Rubbing it in

Heather says:

I’ve developed a craving for BBQ. I’m searching for the perfect dry rub for slow roasted chicken. When slow roasting chicken, it is done at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Due to time constraints I cooked this one for two hours at 300F and then turned the oven up to 350F for the last 30 minutes. If I had time for a true slow roasted bird I would have allowed it to cook at 200F until done.

Always check the temperature of poultry, the bird is done when the thigh registers 165F.

BBQ Rub

• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons minced, dried onion
• 2 teaspoons peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

Measure all of the ingredients into a food processor. I use the mini one that came with my immersion blender. It’s perfect for small jobs Blend thoroughly until you have a fine powder. Store in an airtight container, yields enough for about 3 chickens.

Enjoy.

Leftover chicken? Try chicken salad.

Heather says:

I meant to post this earlier in the week, but somehow preparing dinner fell off the radar when I couldn’t move off the couch without the aid of painkillers.

Anyhow, here is my recipe for chicken salad:

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked chicken - diced
• 2 ribs celery chopped - roughly the same size as the chicken
• 1/2 an apple cored and chopped - again, same size
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 2 TBSP mayonnaise
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ~1/2 tsp dried basil
• salt/pepper to taste

Now this recipe is incredibly difficult, so pay close attention.

Mix the ingredients. (I do like to make this in the morning and let it hang out in the fridge for a few hours allowing the flavors to combine, but this is not critical.)

Spread on bread or crackers.

Serve.

Questions?

Roast chicken or how to pinch a penny ’til it screams

Heather says:

Here at Home Ec 101 we get a lot of questions on how to stretch those grocery dollars. One of my personal favorites is to buy a whole chicken. You can get a lot of bang for your buck with one of these, just make sure you don’t buy one injected with anything over 5% sodium solution; it burns me up to pay for water.

The chicken in today’s example was 5lbs and I’ll be using it for three meals, in addition the bones will later be used for homemade stock. It is important to consider seasonings carefully when deciding on the future use for the bird. In this example I have the original meal, chicken salad, and a stir fry. With this in mind, I chose not go crazy with an exotic rub. However, spice rubs can be fun and I will link to several of my favorite.

When preparing roast chicken, I first preheat the oven to 350. I then remove the bird from it’s packaging and give it a quick rinse. Some cooks claim this is unnecessary, but it gives me a chance to give the meat a good once over and remove any missed pin feathers. Never forget to remove the giblets! I don’t eat them, but some people swear giblet gravy is the only way to go. I’ll leave that to your discretion. We’ll tackle gravy on another day.

Slather the chicken with 1 - 2 TBSP of olive oil. Don’t be scared to use your hands and get all of the crevices. The fat is what keeps the bird moist and ensures basting is unnecessary. Rub the bird with your choice of spices. This example was rubbed with kosher salt and pepper. (I served the meal with baked sweet potatoes, roasted carrots and onions, and dressing.)

Place the chicken in a heavy roasting pan or large casserole dish. Make sure the pan is deep enough to contain two or three cups of liquid in addition to the bird and any vegetables. Typically, I like to add potatoes, carrots, and onions to the pan. As a final touch I typically add a few slices of onion and a sliced clove of garlic to the cavity.

The vegetables will absorb some of the juices and a lot of of flavor from the chicken. Be careful to not overload your pan.

The bird will need to be roasted for approximately twenty minutes per pound. Check on the bird occasionally (with the light, not by opening the door), if the skin starts to brown too quickly, tent the bird with aluminum foil. Fold foil into a tent shape and place over the breast to protect it from direct heat.

Remove the bird from the oven and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Poultry needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 180*. It is important to note that the internal temperature of the bird will rise for 5 to 10 minutes after it has been removed from the oven. Don’t despair if the temperature reads 178, it will reach 180 before it is carved. Remove the bird from the tray and set on a cutting board, preferably one with a well around the edge to catch drippings.

If you had vegetables in the pan, check them for doneness and return them to the oven if necessary.

Enjoy your first meal. Let the chicken hang out in the fridge while you eat.

After dinner come back to your chicken. Separate the meat from the bones and store refrigerated in tightly sealed containers. I toss the remaining carcass in a large freezer bag and wait until it’s been joined by a friend or two before preparing stock.

Recipes for the leftover meat will follow, over the next few days.

Enjoy these additional ideas for seasoning roast chicken:

Rosemary, lemon, and garlic

Dry jerk rub

Blackening Seasoning (I use this as Cajun rub)

Taco Seasoning

So simple, so good

Dear Home-ec 101:

That’s it, I’m done! As of today we’re going to start eating at home. Well, if I can learn to cook. I need Hamburger Helper easy. What do you suggest?

Hungry in Hartford

Heather says:

You won’t be hungry for long. The best part is, a lot of the simplest recipes are kid friendly. It won’t be long before you’re cooking with the best of them

Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken - serves four

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 clove garlic minced (yes, you can use the garlic in water if you really want to)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (If you’re a novice, go ahead and get the Italian crumbs and skip the rest of the seasoning in the recipe)
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt/pepper to taste (estimate 1/4 tsp or so)
• marinara sauce (or a jar of spaghetti sauce)
• pasta of your choice (prepare according to directions)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella

First, take out all of your pent up aggression on your chicken breasts. Before pounding them, I do recommend covering with wax paper and setting your cutting board on a towel or two to absorb some of the shock. This part is kind of fun, I use a rolling pin, but a mallet would do. Pound the chicken until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Cut the breasts in half.

Preheat your oven to 350˚.

Melt the 1/4 cup butter over low heat and add the garlic.

In a shallow dish thoroughly mix your breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, and seasoning. Dip your chicken, one piece at a time, into the melted butter then into the breadcrumbs, making sure you coat each piece. Arrange on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes. While the chicken is baking, heat the marinara sauce and pasta. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer, it should be 170˚-175˚.

Spoon marinara over each breast and sprinkle with grated mozzarella. Return the sheet to the oven until the cheese has melted.

Serve and enjoy.

The rotisserie chicken that wouldn’t die

Dear Home-ec 101,

I brought home a rather large chicken from the deli the other day and now I’m sick of looking at it. What can I do to finish off the meat?

-Sprouting Feathers In Sante Fe

Heather says:

If I were feeling peckish, I’d whip up a batch of chicken noodle soup.

One of the keys to actually enjoying cooking, is to not destroy your kitchen in the process. Before you begin, fill your sink with hot soapy water and wash the dishes as you go along, you can thank me later.

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 1/2 qts water
• 3 TBSP Better Than Boullion (or, if you must substitute bouillon cubes, but why would you want to?)
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 5 carrots peeled and sliced into coins
• about 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken or turkey
• about 80z pasta (whatever noodles float your boat, we like wide egg noodles)
• thyme, sage, salt, and pepper to taste
• teensy dash of oil (preferably olive)

Set out your ingredients. Chefs refer to this as mise en place, but we’ll call it smart.

In a large pot, sweat (this is similar to sauteeing, but you want to use as little oil as possible) your vegetables, onions, and garlic.

How not to sweat vegetables: “Carrot! Where were you on the night of January 23rd??”

As soon as the onions are soft and the vegetables brightly colored add the water, Better than Bouillon, and chicken.

Bring the mixture to a roiling boil.

Now, add your noodles, bring your soup back to a boil and cook according to the package’s directions.

Enjoy.

P.S. If I can make this with my two heathens running amok, you can too.

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