Chicken Three Ways

I'm a single person but I crave variety. Thus, on a mid-October day, I poached a chicken breast and made it into several different tasting dishes. First, I shredded a few morsels and put them into a burrito for my lunch. 

Then, I sauteed half an onion, chopped, a clove of garlic, minced, three celery stalks, sliced, and a Mexican gray squash, cut in bite-sized pieces in olive oil. Once it was all softened, I added some salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning, and a can of drained cannellini beans. I added the rest of the chicken to the mixture, stirred it well, and deglazed the pan with some water. I let it simmer until all the flavors melded.

For the soup, I transferred half the mixture into the pan of poaching liquid. I added a can of fiesta corn (a mixture of sweet corn, mild chilies and roasted bell pepper). After this was all melded and bubbly, the last addition was a cup of cream (you could use a plant-based milk if you prefer). 

The rest of the chicken-bean mixture was made into a ragout. I stirred in some cooked chicken sausage, seasoned with apple cider and sage and  sliced. I deglazed the pan with some chicken broth and finally added two cups of chopped spinach.  I adjusted the seasoning with more salt, pepper and Old Bay. Before serving, I swirled in a splash of red wine vinegar. Heavenly! 

Mushrooms and potatoes could be added to either the ragout or the soup.  The result is all the variety you could wish for, not only in the meal but also in every bite!