Culinary Collaborations 11: Shredded Chicken
Using the same protein for several meals during the week can speed up your dinner each night. This Culinary Collaboration is focused on shredded chicken. The best part is you can boil all the chicken at once and just separate it for each meal.
As a reminder: Culinary Collaborations (CC) are mini-weekly meal guides where I try to use similar ingredients which reduces the grocery bill! You don’t need to jump from recipe to recipe as they are all included in this one post.
CC11 Meals
Thai Chicken Salad
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich (or replace the bread with more greens for a salad)
Chicken Power Bowl
Grocery list and recipes are written below for 2 servings. Double every recipe if you want to have leftovers for lunch or for a family of 4.
Pantry Items
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
ground ginger
red pepper flakes
garlic powder
peanut oil
soy sauce
dried oregano
chili powder
fajita seasoning (salt-free)
dried dill
Grocery List
Produce:
2 jalapenos
3 carrots
1 poblano
1 red onion
4 cups arugula
3 cups spring mix
1 large tomato
1 bulb Garlic or pre-minced garlic
1 bell pepper
2 limes
1 bunch Cilantro
1 bunch green onions
3 avocados
Canned /Grain
Quinoa
Rice
7 cups of broth (ideally homemade)
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can black beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes
Franks hot sauce
Creamy natural peanut butter
Cheese / Bread / Dairy
Sandwich bread
Plain Greek yogurt
crumbled Feta (optional)
Meat / Eggs
17 large chicken thighs (7.5 cups of shredded chicken)
Prep Options
Cook and shred chicken thighs
Cook the rice for the powerbowl
Make the sauce and quinoa (then combine) for the Thai Chicken Salad and store in fridge
Dice the red onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno
Roast poblano, peel, dice
Order / Notes
The easiest/fastest recipe is the Avocado Chicken Salad
Portions of each recipe can be prepped in advance to speed up cook time
Chicken Prep
As all four recipes have shredded chicken, I recommend cooking it together and in advance.
Get a very large stockpot filled with 2 cups homemade broth and the rest with water to half way full. If you don’t have this much extra broth, you can just use water. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken thighs, making sure they are all submersed in water and not too packed in. Add extra/remove water based on how it looks.
Cover and keep at a simmer, stirring periodically, until all are cooked. About 45-60 min.
Drain water and shred the chicken using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or forks. Remove any large chunks of fat.
Power Bowl
Ingredients: 1/2 cup rice, 3/4 cup broth, 3 cups arugula, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1/2 can black beans, 1 avocado, 1 carrot, 1/2 cup diced tomato, 1/2 TBS Fajita Seasoning (Salt free), crumbled feta (optional), 4 chicken thighs, 1/2 lime, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 TBS Franks hot sauce, dill, salt, pepper
Boil and shred chicken as described in the chicken prep section above. (If completed in advance, pull out about 2 cups of shredded chicken)
Bring 3/4 cup broth to a boil, add the 1/2 cup rice, turn down to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes
While rice is cooking, dice red onion, drain and rinse black beans, wash and peel the carrot, shave carrot into strips using the peeler, dice 1/2 cup of tomato
Season chicken and 1/2 can drained black beans (saving the other 1/2 for the chicken tortilla soup) with the 1/2 TBS Fajita seasoning, 1/4tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, tossing lightly
When rice is ready, fluff with the fork and squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lime
Mix the dressing: 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 TBS Franks hot sauce, 1/8 tsp dill, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper.
Microwave the chicken and beans until warm in 30 second intervals, stirring. Or warm on the stove top in a skillet
Cut the avocado into bite sized pieces
Divide between 2 bowls or plates: Rice on the bottom, Arugula, warmed beans and chicken, carrot, tomato, onion and then avocado. Top with feta if desired. Serve with the sauce
Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich
Ingredients: 1 cup shredded cooked chicken, 1/2 cup diced bell pepper, 1 jalapeno , 2 green onions, , 1/4 cup cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, avocado, 1/2 lime, bread, 2 tomato slices, 1/2 cup arugula
Boil and shred chicken as described in the chicken prep section above. (If completed in advance, pull out about 1 cups of shredded chicken)
Place 1 cup shredded chicken in a bowl (to combine all ingredients)
Dice bell pepper and jalapeno. Chop cilantro and green onion. Add all to the bowl with chicken
Season the chicken mixture with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin, and mix
Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed, and mash each side with a fork
Add the mashed avocado and juice of 1/2 lime to the chicken mixture, folding until fully combined
Assemble sandwiches: bread, avocado chicken, tomato slice and avocado
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients: 1 poblano pepper, 1/4 cup red onion, 1 jalapeno, 4-5 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, olive oil, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 3.5 cups broth, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2.5 cups shredded chicken, 1/2 can black beans, 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 1/2 lime, pepper and salt, 1 avocado
Boil and shred chicken as described in the chicken prep section above. (If completed in advance, pull out about 2.5 cups of shredded chicken)
Roast poblano pepper in the oven on broil (leaving door slightly cracked) for about 10 minutes or until skin is blistered and dark. With tongs, turn pepper over and roast additional 5 minutes so all sides are bubbly. (If you are lucky enough to have a gas range, you can do this process over an open flame)
Place hot roasted pepper into a container with a lid and let rest for 15 minutes. (I don’t know why, but this process helps. )
While pepper is resting, dice the 1/4 cup red onion, jalapeno, and 4-5 cloves garlic
Peel skin off poblano. Discard skin, stem, and seeds. Chop pepper and set aside.
Heat 1/2 TBS Olive Oil in stock pot over medium heat
Add onion and jalapeno to stock pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or two
Add garlic and cook an additional minute
Add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp cumin. Stir and allow to toast
Add a little broth (1/2 cup) to deglaze the spices
Add chicken, poblano, salt and pepper (to taste), stir, and cook a few minutes
Add cilantro (save a little for garnish), tomatoes, and the rest of the broth
Bring up to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes
Taste soup and add more spice if you prefer
Add black beans (drained and rinsed) and lime juice
Cook for 10 minutes to warm the beans
Serve with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro
Note: I’ve removed the tortilla strips from this version of the recipe for efficiency and speed. If you already have extra tortillas at the house, you can cut them into little strips, toss in olive oil, cumin and sea salt, bake at 350 for 6-9 min on parchment paper. Top soup with strips
Thai Chicken Salad
Ingredients: 4 large chicken thighs shredded, 3/4 cup veggie broth, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, divided, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 TBS peanut oil, 1 TBS Soy Sauce, 3 cups spring mix, 1-2 carrots
Boil and shred chicken as described in the chicken prep section above. (If completed in advance, pull out about 2 cups of shredded chicken)
Season the shredded 4 chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp paprika
Add 1/2 cup quinoa and 3/4 cup broth to a sauce pan over high heat. When it beings to boil, turn down the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes covered.
Mix the sauce by whisking, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 TBS peanut oil, and 1 TBS Soy Sauce together in a small bowl
Drain and rinse 1 can garbanzo beans, setting aside
Clean, then shred the carrot into strips using a peeler
Add the garbanzo beans to a skillet over medium high heat with 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until warmed and beginning to brown
Mix the peanut sauce into the cooked quinoa
Prepare the salad by splitting the 3 cups spring mix between two bowls and squeezing the juice of 1/2 lime over top
Add the quinoa with peanut sauce, toasted garbanzo beans, shredded carrot, and chicken.
Top with cilantro
