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Rotisserie Chicken
You can buy rotisserie-barbecued chicken in most grocery stores, but there’s nothing quite like it doing it yourself. Peeking at the bird occasionally, and watching it rotate slowly around the spit, dripping with basting juices, is rather mesmerizing. And the heavenly aroma that wafts from the barbecue can have a trance-like effect.
Basted with a simple concoction of melted butter (you can use oil instead if you prefer) and simple seasonings and slowly rotated gives the finished bird a crispy skin and a tender, evenly cooked texture. Not bad considering the minimal amount of attention required by you, the BBQ chef, once you’ve prepped the chicken and affixed it to the rotisserie.
If your barbecue doesn’t come with a rotisserie, you can likely buy one as an attachment. The key to successfully using it is trussing the chicken with kitchen twine so that the bird’s appendages are secured, then positioning the chicken in an evenly balanced position so the rod spins smoothly. For a great lesson on trussing a chicken for the rotisserie, check About.com’s Barbecuing and Grilling information
You will want to place a pan underneath the chicken to catch the juices and avoid drips that will cause firey flare-ups and blinding smoke! The pan should be filled with some water or water and wine, beer, juice or broth. Toss in some fresh herbs and sliced onions or garlic, if desired. In the photo above (which I took just before the chicken came off the barbecue), I removed the drip pan to take a clearer picture of the chicken.
The recipe we used last weekend was pretty basic, but the bird turned out moist and delicious with a crispy, flavourful skin. If desired, to add flavour to the meat, place apple, lemon or onion wedges, or peeled garlic cloves in the cavity of the chicken. A recipe search of rotisserie chicken recipes on the internet will yield other interesting basting possibilities.
Rotisserie Chicken
(Makes 6 servings)
3 to 4 lb (1.5 to 2 kg) whole chicken
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
1 tablespoon (15 mL) paprika or smoked paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground pepper
Preheat grill on high heat (about 400F/200C). Season inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Truss chicken with skewers and/or string, tying legs together and folding wings under the bird so the appendages don’t flop about as the bird rotates on the rotisserie. Place chicken on rotisserie rod.
Fill a drip pan (a foil pan or old cake pan will work well) half full of water. Place pan underneath where chicken will be. Position rotisserie rod with chicken on barbecue. Close lid of barbecue and cook for 10 minutes on high heat.
Meanwhile, combine butter, paprika, salt and pepper.
After 10 minutes, turn grill to medium heat (about 350F/175C). Baste chicken with butter mixture. Close lid of barbecue and cook for about 1-1/2 hours, basting occasionally, until skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thigh reaches 180F (85C).
Remove chicken from rotisserie and place on a plate or baking pan. Cover with foil and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.
You don’t need an endless list of ingredients to make a great recipe. That said, usually the list of ingredients in a recipe includes more than four or five things.
Not the recipes I’m sharing today! Both recipes have five ingredients or less.
When a recipe can be pared down to just a few components, and the end result tastes darn delicious, it’s usually a keeper – for a couple reasons. First, because of its simplicity, and second, because the ingredient list and preparation method can probably be remembered without having to refer to the recipe. What a bonus when you’re wandering through the grocery store after work, wondering what to make for supper!
My first (or perhaps most memorable) introduction to minimal ingredient cooking was years ago with a recipe for Apricot Glazed Chicken. This easily assembled dish was made by pouring a mixture of Russian dressing, apricot jam and onion soup mix over chicken pieces, then baking the chicken in the oven or a slow cooker. I made this recipe repeatedly, because it was easy and tasty, and the ingredients needed were etched on my brain.
I’ve shared the recipe for the slow cooker version of Apricot Glazed Chicken below, along with a another favourite minimal ingredient go-to recipe – Fusilli with Sautéed Eggplant and Feta Cheese.
Sometimes less is more, and keeping it simple makes delicious sense!
