until you're ready – you may find more chicken to add to your stash.

You don't have to make your own chicken stock – I use Knorr Stock Pots – chicken or vegetable – if need be. These days you can get a “meat-free” chicken stock pot.

I always have leftover Charlotte potatoes in my fridge – an ideal way of avoiding waste!

You'll get cooked chicken too for sandwiches and a slaw or a curry, with noodles or a stir fry – the world is your lobster.

Or even a pie ...

Ease into Autumn …

… with a comfort blanket.

It has to mean soup – what could be better than a steaming bowl of your choice!

How about “chicken soup for the soul” – it makes you feel better when you're having a bad day! It's also a perfect way to use scraps of leftover chicken - remove the chicken left on the legs and wings – and anywhere else. Dice, box and fridge - ready for later.

Here's the recipe :

Cream of Chicken Soup

Serves 4

30g unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – preferably roasted

500ml chicken stock

250ml whole milk

celery salt and white pepper

diced chicken stash

garnish of grated nutmeg

50-75ml double (heavy) cream

200g Charlotte potatoes, peel and cut

into small dice

a handful of frozen petit pois

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes – there should be no colour, season with celery salt. Add the stock and diced potatoes and simmer gently for 15 minutes then add the milk and simmer again for 10 minutes Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Blitz 2/3 ladles of the soup until thick and return to the pan. Add the cream, nutmeg, peas, ground white pepper and chicken - heat gently until piping hot.

Don't forget to warm the soup bowls.

Here it is :

chicken soup for the soul – a generous

serving for supper - add good bread for dunking!

Freeze any leftover, ready to use on a cold winter day!

Hmm … your chicken stash

Gallimaufry photos

Here they are :

Yum!

Next up ... hints and tips

Here's a take ...

... on warm salads. I know that's a contradiction since salad is meant to be cold but rules are made to be broken. My warm salad is a “gallimaufry” - meaning jumble or a medley if you prefer!

Chicken Gallimaufry

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, sliced at an angle

(from slow cooking a whole chicken

recipe given in the post “Back to normal A Tickle Tray)

250ml chicken stock

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

350g red new potatoes, halved or quartered

should be 2cm ish.

Half a lemon cut in half

135g baby leeks, topped, tailed and cut into 1.5cm pieces

1 tbsp tapenade - 15ml

110g fine asparagus

Salt and pepper

Chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

Pre-heat oven 200fan/220c/Gas 7.

Put the potatoes and lemon wedges into the foil tray you set aside after the slow cooking (or a medium roasting tin if you prefer) and toss with 1 tbsp of oil, season and roast for 20 minutes.

Turn down the oven to 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Snap the asparagus to remove the woody ends – they should be of a similar size - then blanch, plunge into ice cold water and pat dry. You can prep ahead if you wish, then box and fridge.

Toss the leeks in the remaining tbsp of oil and add to the potatoes. Add the tapenade and fold through. Bake for 10 minutes then add the blanched asparagus for 5 minutes, fold in gently with the potatoes.

Whilst the potatoes et al are baking warm the stock – you should get 250ml from your chicken after straining. (This recipe is based on a slow cooked whole chicken).

To assemble, divide the potatoes, leeks and asparagus between two large bowls – plates will do. Top with the sliced chicken breast – one breast per serving - and add a liberal drizzle of the stock. A sprinkle of parsley to garnish and a wedge of lemon.

There's a photo-guide too …

Back to normal - A Tickle Tray

A “Tickle Tray” so called because quite simply it tickles the taste buds!

This recipe is ideal – it doesn't require a massive amount of prep – just bits and pieces you can do a day or two in advance when you have time, that can be fridged ready to pull out when you are ready.

It's inspired cooking all in one tray, a dive-in dish.

A Tickle Tray

You'll need a large baking tray which will be greased with either rapeseed or olive oil – measuring 43x31 cms.

Serves 4-6 depending on size of appetites

The chicken for the tray

1 slow cooked chicken – 1.5kg

1 chicken stock pot

2 tsps of garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot

generous sprinkle of oregano or garlic

Italian seasoning

Place your chicken in the slow cooker and mix the stock pot with the garlic paste and spread over the chicken. Sprinkle with the herbs. Switch your slow cooker to the low setting and leave it for 8 hours.

When the chicken has cooled remove from the slow cooker. Strip the chicken into large ish pieces, bag and fridge. Strain the stock, jug and fridge. I would suggest that you cook the chicken the day before you need it so that you can strip and strain. If you are slow cooking ahead then freeze the chicken and the stock. Remove from the freezer the day before you want to use and defrost in the fridge.

