Orange-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

One of our most frequent donations comes from the lovely people at Chipotle, who regularly donate their naturally raised, hormone-free grilled chicken and beef. It is easy to turn this meat into Mexican-inspired dishes, but we love finding ways to transform it into something totally new! We made this Orange-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry by layering cooked rice, Chipotle chicken, roasted vegetables, and sauteed bok choy and topping it all with a homemade stir-fry sauce. We then baked it in covered pans to seal in all the flavors. A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds makes this dish truly special.

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Orange-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

Serves 50

• 18 cups cooked brown rice
• 18 cups cubed grilled chicken
• 4 cups snap peas
• 6 cups carrots, chopped into coins
• 4 cups onions, chopped (divided)
• 6 cups cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• 16 cups fresh bok choy, diced
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz. soy sauce ½ cup orange juice zest of 1 orange
• 4 tsp powdered ginger
• 8 oz. honey
• 2 Tbl chili oil ¼ cup corn starch
• 32 oz. chicken broth toasted sesame seeds, for garnish EVOO, for cooking

Prep: Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to package instructions and divide among three large serving pans. Toss vegetables (reserve half of the onions to use with bok choy) in EVOO and place in pan. Do not add salt! (The soy in the sauce provides plenty of sodium.) Divide cooked chicken into pans over rice. Roast vegetables for 20 minutes in the oven..

Bok Choy: To cook the bok choy, heat EVOO in a large saucepan. Add 1 tbl of the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add remaining 2 cups onions and cook until translucent. Add a couple of dashes of soy sauce. Finally, add the bok choy to the pan, stirring continuously until leaves wilt. This is easiest when done in batches.

Sauce: Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and chicken broth together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup soy sauce, orange juice, honey, ginger, chili oil, and orange zest. In a large pot, cook garlic in EVOO until fragrant. Add soy sauce mixture and heat until boiling. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir continuously until desired thickness is attained. If the sauce gets too thick, thin it with equal parts orange juice and chicken broth.

Thanks to volunteer Lloyd for helping us prepare this week's Cook for a Crowd!

Lentil Shepherd's Pie With Sweet Potato Crust

Serves 50

4 lbs lentils, rinsed 2 bunches of kale (or spinach), rinsed, stemmed and finely chopped 4 cups sweet peas 8-10 cloves garlic, minced 10 carrots, peeled and coin cut 2 onions, chopped 8 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 8 lbs white potatoes, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup flour 3 sticks butter, divided 7 cups milk, divided 3 tbl poultry seasoning salt and pepper fresh grated Parmesan

Potato Crust:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and toss potatoes in.  Cook until fork tender. Drain and return to large pot.  Mash 1 stick butter, 1 tbl salt and a splash of milk.  Mash until desired consistency.

Filling:

Cover lentils in pot with water and bring to boil. Stir, reduce to simmer, cover and cook until soft (but not mushy), about 15 minutes. When lentils are finished cooking, transfer them to 3 full size aluminum catering pans. In the same pan the lentils were cooked in, add a splash of olive oil, onion, carrot. Saute until onion is translucent and carrot is soft.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Distribute the onion/carrot/garlic mixture to the lentil dishes, along with finely chopped kale and peas. Stir in 1 Tbl of poultry seasoning, dash of salt and pepper. In that same saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add flour all at once and whisk vigorously. Slowly pour remaining milk in the butter/flour mixture, whisking continually. Let mixture thicken and start to brown (but not burn!). Divide sauce over lentil/veggie mixture and gently stir. Spoon the potato mixture over the lentils, leveling out as you go. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes until top is crisp and cheese is melted.

Tuscan Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Serves 50

12 lbs russet potatoes (peeled and diced) salt and pepper (for seasoning) olive oil (for sauteing) 15 lbs roasted boneless chicken breast - cut into large pieces 3 medium onions - diced 10 cloves garlic - minced 10 cups diced carrots 10 cans white beans, drained and rinsed 2 sticks butter 1/2 cup flour 6 cups chicken stock 2 Tbl poultry seasoning (or to taste) Mozzarella cheese (3 cups) Parmesan cheese (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350. Place potatoes in saucepan with enough water to cover. Add 1 tbl salt. Cover and cook potatoes until tender. While potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil in skillet and add onion and garlic, cook until soft.

Melt 1 stick butter and flour in saucepan and allow to cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, carrots, chicken broth and poultry seasoning. Whisk to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and beans and stir to combine. Divide between 2 large pans.

Drain the potatoes. Add  1 stick butter, mozzarella cheese and mash. Add enough milk to preferred consistency. Spread on top of chicken and beans mixture. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Put in oven to brown/bake for 15 - 20  minutes.

Enjoy!