Quick Tips for the Busy Home Cook!

Wow--I just realized the other day that I haven't done an AE blog entry in over a month!  I must confess that since I started work at my new job, I have been insanely busy...time has not been on my side, and thusly, I haven't been in the kitchen cooking.  Like, at all.  My poor lovah has had to fend for himself the last five weeks (suffice to say, we have gone through about 20 frozen pizzas), but I am hoping that things will settle down soon and I can get back on the AE bandwagon.  Also: we got a puppy!  Potty-training and hanging out with her overall cuteness has been a full-time job in itself.

Little Blanche Wolfgang VonHildegard, age 9 weeks

In the meantime, I thought I would do a post on a few of my favorite time-saving tips that I have amassed over the years.  Now, I have to confess that personally I find the whole 'semi-homemade' trend  that started around ten years ago insanely irritating (Sandra Lee, I'm looking at you, with your ridiculous canned frostings and whatnot), but even worse than that, I think, is the whole 'quick-foods-that-aren't-really-quick-and-cost-a-lot-of-money' trend for rich people (Gwyneth Paltrow, I am giving you the death stare).  The simple fact of the matter is that the (potentially self-righteous, pseduo-arrogant) organic/localvore food postulation that so many people insist upon just doesn't work for everybody, all the time.  Sometimes, people don't have time to peruse the farmer's market and pay six bucks for a bunch of beets.  Sometimes, people aren't able to find an organic, free-range chicken (let alone afford the $6.99+ a pound pricetag!)  Unless you grow and/or farm the product yourself, going to, say, Whole Foods and buying a bag of their groceries is a socio-economic based luxury that not everybody can afford.  Don't get me wrong, it's great if you have the time and the budget to do these things, and I'm not saying that everybody who advocates for organic or local food is a pompous ass (I myself advocate for local food on this very blog as a means of conservation!), but I AM saying that it's not for everybody, all the time.  Some people work fifty hours a week and have twenty bucks in their bank account, you know what I'm saying?  You do the best you can, with what you got.

With that being said, listed below are my favorite time-saving, inexpensive tips for food preparation/cooking/eating.  These are my personal little time-saving gems, and they are, in no particular order:

A) quick marinades.  When you don't have time to brine poultry or pork, and/or the time to braise or stew meats, I have a few quick 'go-to' marinades that I use to quickly tenderize (usually cheaper cuts of) meat.  For chicken: plain yogurt, or a lemon juice/olive oil mixture.  For pork: a can of Coca-Cola.  For beef: hoisin sauce with apple-cider vinegar (for an Asian flavor) or white vinegar with soy sauce.  The key here, my friends, is acid: the ultimate, quick tenderizer.

B) using lemonade mix with fresh lemon juice for a refreshing summer beverage.  I find that it's quick, easy, and makes for a perfectly-balanced lemonade: sweet and tart.  Add a splash of sparkling water (and hell, a shot of vodka) and you've got a party!  One thing I've learned NOT to do, however, is to leave lemon slices in the mixture to steep--the rind makes for a disgustingly sour taste.  Oftentimes Rainbow Foods has 'Country Time' lemonade mix on sale, too...in fact, the last time I bought it, I used a coupon on 'Double Daze' and got two canisters for free!

C) canned biscuits (like the ones Pilsbury makes) to use on top of a homemade chicken pot pie.  I must confess: I can not bake to save my life.  I'm horrible at it--cakes, biscuits, cookies etc. are all my nemesis.  The exact measuring, the separating of wet and dry ingredients, the precise oven temperatures...I despise it all!  So when I make chicken pot pie (cooked chicken, sauteed carrots/celery/mushrooms, béchamel sauce), I slice those pre-made biscuits in half, and cover the top of my casserole dish with them.  Works great every time!

D) ramen noodle packet noodles.  They are seriously awesome!  I dedicated an entire blog entry to this earlier, and I stand by it: once you toss away that creepy msg-riddled 'spice packet', the world is your oyster: so easy to add fresh veggies (mushrooms, onions, etc.) and a protein (chicken always works well) with a few aromatics (fresh herbs) to make a complete meal.