Use the two chicken breasts – pulled into pieces

ready to be scattered

the strained chicken stock

1kg cooked Charlotte potatoes, peeled and cut

into large dice – prep ahead then bag and fridge

250g diced chorizo – I buy it ready diced

2 medium red onions, sliced – prep, bag and fridge

mixed sweet peppers, de-seeded and sliced -

prep, bag and fridge – you can buy a punnet of

sweet mini peppers (190g) - orange, yellow and red

6 cherry tomatoes – or small bunches x however

many servings required

50g black olives, pitted and sliced – optional

easy to obtain in jars

100g each of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese to

garnish

salt and black pepper

Bread of your choice to serve, with bowls of

balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil for extra dipping

When you're ready – now for the creative bit!

Chicken for the soup

You could push the boat out and cook a chicken this way – it's easy peasy and economical too. Alternatively you could use the remains from your Sunday roast and not bother!

Slow Cook a Whole Chicken

1 chicken – between 1.5kg – 1.75kg

1 chicken stock pot

2 tsps of garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot

generous sprinkle of oregano or garlic

Italian seasoning

OR

Alternatively use two whole star anise in the cavity

and omit the herbs

Place your chicken in the slow cooker and mix the stock pot with the garlic paste and spread over the chicken. Sprinkle with the herbs OR add the whole star anise to the cavity and omit the herbs. Switch your slow cooker to the low setting and leave it for 8 hours.

Strain the stock and freeze the resultant liquid gold if you're not using it, strip the chicken, keeping aside what you need and then bag and freeze the remainder.

You'll get approximately 250ml of stock from the chicken and so make it up with a stock pot for the remaining 250ml

If you want to make your own stock - use a large saucepan, cover the carcass with water and any veggie stock you've got and bring to the boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it do its magic for 30/45 minutes. Strain the stock, cool, cover and set aside until you're ready – you may find more chicken to add to your stash.

You don't have to make your own chicken stock – I use Knorr Stock Pots – chicken or vegetable – if need be.

I always have leftover Charlotte potatoes in my fridge – an ideal way of avoiding waste!

You'll get cooked chicken too for sandwiches and a slaw or a curry, with noodles or a stir fry – the world is your lobster.

Next comes a Classy Chowder ...

A comfort blanket

In culinary terms it has to mean soup – what could be better than a steaming bowl of your choice.

My first offering is chicken soup for the soul – it makes you feel better when you're in need of comfort. It's a perfect way to use scraps of leftover chicken - remove the chicken left on the legs and wings – and anywhere else. Dice, box and fridge - ready for later.

Here's the recipe :

Cream of Chicken Soup

Serves 4

30g unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – preferably roasted

500ml chicken stock

250ml whole milk

celery salt and white pepper

diced chicken stash

garnish of grated nutmeg

50-75ml double (heavy) cream

200g Charlotte potatoes, peel and cut

into small dice

a handful of frozen petit pois

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes – there should be no colour, season with celery salt. Add the stock and diced potatoes and simmer gently for 15 minutes then add the milk and simmer again for 10 minutes Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Blitz 2/3 ladles of the soup until thick and return to the pan. Add the cream, nutmeg, peas, ground white pepper and chicken - heat gently until piping hot.

Don't forget to warm the soup bowls.

Here it is :

chicken soup for the soul – a generous

serving for supper - add good bread for dunking!

Freeze any leftover, ready to use on a cold winter day!

Next up – save yourself time and money ...

Save time and money – Part 6

Speaking of Christmas Eve – and whilst we're on the subject - here's another idea.

Did you ever wonder what to do with that jar of preserved lemons and black olives? This recipe is a Middle Eastern “hat tipping” to the wonderful tagine, cooked in stages for convenience. You could slow cook the dish altogether if that's better for you so – Plan A or Plan B!

Chicken and Preserved Lemon Tagine

Serves 4

2 tbsp of olive oil – or rapeseed

125g diced chorizo - 225g

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

sweet baby peppers, de-seeded and finely sliced

30ml – 2tbsp preserved lemons – rinsed and

chopped

400g passata

60ml medium white wine

500ml chicken stock

black olives – pitted – 150g drained weight - 350g

2 cloves of roasted garlic or 2 cloves

peeled and finely chopped

15ml sweet paprika

salt and black pepper

4 medium chicken breasts

Plan A

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the garlic paste, onion and paprika until soft – 10 minutes. Add the chorizo and fry until crispy. Add the wine and simmer until reduced – 5 minutes. Add the passata, stock and slow cooked chicken breasts and simmer gently, lid off, for about 20 minutes.

