one chicken: three meals (plus broth!)

first let me start off by saying how humbled and inspired i am that my last post has helped so many people. i constructed it weeks prior to actually posting it, contemplating not posting it at all, because i thought people would just roll their eyes and brush it off. like "there goes that crunchy dana again, telling us all about how we should do this and do that..." and that's certainly not how i mean it or want it to sound. but, judging by the responses, that's not how the majority of you took it. so i'm glad :) and appreciative of the support!

on my previous post, i mentioned that using whole chickens has helped us on our mission to eat clean on a budget. here is an example of how i use a roasted whole chicken for three different meals, on three different nights, recipes included! (sorry that i have no photos of the process--i didn't anticipate needing any until now!)

note: we are a family of two adults and one toddler. if you have a larger family, a roasted chicken may only get you two meals, or if you have a really large family, perhaps one. but it is still a money-saver!

1. the roasted chicken
just your basic, run-of-the-mill roasted chicken recipe; there are many more like it and i've just adapted them to what i like best

ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (i buy antibiotic-free, free-range but you can get whatever you'd like)
• 1/2 stick softened real butter or 3-4 tbs healthy oil of your choice (margarine is not acceptable)
• 1 lemon
• approx 2 tbs herb medley of your choice (i like thyme, fresh minced garlic, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and whatever else i'm in the mood for--rosemary, basil, oregano, or sage)

directions:

1. heat oven to 400F
2. make sure to remove the bag of "innerds" if your chicken contains it
3. place chicken in a broiling pan or whatever will best hold it (there will be juices so make sure it's a couple inches deep) and pat that puppy dry
4. mix your butter/oil and herb blend in a dish with some lemon zest (just grate your lemon peel with a fine cheese grater if you don't have a special "zester") and then rub it all over the outside of your chicken; if you don't like "chicken hands" a spatula will do
5. cut your lemon in half and stuff it inside your chicken...and then apologize to your chicken, like i always do
6. bake for 1hr - 1hr 20 min until the outside of your chicken looks like it's been vacationing in the bahamas, or until the inner most meat is well-cooked and not pink

serve your chicken to your family and enjoy with a squash/zucchini stir-fry and some rice!


2. making your broth (looks complicated, but isn't!)

you'll need:

• leftover whole chicken
• a mason jar with lid
• small strainer

1. after you've eaten and are satisfied, remove the rest of your chicken from the bones, cover and refrigerate
2. place the bones/unwanted parts in a pot with the pan drippings; cover the discarded parts with water and bring to a low boil (don't cover it too much or your broth will be watery, unless you boil it forever to get all that extra water out--your choice)
3. boil for at least 30 mins (the longer you boil, the richer the flavor)
4. turn off the eye, and let the contents cool 
5. remove and discard large pieces with a slotted spoon
6. cover your pot and refrigerate overnight
7. the next day, remove your pot and you will notice a thick, opaque layer of fat at the top; you can break this apart and remove it from the broth below (which will probably have congealed); discard it...safely...so that your dogs cannot get to it ;)
8. put the pot back on the stove and warm it just enough so that the mixture is liquid again
9. strain the liquid over a mason jar to collect your broth and separate out any lingering chicken bits
10. put a lid on that baby, mark the date somewhere, and refrigerate it! typically i open my broth within a week of jarring it...so i don't know how long it lasts unopened. but once opened, it usually stays good about 2 weeks.

3. gluten-free chicken and spinach enchiladas 

*for those who asked on facebook, i followed this recipe last night except i used a package of ground turkey in place of the chicken

the cast:
(*i use organic where i can afford/find--you can use more or less, but this is just what works for me)

• 2 cups shredded chicken (or 1 pack ground turkey, antibiotic-free and free range is what i use)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced 
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• 1 pack small white corn tortillas--do not refrigerate before use
• 1 block monterrey jack cheese, shredded 
• 1 small can of organic tomato paste
• 1 package of organic baby spinach
• 1-1.5 cups of your own chicken broth (see above), or you can find organic chicken broth pretty easily
• chile powder
• cumin
• oregano
• cayenne pepper
• chipotle powder
• sea salt 
• paprika
• cracked black pepper
• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh cilantro for garnish