E) par-boiling potatoes and then freezing them.  Potatoes are a filling and cheap starch to add to any meal, but they take time to cook--so sometimes, I like to do a large batch by peeling & cutting a 5 lb bag into cubes, boiling them for a few minutes, and dividing them into a few ziploc bags and throwing them in the freezer.  Note: I've learned the hard way that boiling them is MUST before freezing, otherwise they turn brown and mushy and disgusting in the freezer.

Well, I think that will about do it for me.  Thanks for letting me get on my soapbox for a bit!  I hope these quick tips will help you save a little bit of time (and maybe even some money) as you cook your way through the remainder of the summer.  Bon appetit!

The Perfect Ribeye

Local Edibles: 1 1/2 inch thick Ribeye Steaks from Everett's Meats

(additional ingredients: olive oil, cracked pepper, Maldon sea salt, butter)

In honor of my 60th AE blog entry, I've decided to post a straightforward yet AWESOME entry on one of my very favorite things to eat: a well-marbled, delicious, hearty steak from Everett's Meats in Minneapolis.  Since moving to the twin cities late last year, this old-school butcher shop has quickly become one of our favorite local stores and go-to shop for steak, chops, sausages, and a ton of other delicious meat products.  Everything is fresh and delicious.  The staff is incredible friendly.  And the ribeye steak...oh my.  It is. The. BEST.

While family was in town visiting, we decided to splurge on some super-thick ribeyes for dinner one night.  The weather outside was horribly depressing and rainy, so I didn't make these steaks on the grill.  That is okay, though--I have a fool-proof method for cooking steaks in the kitchen that is just as delicious as the grilled variety.  Here is a picture of our ribeyes in all their naked glory:

Check out that marbling.  No, seriously--LOOK at that!

Okay, moving on to the cooking portion...there is a simple step-by-step process for creating the perfect medium-rare steak in the kitchen.  I swear to you, this will not disappoint:

1) Purchase a good steak!  This step is the most important step.  A nice well-marbled piece of beef from a reputable, local butcher is always preferred.  With steak, you have to spend a little more money for the good cuts--but it is worth it, in my humble opinion.  Red meat should be a 'treat' (we only eat it about twice a month at our house), so why not splurge?

2) 30 minutes or so before cooking, take your steaks out of the fridge and set them on the counter to bring them up to room temperature.  Now, some people say this step isn't necessary; I am not one of them.  The colder a steak is before it hits the pan or grill, the longer it takes to cook...and the longer it takes to cook, chances are, the tougher it will be.  Also, I find that my steaks are less juicy if I bypass this step...which is never a good thing.

3) 20 minutes or so before cooking, season your steak with freshly ground black pepper and Maldon sea salt flakes.  I hate to be a snobby stickler on the salt thing, but it really makes a difference here that you use Maldon in this particular case, for two main reason: crust (which forms on the outside of the steak) and flavor (it really is distinctive).  Table salt just don't really cut it here.  Also: don't be afraid to generously season your steaks!

4) 3 minutes before cooking, heat your cast iron pan with a tablespoon or so of olive oil...and let it heat up.  Don't be impatient and put your steaks on too early!  You want to make sure your pan is HOT before you slap those babies on.  You want that sizzle, that sear, that meaty burning desire.  Ohhhhh yeah! (also during this time, preheat your oven to about 400-450 degrees)

5) Sear your steaks on high heat, until a crust forms--usually about 2-3 minutes per side (note: this time varies, depending on cut and thickness of steak).  Some people advocate for flipping steaks often during this step (to each his own, I suppose), but personally, I prefer to set it and forget it--i.e., only flip the steak once to ensure the exterior is seared and armed with a hearty crust.

6) Once your steaks are seared, place them on a shallow baking dish or baking sheet and set them on a high rack in the oven for anywhere from 5-12 minutes.  The length of time really depends on the thickness of the steak. Your goal is to have the steak register at 130 degrees on the meat thermometer--so be sure to monitor this step carefully.  I cry at the thought of overcooked steak!