Apricot-Glazed Chicken
(Makes 8 to 12 servings)
I’ve made this recipe in a 5 qt (5 L) slow cooker, making 3 layers of 4 chicken breasts halves.
1 cup (250 mL) apricot jam
3/4 cup (175 mL) Russian (or French) dressing
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
12 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
In a medium bowl, stir together jam, dressing and soup mix until well blended.
In the bottom of a 3 1/2 qt (3.5 L) slow cooker, arrange 3 chicken breast halves. Spoon a quarter of the apricot mixture over top. Repeat with 3 more layers of chicken with apricot mixture between layers.
Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Reduce to Low and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until chicken is tender.
Serve sauce over chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.
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Fusilli with Sautéed Eggplant and Feta Cheese
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
1 lb (about 450 g) uncooked fusilli pasta
1/2 lb (250 g) feta cheese
1 medium eggplant
2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 mL) olive oil
1 jar (700 to 750 mL) chunky pasta sauce
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook fusilli according to package directions.
While fusilli is cooking, cut or crumble feta into approximately 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces; set aside. Dice eggplant into 3/4-inch (2 cm) pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant softens and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce and feta cheese; heat through.
Drain pasta. Toss gently with sauce and serve.
Whew! Survived a long, busy week! Technically, since I’m writing this on Sunday night, we’re already into a new week but I had to work this weekend so it feels as though the week is just over. It included:
- a trip to Barrie on Tuesday evening to speak to the Community Food Advisors about eggs,
- a display and stage presentation about eggs at the WOW Seminar in Elora on Wednesday evening,
- setting up the Egg Farmers of Ontario‘s (EFO) display at the Good Food Festival in Toronto on Thursday (and into Thursday evening!), then staffing the display where we prepared Pizza Frittata for the crowds (and I do mean crowds!!) to sample throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday…..and being a presenter at the Ask a Professional Stage organized by the Ontario Home Economics Association (specifically Professional Home Economists Mairlyn Smith and Barb Holland).
I’ve been attending the Good Food Festival for many years – the past 13 years as an exhibitor, and prior to that for a couple years as a consumer. It’s a great place to sample new and interesting foods, pick up some great recipes and bargains, and learn a few things about food and nutrition by watching cooking demonstrations and talking to the exhibitors. It’s a well attended event. (Translation: it’s a feeding frenzy with huge crowds and line-ups for samples!)
I’m always intrigued that people will stand in line (usually quite patiently) for a small morsel of food. Often, those in line have no idea what they’re lining up for, and many take the sample and walk away with no clue whose booth they were just at and what they are sampling. Thankfully, there are many others who are interested in more than just the bite of food and they happily pick up recipes and even have a question or comment about the food (in our case, eggs).
At the EFO booth, we were sampling Pizza Frittata. The recipe is on a card to which is stapled a packet of seasonings used to make the Frittata. The recipe was a hit! Here it is……
Prolific cookbook author Jean Pare and her Company’s Coming publishing company just keep churning out cookbooks! Since her early years as a caterer and the 1981 publication of her first cookbook – 150 Delicious Squares – Jean has sold over 26 million cookbooks. There are now about 60 cookbooks in her series. I must have about half of them in my personal cookbook library!
These days, the Edmonton (Alberta) publishing giant uses a test kitchen (known as the Recipe Factory) to help with recipe development and testing.
Jean has also published her autobiography (Jean Pare: An appetite for Life), a fascinating account of her life and how she created the Company’s Coming brand.
The following recipe is featured in one of the newest books in the series – Low-Fat Express. The cookbook contains over 140 healthy, tasty recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less.
You can find a list of all the cookbooks in the series, sample recipes from her books, and cooking tips on the Company’s Coming website – www.companyscoming.com. The cookbooks are widely available.
