One Chicken One Week

Roast chicken is a surprisingly simple and delicious dinner option.  But what about after dinner, when you're stuffed and still have 3/4 of an uneaten chicken sitting on the table?  This is the time to get excited (not dread) having leftovers.  Be creative (or let me be creative for you), and use that bird to whip up some tasty meals for the rest of the week!  Here's what I'm thinking:

• Day 1 - Roast Chicken Dinner:  Rinse your chicken and brush with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and rosemary.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes per pound of chicken (check on your package for the weight).  The chicken should be white when cooked through, yet still juicy.  Serve with your favorite veggies, brown rice, and a salad.
• Day 2 - Chicken and Avocado Sandwich:  You'll need a few slices of the chicken, 2 slices of tomato, 1/4 of an avocado, 1 slice of Reduced-Fat Swiss Cheese, 2 slices of whole grain bread, and a swipe of dijon mustard (optional).  Grill, toast, or leave the bread alone - this is your sandwich, make it how you like it!
• Day 3 - Chicken Salad:  Load it up with veggies and your choice of lettuce (romaine, spring mix, spinach, etc.)!  I like cucumbers, red peppers, 1/4 of that avocado, walnuts, and some gorgonzola cheese.  YUM.
• Day 4 - Chicken and Goat Cheese Quesadillas:  Grab one whole grain tortilla and stuff it (folded in half) with a mixture containing soft goat cheese, corn, black beans, chicken, cilantro, and sauteed onions (optional). Heat in a toaster oven or on a pan (sprayed with cooking spray).  Top with a few slices of the avocado!
• Day 5 - Chicken Noodle Soup:  Cook about a 1/2 cup of your favorite whole grain noodles.  Boil some of your favorite veggies (carrots, onions, celery, etc.) in reduced sodium chicken broth with a 1/2 Tsp of minced garlic. When they are soft, continue to simmer and add the chicken, noodles, and more broth if you'd like.  Try topping with a dollop of fat-free cottage cheese!  To give it a different zest: add a little lime and cilantro.
• Day 6 - Chicken Salad Sandwich:  Mix some chopped celery, halved red seedless grapes, raisins, chopped walnuts, chicken, and fat-free cottage cheese.  Toast two slices of whole grain bread and place the chicken salad in between to make a sandwich.  Try adding a leaf of romaine lettuce and a little dijon mustard on one of the slices.  
• Day 7 - Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowl:  Bake one potato (your choice: sweet potato, redskin, russet, etc.) and when soft, chop and mash. Add a small amount of skim milk to achieve the desired consistency and a tsp of butter (optional).  Mix in chicken, corn, steamed carrots, and any other veggies you like.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder (dill goes well with redskins!).

*Keep in mind that smaller chickens will take less time to cook, but you may run out of meat before the end of the week (or if you're feeding more mouths than one)!  Also, to use a quarter of an avocado at a time and preserve the rest, cut out your section and leave the pit and rest of the avocado intact.  Wrap tightly in foil and place in the refrigerator.  

Oldie but goodie:  Drops of Jupiter - Train