7) When your steak is at 130 degrees, take it out of the oven, brush a bit of butter over the top, and let it rest.  LET IT REST.  We're talking...oh, about five minutes, maybe a few more.  This is the most agonizing part, but trust me, you don't want to cut into it too early--all the juices disappear!

If you follow these magical seven steps to a tee, this is what you end up with:

Now, how beautiful is that?  A perfect medium-rare, with a delicious crust on the outside.  Juicy, fatty, meaty...glorious.

The Verdict

Okay folks, this ribeye was delicious.  Not to toot my own horn or anything (what a weird expression), but...damn.  I sure do love a good steak.  However, one thing should be noted here: the timed examples given in the seven steps (30 minutes, 20 minutes, 3 minutes, etc.) are very much relative to the weight and thickness of the steak that is being cooked--in this case, I was cooking 16oz boneless ribeyes that were nearly 2 inches thick; if, say, you are cooking 10oz T-bones that are 1 inch think, your times should be adjusted accordingly.

Taste: 10

Appearance: 9

Creativity: 1

Improvements for next time: awwww, man, really?  IMPOSSIBLE.  A perfectly cooked piece of high-quality, well-marbled red meat needs nothing else.  No A-1, no ketchup (sorry mom), no pan sauce, nothing, nada.  Just a fork and a knife...and maybe a glass of red wine.  Bon appetit!

Greek Thighs (of the Chicken Variety)

Grocery finds: boneless chicken thighs (on sale at Rainbow for $1.89/lb) and spinach (Fresh Express, on sale for $1.00, including .55 off coupon)

(additional ingredients: romaine lettuce, kalamata olives, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, herbs & spices)

Yes, yes, another chicken dish for today's AE entry--I can't help it!  When chicken is on sale, I snap it up.  And when chicken thighs are on sale, I jump for joy.  I just love them.  It's really hard to overcook chicken thighs (unlike boneless chicken breast), mainly because of the dark meat content, so they almost always turn out tender and juicy, as long as you're careful.

What I did: I used an easy Greek-inspired marinade for these thighs, which consisted of the following:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon rosemary

1/2 small onion, shredded

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon Maldon sea salt

I mixed everything together, and marinated my thighs (the chicken ones, you pervs) in the fridge for about three hours.  (Note: with this particular marinade, given the lemon juice content, you don't want to marinate them for more than a few hours, otherwise the acid will toughen the protein fibers in the chicken.  Here is a blog that explains this process in more detail.)

For the cooking portion, I used my trusty cast-iron skillet, and sauteed them on medium-heat.  It's important not to cook these boneless thighs on too high of heat, otherwise the garlic and onions will burn--but with medium heat, the chicken cooks evenly, and the onions end up caramelizing by the time you're done: delicious!  Also, there is no need to sear on high heat here, given that the thighs are boneless and skinless (i.e., there is no skin to crisp!)

The salad consisted of a mixture of romaine lettuce and spinach, sliced kalamata olives, tomato, cucumbers, feta crumbles, and thinly-sliced red onion.  Here is the finished product:

The Verdict

Okay, I'll admit: this dish isn't particularly inspired...but it sure is delicious!  I've been on a kick lately making salads with some kind of protein (chicken, pork chops, etc.) for dinner, just because it is easy, light, and makes a nice summer meal.

Taste: 8
Appearance: 7
Creativity: 5

Improvements for next time: can't think of any--this is pretty straightforward!  We are a thigh-loving household, and Greek chicken thighs are no exception! :-)

Red Wine Infused Lamb Chops with Tomato and Cucumber Salad

BIRTHDAY DINNER

a special entry

Today's entry is special because this is the meal I made for my lovah, Mr. Duggins Duggins, for his 26th birthday.  I don't have much to write about here (we were too busy drinking rum, dancing jigs to yodeling music on the record player, and celebrating his overall awesomeness), but I DID find my lamb chops at a local grocery (The Holy Land, same place I found my goat meat), so I figured I could post a few quick pictures:

I marinated the chops in the following mixture:

1/2 c red wine

1/4 olive oil

few dashes of red rice vinegar

2 gloves garlic, minced

1/4 small onion, thinly sliced

sprig of thyme

bit of rosemary

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

I threw everything in a ziploc bag, shook it up a bit, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about four hours.  I also made a tomato salad out of beefsteak tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and fresh mozzarella drizzled with olive oil, pepper, and Malden sea salt.  When it was time to cook the chops, I seared them first on each side, and then let them braise in the marinade for a few minutes longer.  Medium-rare lamchops, coming right up:

We then proceeded to eat these chops with our hands, like heathens, because they were THAT tasty.

