Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Experiment in Quick Meals: Rotisserie Chicken, Frozen Veggies, and Spinach and Mushroom Won Ton Bites

This week, in stark contrast to my laborious (but awesome) stacked crepe supper documented in my previous post, I have decided to try some quick and simple meals.  With a toddler to care for and play with, time is a scarce commodity.  With another baby on the way, time will be priceless.  So, I would like to start finding some reliable recipes that come together quickly, include healthy ingredients, and taste good.

I kicked off the experiment last night.  Our main course was a rotisserie chicken.  I was so pleased that I paid only $2.99 plus tax (after a $1 off coupon) for a whole chicken that just needed to be reheated in the oven for 25 minutes.  This was especially gratifying since I recently made a roasted chicken at home that cost nearly $9 and took over 1 hour to roast. 

But, once I saw the incredibly scrawny bird (maybe 2 pounds compared with the 7 pound bird I roasted a few weeks ago) and tasted the dry meat, I knew the extra time and money were well spent.

Along with the pitiful chicken, we had a blend of potatoes, peas, and red bell peppers.   These vegetables came conveniently packaged and frozen in a Green Giant bag.  According to the directions, I was to empty the bag into a 2 quart sauce pan, add included "sauce pellets" to taste, and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes.  I wasn't sure what "sauce pellets" consisted of, but they sure sounded gross.  I plopped a few of the green pellets in the pan with the veggies and cooked them.

These seasoned vegetables were less than good.  The few sauce pellets I added really overpowered the vegetables.  I think steaming broccoli or roasting green beans is a lot tastier and just as easy as warming this bag of frozen vegetables.  And, I don't have to deal with any mysterious "sauce pellets."   
Part of my goal in making quick and tasty meals is to utilize food I have on-hand.  As I mentioned in my last post, I had a decent amount of crepe fillings left over.  Dawn left a comment suggesting I make little won ton appetizers. 

These were by far the highlight of our meal.  The spinach and cheese and mushroom fillings paired perfectly with the crisp won ton wraps.  They were so easy to put together and looked impressive.  I would proudly serve these to guests.  We look forward to future leftover fillings that can be turned into won ton appetizers. 

Ingredients
24 won ton wrappers
Leftover filling (I used spinach filling and cheese and mushroom filling)
mini muffin tin
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.  Place 1 won ton wrap in each muffin cup.  Fill each won ton with about 1/2 tsp of spinach filling and 1/2 tsp of cheese and mushroom filling.  Close won ton wrap over filling.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.  Bake until filling is warm and won tons are crisp, about 10 minutes.

1 comment:

  1. I'm glad they worked out! Now to find a complementary dipping sauce for each!

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