Thai Coconut Chicken
(Makes 4 servings)
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) prepared chicken broth
3 tablespoons (45 mL) lime juice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely grated gingerroot
1 tablespoon (15 mL) grated lime zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 to 6 oz/113 to 170 g each)
1/4 cup (60 mL) packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) reduced-fat peanut butter
1 tablespoon (15 mL) sweet chili sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) light coconut milk
2 teaspoons (10 mL) cornstarch
Combine broth, lime juice, soy sauce, gingerroot, lime zest, garlic and pepper in a medium frying pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Add chicken. Cook, covered, about 12 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, until chicken is no longer pink inside. Transfer chicken to a plate. Cover to keep warm.
Whisk brown sugar, peanut butter and chili sauce into broth mixture until smooth. Bring to a boil. Stir coconut milk into cornstarch in a small cup. Slowly add to broth mixture, stirring constantly with whisk, until boiling and slightly thickened. Serve with chicken.
Per Serving: 304 Calories, 7.6 g Fat (2.7 g Saturated Fat), 22 g Carbohydrate, 35 g Protein, 1 g Fibre
Recipe Source: Low-Fat Express by Jean Pare, Company’s Coming Publishing Limited, 2008
Although a slow cooker is not meant to be a seasonal small appliance, I tend to treat it so, hauling it out in fall and winter to cook the warm, filling comfort foods like soups and stews I’m not as inclined to eat in spring and summer. A silly habit, really, considering the slow cooker is also ideally suited to warm weather cooking as it can cook a delicious meal without increasing the temperature in the kitchen.
That said, as I perused cookbooks last fall ready to bring my slow cooker out of hibernation for the cool months ahead, a recipe for a lasagna-style dish caught my attention. It helped that I had all the necessary ingredients at the ready without needing to make a trip to the grocery store. Made with oven-ready (translation: no precooking required) lasagna noodles, the recipe went together quickly and the results were well worth the effort, limited as it was.
Since then I’ve also made my traditional lasagna recipe (ground beef in a tomato-based sauce layered with noodles and a mixture of ricotta or cottage cheese, eggs and parmesan cheese) in the slow cooker – also with great success.
Because of the moist heat of the slow cooker, there is very little drying out of the lasagna noodles compared to when the dish is cooked in the oven (translation: slow cooked lasagna is less chewy and minus the dried edges you usually get when cooked in the oven). If you prefer some crusted bits on your lasagna, you can get some of this in a slow cooker, but to a lesser degree. And, by the time this happens, the pasta may be too tender. But even if that’s your preferred style of lasagna, don’t not try slow cooking it. You may be pleasantly surprised at the result.
Although I like to watch Survivor on TV, I could never participate in the game. There are many reasons, not the least of which is that there are always snakes slithering or swimming about in whatever location the show is filmed.
I’m not a fan of snakes. I figure the game of Survivor could probably use Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick. He is said to have rid Ireland of snakes and is commemorated annually on March 17, the date of his death in 460 A. D.
How he actually performed this feat is the stuff of legends. A popular explanation is that one day St. Patrick created a nice cozy box and invited the chief snake to climb in. The snake took a look at the box and deemed it too small. A heated discussion ensued. To prove he was right, the snake crawled into the box. Quick-thinking St. Paddy slammed the lid shut and threw the box into the sea!
To this day, Ireland is said to be snake-free (lucky Irish!), and some insist that the rough waters of the Irish Sea are caused by the boisterous attempts of the snake still trying to free himself from the box.
On March 17, whether you wish to celebrate a snake-free Ireland or the pleasure of swilling green beer, take the opportunity to indulge in some hearty Irish cuisine. Vegetables such as potatoes, onions, leeks, carrots and rutabagas figure prominently in Irish cooking, as do lamb stews, and braised meat and corned beef dishes. Accompany the main dish with potato bread or soda, and finish the meal with a sweet custard or apple cake, and an Irish coffee.
Irish Stew
(Makes 8 servings)
If lamb shanks are not available, thick shoulder chops can be substituted.
