Six chicken recipe ideas that'll make a roast last a week
13 January 2011

Last year our research showed how much healthier we'd all be if we ate less meat. Another study showed how cutting down on meat would also help protect rainforests and tackle climate change.

Poultry in the UK is top of the list when it comes to demand for imported animal feed such as soy. This causes massive wildlife and forest destruction.

If you eat meat, opt for quality rather than quantity - ideally organic and local. And to make it go further, we have some easy, budget-friendly meals ideas for you.

Rachel de Thample, author of 'Less Meat, More Veg', shows us how a roast can last the week. Refrigerate or freeze meat if you don't want to get too bored of your bird!

Meal 1: Roast chicken

Start the week with an indulgent roast, and serve with lots of seasonal veggie sides. Carve from the breasts. See Rachel's recipe for Effortless Roast Chicken.

Meal 2: Salad

Use the meat from the 1st leg to make a Chicken salad.

Meal 3: Soup

Shred the meat from the 2nd leg in an Italian Chicken Soup. The leftover meat can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Meal 4: Salad/Soup

You can get a surprising amount of meat from the wings and carcass. Check the along the backbone and collar. You can also use this meat in a salad or soup.

Meal 5: Stock

Use the bones and skin as the base for a stock. All you need are some basic vegetables like onions, carrots and celery and a few peppercorns to make a good stock. This will form the base for your soup. Make the stock the day of your roast dinner, or you can refrigerate the bones for up to 2 days before making. See How to Make Stock.

Meal 6: Pasta

The giblet pack contains the liver, which is the silky, smooth burgundy bit. It makes the most delicious pate. Other giblet bits include the neck, heart, kidneys and sometimes the gizzard. Don't be squeamish, these bits are loaded with essential nutrients (ones we need more of). See Rachel's recipe for Tagliatelle with Creamy White Wine, Giblet and Mushroom sauce.