Add the olives and preserved lemons and season well – taste and adjust!

I'd slow cook the chicken breasts the day before required, using the 500ml of chicken stock in the recipe and then set them aside to cool, box and fridge. You can make the “sauce” when it suits you too. Complete your “tagine” adding the chicken breasts to the sauce and finish off as above, heating through gently on the stove.

Plan B

You could slow cook this recipe all together, completing the dish with the olives and preserved lemons either as you're re-heating or for the last 10 minutes of cooking time if serving straight from the slow cooker. If you're using this method then I'd slow cook for three hours. If you prefer your chorizo crispy I'd leave the chorizo until the last 20 minutes of slow cooking time then fry until crispy and add, with the oil, to your tagine, together with the preserved lemons and olives.

If you'd like a veggie version, use Quorn fillets.

What to serve with?

Keep it simple - new potatoes – boiled or steamed and or even roasted in their skins. Mange tout – sliced lengthways and stir fried.

Yum – now back to the cheap & cheerful!

Save time and money – Part 3

Here's a “flexible” family sized recipe for Gammon, Chicken & Leek pie. The beauty of it is there are three options here from the same recipe. The first is a healthy version, the second is not and the third is somewhere in between – something for everyone I think you'll agree!

I will concede that you'll have to think about your shopping list but if you are now subscribing to “getting organised” you'll have jacket potatoes on your list ready to bake.

Here we go :

Option 1 – healthy

Gammon, Chicken and Leek pie

Serves 4 - 6 portions

You'll need a casserole or foil tray 23x23cms/9” square

Gammon joint – smoked or unsmoked to suit your taste – approx 500g

4 chicken breast fillets

2 stock pots – chicken or vegetable

4 medium leeks, topped, tailed and sliced thickly

Rapeseed oil – approx 1 tbsp

black pepper

2 tins (295g) of Campbell's condensed low fat chicken soup (this is now low salt, low fat and only 77 calories per serving)

3 large jacket potatoes, baked, cooled, then peeled and sliced

Salt and black pepper for potato topping

Seal your gammon joint and slow cook in the stock pots, repeat with the chicken fillet. If your slow cooker is big enough cook them all together. 4 hours is fine. Remove the gammon and chicken and leave to cool.

Break up the gammon and the chicken into medium chunks and transfer for the moment into a large food bag and fridge. Reserve the stock and fridge.

Peel and slice your leeks, then soften in the rapeseed oil, set aside.

Tip the soup into a large mixing bowl. Next add a ladle of stock into the soup to loosen it, then fold in the gammon, chicken and leeks. Transfer the filling into your casserole or foil tray.

Place your sliced potato on top, season with a little salt and black pepper.

Pre-heat your oven and bake at 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 30-40 minutes – check after 30 - until the top is golden and crispy.

Then there's option 2 – definitely not as healthy, more indulgent!

Option 2 – not as healthy, more indulgent

This is a luxury version, perfect for a supper with friends.

Replace the soup with a Velouté sauce. A Velouté sauce is one of the “Mother Sauces” - a light white sauce made with chicken or fish stock and a roux – it is also used as a base for other sauces, for example, a Sauce Supreme, known as a “Daughter Sauce” using Velouté and then enriched with cream.

Here's the Sauce Supreme recipe :

half a pint (300ml) of cold stock

15g unsalted butter

15g plain flour

½ tsp Dijon mustard

200ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2/3 mins, stirring continuously – do not walk away.

Then tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Fold your gammon, chicken and leeks into the sauce.

Top your sliced potatoes with seasoning and 2/3 knobs of butter, finish with a mixture of grated Red Leicester and mature Cheddar cheese. Bake as before.

Option 3 – somewhere in between

Omit the potato, butter and cheese topping and replace with a puff pastry lid. This option can also apply to Options 1 or 2. Bake as before. You could “hit the middle” and make Option 1 enriching the tinned soup by adding double cream. The world is your pie!

For those sceptics among us who think that a slow-cooker is only capable of producing stews and casseroles I hope you might be persuaded otherwise.

Save time and money – Part 2

Then again you could choose a soup - how about a hearty, cream of chicken soup?

