Ever have those days when you don't feel like cooking? I do!
This is an older post that I didn't get a chance to post. So I will fill you in.
Some Thursdays I watch my friends 2 kids. She goes to work and I will watch them for free to save her some cash. Day homes are darn expensive! The kids just wanted to play but then it came time for lunch I decided to do snacks. Garlic sausage, crackers, cheese, veggies and dip. You might even say that I made them a mini Charcuterie lunch. Eric would be proud. He lives for Charcuterie. And hey if you want to make yourself feel fancy while you set out those Ritz crackers and sausage and cheese YOU can call it that as well. Because sausage is considered "Salumi". Salami is also "Salumi". A cured meat. And Charcuterie is made up of one or more "Salumis". So there you go. You are now fancy schmancy. And you can teach your kiddlets some new words that will make their teachers scratch their heads.
Heart cucumbers from Doefs Greenhouses. They are a hit with the kiddlets! And as seen here are good for the eyes as well.
So lunch was a hit. They ate the whole thing up and had seconds. So I sent them off to play. Now comes the afternoon snack part. If I have been posting in chronological order you might notice my bananas on my kitchen counter. I don't know. I have not looked back. But I accumulate bananas. I cant stand to eat them after they get too yellow. So those ones are kept for banana bread. And after a few weeks I have a nice collection of the ones that did not make it into me and my daughters stomachs. On this day those bananas had a glorious future waiting for them. They just didn't know it yet.
I wish I could say that this is a special recipe. Its not really. Just your average not healthy banana bread recipe. But I added Peanut Butter chips to it. Mmm. The kids had it while they watched a movie later in the day. But they smelled it baking much earlier and I had to put up with "Can we eat it yet?" for a couple hours.
And I don't think that the stars were in my favour that day. The kids were interesting to say the least. So by the time supper rolled around I didn't feel much like cooking. I looked in the fridge and realised I had leftover chili (see chili post). So I decided on Nachos! Mmm I had not made nachos in a very long time.
Now isn't that a thing of beauty? I topped it with onion, tomato, olives and cheese. And on the side we had sour cream and salsa. I was sadly out of Avocados.
So that was my day of snacking for meals. But I think it was OK. Some veggies and fruit made it into the diet. Although slightly adulterated.
Mmmm. Roasted chicken. So easy and tasty. Just pop it in the oven wait, and then eat it.
Huh?
Whats that?
You don't know how?
You have never done it?
Ha ha! Let me show you how easy it is!
First. Rinse your defrosted or fresh chicken under cold running water. Rub it all over and get any slimy bits off also rinse the inside. Then pat it dry with paper towel. If there was a bag of giblets inside take those out and give them a rinse and set them aside.
Then get out a cozy roasting pan for your chicken. It doesn't have to be massive. I use one that I sorta have to tuck the bird inside of.
Now. I make a rub. A dry rub out of spices in my cupboard. Nothing fancy. And I almost cringe at sharing them with you because people love my chicken rub (I use it on turkey too) and I have never told anyone before. But that's OK. I'm not gonna give measurements anyway. You figure it out. But here's a hint. Don't skimp on the seasoning salt.
You will need: Seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme leaves, paprika, cumin and Mrs Dash original blend. Also fresh ground pepper. Pop it all in your mortar and pestle. What you don't have one of those? That's OK. Just make sure you rub the thyme leaves in your hands to get some of the flavours out and use a finer grind pepper. Now mix it all together or grind it all together. I would have a higher salt ratio than say making the majority all Mrs Dash. That salt adds flavour! And no one is forcing you to eat the skin anyway (even though its the best part).
Voila!
Now Put the chicken on a cutting board. Turn it upside down and season the underside. Whats that? You don't know which way is up? Here's a simple tip. The drumsticks point up. So turn it drumsticks down and season. Now do the sides and then turn it over the right way and season the top all over. Try to make it as even as possible. It will make it pretty. And then all the skin will be tasty.
Now you can see there that I have stuck things inside of my chicken. I'm not a stuffing fan. But go ahead if that is what you like but maybe try this out instead. Just use the same cutting board that you did the chicken on. Might as well not dirty another dish and its OK because this stuff is going inside the chicken anyway. One onion cut into 1"x1" or a bit bigger chunks. 6-8 cloves of garlic with the skin on and a handful of mushrooms with stems removed and cut in half.
Pop those all inside the chicken and keep any leftover onion to the side. We can still use those! And with any leftover seasoning you can deal with the giblets if there was a bag of them. Season them and just place them in the bottom of the pan with the chicken.
