HOUSTON – A whole roasted chicken is a great protein source that can feed your family for a couple of days.
But if you’re running low on ideas of what you can prepare at home with it, Drake Leonards, executive chef with Eunice in Greenway plaza, shares easy-to-follow recipes perfect for your family.
“Use what you have. I think the biggest thing for this is not to go to the store every day,” said Leonards, who recommends using leftover chicken for a tasty salad and a stuffed pasta.
If you cannot get a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, roasting a chicken is less complicated than it looks.
"Use good olive oil, salt, pepper. I like to roast it hot at 375 to 400 degrees, depending on your oven, 15 to 20 minutes to get a beautiful crust and turn it down for another 15-20 minutes just so the juices run through the thigh and about 45 minutes. I like to sometimes split them in half and roast on a tray down,” he said.
To see Leonards’s complete interview watch the video below.
MEAL # 1: ROASTED CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES
If you have a roasted chicken at home, sliced and serve it with any fresh vegetables have on your fridge. Tomatoes or cucumbers will be a nice complement.
MEAL # 2: ROASTED CHICKEN, STUFFED PASTA AND TOMATO SAUCE
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch dried chili flakes, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2-pint small tiny tomatoes, cut in half
• 16 ounces store-bought Marinara sauce
• 2 cups pulled chicken
• White wine, if you have
• Splash pasta water
• Pinch chopped basil and or parsley
• 1 hunk of Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium pack spinach and cheese stuffed pasta
Directions:
Bring salted water to a boil following package directions for the pasta. In a large sauté pan, on medium heat warm olive oil.
Toast garlic and chili flakes until it starts to smell fragrant about 1 minute. Add small tomatoes and cook until they release any liquid. Deglaze with wine, or just add your store-bought tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, add pulled chicken and cook until chicken is hot.
Cook pasta in your boiling water according to package directions. Remove pasta from the water and put into the sauce, give it a toss.
Taste and season with Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, and any fresh herbs.
Spoon into the center of a bowl and top with more cheese.
MEAL # 3: ROASTED CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients:
• 2 cups pulled roasted chicken
• ½ cup seedless grapes, and or apples mixed
• ½ cup mixed nuts chopped
• ½ celery rib, diced
• Fresh dill, chopped (If you have)
• ½ tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• A squeeze of fresh lemon
• Splash olive oil
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, grapes/ apples, nuts, celery, and herbs. In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon, mustard, salt and pepper.
Add the mayo/mustard mixture to the chicken mixture and gently stir until well mixed.
Refrigerate for at least an hour. Feel free to dress in avocado, and a squeeze of lemon.
Pro Tip: Serve with an arugula salad, on a soft tortilla wrap or on grilled bread.
Leonards also shared a delicious dessert option using strawberries to make a quick warm topper for your favorite ice-cream.
“My family loves dessert and we always have fruit. If the strawberries or blueberries, peaches or bananas go bad before we eat them, I like to freeze them,” said Leonards.
FLAMBEED STRAWBERRIES
Ingredients:
• 2 cups cut strawberries
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Splash rum, Brandy or Grand Marnier
• 1 pint of your favorite ice-cream
• 1 orange, juiced and zested
Directions:
In a large sauté pan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook until sugar is melted and bubbly. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the rum. Return the pan to the heat and ignite. Cook until the flames die out, about 10 to 15 seconds.
Add the strawberries and cook until the strawberries just begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Spoon over scoops of your favorite ice-cream. Use the zest and a little sprinkle of orange juice top off.
Recipes provided by Drake Leonards.