Greek Chicken Salad with Artichokes
I am so big into this lately. It started with yummy rotisserie chicken breasts purchased preshredded from Costco. But my attempts to recreate it always fell short and the actual product had tendons and fat attached, which make me gag. But every other Sunday I have to cook 3 dinners, plus three lunches and breakfasts for myself. I don’t care for what most would consider normal breakfasts like cereal, bagels or toast. I work 12 hour shifts so I need something filling I can eat quickly, even cold if absolutely necessary. Many days it’s either fast and cold or just go hungry. I let too many frozen dinners get to room temperature and end up throwing them away and I have promised myself never to buy one again. I can’t stand waste, either wasted money, food, or even just the packaging. So I set out to do better.
Enter the shredded chicken breasts and my much loved pressure cooker. I stuck two breasts in there along with my pressure cooker secret weapon and let them cook. From frozen solid to break apart tender in an hour. Then I set to work experimenting with different ways to prepare it that were foremost healthy and also fast, delicious and family friendly. I quickly gave up on family friendly. My kids aren’t picky but what I consider the best meal I’ve eaten this week is not the same thing my kids would pick. I decided if I could cook an entire week of lunches, I wouldn’t worry so much about cooking a dinner the kids loved. So now I stick a big package of trimmed chicken breasts in the crock pot or pressure cooker once a week, and my husband and I eat healthy and happily all week.
First up is my favorite-
- Greek Chicken Breasts with Artichokes
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked to tender and shredded
- 1 jar artichokes in oil (preferably grilled) with oil
- 1/4 cup fat free greek olives
- 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup sliced greek olives
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and stir until well combined. Makes 4 decent sized lunch portions, divide and conquer!