Put the chicken in a preheated to 375F oven. It will take about 2 hours. But you need to check the weight of your chicken and cooking times. I suggest a site like this of you are not comfortable with guessing. http://www.helpwithcooking.com/cooking-poultry/roast-chicken.html
Now lets talk cleanliness. Anything that has been out on the counter needs to be wiped down. Get your cutting board in the sink and any other stuff that you have touched. Wipe down any spice bottles that you might have touched with chicken hands. And make sure to wash your hands well with hot soapy water. Not get your self a new cutting board out and a new knife and set yourself up.
What you choose to serve is up to you. Peas and carrots? Sweet potato? I made coleslaw mashed potatoes and peas.
I didn't have any coleslaw dressing in the fridge so I made one myself. Here's what I used.
Mayonnaise based with some added zip. I like celery seeds and pepper in mine. So mix it all up and put it in the fridge while the chicken is cooking.
I also roasted potatoes. Now remember those last few onions that didn't fit in the chicken? I added them to potatoes. I also used some of the leftover seasoning from the mortar. Tossed with some olive oil and into a pan. Set them aside at first because they do not take 2 hours to cook but might as well get it out of the way for prep.
I used a mixture of red and yellow skinned potatoes.
So once some time has passed and you are taking a peek at your chicken in the oven you can think about basting. At first I find that there is not usually enough fats in the pan to baste with. So I add a bit of olive oil to the bottom of the pan and use that to baste the skin. I like the baster that sucks up the liquids but you are more than welcome to use a brush. I just find that more finicky. Baste as often as you like. But every 20 minutes should be fine.
Fast forward to the end. Your chicken should be 180F. Use a meat thermometer. I stick it different places. But the best place is into the thigh and through to the bone of the cavity. If you are at 180 or just about, take out your chicken and put it on that nice clean cutting board you have ready and waiting. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes please! Those juices need time to settle. If you cut it right away you will lose a ton of flavour and moisture.
You can eat these! The onions are softened, the mushrooms have taken on the flavour of the chicken and the garlic will pop right out of the skin and taste sweet and roasted.
So I hope you have enjoyed my how to roast a chicken post. Its not scary and very easy. And make whatever sides you want. So go roast a chicken! And if you can get one locally, free range and organic. You will taste the difference.
What do you like most about roasted chicken dinner?
Our second concert of the week was an oldie but a goody. We went and saw a band that for a long time was a staple band for us. We often saw them 2 times a year. And then 6 years ago they broke up. It was sad. This band is the well known Canadian band The Tea Party. We attempted to see the lead singer do a solo show. I was very pregnant and we hated every second of it. My friend Robyn can vouch. She was there. So last night I went. I went to judge. To judge every second of it with a masters eye. This is band that has to win my loyalty back.
I give it a thumbs up. They were tight and played all the songs we wanted to hear. I was less than impressed with the fact that the opening band was late getting on stage and then it took 45mins to tune all of Jeff Martins 20 guitars and sitars and set up the theramin and who the heck knows what else. So they were very late getting on. And I was tired. They could also use some work on their banter and song introductions. I had heard them all before.
But this is the topper. After 3 hours of being at the concert I really could have used a drink of water. So I took my wallet and went up to the bar. I asked the bartender for a water. I was thinking I would be paying for a bottle of water. I had my wallet ready. He asked me if I would like a bottle or a glass. I said I would take a glass. I'm not a person who needs to have my water come out of the biggest waste known to mankind. But then his manager asks him what he is doing and says something to him. In which he turns around and tells me I cant have a glass of water and I should go take a drink out of the toilet. I'm a little pissed off but thought he was joking. Till he walks away. Then another bartender comes over and asks what I would like and I say that I would like a glass of water. But then she gets pulled aside with the glass of water in her hand by the bar manager and turns to me and says I have to go get my drink from the bathroom. But she is still holding the water and I have my hand out so she decides to ignore the manager and hands me the glass. I have my wallet so I give her a dollar for her efforts and walk away seeing red.
Fine I get it. Everyone hates the people who come to a bar and just order water. Ive been given dirty looks for this before. Ive even been told that they don't give out water and I have to purchase a bottle. Fine I'm thirsty and haven't thought too long and hard about it. But I will be phoning to complain. I have another concert there next Sunday. And I plan on ordering myself a glass of water. Just to prove a point. I mean why be rude. I would have bought a bottle if that was their policy. But after hearing back from many friends on this I do believe it is my legal right to ask for a glass of water and have one provided. So I will be updating all of you on this.
But that was the end of the night. So let me backtrack to my first beverage of the evening.
A chocolate milkshake at DeLux Burger Bar in West Edmonton Mall.
