5 roast chicken tips to make mealtime easier

You’ve just finished a long day at work. You’re exhausted, but still craving something delicious and healthy for dinner.

Luckily, we have a hack that may just change your life, or at the very least make mealtime much, much easier. On a Sunday afternoon, cooking up a whole chicken with lashings of garlic, olive oil and lemon will not only have your home smelling heavenly, but will be the gift that keeps giving for meals all week.

For the times you are stuck for midweek ideas, we’ve worked with The West Australian on some winter recipe ideas to nourish your insides and please all of the senses.

The winter warmer

We don’t really even have to say it, but a warm bowl of soup with crusty brown bread on the side is like wooly socks for the soul.

Chicken and corn are a match made in culinary heaven, and so speedy and easy to combine for a delicious bowl of goodness.

Add chicken stock, a can of corn, your chicken, dried shiitake mushrooms (in the Asian aisle of your supermarket) and some thinly sliced green onion.

Bring to the boil, let cool, then slurp up with some bread in your dressing gown.

The most important meal of the day

Shakshuka is a dish we daydream about ordering all week at our Sunday brunch with friends, but the delicious Middle Eastern breaky is so easy to whip up at home.

Start with cooking down onion before adding a teaspoon of sweet paprika, ground coriander, cumin, sugar and chilli flakes (to your taste).

Add two cans of diced tomatoes and cook till it’s nice and thick, then add your chicken. Make small indents for your eggs, then crack them in.

Cook for up to eight minutes (if you love an oozy yolk) then plonk on the middle of the table and let people help themselves for firsts, and seconds.

The cure for three-thirtyitis

It’s that time of the day, 3.30pm, and the hunger pangs have hit.

Before you reach for yet another handful of almonds, or give in to the temptation of the chocolate circulating the office, try whipping up some easy rice paper rolls at the start of the week.

Chicken rice paper rolls with avocado, red capsicum, cucumber, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce and rice noodles with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds are the perfect filling and nutritious snack for any time of the day.

Get rolling on a Sunday afternoon, and store in the fridge to keep your hunger pangs at bay.

The crowd pleasers

There is no denying Western Australians love a burger or taco night, and every family has their own version in their repertoire. So for your next special occasion, why not have both?

For a quick and easy party treat, whip up an oh-so-simple yet flavour-packed chicken slider or taco with a crunchy slaw and jalapeno yogurt sauce.

While you’re toasting your slider buns and soft tacos, tear up your chicken. Mix greek yogurt with jalapenos, lemon juice and spring onion then mix it through your finely chopped slaw of red cabbage, kale and carrot.

Make a tower with your ingredients, top with some avocado, then try and stop at just the one.

You can make friends with salad

Nourish bowls are exactly what they sound like – bowls of goodness that tick all of the right health boxes.

You can construct with leftover chicken and whatever is in your fridge, but always ensure you have some microwave brown rice or quinoa in the cupboard to build the base of the bowl.

Then add whatever ingredients you have on hand – avocado, thinly sliced radishes, edamame, chickpeas, corn, and kimchi are all perfect to add to the mix.

Make a delicious dressing with miso paste, tahini and lemon juice, or go al naturale with a good-quality olive oil and a crack of salt and pepper, plus a few chia seeds for extra superfood goodness.