I usually avoid pre-made foods at all costs. Typically prepared foods are high in calories, fat and salt and end up costing the consumer much more than if they were to make it themselves, but there is one prepared food that is my go-to on a regular basis…Supermarket Rotisserie Chicken! This baby has saved my precious time, budget and waistline for the past 5 years and if you’re not familiar with its greatness and adaptability then here’s what you’ve been missing.
Most supermarkets offer a rotisserie chicken in the hot food section and nowadays you can get all kinds from traditional BBQ flavour to jerk seasoning to skinless herb marinated. The latter is my favourite – it’s actually delicious – but if you get the ones with the skin on just beware that the skin is the only downfall to the meal; you can easily overcome that by immediately removing and discarding the skin before serving. Pick up one of these birds and you can feed a family of four for one meal or you can take my tips below and really stretch your meals and budget.
The price varies from store to store, but you will spend approx $7.00/bird. I normally buy the “mammoth” size chicken, which is slightly bigger than the regular and if I am in a hurry for a meal I will serve it with a Greek salad (chunks of cucumber, tomato, feta and seasoned with oregano, salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice – garnish with olives), some whole wheat pita and hummus (you can make it if you have time, but a decent prepared choice is Sabra brand, which is low in fat, sodium and “lowish” on calories, but tastes great). This meal gets you the 4 food groups, lots of veggies and protein and keeps you feeling full for a couple of hours. Because there are only 2 ½ of us eating the chicken, I still have ½ a chicken left over and I use this remaining meat in a pasta dish that stretches our meal plan for at least 4 more portions. Here’s my favourite quick rotisserie chicken and pasta dinner:
Cynthia’s Kitchen Sink Chicken and Pasta
What you need:
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili flakes to taste – optional
3 cloves garlic minced
½ large onion sliced
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 med sized zucchini cut into half-moon slices
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped asparagus
Rotisserie Chicken – ½ the chicken is best, but use whatever you’ve got left over and just bulk up the dish with more veggies if you are low on chicken.
1 28 oz can of pureed tomatoes
3 cups of short pasta (I like penne rigate, but use whatever floats your family’s boat)
What to do:
Bring 6 litres of water to a boil in a large pot (for pasta) while that’s happening, go to the next step.
In a large skillet, add olive oil, onions, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Cook on medium heat until onions are slightly softened.
Add carrots and zucchini to the skillet, cook until slightly softened
Add broccoli and garlic to the skillet, cook until broccoli softened and bright green in colour
Add asparagus and chicken to the skillet, cook for 2 minutes
Add crushed tomatoes to the skillet, cook until hot and bubbling – taste the sauce to see if it needs any seasoning adjustments
Once boiling, add pasta to the water – don’t forget to season the water with a generous handful of coarse salt before you add the pasta
Once pasta is cooked – to taste, or as per package instructions – drain the pasta and add it to the skillet
Mix pasta to incorporate into the sauce
Tasty Tips:
Top with freshly grated cheddar or parmesan cheese.
Throw in whatever veggies you like, especially if you have some leftover in the fridge from another meal.
I sometimes buy radicchio (that red lettuce that looks like a baby cabbage) and I can never use the whole head of it in salads, so I chop it and throw it into the sauce toward the end of the cooking time, just before I add the pasta.
If you don’t need to use the sauce for the current week, then just freeze all or some of it before you add the pasta and use it at a later date when you need a quick and healthy meal.
Substitute the tomato sauce with homemade pesto (I’ll post this recipe for you – so easy and low calorie, you’ll never want to eat the stuff from a jar, or restaurant, again!).
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