This is “chicken soup for the soul” – it makes you feel better when you're in need of comfort.

Dice, box and fridge your leftover chicken - ready to add to your soup later – amounts don't matter, it's whatever is leftover.

You will need 500ml of stock – you can use your liquid gold – you have 250ml. Make up another 250ml using a Knorr stock pot .

Alternatively if you want to make your own stock, using a large saucepan, cover the carcass with water and any stock you've got - chicken or veggie - bring to the boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it do its magic for 30/45 minutes. Strain the stock, cool, cover and set aside until you're ready – you may find more chicken to add to your stash.

Another rummage produces a few Charlotte potatoes that need using plus a large onion that's always in the veggie basket – these additions will definitely make this soup more substantial!

Here's the recipe :

Cream of Chicken Soup

Serves 4

30g unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – preferably roasted

500ml chicken stock

250ml whole milk

celery salt and white pepper

diced chicken stash

garnish of grated nutmeg

50-75ml double (heavy) cream

leftover Charlotte potatoes, peel and cut

into small dice

a handful of frozen petit pois

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes – there should be no colour, season with celery salt. Add the stock and diced potatoes and simmer gently for 15 minutes then add the milk and simmer again for 10 minutes Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Blitz 2/3 ladles of the soup until thick and return to the pan. Add the cream, nutmeg, peas, ground white pepper and chicken - heat gently until piping hot.

Don't forget to warm the soup bowls.

If you don't have a huge amount of leftover cooked chicken adding the potatoes supplements and gives a hearty thick soup – a rib sticker as we say!

It's no big deal if you don't have the inclination to make a chicken soup - box and freeze your leftover chicken and likewise bag and freeze the strained stock, for another time, when you are in the mood!

The next idea is “a sandwich for the soul”

It's my take on a “takeaway” chicken idea for the weekend. If there are four in your household then you might want to consider slow cooking a whole chicken just for this purpose, lets be honest, it doesn't take a great deal of effort, nor break the bank either. I'd recommend too that you use the star anise option in the cavity, the flavour is divine. You'll also produce lots of moist chicken which shreds very easily, it almost melts before your eyes.

We've already had chicken soup for the soul – now here's a chicken sandwich for the soul – I have it on good authority that this is the best ever and well worth slow cooking a whole chicken solely for that purpose!

You'll need delicious bread and when I say delicious bread I mean a loaf (or may be two) that can be sliced into doorsteps.

Who likes what?

It wouldn't be a sandwich without the extras, here are my

suggestions and it is not an exhaustive list!

Avocado, sliced or mashed to suit, with lemon

juice

Crispy bacon – and bits are better!

Good quality mayo

Beef tomatoes, sliced thinly

Beetroot relish or slices if you prefer

Any salad item you love – spring onions, shredded

iceberg lettuce

capers, cornichons

A slaw of your choice – here's an Asian

recipe that will compliment your anise infused

shredded chicken

Asian Coleslaw

110g white cabbage, finely sliced – approximately

one third of a medium size cabbage

1 carrot – peeled and sliced with a

julienne peeler

1 spring onion – 15g finely sliced

if you want to create a basic slaw stash then

double the amounts given above

3-4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp caster sugar

Half tbsp rice wine

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp peanut butter

Half tsp chilli powder

4 tbsp fresh coriander

Combine all the above ingredients except the fresh coriander.

Marinade for at least an hour – 2-3 is better still!

Just before serving strain off the excess liquid, stir in the coriander and serve!

If you don't want to go to the bother of making the coleslaw you could buy a good quality alternative, then serve with wedges sprinkled with a seasoning of your choice.

The perfect idea for a Saturday night supper – everyone can choose whatever they want – it's a win win. You can delete the takeaway delivery numbers you have on speed dial!

You should be feeling very pleased with yourself – you've used every last morsel of the chicken and it's not taken you three weeks of preparation, cooking and the aftermath.

I say every morsel, what you were left with, literally, was the carcass of the bird. If you have the time and are sufficiently enthusiastic you've made a stock. Making stock from scratch is a worthy but long winded process, but may be not appropriate for the time saving, speedy stuff.

These recipes are not set in stone – they are only a guide - not a rigid set of rules. I'm just trying to give you an idea or two that might inspire your own creation or an old favourite that you'd forgotten.

If it moves freeze it – in portions that are practical for you – you can always take out more if you need to.

One thing is for sure, slow cooking a whole chicken means you'll get the most from the bird and you'll use every morsel – it's the perfect emergency food!