Chicken Three Different Ways

I haven't felt much like cooking, or eating, this week, but decided to roast an entire package of Costco organic boneless chicken breasts just so that we would have something healthy in the fridge. It has saved me time in the kitchen for the past few days so I thought I would share the ways in which I put those breasts to good use.

First, I roasted 5 or 6 boneless chicken breasts, seasoned with olive oil and Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper seasoning (comes in a grinder) in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. That night we went out to dinner with friends, but I left the chicken for the kids and the babysitter to enjoy with boxed mac n cheese and steamed frozen green beans.

My son and I went to a late matinee yesterday so my husband was in charge of dinner. He added some chicken to Barilla Plus Farfalle pasta and Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash sauce(featured in a post last week), and served it with steamed broccoli. This man does not cook so if he can handle that meal, anyone can!

Finally, today I cubed the rest of the chicken and made low fat Lemon Ginger Chicken Salad. After two previous meals, I still had three chicken breasts left and now have enough chicken salad to get us through lunch tomorrow. All of these meals were healthy, delicious, and ready in minutes. Most importantly, I have not been thinking much about dinner all week! I will definitely try this method again in the future. Here is the menu and recipe for Lemon Ginger Chicken Salad.

MENUS

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Mac n Cheese and Steamed Green Beans

Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Sauce, Chicken and Barilla Plus Farfalle with Steamed Broccoli

Low Fat Lemon Ginger Chicken Salad

3/4 cup non fat Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon honey or 2 teaspoons sugar

3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes

1/2 cup celery chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries or 1/2 cup grapes halved

1/4 cup toasted almonds

salt and pepper to taste

Mix yogurt, mayo, lemon zest and juice, ginger, honey or sugar in a large bowl. Add chicken, celery, cranberries or grapes, and almonds. Season with desired amount of salt and pepper. Serve on a bed of lettuce or with slices of cantaloupe.

** You can always substitute the mayo or sour cream found in most chicken salad recipes with non fat Greek yogurt. It has the same thick consistency and provides rich flavor without the calories! You can find it in most grocery stores, but I recommend Trader Joe's brand because of the price-about $2.00 less.**

Pantry and Refrigerator/Freezer Essentials

A friend asked me today for some tips on stocking the pantry so I decided to post a list of the food items I cannot live without. I have included some basics, but not all because I'm assuming most of you have sugar, flour, salt, pepper, etc?

PANTRY

olive oil

vegetable or canola oil

balsamic vinegar

red Wine vinegar

rice Wine vinegar

basic dried herbs and spices

brown sugar

brown rice

grain, like quinoa or couscous

Old Fashioned Oats (not quick cooking oatmeal)

whole wheat pasta (preferably Barilla Plus in various shapes)

canned beans (black, pinto or kidney, cannellini)

canned diced tomatoes

tomato paste

jar marinara sauce(whatever is on sale)

canned Rotel tomatoes or canned diced green chiles

canned chipotle chili peppers packed in Adobo sauce

lite coconut milk

soy sauce

barbecue sauce

low salt chicken broth

raisins and dried cranberries

peanut butter

honey

FREEZER

2 -3 different types of meat (usually ground beef and turkey, flank steaks, pork tenderloin)

tilapia

chicken nuggets

frozen pizzas

Amy's chicken sausages(sold in bulk at Costco, but any kind is fine)

whole wheat bread

Lite English Muffins and/or Arnold's Thinwiches

nuts (pine and pecans or almonds preferred)

jumbo bags of Veggies (organic sold in bulk at Costco)

sweet potato fries

tator tots or french fries

blueberries (Trader Joe's brand is always delicious)

Dorot's frozen herbs and garlic cubes (sold at Trader Joe's)

REFRIGERATOR

nonfat Greek yogurt (Trader Joe's brand most affordable)

light mayo

dijon mustard

mozzarella, blue, and feta cheeses

citrus and other fresh fruit(whatever is on sale)

cucumbers

carrots

mixed greens or baby spinach

salsa

Other Produce: onions, shallots, apples, bananas

Special Spices: smoked paprika, ground chipotle chili pepper, lemon pepper(Trader Joe's grinder), Old Bay Seasoning, herbes de provence

Of course we also have various snacks and some other kid friendly junk, but this should be enough to give you many different dinner options. These are the ingredients I pull from every day to cook healthy meals for our family and for the recipes I post on the blog. I buy all of my meat, fresh, at Costco, then freeze it when I get home. I'd rather have a freezer full of meat and veggies than go to the store twice a week. If you prefer fresh, go for it! Hopefully this list is helpful and feel free to share any great tips you have for stocking the pantry.