lemon chicken + chicken tricks

i love cooking with chicken and thanks to my mom, i've learned some helpful tricks which make it easy to have chicken on hand to add to any meal..

i buy it in bulk every once in a while {AKA costco...cheaper & easier this way!} then i come home and do a few different things: 

1. i freeze a few of the chicken breasts in the freezer to use later for a crockpot recipe, etc.

2. i then throw a couple chicken breasts in the crock pot and pour water or chicken broth over them {just enough to cover them}. 4-5 hours later you get perfect shredded chicken to use in any recipes that week {enchiladas, pasta, salad, etc.} you take it out and can shred it with two forks or throw it in the kitchenaid to shred.

3. the rest i put in a pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with steak seasoning. i then cook the chicken in a 500 degree oven for 25 minutes {this sears it}.after 25 minutes, lower it to 200 degrees and bake slowly for another hour and a half. this makes it come out so tender and flavorful. i shred it and put it in baggies in the freezer to use for recipes later!

these 3 steps leave you with different types of chicken to have on hand for all different recipes. thanks mom for teaching me all of this!

now for a delicious recipe that just happens to use this yummy chicken, read below. it literally was my favorite meal growing up and is such comfort food to me since we're living away. it always makes me miss my mom, but what doesn't? 

recipe for linny's lemon chicken: 

ingredients:

• 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 2 cups chicken broth)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tbl. cornstarch
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 4 tbl. soy sauce
• brown rice
• spinach 

--pour 2 cups of water into pan, drop cubes in, and turn on the stove until it boils.
--in a separate bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch together.
--once broth has been brought to a boil, pour 1/2 cup of the boiled broth liquid into sugar mixture. stir and mix.
--pour everything back together into the pan on the stove and stir. bring to a boil...stirring constantly until it thickens!
--take off heat and add 2/3 cup lemon juice and 4Tbl. Soy sauce.
--stir and then add cooked chicken into sauce. serve over steamed spinach and rice!!!

*this is just an iphone shot i snapped to send to my mom. we used shredded chicken and it was amazing! my stomach was so happy and i felt like i was home. make it! so easy and delicious..it will quickly become a staple in your kitchen!

XO