Easy, yummy dinner #1

Okay, let's start with a menu and some recipes! For dinner tonight, we had chicken, veggies and pasta salad--all with very little sodium and lots of flavor!! Here's how:
For the chicken--I bought a whole chicken (on sale!)...usually they are in a bag and called "fryers". Read the label to select the one that does not have added salt (they put it in to plump it up!)...Zacky Farms is a good choice, and some of the local brands don't add salt. I peeled a brown onion and cut it into about five large slices; dug out the crock-pot and put in two of the onion slices; then I chopped two garlic cloves and put half in the pot with the onion. I placed the chicken in the pot. (Be sure you have removed the neck and giblets, and rinsed the chicken well before placing it in the pot!)

I put the other pieces of onion and garlic on top of the bird. I ran outside and plucked an orange from our tree--you can use a store bought one that is lingering in the back of your fridge--washed it, then sliced it (skin ON), placed some pieces on the chicken and squeezed some of the juice on top. Grabbed some leftover white wine from the fridge (you can open a new bottle, or substitute a small amount of water--just 1/4 cup is enough), then cut two sprigs of rosemary from a plant out in the front yard. Rosemary is hearty and easy to grow--I keep it in a window box that gets lots of hot sun and I can't seem to kill it--if you can't grow it, keep a bottle of dried Spice Islands or other brand on hand, because it has a wonderful flavor and aroma and we will be using it alot!. Crumbled the rosemary on top; grabbed a bag of frozen Brittany Blend veggies (green beans, carrots and wax beans--you can use any one or all of them) and tossed them in, and finally ground some fresh black pepper on top.

Plugged the crock pot in, put on the lid, set it on low (I was on my way to work, so it cooked all day and the house smelled terrific when we got home--you can put it on high and it will be done in 4 hours). That took care of the chicken and veggies, and the total sodium was probably less than 200mg! You can also add celery to the bottom of the pot, but I didn't have any on hand. (By the way, celery has sodium in it, from nature, but trace amounts--that's why it makes a good seasoning.)
Total prep time: 15 minutes

Pasta Salad:
I used Barilla Rainbow Rotini, because it is pretty and has zero sodium. (Whole grain is a better nutritional choice, but firmer and the family resists it a bit--sometimes I mix the two.) While the water was boiling, I chopped up some bell peppers (red, green, yellow or all three); peeled and chopped some cucumber, radishes and tomatoes. You can use onions, but I'm allergic to raw ones so usually my family suffers without! Cubed up a bit of cheddar cheese (just a bit--if you don't overdo it, it's okay to add some protein and fat!). Cut up some fresh basil (again, keep a plant in the kitchen window and cut a leaf when you need some; if you can't, the dried will suffice, but not nearly as tasty! Pepperjack adds a nice tang!). Rinsed the cooked pasta in cold water, tossed it all together, then added some italian dressing--mixed up some extra virgin olive oil with raspberry balsamic vinegarette--don't use too much!! A little goes a lonnnnnng way! Ground some fresh black pepper and put it in the fridge for the day.
Total prep time: 10 minutes
Total sodium: depends on dressing and cheese, but around 400mg

I cheated a bit on the pasta salad--I actually fixed it on Monday, which was my day off. So by today it was really cold and the flavors had marinated together well. Don't tell me you don't have time to do this! My day starts at 5:30 and I don't get home until after 6pm, so alot of our meal planning is done on Sunday and Monday, in between yardwork, housework, laundry & fun!

Anyway, the meal was delicious, and served four adults well. IF there were any chicken leftover, it would have been great for a sandwich or salad!

See how quick and easy that was? It was healthy, tasted great and was inexpensive. Try it out and share your feedback and substitutions with me!!

More tomorrow!!

p.s. It might be wise to change out of your jammies before running out to pick the orange or cut the rosemary!!