*i use spices on a "shake and taste" method, so i'm estimating a bit here...rarely do i actually measure 
**if you don't have these spices, they are all part of my regular cooking staff, a big upfront purchase but i highly recommend the investment!!

directions:

for the meat (which can be prepared in advance!):

1. drizzle some olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat; add onions and 1 clove minced garlic and cook until onions are translucent 
2. add in your meat (*if turkey, cook thoroughly and drain if necessary)
3. add in the following spices: 1 Tbs cumin; 1 tsp chipotle powder, 1 tsp paprika, salt and pepper to taste
4. pour in about 1/4 cup of chicken broth (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
5. add in your bag of spinach, one handful at a time--it will seem like a lot, but spinach cooks down to a fraction of it's size...plus think of all the greens you'll be eating!
6. when all the spinach is soft, add in your can of diced green chiles, stir, and set your meat mixture aside

*if you have more meat mixture than you do tortillas down below, you can save it for nachos :)

for the enchilada sauce (also can be prepared in advance--you can even double the batch, jar it, and save it for a night in the near future):

1. add 1 can of tomato paste, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 cup (or more) of chicken broth to a pot on low heat, no more than a simmer (if you like your enchiladas soupy, add more broth, but my husband likes his sticky)
2. stir in the following spices: 1 tsp oregano; 1 tsp chipotle powder; 1 tsp chile powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or less, even none, if you want a mild flavor); salt and pepper to taste
3. simmer for 10-15 minutes and set aside

the grand production:

1. preheat oven to 350F
2. set out a 9x12 casserole dish and coat the bottom lightly with enchilada sauce
3. heat a small non-stick skillet on low-medium heat and coat very, very lightly with olive oil; allow oil to heat but not burn (olive oil burns quickly, so keep an eye on it; adjust your temp if it starts smoking)
4. place your tortillas on the skillet, about 1-2 minutes on each side; they should become firm but not brittle; you may need to re-oil the pan after a few
5. place about 2 spoonfuls of meat mixture in each tortilla, sprinkle with monterrey jack cheese, roll that puppy up, and line them like soldiers in your pan (i was able to fit 12 in mine, but it depends on how fat you make them)
6. spoon the remaining sauce onto your enchilada soldiers, coating each one thoroughly
7. top with more monterrey jack cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes

serve with sour cream (if you like) and a garnish of cilantro. enjoy!!


4. avocado curry chicken salad

the cast:

• 1.5 - 2 cups shredded chicken (adjust accordingly based on what you have left from your chicken)
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 cup mayo (i do not claim any recipes made that sub miracle whip)
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt--full fat; none of this 0% bologna (but beware, in fat-free america it's hard to find...you can use 2% if you must)
• 1 green apple, cored and diced
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 1 green onion stalk, thinly sliced 
• 2 tsp curry powder (if you don't like curry, you can certainly omit this)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs flax seed
• 3 Tbs sliced almonds (or nut of your choice)
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

directions:
mix all ingredients well and serve as desired: on a sandwich, as a melt with cheddar jack or gouda (we do this a lot and then make a lettuce wrap). it's also very useful when you are traveling--a very nutritious meal to keep you away from a drive-thru when you get the munchies--just put it in a cooler with some forks! we normally get anywhere from 2-4 servings out of a batch

here's where i served it atop a fried green tomato with a slice of melted gouda (i was feeling extra rebellious this day, and it was worth every bite):

so. there you have it. now you know how you can get a lot of food for 2 1/2 people from one $8 chicken! and if the ingredients for the other recipes sound daunting, i totally understand. but, over time, as we've traveled down this healthier path, i find that most of these ingredients are regulars in my household so it's usually something easy for me to throw together. for the enchiladas, all i had to buy was the tortillas and the cheese. i always have ingredients for chicken salad. and for those of you who are dairy-free clean-eaters, you could omit the cheese in the recipes and i'm sure it would be just as good. ok that's a total lie. cheese makes everything better (even though we try to use it sparingly). it would be good. not as good.

happy eating everyone! let me know if you make any of these and how it turns out :)