I have some Trader Joe’s sous vide chicken thighs in the fridge that I want to use, but I need quick and easy recipes.
I thought I’d make stir-fry (no rice for me), but then I remembered that bell peppers upset my wife’s stomach. I could make alfredo with chicken, but I don’t eat pasta. I thought about trying to recreate the grilled Caesar salad we get down the beach (which would let me use some sun-dried tomatoes), but she prefers hers without chicken. I could just heat it up and serve it on a plate with some yellow squash.
So I’m guessing from context, you want a low or at least lower carb option, and no bell peppers (or likely capsicums in general) for the wife. I don’t know if I know enough about everyone’s tastes to make a good suggestion, but the thread deserves at least one answer (though possibly too late!).
Tandoori - make a tandoori sauce out of plain yogurt, tandoori spices (pre-purchased blend or easy enough to make it out of a good spice cabinet), salt, lemon juice. Make it thinner than usual and you can top both the chicken and a wide variety of greens and the dish is more unified. I like this with a mixed green salad, though a skillet of homemade saag is always perfect.
Chicken and butternut squash - I’ve been doing butternut squash a good bit recently, because it mostly hits my starch cravings, but has a lot more micronutrition and fiber than even sweet potatoes, much less russets or pasta - still higher on the GI than some prefer. Last batch I did used store-purchased frozen cubed squash that I defrosted, then heated a skilled with a tablespoon of butter, dried sage applied, then sauteed the squash for 4-5 minutes, and drizzled with a cinnamon pear balsamic and a sprinkle of salt.
Lastly, since you mentioned Trader Joe’s - I buy their frozen artichoke hearts semi-frequently. Thawed, then either steamed simply and served with a bit of lemon, butter, and white wine sauce, or cooked hot and fast in a skillet, with olive oil, garlic, and lemon, they work great as a side dish for almost any chicken or seafood dish.
We ended up just having them plain, with a side of canned French-cut green beans. I had some Pickapeppa sauce on seconds.
Good chicken, but I think regular (not precooked) chicken thighs are better… and also cheaper. I do have Trader Joe’s frozen chicken breast tenderloins, thighs, and wings that do just fine in the toaster oven for half an hour.
Well, trying things out at Trader Joe’s is a fun effort, yeah, not everything is going to click with my tastes, but finding new things is fun. Though if you fall in love with something there, and they stop carrying it… (looking at you, Whole Wheat Couscous) it can be a tragedy as well.
And they’re absolutely better value for money than Whole Paycheck and a lot of other places as well.
Well, all the options I mentioned go well with conventionally cooked thighs as well, or better in the case of the tandoori if you marinate the meat ahead of time (it’s super juicy and tender) so maybe one will work for you later!
Yeah, chicken thighs (and legs) really don’t get much benefit from sous vide as they taste best when cooked well past the safe point. I still cook them that way if I’m also making breasts, but I finish them in the oven with a nice rub until they get to around 185 degrees or so. If I’m just eating thighs, I just bake the shit out of them and they turn out great.