Happy birthday to my little love bug, mi amigo, Mr. Duggins Duggins!

It's official: you are the cutest.

XO, H

Chicken Skin Salad?

Grocery finds: chicken thighs at Rainbow (on sale for $1.49/lb)

(additional ingredients: carrots, celery, lettuce, red onion, chicken stock, etc.)

Oh dear lord.  Let me kick off this post by saying that for me, personally, this dish didn't really do it for me.  It wasn't BAD per se, just not the typical delicious awesomeness that I end up producing.  But that is kinda the point of this blog: to try new things, and be creative.  And you know what?  I definitely think this concept has potential, so I'm sure I'll be revisiting it again in the near future.

So here's the deal--I've been reading a lot of articles and recipes online lately (salads, sandwiches, etc.) that advocate for incorporating crispy chicken skin into a dish, and I thought--hey!  What a great idea.  My friend's mom used to refer to chicken skin as 'Jewish bacon' (which I thought was hilarious), and I don't know about you--but I love me a nice piece of chicken with crispy, crackly, delicious skin (whether it's fried, breaded, broiled, etc.--it is usually the best part!)

Here is a tumblr on chicken skin that I found particularly interesting, and would encourage ya'll to check out if this whole concept intrigues (and/or horrifies) you!

What I did:  I had this HUGE pack of chicken thighs, it was a hot day, and I decided to dump them all into the crock for a few hours.  I peeled off all the chicken skin first, and saved it (note: I felt really creepy carefully setting aside a ziploc bag of chicken skin in my refrigerator); since crock-pot chicken skin gets mushy, renders extra fat, and ends up looking pale and sad, it doesn't really need to be in the crock with the rest of the vittles.  I added some carrots, onions, potatoes, and chicken stock.  Seasoned it up a bit, and left it alone for 6 hours while I mopped the floors, emailed my mother, and watched the Season Two DVD extras of LOST.  And if that is not the saddest, most pathetic line in the history of...the world, then I don't know what is.  What a loser!

Black Beauty in all her glory, full of thighs

At any rate, we ate the crock-pot meal a couple nights ago.  Can I just say, as an aside--I really love crock-pots in the summer.  Here in Minnesota, the summer humidity is a superbitch, so cooking in a little crock plugged into the countertop is a way better option than heating up an entire oven.

Yesterday, I thought I'd take some of the leftover chicken and make a salad.  Additionally, I thought I'd dredge and fry up some of that reserved chicken skin real crispy, season it, and add it to the salad.  My thought process was: salad croutons suck, but the texture is nice, so why not add crispy chicken skin in lieu of croutons?

Not the 'healthiest' crouton...

So I did, and I threw together a salad of lettuce, chicken, red onion, carrots, cucumber, and green olive. I made a light lemon garlic vinaigrette, cut the chicken skin into strips, and tossed it all together.  Here is my chicken skin salad:

As you can see, it turned into quite the beautiful little salad!  So pretty!  So robust, and full of color!  So full of potential!  But the taste?  So...blah.

The Verdict

That's right, kiddies, the chicken skin salad just didn't have a lot of flavor.  The crunch was great, but everything else kind of fell flat.  Don't get me wrong....like I said before, it wasn't BAD, just not...great.  The bar is high here, I guess, at this point.  I mean, it was a salad.  With chicken skin in it.  And I wanted it to be transcendent, and soooo delicious, and...it was a salad.  With chicken skin in it.  Oh well.

