Chicken Dinners for Days

Boiled chicken is not sexy, but it is healthy. I survey the talented women in my family about the best way to boil chicken. Basically, put a whole chicken (i.e. Foster Farms with guts removed) in a pot of boiling water with onions, herbs, or carrots and celery, and cook for at least an hour.

The first time I boiled a chicken, I cooked it with half an onion (chopped) for about 1.25 hours. It was so tender it fell right off the bone. Tonight we were hungry, so I took it out after 1 hour and picked off enough meat for burritos using a fork and knife, since it takes a few minutes to cool down.

Save the leftover broth! It helps tenderize the meat on days 2 and 3. Just simmer the leftovers in broth, with salt and pepper as desired. I’m sure there are other great recipes to be made, so feel free to send suggestions!

Chicken food safety is crucial, so wash your hands between steps! And throw away the bones, or boil them for stock. I keep the broth and meat stored separately too. Food poisoning is defintely not sexy!

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Ghosts of Dinners Past

My go-to dinner and multi-night meal when the going gets tough:

1. Burritos with ground turkey (night 1), taco salad (night 2)

Quick and simple: brown a package of ground turkey, add 1 taco seasoning packet (or diced onions for lighter flavor) and water, simmer. Then heat tortillas with wet paper towels, or taco shells, in microwave until pliable (2 minutes). Fill with favorite toppings: shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, black beans, etc.

On the second night, use the leftover meat to make a delicious taco salad with same ingredients, plus salsa or ranch dressing.

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