The wait wasn't too long, about 30 minutes. But when you are assuming that you need to be at a venue on the opposite side of one of the biggest malls in the world in an hour and a half, you skip the wait line and eat at the bar. We only found out much later that we would have had about 2.5 hours. But I wont dwell on that fact.
I ordered the Nathans Famous Hot Dog. A grilled hot dog with caramelized onions, strips of bacon and melted cheddar. It came with a pickle. I added mustard and ketchup. It was so darn good. I could have eaten a whole other one if I hadn't been so full of milkshake.
Eric ordered the Delux burger. Blue cheese, caramelized onions, portabello mushrooms, bacon and "all the groceries" on a ciabatta bun.
And then because it all comes Ala Cart we ordered a poutine to share.
I love this place. It is the best burgers in my opinion in Edmonton. I like the atmosphere (though I cant figure out why they don't rip out the weird lit up bar style no-chair tables that no one ever uses and put in a nice big table in that spot). Even my 5 year old loves this place. The fries if they are not in poutine format come in little shopping carts. And the sweet potato fries come with a delicious chipoltle mayo for dipping.
But don't worry there is more to try here than just burgers, hot dogs and french fries. I love that not only do they offer some salads but they have some appetizers that are different. Lobster nachos, beet salad, shrimp in a box and wings. The menu is simple. And they do it right. And the best part is that you can have donuts or cotton candy for dessert!
Oh and because I'm working my way backwards through the day I will just put in one more pic of what I did in the afternoon. My friend Heidi and I took in a movie we had been waiting and waiting to see. And since we couldn't go opening night because I had this concert to go to we took in a private screening earlier in the day.
I have an addiction to concerts. Thankfully so does hubby. We go to at least one a month. This month we have 4. I know its extreme. But live music is just sooo good! There is nothing like it. This week we had Matt Good. At the Jubilee Auditorium. Comfy seats is a nice change from standing for several hours on a hard floor.
Before the concert we went to Urban Diner. We have been there a few times. Really nice higher end diner food. They always have a sandwich special, a quiche special and a soup special and often a dessert special. And then the regular menu. I suggest checking it out if you are looking for a good meal out in a cozy atmosphere.
I chose the Reuben sandwich with sauerkraut on marble rye bread with caramelized onions with melty Swiss cheese and cumin curry Dijon mustard. I had the diner fries on the side and some gravy. Wow is this a great sandwich! Lots of flavour and it was juicy. I cant stand it when a sandwich like this is dry. The fries must be cut in house because they tasted homemade.
Eric had the burger special of the day. A Lamb burger on an onion Kaiser with cilantro garlic aioli. He had the soup of the day special which was tomato basil with sweet rosemary maple sausage. His supper was good standard homemade diner fare. Nothing fancy but it was consistent and had good flavour.
And I saved half of my sandwich for later so that I could have a piece of pie. I always see this one with a slice of lemon on it that looks so good. So I ordered it. Lemon Sour Cream Pie. Wow. Creamy like a cheesecake but not as dense. Great lemon flavour and a graham cracker crust. It was the perfect end to my meal. I did let Eric have a taste. But that was it. If he wants dessert he can order it himself.
So if you are looking for something that isn't a chain restaurant and you can support a great local place to eat I suggest Urban Diner. But beware, get there early for brunch. The line is long. But the wait is worth it.
http://www.urbandiner.com/cms/
Well there is a first for everything. Some people have never baked a cake from scratch. Others have never made pie crust. And some have never cooked a roast.
I have NEVER made Shepard's Pie. Ever. Not once.
I don't really like it. And since I don't like it, I don't cook it. And since I'm the one who does the cooking around here that means no Shepard's Pie.
But I have come under pressure as of late. Shepard Pie pressure. I know that seems weird. But its true. Recently Ive been told I must try to make it because people just think it will taste good. And that I will make a kick ass pie. So I stepped up to the challenge.
I did not follow a recipe. I think most people have a clue already about what goes into a Shepard's Pie and don't need one. So I did my best and did maybe cut a corner or two. You be the judge. Here is the recipe to the best of recollection. I made 2. So if you are following this recipe maybe half the ingredients. The other I sent over to the neighbours who are battling the flu but still have kids to feed.
1lb lean ground beef
1lb ground pork
3/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup diced carrots, cooked and drained
1/2 cup frozen peas, cooked and drained
I have no clue how many potatoes I used because I used whatever was left in my bag I bought at the farmers market in October and they were all different sizes.
2tbsp parsley flakes
1tsp rosemary and 1 tsp thyme leaves ground in my mortar with fresh ground pepper, 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp savory.
