What to Do With Leftover Tenderloins?

[livius drusus]

Say you're making a chicken paillard or some other chicken dish which requires you to beat the hell out of a boneless breast and cook it up right quick. You have to trim the tenderloin or it'll carbonize and ruin everything, so what do you do with the little pile of leftover chicken tenderloins?

And don't say stir-fry. Thank you.

[Skep]

Freeze until the next time you make chicken soup.

Saute with salt, pepper, and maybe some herbs, chop, and and have it as part of a chef's salad.

Saute, chop fine, mix with a little brown mustard and some onion. Chill and serve on crackers for a snack.

[livius drusus]

I almost never make chicken soup, but the other two options sound yummy. Thanks, Skep. :hungry:

[Beth]

I use it for chicken and yellow rice. I cook them in a lime, lemon, and pepper seasoning powder and olive oil. then cut them up in small pieces to add to cooked yellow rice and sauteed onions, green peppers, and baby green peas. I also use tenderloins in pasta dishes, baked or not.

[RevDahlia]

*taking notes* Wow, Beth, that looks seriously good.

[wei yau]

And don't say stir-fry. Thank you.

What's wrong with stir-fry?

Is this one of those cilantro-bacon-mayo things?

[livius drusus]

That looks outstanding, Beth. Thank you. :thankee:

I've got nothing against stir-fry per se, eldar; I just think it's really overused and cheapened. I blame college students with their one burner stoves and total lack of ingredients, imagination and skill.

[wei yau]

I've got nothing against stir-fry per se, eldar; I just think it's really overused and cheapened. I blame college students with their one burner stoves and total lack of ingredients, imagination and skill.

Good. I agree with you. Sorry if I got my back up, but occassionally I succumb to being inordinately proud of my ethnic cuisine heritage.

Yes, stir-fry has gotten terribly abused. Between chopped-up frozen vegetables and corn-syrup ladened "sauces"....well, it breaks my heart, it does.

[livius drusus]

Exactly. It's today's version of the casserole: a degraded catch-all for whatever crap you have lying around. Pour enough soy sauce on it and hey, you've got gin-u-wine Chinese food.

The real thing is something else altogether. Have you seen the movie "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman", eldar? Now that does your ethnic cuisine heritage some serious justice.

[wei yau]

The real thing is something else altogether. Have you seen the movie "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman", eldar? Now that does your ethnic cuisine heritage some serious justice.

Love. That. Movie.

Here's a little insight into my relationship with food...although there are some beautiful women in that movie and adult relationships are definitely a factor in the story. My favorite scene is when the father brings lunch to the little girl in school. And all the kids come running to see what wonderful creations he has provided. The little girl is so clearly happy and proud of how she is treated. And the love and care in which the father prepares the food brings me to tears.

There's a lot to be said about a man cooking dinner for a woman as being a turn-on. But, give me the chance to do what the father did in that movie and I'll give up any number of dinner dates.

[Skep]

I love stir-fry but I never do stir-frys. Wanna know why? Because my stove, like most consumer grade stoves, does not have a burner with a high enough heat output to properly heat a wok. They simply cannot drive off moisture fast enough. Meat doesn't brown, it grays, and vegetables usually end up simmering in a puddle of of their own liquid. Yuk. :yuck:

[wei yau]

I love stir-fry but I never do stir-frys. Wanna know why? Because my stove, like most consumer grade stoves, does not have a burner with a high enough heat output to properly heat a wok. They simply cannot drive off moisture fast enough. Meat doesn't brown, it grays, and vegetables usually end up simmering in a puddle of of their own liquid. Yuk. :yuck:

Ugh.

I can't NOT do stir-fry. And working with a frickin' ELECTRIC RANGE makes the problems you've described even worse. As much as I love stir-fry, I have to resign myself to a horribly debased version of it due to the limitations of my kitchen.

My parents are pretty successful with their gas range, but I suspect it's also a step up from consumer grade stoves.

[livius drusus]

Here's a little insight into my relationship with food...although there are some beautiful women in that movie and adult relationships are definitely a factor in the story. My favorite scene is when the father brings lunch to the little girl in school. And all the kids come running to see what wonderful creations he has provided. The little girl is so clearly happy and proud of how she is treated. And the love and care in which the father prepares the food brings me to tears.

Naturally as a daddy's girl I think that is an absolutely wonderful cinematic moment. However, pretty much any scene in which he's cooking is my favorite scene.