8 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each (5 mL) dried thyme and rosemary (or 1 tablespoon/15 mL) chopped fresh
2 bottles (341 mL each) stout-based beer
3 cups (750 mL) beef stock or broth
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3 tablespoons (45 mL) packed brown sugar
3 onions, cut in wedges
3 carrots, cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
Half a rutabaga, peeled and cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh parsley
Triple Chocolate Pancakes
Got your pancake recipe ready for tomorrow, Pancake Tuesday? Consider celebrating with an extra special recipe for Triple Chocolate Pancakes!
With cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the batter, you may think you’re making a cake or brownies, but don’t be tempted to pour it into a cake pan and slide it into the oven. We really are making pancakes. Just chocolatey ones, finished off with a good drizzle of chocolate syrup. Some might consider this chocolate overload. For chocoholics, this may be the best way (the only way??) to eat pancakes.
If you don’t have a nonstick frying pan or griddle, you will need to grease your pan with a small amount of cooking oil, butter or margarine before making each batch of pancakes. I like to cook a test pancake to check my pan’s heat.
To serve all the pancakes at one time, keep cooked pancakes on a heatproof plate in a 200F oven until all the batter is cooked.
If you want to take these pancakes completely over the top, serve them with vanilla or chocolate ice cream. In season, sliced strawberries are a great addition. Instead of chocolate syrup, the pancakes can be served with maple syrup.
This recipe is easily doubled, or more appropriately tripled! Any leftover pancakes will freeze well.
Triple Chocolate Pancakes
(Makes 12 3-1/2 inch pancakes)
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cooking oil, butter or margarine
Chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Add milk and oil; whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and salt until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients; whisk just until combined. There should be some lumps in the batter.
Heat frying pan or griddle over medium heat (adding a small amount of oil to grease surface if using a nonstick pan) until a few drops of water scattered over surface sizzle and evaporate. Drop about 1/4 cup pancake batter per pancake onto pan, spreading batter slightly. Leave some room between pancakes; they will expand a little during cooking.
Pancakes are ready to flip when the edges appear set and the top is full of bubbles; this will take about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook second side until lightly browned, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
As pancakes cook, serve them immediately or keep them warm in a 200F oven. Continue cooking remaining batter.
Serve pancakes with chocolate or hot fudge sauce.
Icewine loving pigs?
This article in the Niagara Falls Review tells the tale of farmer Kevin River’s Berkshire pigs who dined on barley, soybeans and icewine (a dessert wine made from frozen grapes) for 40 days. Chef Frank Dodd of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Hillibrand winery then experimented with the results.
Pork Tenderloin with Brandied Cranberry and Thyme Reduction
Smashed Sweet Potatoes
This was on the menu for dinner last night. Sweet…and simple!
Pork Tenderloin with Brandied Cranberry and Thyme Reduction
(Makes 4 servings)
If you wish, oven roast unsliced tenderloin at 400F (200C) until meat reaches an internal temperature of 155 to 160F (58 to 60C), about 20 to 25 minutes. Prepare sauce as directed. Slice tenderloin and serve sauce alongside.
1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth or stock
1/3 cup (75 mL) brandy (or additional chicken broth)
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
1 lb (500 g) pork tenderloin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter
1 tablespoon (15 mL) cooking oil
2 teaspoons (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) dried thyme
In a medium saucepan, combine broth, brandy (if using) and cranberries. Cover and simmer until cranberries are plumped, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cut pork into 3/4-inch (2 cm) slices. Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper; with a meat mallet, flat side of a cleaver or bottom of a small frying pan, pound slices to flatten to about 1/2-inch (1 cm) thickness. Season pork with salt and pepper.
Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add pork to frying pan; cook for about 3 minutes per side. Remove pork from pan; cover to keep warm.
Add cranberry mixture to frying pan, stirring to loosen any browned bits on bottom of pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sauce has reduced slightly and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thyme. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Return pork to pan; cook until pork is heated through and glazed with sauce.
