highlights from last week! PLUS: the easiest shredded chicken

come for the fun photos, stay for the shredded chicken...

Feb 20, 2024

Hi pals,

Sorry I missed you here last week — I had a whirlwind of a time doing some exciting stuff to promote Built for This: The Quiet Strength of Powerlifting (here’s an interview I got to do with People magazine…!). Here are some more highlights….

On Thursday evening I got to have a live, in-person conversation at The Greene Space with

Roxane Gay

and the one and only Michelle Buteau moderated it. It was a true “is this my real life?!” moment and was so incredibly fun + meaningful. So many friends old and new came, including Molly + Annmarie who I wrote about in my essay. And my parents! If the folks behind the event are able to share a recording, you will be the first to know and I’ll be sure to include it here <3.

Here I am offering my awesome friend Rachel Hauer (the best tattoo artist ever) some bench pressing tips! Thanks to my other awesome friend Carrie Fogg-Shaw (go watch her movie!) for this photo and for so much awesome support Sunday morning!

Everand is making a short video about each writer in the Roxane Gay Presents series so on Sunday a film crew came to my gym to make a video about the Sunday morning Queer Barbell Club* I started almost a year ago. Once it’s all edited and live, I’m so excited to share it with you. So many wonderful people came out to support on Sunday morning and gave so much time and energy, including my coach Matt!

*If you’re in/near the Kingston, NY area and want to join us on Sunday mornings for Queer Barbell (which is really just like ‘queer gym time’), drop me a link and I can give you more info!!*

During my overnight in NYC for the Greene Space event, I got to eat homemade coconut cake at Jennie's apartment, enjoy a solo lunch at Nom Wah, and have a perfect bagel the next morning.

Before I get into all things shredded chicken, a quick reminder that I’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming this weekend. My class this Sunday will be THREE QUICK DINNERS. »» SIGN UP HERE!! ««

*as always, is $ is a barrier, just let me know and I’ll get you signed up*

Here’s the official description: If you're in a dinner rut, join me for this helpful class where we'll make three of my favorite QUICK dinners (I'll make all three of them during the class if that tells you how fast they are). First up the easiest turkey tacos (basically ground turkey + a jar of salsa + a hot pan) with the easiest slaw to use as a topping. Then an incredibly simple + satisfying soup made with chickpeas, spinach, and lots of lemon (plus the best garlic bread on the side). Last up one of my favorite recipes: Llubav's Green Spaghetti. There will be so many tips, tricks, and make-ahead notes. Join me!

Okay, now to the meat of today’s newsletter (sorry I could not resist).

So I’ve been making batches of shredded chicken in my Instant Pot lately and it’s SO EASY and it’s so nice to have a container of it on hand to turn into tacos, tuck into quesadillas, use to make a salad more substantial, add to soup, etc. If you’re into eating lots of protein for whatever reason, this method is good to know!!

I made a little how-to video over on my IG (see here!!!), but here are written instructions + notes (including what to do if you don’t have an Instant Pot). The really fun part is using a hand mixer to shred the chicken — it’s so fast and easy.

Here’s some shredded chicken cooked with salsa verde served over romaine dressed with olive oil + lime plus crumbled feta + sour cream…cheese quesadillas on the side…a perfect lunch!

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine 1 pound of boneless chicken (thighs, breasts, or a combo) with 2/3 cup liquid in an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do quick release for the rest. Uncover the chicken and use a hand mixer set on low speed to shred the chicken directly in the pot. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days (or freeze!). Use the chicken however you want!

THE CHICKEN: It’s important to use boneless chicken so that the shredding goes very easily. You can of course use bone-in chicken, you’ll just have to remove the bones before shredding (or just enjoy really tender chicken on the bone!).
WHAT IF I WANT TO MAKE MORE CHICKEN: Go for it! I would say you could do up to 2 pounds with no additional liquid (just the 2/3 cup), but if you make 3 or 4 pounds at a time, I’d double the liquid….
THE LIQUID: This is where you can really play and add so much flavor. It could just be chicken broth. Or hot sauce, plus butter + white wine. Or maybe crushed tomatoes + Calabrian chile paste. Or a personal favorite: BBQ sauce thinned with a little water or chicken stock. Mexican salsa verde. Gochujang + beer! Anything!
OTHER ADDITIONS: Feel free to add some extra seasoning (as simple as salt and pepper, or any combination you like!), extra vegetables (even just a sliced onion is nice), or stretch out the chicken with some beans (I would cook and shred the chicken, then add a can of drained/rinsed beans, otherwise I think the beans will get too mushy).
BUT WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE CHICKEN? Then this is probably not the thing you should make!
NO HAND MIXER? You can transfer the chicken to stand mixer, or just let it cool completely and shred it with your hands!
NO INSTANT POT? No problem! Just brown the chicken in a Dutch oven in a little olive oil, add the liquid, then cover the pot and cook on low heat for an hour. Then shred! Note that this method really works best with chicken thighs. You can read more about this method/get a great recipe in this early newsletter post “The Unseen Hero of Simply Julia: Green Chile Braised Chicken Thighs with Pinto Beans”.