One rotisserie chicken

three simple recipes

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Hello! Happy Sunday!

If you haven’t batch cooked for the upcoming week there’s still time to do a very simple prep with a rotisserie chicken. If you’re feeling ambitious and you want to do more, you can check out the one-week meal plan I shared yesterday.

Back to the rotisserie chicken … I saw an infographic similar to the one above in a New York Times email about a month back. It highlighted tomatoes, and I thought it was brilliant. Simple, clear, and easy to read and implement. I love rotisserie chicken, so I thought I’d replicate the graphic with it as the main ingredient.

Below, you’ll find three recipes that utilize rotisserie chicken as the protein. You’ll also notice overlap with several other ingredients. Recipes are quick, easy, and vastly different so you won’t get bored. They’re also balanced and nutrient-rich. Recipes below serve one. Double for two and quadruple for a family of four.

NOTES

Shred your chicken when it’s still warm. It’s a lot easier and you’ll get more meat off the bones. As of now, my favorite rotisserie chicken is at Whole Foods. It’s $12.99 and it’s organic. If you’re in The Bay, you can also get a nice organic Mary’s rotisserie chicken at Andronicos—it’ll just cost you $16.99. Good Eggs is also an option—a non-organic version of the same bird is $14.99.

You can use precooked / frozen brown rice and quinoa here!

Here's what’s on the menu … 

1. Market salad with quinoa, chicken, stone fruit, and a honey balsamic vinaigrette

2. Rotisserie chicken tacos with a simple slaw and cilantro lime crema

3. Crispy chicken and cabbage salad

To make these recipes, start with this budget-friendly grocery list:

• 1 rotisserie chicken

• 1/4 cup quinoa (3/4 cup cooked)

• 1/4 cup brown short grain rice (3/4 cup cooked)

• 4 corn tortillas

• 1/4 cup yogurt, plain, whole milk or low-fat

• 1 avocado

• 1 small heirloom tomato

• 1/2 nectarine

• 1/2 plum

• 2 cups spring mix

• 1 cup green cabbage

• 1 cup red cabbage

• 1/4 cup fennel

• 1/4 cup carrot

• 1 small jalapeño

• 1 Tbsp green onion

• 1 small bunch cilantro

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 Tbsp red onion

• 1 lime

• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

• 1 Tbsp pistachios

• 1/4 tsp ground cumin

You most likely already have honey, salt, black pepper, and olive oil in your pantry, and you may even have soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil on hand, too. But if you don’t, add them to the list!

Market salad with quinoa, chicken, stone fruit, and a honey balsamic vinaigrette

Serves 1

This seasonal salad is filling, well-balanced, and full of flavor.

For the salad:

1/4 cup quinoa (3/4 cup cooked)

4 oz rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced

2 cups spring mix

1/2 nectarine, sliced

1/2 plum, sliced

1/2 heirloom tomato, cut into wedges

1 Tbsp pistachios, coarsely chopped

For the honey balsamic dressing:

1 tsp honey

1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Cook quinoa according to package directions; let cool.

Whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top the greens with quinoa, chicken, stone fruit, tomato, and pistachios. Dress with the honey balsamic vinaigrette.

Rotisserie chicken tacos with a simple slaw and cilantro lime crema

Serves 1

A quick and delicious taco recipe that works well with chicken, fish, shrimp, and beef.