There's a lot to be said about a man cooking dinner for a woman as being a turn-on. But, give me the chance to do what the father did in that movie and I'll give up any number of dinner dates.

I don't find it a turn-on, exactly. I just take the pleasure from seeing someone so skilled at a craft I appreciate.

[Goddess Heidi]

Well much as I Love stir fry's & make a good effort at Chinese Food, another alternative for your chicken tenderloins is to cook then lightly in Honey & Soy - not the bought stuff - make your own - & then put them with Mesclin Salad with red onion, capcicums, tomatoe, cumumber, rock melon and anything you like in salads & use the marinade as a dressing - its WAYYYYY too yummy - my fav salad!!!

[Godless Wonder]

Perhaps a curry dish.

As for the stir fry (esp. if you have an electric stove) one option is something like this:

http://www.baproducts.com/nwr1079.jpg

It costs about $10 at any sporting goods store. Says not for indoor use, though I've done it on occasion. May be a bit more than $10, I got mine years ago.

[wei yau]

It costs about $10 at any sporting goods store. Says not for indoor use, though I've done it on occasion. May be a bit more than $10, I got mine years ago.

I have one of those for our annual camping trips. I'm concerned about its stability when supporting a rapidly moving large wok, however.

[RevDahlia]

Coleman stoves are a dream to cook on if you need high heat. Good call, Godless Wonder.

I find that the heavy-duty two-burner ones are a lot more stable than the one-burners if you plan to do a lot of banging around with large implements, but if you camp often they're worth the investment.

At my last house we had a horrible electric range that drove me nuts; I spent a fair amount of time cooking on our Coleman stove on the back deck. It was great. Propane is so friendly.

[Godless Wonder]

I'd be a little leery of using the liquid fuel variety of Coleman stoves indoors, somehow propane seems safer. None of that messy refilling, danger of fuel spillage, etc. Though, come to think of it, we did that all the time when we lived in that cabin in Arkansas. I do vaguely seem to recall there was one incident where we had to hurl a flaming stove out the door in a big fat hurry though... :qeek:

Yeah, that little stove I've got (pictured above) isn't really too stable. It's not ideal. It does make it more or less possible though, which, with an electric burner, it really isn't possible, flat bottomed woks that come with instructions to the contrary not withstanding.

[RevDahlia]

I'd be a little leery of using the liquid fuel variety of Coleman stoves indoors
They still make those?! I remember going on a long camping trip with some friends a few years ago, and the guy who was supposed to be in charge of the camp stoves brought a hulking antediluvean POS that ran on white gas. Despite the fact that I had informed him, quite firmly, that those things weren't safe, and despite that all we had for fuel was pressurized propane... it was ugly. Fortunately someone who was camped nearby had a spare one-burner model, or we all would have starved.

Off to start a camping equipment thread...

[LadyShea]

Um, which part of a chicken is the tenderloin? Yes, I am stupid, so sue me!

[Legs]

Chicken Salad anyone?

Cold chicken, celery, red peppers, mayo, raisins, walnuts, salt & pepper to taste.

I like it in a pita, but then again who doesn't? :yup:

[Skep]

Chicken Salad anyone?
Umm, yeah, well... that's my number one way to use leftover chicken. :yup:
However, liv doesn't like mayo, so I didn't suggest it. :wink:

[Legs]

However, liv doesn't like mayo, so I didn't suggest it. :wink:

Okay then. Plan B

Saute onion, zucchini & green pepper in a little olive oil, core out 2 red peppers and brush them with oil and salt them a little. Stuff the peppers with the sauted vegetables, left over chicken, and top with cheese of your choice.

You can also add a couple of tablespoons of salsa and corn (or any veggie) to the mixture.

Bake at 300 for about 40 minutes.

[Skep]

Ooooh. That sounds good! :hungry:

[livius drusus]

I'll second that emotion. Stuffed peppers are an excellent idea. :thumbsup1:

(Clarification: I do accept the need for mayo in the chicken/tuna/egg salad family, all of which I like. I just prefer to make my own spicy, non-gloppy mayo when I'm indulging.)

[Legs]

Hi Liv, you can also stuff a tomato!

