Foodis Operandi: Chicken For Singles

Single People: I know, recipes are biased towards family-sized portions and cooking just doesn’t always make financial sense for one person, but take-out is expensive, too and will eventually make you broke and overweight. So here’s one solution. Buy one of those family-sized packages of chicken breasts and make this package of meat your bitch for the next three or four meals, all for about $20. First we’ll BBQ, then we’ll make a sandwich, then we’ll make salad and finally a simple soup.   

First, wash your chicken. Run it under the faucet for 15 seconds and wet the entire surface and dry with paper towels. It makes for safer and better tasting chicken. Rub a little olive oil and a lot of salt & pepper on both sides and under the skin. Grill (or fry on a nonstick pan) on medium to high heat for about 6-8 minutes per side. Brush on BBQ sauce on top of one of the chicken breasts right towards the end of the grilling. Flip it a third time just for a minute, brush the sauce on the other side. Remove from grill and eat one of them with rice and some steamed veggies. 

Second, make some kick ass Chicken Salad. One chicken breast is usually about 1 cup diced chicken. Keep the skin on the chicken and then cut it up. In a big bowl, mix all of the ingredients below and just try and not eat it all right then and there. It’s the best recipe, I swear. It’s a mutation from Martha oh great one.  If you are missing an ingredient, don’t let it stop you, make it anyways. If you’re confused why they sell giant bunches of parsley when all you ever need is a tiny bit, just squeeze off a little at the store and hide it in your lettuce bag.

• 1 cup diced chicken
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced celery
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 dashes of Cholula (use any hot sauce)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste

Third, make a big salad with a lot of lettuce, red peppers, feta and balsamic vinagrette. Make thin slices of your third chicken breast at an angle and all fancy like. The increased surface area picks up lots of dressing. And go to town.

Finally, take whatever is left of your chicken stash and make some simple chicken noodle soup. For the recipe below, it’s based on one chicken breast, or one cup chopped chicken.

• 1 cup chopped chicken
• 1 carrot peeled
• 1 celery stalks
• 1/3 yellow onion
• salt & pepper
• 8-12 oz can of chicken broth
• wide egg noodle or any pasta

  Chop your veggies into 1 inch pieces and add to your broth. Simmer until about half-cooked. Throw in the chicken and cook until the veggies are tender. Salt & pepper to taste.

So there you go, four meals taken care of with not a lot of materials or costs to make cooking your own food doable.