If you’re taking the time to cook a meal, why not increase the quantities and get two for one? Start with these chicken recipes.

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 1½ hours

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 x 1.7kg organic free- range chickens; 375ml white wine; 2 cups low-salt chicken stock; 1 bouquet garni; 1 bunch Dutch carrots, trimmed, peeled; 2 leeks, trimmed, cut into 8cm pieces; 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cut in half

Here's how: 

1 Rinse chickens under cold water and put breast side down in a large, deep heavy-based pan. Pour wine and stock over chickens, then add bouquet garni. Add enough water to pan until chickens are covered. Cover and cook on a low-medium heat for 45 minutes.

2 Turn chickens over, add carrot, leek and spring onion and cook for 25-30 minutes or until vegies are tender.

3 Remove pan from heat and stand for 10 minutes. Remove the chickens and keep 1 for the Hoisin chicken with apple salad; cover chicken and store. Put the other chicken on a wooden board and cover with foil. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon, put in a bowl; cover to keep warm.

4 Remove bouquet garni from pan, then bring the liquid to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Cut chicken into serving-size pieces and put in a bowl with the vegetables. Spoon over reduced chicken liquid and serve immediately.

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cooked chicken; ¼ cup salt-reduced soy sauce; 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce; 1 Tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp sesame oil 3cm-piece ginger, peeled, grated; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 350g thin fresh noodles; 1 tsp sesame oil; 2 Lebanese cucumbers, trimmed, finely shredded; 3 green apples, quartered, core removed, finely shredded; 2 shallots, finely shredded; 2 tsp Chinese rice-wine vinegar.

Here's how:

1 Preheat oven to 200ºC. Line a deep oven tray with baking paper. Put cooked chicken on prepared tray. Combine soy, hoisin, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a small bowl. Spoon on and spread over the chicken. Bake chicken for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Stand for 5 minutes before cutting into serving-size pieces. Put chicken on a plate.

2 Put noodles in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and stand for 5 minutes or until tender and heated through. Drain and put in a large mixing bowl, add the sesame oil and toss to combine.

3 Put cucumber, apple, shallot and rice-wine vinegar in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Put salad in a bowl. Serve the chicken with the noodles and the apple salad.