[AspenMama]

Depending on how much you have left-- here's my chicken chili recipe

4 chicken breasts, cut in bite size chunks
1 white onion, cut in small chunks
2 cans garbonzo beans (16 oz cans I think)
2 cans great white northern beans
1 can white corn
4 small cans diced green chili
2-3 cloves crushed and chopped garlic
1 tsp or so of dried yellow mustard
white pepper to taste
a couple of pinches of cumin
2 chicken bullion cubes (odd but it works)
water enough to cover
a damn good can opener

Open cans and drain all juices. Put in a casserole with spices and garlic. Sautee onions gently with a bit of cumin, add chicken and cook thouroughly. Add that to casserole. Just barely cover with water, plop in bullion cubes. Cover and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes depending on altitude, oven, etc. The leftovers almost taste better the next day. I've won two prizes with this. Hope I remembered it right!

[livius drusus]

That looks damn delicious, Aspen. I think I'd have to add some full-sized breasts to the tenderloin collection to make it, but it would totally be worth it. :yup:

[LadyShea]

Please, please tell me what part is the tenderloin!

[AspenMama]

That looks damn delicious, Aspen. I think I'd have to add some full-sized breasts to the tenderloin collection to make it, but it would totally be worth it. :yup:
:) Let me know if you try it. Another advantage to this recipe-- it's easy as heck and requires very little clean up work. The clean up is accomplished shortly with taking out the trash (filled with cans) and wiping out one pan while the chili bakes. Also, with the right casserole dish, you can move from oven to 'fridge and re-heat the next day.

Oh I forgot-- shredded Monteray Jack cheese on top is perfect and if you like, a side of warmed tortillas.

[pescifish]

The title of this thread made absolutely no sense to me until I read it. There is no such thing as leftover tenderloins!

But then I found out you meant chicken.

[AspenMama]

Please, please tell me what part is the tenderloin!

It is a part of the chicken breast-- all white meat and usually sort of longish and on the side of the breast. Great to use also for rolling in flour, frying and dipping in sauce.

[LadyShea]

Thanks.

All of these recipes sound delicious, and I have a freezer full of turkey breasts to use with them.

[livius drusus]

Sorry Shea, I missed your question the first time around. As Aspen pointed out, the tenderloins are like the Chile (as in the South American country) of the chicken breast. I imagine they're huge on turkeys. You could make killer tenders with them. :)

Here's a pic:
http://www.freethought-forum.com/images/tenderloin.gif

[AspenMama]

Thanks.

All of these recipes sound delicious, and I have a freezer full of turkey breasts to use with them.

I've never tried my recipe with turkey. But I've had other types of turkey chili before that were very yummy.

[livius drusus]

Hi Liv, you can also stuff a tomato!

Oh! Good thinking. I wouldn't cook them, though, on account of I have a problem with cooked tomatoes not in sauce format, but still, I could totally make a yummy chicken stuffing for tomatoes.

[AspenMama]

Hi Liv, you can also stuff a tomato!

Oh! Good thinking. I wouldn't cook them, though, on account of I have a problem with cooked tomatoes not in sauce format,

Even thinly sliced, drizzled with garlic infused olive oil, sprinkled with fresh grated parmesan and broiled?

[livius drusus]

Even then, I'm afraid. I like raw tomatoes and I like tomato sauce. Anything in between is an abomination in mine eyes.

[LadyShea]

Thanks.

All of these recipes sound delicious, and I have a freezer full of turkey breasts to use with them.

I've never tried my recipe with turkey. But I've had other types of turkey chili before that were very yummy.

:doh: I totally meant chicken. Have no idea why I typed turkey.

I love chicken chili, and plan to try yours this weekend.

[AspenMama]

Thanks.

All of these recipes sound delicious, and I have a freezer full of turkey breasts to use with them.

I've never tried my recipe with turkey. But I've had other types of turkey chili before that were very yummy.

:doh: I totally meant chicken. Have no idea why I typed turkey.

I love chicken chili, and plan to try yours this weekend.

Let me know how it goes! I suppose you shouldn't have trouble finding diced green chili out your way-- although I bet some areas might. BTY and in case you don't already know this, chicken breasts are so much easier to cut when still slightly frozen.

[RevDahlia]

If tomato sauce is OK, one could brown the chicken bits, then make a spicy tomato sauce with onion and garlic and thyme and a bay leaf and white wine and maybe a green pepper, then throw in the chicken and some sliced green olives or capers or both, simmer for awhile and eat it with saffron rice. That would be good.
Let me know how it goes! I suppose you shouldn't have trouble finding diced green chili out your way-- although I bet some areas might.
Fortunately Ortega canned green chilies are pretty much ubiquitous. They're tasty, too.