1 packet or roast beef gravy mix.
1tsp Kitchen Bouquet browning liquid.
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese blend of the "Double Cheddar" variety.
4tbsp butter
3/4 cup of heavy cream.
Brown the meat with the onions and then add the garlic. Add the seasonings (but hold back one tbsp parsley)and peas and carrots. Add the sauce mix and 1 cup of water as well as the browning liquid.
Mash your potatoes with the butter and cream. Add the parsley as well as salt and pepper to taste. Mash some more till its all incorporated.
Put the meat mixture on the bottom of a casserole and top with the potatoes spreading them to the edges. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes take the pie out of the oven and spread the cheese on top, bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melty. Then turn to broil for 2 more minutes to give the cheese some colour. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Enjoy!
For a fresh side dish I made my easy cucumber tomato marinade that I make at least once a week when I don't have a fresh side. Slice tomatoes and cucumbers. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. I like cider vinegar but will use balsamic sometimes. Season with salt and pepper and a bit of oregano and basil to taste. Let stand 30 minutes while you are making supper so the flavours can marry. I sometimes add a bit of thinly sliced red or white onion and garlic. Or green onion. Or Feta cheese.
Had to have a nice slice of Winnipeg Rye Bread with supper.
I guess it was good cause this is all that was left.
I actually got a hug for this supper and the exclamation of "11 years! I finally get this for supper after 11 years!"
What do you not like but everyone else in the house wants you to make it?
Ground beef from Natures Green Acres. http://www.naturesgreenacres.com/www.naturesgreenacres.com/home.html
Ground pork from Irvings Farm Fresh. http://www.irvingsfarmfresh.com/
Carrots from Green Eggs and Ham. http://www.greenseggsandham.ca/index.php?w=1366
Potatos from Erdmanns Gardens. http://www.erdmannsgardens.com/
Well you know what they say about best laid plans...
They tend not to happen. Its not that we had firm plans. But I was envisioning supper at a restaurant.
I got a wonderful bouquet of flowers chosen by Eric and Adria. Adria chose creamy white roses and Eric picked out my favorite, Lilies. I think they look wonderful together in the vase.
So we were out all day at a friends boys birthday party and by the time we got home the gloomy grey skies of this November day had drained our will to go back out.
It was time to put on the Sunday night Disney movie (Aladdin) on CBC and have some hot chocolate. And of course take a peek in the fridge. I have a bag of beautiful peppers from Doefs Greenhouse in the fridge and a few cobs of corn. So I decided to make stuffed peppers and corn on the side.
Stuffed Peppers:
4 Peppers. Green, Yellow or Red.
2tbsp butter and a dash of olive oil.
1 cup minced onion.
2 cloves minced garlic.
3/4lb Italian sausage, I use mild
1 1/4 cups uncooked rice
1 cup diced tomatoes. I used a cup of the canned diced tomatoes.
3 cups beef broth.
2tbsp parsley flakes.
1/2 tsp marjoram and 1/2tsp thyme.
1/2 cup Parmesan or similar fine grated cheese.
2 cups mozzarella shredded.
Fresh ground pepper to taste.
Saute onions in butter and oil until beginning to soften and add in the garlic and sausage. Remove sausage from casing before adding or buy the sausage meat that comes in the package without casings to save this step. Crumble and cook 6-8mins.
Stir in rice and cook 1min. Add tomatoes and 2 cups of stock and the seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer covered until liquid is gone and rice is tender.
While the rice is cooking cut peppers in half and take out the cores. Boil in water for 5minutes and remove to drain on wire rack.
Once the rice is done add in the Parmesan cheese and any extra pepper or salt if needed. Stir till its combined.
Arrange peppers in a cake or lasagna pan and fill them with the rice mixture. Add the last cup of broth to the bottom of the pan and cover the peppers and rice with foil. Bake at 350F for 30 mins. Then remove the foil and spread the mozzarella all over the tops and put back in oven for 5mins uncovered then broil for 2 mins to give the tops some colour. Take out and serve.
You will have leftover rice from the pot after stuffing the peppers. This is a nice side dish as leftovers later in the week. So save it don't throw it out!
My side dish was corn. I boiled 3 cobs of corn and the cut the corn off the cob. Added:
1pad of butter
2tbsp of mayonnaise
1tsp parsley flakes
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
And a dash of Cayenne.
Stir it all together and there is your side dish.
So was it a meal out in a fancy restaurant? No. But that's OK. It tasted just as good. Though my daughter insists that the corn is not as good as the corn at Tres Carnales Taqueria.
