greek week
She’s thick, she’s juicy, she rests on her potato bed. She’s the Greek Roast Chicken.
It’s Greek Week. Here’s the rundown:
the menu
— night one: greek roasted chicken & potatoes, greek side salad with greek dressing
— day two: greek salad with tuna & greek dressing
— night two: greek roasted chicken with potatoes & broccoli
— night three: avgolemono chicken & rice soup
the building blocks
the shopping list
average cost for two people = $72 total, $9.00 per person per meal for four meals each
produce
3 hearts romaine lettuce
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 english cucumber
3 lemons
1 head of garlic
4 russet potatoes
2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
1 small bunch parsley
1 bunch thyme
1 bag broccoli florets (about 3 cups)
meat & dairy
4-5 lb. whole chicken - you can also use with 4 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts, but I strongggggly encourage using the full bird (she’s juicier that way, and let’s be real, a full roast chicken makes for some great #content)
4 oz. (1/2 cup) plain greek yogurt
6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) sheep’s milk feta
1 stick butter
2 eggs
non-perishables
1/2 cup crispy chickpeas
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tbs. dried oregano
1 cup olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
2 bouillon cubes
1 can of tuna (I like the one that’s unsalted in water)
booze
1/4 cup white wine…plus more to drink while cooking
tools
meat thermometer (highly recommend so you don’t have to cut into your bird to see if she’s done)
twine (ok who has twine, but it really does make it easier to prep your bird for roasting)
avg cost assumes you have to buy a full package of each item
the to-do list
night one
You’ll do the bulk of the work on the first night, and also have the heartiest meal. I usually like to plan for the first night of this collection to fall on a Saturday to give myself the most time to relax, prep, and enjoy the process. That’s also where the “more wine to drink while cooking” comes into play.
You’ll make the Greek roasted chicken & potatoes, the Greek side salad, and Greek dressing. I know it may seem daunting, but give yourself some time, throw on your favorite playlist, and cook the day away.
For dinner, you’ll share 1/4 of the roasted chicken, 1/2 of the potatoes, and 1/2 of the salad and dressing.
When portioning dinner, a few important steps to knock off:
— After carving the chicken, save the carcass in a big baggie either in the fridge or freezer, you’ll use it to make stock on day three.
— When portioning your chicken, make sure to save one breast to have in your chicken & rice soup on day three.
— For your salad, only dress and add crispy chickpeas to the half you’re eating on night one. That’ll keep your greens from wilting and your chickpeas from getting soggy. No one likes a soggy chickpea.
day two
You’ll put together a quick and easy lunch on the second day. You’ll share the other half of your greek salad and greek dressing, along with the can of tuna. That’s it!
night two
You can keep riding high on the wave of roasting a whole chicken. I’m telling you, she’s the gift that keeps on giving. For dinner, you’ll share another 1/4 of the roast chicken, the other 1/2 of the potatoes (just reheat over low heat on the stove so they re-crisp up), and roasted broccoli.
day three
You’ll take a break between Zoom calls on the third day and throw a pot of chicken stock on the stove using your chicken carcass from night one (I told you to throw it in a baggie!). Once it’s simmering, you can walk away for 3-4 hours until you just can’t stand how good it smells.
night three
To cap off the collection, you’ll use your chicken stock, some arborio rice, and the rest of your roast chicken from night one to make avgolemono chicken & rice soup for dinner.
