Winner, winner, 3 chicken dinners: tasty meals that start with a rotisserie chicken

Planning a meal has gone beyond shopping and cooking, becoming rather a strategic operation that starts after an already long day.

What to cook is the next conundrum. Below are a trio of ideas for meals that can be put together quickly using a store-bought rotisserie chicken and a Wonder Bag.

QUICK CORONATION-STYLE CHICKEN

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 cooked rotisserie chicken, discard the skin and bones and cut chicken into pieces

45ml (3 tbsp) chutney

10-15ml (2-3 tbsp) curry paste - you can use Thai green or red curry paste if you prefer

125ml (½ cup) white wine - or replace with chicken stock

500ml (2 cups) good-quality mayonnaise, not salad cream

Finely grated rind and juice of a small lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A handful of flaked almonds, optional

Method:

1. Place the chicken in a bowl.
2. Combine chutney, curry paste, lemon rind and juice in a separate bowl, stir till smooth, adding the wine.
3. Stir mayonnaise into the chutney mixture then pour over the chicken and mix through.
4. Season and sprinkle with nuts.
5. Serve with bread rolls and a mixed salad.

CHICKEN WITH RED WINE AND GRAPES

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

1 cooked rotisserie chicken, cut into portions

250ml (1 cup) red wine (you can replace with grape juice)

250ml (1 cup) chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch of seedless red grapes, washed

Method:

1. In a large pan preheat the oil and fry the onion till soft.
2. Add the chicken portions.
3. Pour in the wine and stock and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Season. Add the grapes in the last five minutes. Or bring to a rolling boil, add the grapes and place in the Wonder Bag for 30 minutes to heat through.
4. Serve with mash potato 

4-INGREDIENT CHICKEN AND SPINACH CURRY

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cooked rotisserie chicken, discard the skin and bones, cut chicken into pieces

15ml (1 tbsp) oil

1x 400g jar or 2x 200g sachets of ready-made cook-in curry sauce

1x 250g pack of ready-washed baby spinach

To serve:

Readymade rice (see tips below)

6 roti

Method:

1. Place the chicken pieces in a pan with the preheated oil and stir through.
2. Pour over curry sauce and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted.
4. Season to taste and spoon over rice and serve with roti.

Cook's tips:

• Add a can of rinsed chickpeas, lentils or beans to the curry to stretch the meal.
• You can purchase sachets of readymade rice in the supermarket, or cook it in the Wonder Bag by bringing to the boil on the stove and then placing in the bag, remembering it needs to be prepared a couple of hours before eating. A tip is to make the rice in the morning as it can't spoil in the Wonder Bag.