Cheater Cheater Chicken Eater

If you've read previous posts, then you may be aware that I have a poultry aversion. Particularly to chicken. But I have made huge strides to overcome this, thanks to a few amazing recipes and one super-fantastic-too-good-to-pass-up item... the store prepared rotisserie chicken!


I mean, seriously. How can you not love this? They are all natural whole chickens seasoned and cooked rotisserie style right in the deli section of the supermarket. They're hot, juicy and ready to go! Plus, they range in price from $4.99 to $6.99 depending on when you buy them. The later in the evening you shop, the lower the price!


These babies are so delicious and so versatile. And it's the greatest shortcut for those nights when you need a good meal fast. It's like cheating! Only guilt-free and harmless.

There are so many ways to utilize the ready to eat rotisserie chicken. Here are my favorites.

Chicken dinner: The most obvious option is to eat it hot right off the bone. Whip up a fresh green salad, some rice pilaf, and steamed asparagus, and you've got a healthy meal in less than 30 minutes.

Chicken salad: Just stick it directly into the refrigerator and the next day remove the breast meat (ditch the skin), and cube into small pieces. Add some diced celery, crumbled bacon (use turkey bacon if you prefer), chopped scallions and a little bit of plain Greek yogurt and dollop of mayo for that familiar flavor. Season with a little salt, pepper, and feel free to throw in some fresh chopped flat leaf parsley or dill. This makes a delicious lunch on a whole grain role. Add sprouts or spinach leves and sliced tomatoes to the sandwich to really jazz it up.

Entree Salad: This is filling and satisfying enough to eat as your main entree. Remove the and breast meat from refrigerated chicken. Slice or shred. Serve on top of arugula, add halved grape tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles and toss with lemon vinaigrette. Some diced cappcola ham is a fabulous addition. (Dressing: juice of half lemon, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, dash of balsamic vinegar, sea salt, fresh black pepper and a pinch of thyme)

Enchiladas: Remove skin, cut out the breast and leg meat, etc, and shred. Combine with sliced black olives, diced onion, a little sour cream (optional), drained can of green chilies, and shredded cheese.  Add 1/3 of a can of enchilada sauce and mix. Fill tortillas and place in glass baking dish (lightly coat bottom of dish with the enchilada sauce to prevent sticking). Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake until hot and cheese is melted. Serve topped with diced tomato, chopped lettuce, onion, sour cream, black olives, and jalapenos. A side of beans and avocado salad round out this meal. (Avocado salad: sliced avocados, fresh lime juice, salt, halved grape tomatoes.)

What are your favorite ways to go ninja on these types of convenience items from the deli?

How Wendy's Drive Thru Changed My Life

It was one of "those" days. Well, now that I think about it, it was like every other day. I was tired, the kids were hungry, I hadn't been grocery shopping recently, and there was nothing in the pantry or fridge that could be fashioned into something worth eating. I really wanted to just grab something fast and easy, and head home.

Wendy's shares a parking lot with the drug store I had to visit, so I gave in to the temptation of hot, fast, cheap food ready and waiting for me at a miniature window. We NEVER eat fast food. Not the burger joint fast food. So I thought this would be like a "treat" for the kids. I tell them we're getting Wendy's and ask if they'd like (I'm throwing up a little in my mouth right now) a chicken nugget or cheeseburger meal. Looking back it seems like a form of child abuse.

So what did the kids do? They cried! They begged and pleaded with me to NOT make them eat that food. At first I was annoyed. I mean, that is unheard of. Kids that don't want chicken nuggets, fries and a cheap plastic toy that never even makes it out of the backseat? Preposterous! So, frustrated, I asked what they would eat. They begged for sushi. Sushi is the treat they get for being good during a trip to the grocery store. Then it hit me. I realized that all of my efforts to raise healthy eaters had paid off. So we hit the Hy-Vee next door that has excellent ready made sushi rolls in the deli case.

They picked out some California Rolls. Brown rice, seaweed, crab meat, avocado, cucumber. Super healthy, super delicious foods all rolled into neat little bites. Each kid then picked a fruit, and we checked out and headed home. So the "fast food" meal ended up being sushi rolls and fruit salad. And they were tickled pink about it. As was I. I still got off easy and didn't have to cook or dirty a dish. But most importantly, my kids' health was not compromised to accommodate my lazy mood. My kids taught me a lot that day. It was then that the ninja was born.