If you missed out on dinner out what would you make for supper?
Sunday morning is a time for us to take it easy if we are home. Sleep in and snuggle in bed watching children's programming. Add Daylight Savings Time to the equation and its a little more mixed up.
Yesterday we made it to the downtown City Market Farmers Market for the first time in a month. I had missed it. A change in what is offered was seen all over the place. Now is the time of the year for the veggie stalls to make way for the bakers and candle makers. But I was not too sad. I was there for meat and eggs for the most part. And I did manage to get some veggies from Doefs Greenhouse. We went home with local ground beef, ground pork, pork chops and chicken breasts. Also eggs. For the first time all year I have managed to score the last pack of Duck Eggs from one of my favorite local producers. They always sell out so fast that by the time we get there they are all gone. The plan was soft boiled eggs.
Here is a picture of a chicken egg compared to a duck egg. Both from local organic free range producers.
I was unsure of the boiling time for the duck eggs. And it turned out I cooked them too long. I think it has something to do with elevation. Five minutes was too long. Next time I will try four minutes and see how it goes. They were very tasty. A creamy yolk with no strong flavours that some might worry about if they haven't tried them before. Alas peeling our fresh chicken and duck eggs proved to be a challenge. And they were less than beautiful in the end. I still call this a success though. A Sunday morning breakfast that was a lesson in cooking yet we all couldn't wait to dig in.
Eric dug in to his prize from the market to finish off his breakfast. Goat cheese yogurt. Topped with Cherry Jam from The Jam Lady. Tart and tangy with little bursts of sweet cherries. I highly recommend checking out Smoky Valley Goat Cheese.
What do you like to have for Sunday morning breakfast?
Do you call soft boiled eggs and toast strips "Egg and Soldiers"?
Chicken eggs from: http://www.serbenfreerange.com/
Duck eggs from: http://www.greenseggsandham.ca/index.php?w=1318
Goat cheese yogurt from: http://www.smokyvalleygoatcheese.com/
Cherry Jam from: The Jam Lady. Found at farmers markets and local specialty shops.
Wow. Gotta love the fall illnesses that pop up. Had to take a break from life. I can only assume it will get worse now that the kiddlet is in Kindergarten. Both hubby and I got knocked to the ground with glands so swollen we couldn't do much else other than fight the fever in bed. I will say I am eternally grateful to the powers that be that chose to spare my daughter from this virus. I don't know how I would have managed if she was sick too. So I will look on the bright side of life and take what I can get.
Cooking was at a minimum last week for sure. Soups out of cans and Neo Citron were high on the priority list. Not very good culinary achievements in my opinion. So what do we feel like making when the weather gets cold and windy and we have just recouped from being in bed all week? Something that's energy filled and has some flavour. Or at least that is what I'm craving.
I made a big ol pot o' chili. Chili is not a staple in this house. 5 year olds tend to on a whim decide they don't like things. Beans, ground beef, green peppers, spicy things. These can all spell disaster for a 5 year olds supper on any given night. But with a recent meal that included baked beans that turned out to be a hit I figured I was safe to go ahead and try the chili again. And I don't know if we were just looking forward to a good homemade meal after a week of not the best stuff or if I just made really good chili. But all our bowls were clean and it was a hit. This might turn into a staple. I will let you know next time. Its possible it will be snubbed by the mini chef that roams the house.
Here's my recipe to the best of my recollection.
1lb of lean ground beef.
3 strips of bacon minced.
1/2 cup fine minced onion.
2 tbsp fine minced celery.
1/4 cup minced pepper. I used red pepper because it would hide better in the sauce.
2 cloves of garlic minced
1-280z can of diced tomatoes.
1/2 can or Romano beans. Drained and rinsed.
1/2 can of kidney beans. Drained and rinsed.
The spices I used are chili powder, cumin, pepper, Epicure garlic/chili salt grinder and cinnamon and 1tsp of Kitchen Bouquet browning liquid. And a few dashes of a roasted garlic hot sauce. One of the many bottles of hot sauce my husband has on hand. I belive the brand is "Daves" and we picked it up in California.
1 cup of beef broth.
Saute the onions until caramelized and then add in the celery and peppers. Add meats and brown. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, and seasonings as well as your 1 cup of broth. Simmer for an hour minimum. Longer is better.
I served the chili with shredded cheese, hot banana peppers a few fresh cilantro leaves and a dollop of sour cream. Oh and of course I cant forget the toast. Chili and toasty bread go hand in hand in this house.
What is your favorite thing about chili?
Ground beef from Pine Terra Farms. http://www.pineterrafarm.com/
