Deja Food: Grocery List & Recipes for Two Chicken Dinners

The goal of "deja food" is to save time by preparing the meat once then using it twice, and to save money by ensuring that the food you buy is used.

Below is the grocery list & recipes for two dinners where the chicken is used in both.  

On the Menu:
Chicken Tikka Masala & Rice
Zucchini Pasta with Chicken

A caveat of this menu is that this spiralizer is used to create the zucchini pasta.  My older daughter loves pasta and I love when she eats her vegetables, so I took a chance buying the spiralizer.  So far her and my hubby have liked the pasta dishes I've experimented with.  YASSSSS. Score one for mom.

If you don't have a spiralizer, I have seen zucchini noodles in the veggie section of our local grocery store.

Grocery List:

• 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast/thighs
• white rice
• tikka masala simmer sauce
• naan 
• chicken bouillon 
• 3-4 zucchinis
• parmesan and romano cheese blend

Prepare the chicken by boiling in 6 cups of water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon.  Once the chicken has cooled, shred it and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge. 

Zucchini Pasta with Chicken

Something about eating healthy. 

• zucchini
• 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil 
• skillet
• chicken
• cheese 

Heat oil in the skillet, add zucchini and use tongs to rotate/flip the noodles.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, try a noodle - it should be slightly crunchy when it is done.  Actually I shouldn't say that.  "Done" is when it is cooked enough that your kid and husband will eat it, whenever that is, use your mom judgement.   

Sprinkle with salt, top with chicken and cheese.  Season with pepper and or red pepper flakes. 

Let them eat veggies!

Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm not sure why, but chicken tikka masala always makes me want to dance. Fun to say, yum to eat.  Even though this is the shortcut way of making it, I'm still doing a little dance.

Rice:

• 1 cup of rice
• 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil 
• pot with lid

Heat 1 teaspoon of butter or olive oil in a quart pan on medium heat, add one cup of rice and stir until brown (5-7 minutes).  Add 1 & 1/2 cups of water, bring to boil.  Once mixture is boiling, stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and allow rice to cook for twenty minutes.

For the rice bowls:

• tikka masala simmer sauce
• cooked chicken 
• pepper 
• rice

Shred 1-2 cups of the chicken, reheat if necessary.  For each bowl add rice & chicken, top with simmer sauce.  Delish.