Taste: 5

Appearance: 7

Creativity: 7

Improvements for next time: I have a theory that the crispy chicken skin would be much better served as a stacking component on a chicken salad sandwich (bread, chicken salad, crispy chicken skin, lettuce, bread...or something of that ilk).  I've also read online that chicken skin is really good with stone fruits, so maybe I'll have to grab a peach or something at the grocery store and give it a whirl.  Stay tuned!

Vietnamese Bun Cha (Pork with Rice Noodles)

Grocery finds: pork chops (on sale at Rainbow for $1.50/lb), fresh cilantro (49 cents a bunch), and cucumbers (3/$1.50)

(additional ingredients: rice noodles, carrots, iceberg lettuce, peanuts, rice vinegar, sugar, limes, fish sauce, garlic, chili flakes)

When people ask me what I miss the most about living in Hawai'i (I lived there for five years), I always tell them--other than the amazing people that I met--it's the FOOD.  Not the weather (which was glorious), or the beaches (which were transcendent), but the amazing diversity and overall deliciousness of the local foods, fresh seafood, and fusion restaurants.  It was in Hawai'i where I fell in love with Vietnamese food, but it has only been in the last couple of months where I have attempted to cook it at home.

Recently, I have been on a bun cha kick.  Bun cha is a noodle dish that is so absolutely delicious: it is the perfect balance of umami, acid, and fat, and has a ton of fresh veggies in it, so it is relatively healthy.  It's also a great summer dish, given that the only thing you need to cook is the pork!

What I did: first, I pickled my carrots and cucumbers with a simple rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper combination.  I placed them in the fridge and let them pickle away while I prepared the other components of the dish.

Next, I pan-fried the porkchops.  I seasoned them simply with salt and pepper, but purists of this dish often marinate them (I was not motivated enough on this particular day!)

The next step was making the sauce that you pour over the finished product--it is called 'nuoc cham', and is used in a lot of Vietnamese dishes--and there is a good recipe for it here.  The only change I made was substituting chili flakes for fresh Thai chili, as I didn't have any around!

This is a horrible picture, but you get the idea.  Also, let me just say: for those of you Midwesterners out there who are of the 'meat and potatoes' variety (like 90% of my family are!) and are turned off by the idea of eating something with' fish sauce' mixed with lime juice (it sounds odd, I know)--have no fear!  It is seriously delicious (as long as you get the proportions correct), and a vital component to this dish.

Okay, so back to the bun cha.  It is now time to compile your ingredients in a big bowl.  Cilantro and shredded iceberg lettuce go on the bottom, followed by a healthy portion of cooked (and consequently chilled) rice noodles.  The bowl is topped off with the pickled carrots and cucumbers, crushed peanuts, and thinly sliced strips of crispy, fatty, delicious pork.  The nuoc cham sauce is then generously spooned on top (if you are serving this dish, the nuoc cham is typically served on the side).  Here is the finished product!

The Verdict

I can honestly say, this is one of my very favorite foods.  It is SO good, so delicious, and absolutely addicting.  And, let me just take a moment to clarify--by no means am I espousing my version of bun cha as absolute or 'authentic' here...this is definitely a white Midwestern girl's version of the Vietnamese classic!  :-)

Taste: 10

Appearance: 7

Creativity: 7

Improvements for next time: fresh Thai chilies in the nuoc cham would be wonderful!

Cheddar & Kale Stuffed Meatloaf

Local Edibles: ground sirloin from Everett's Meats, my favorite butcher shop in Minneapolis (around $3.50/lb)

Grocery finds: Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage (on sale at Rainbow, with coupon (doubled if you go on Wednesday or Saturday!), $1.50 for a 16 oz package); kale on sale for 99 cents a bunch

Ahhh, meatloaf.  Much like chicken, this dish has SO much potential...for good or evil.  A bad meatloaf is bad (dry, bland, uninspired) whereas a good meatloaf is delicious (flavorful, fun, and even more delicious reheated the second day!)  I have read so many cookbooks, blogs, and magazine articles espousing the merits of meatloaf, offering hot tips and whatnot, but I've personally found what I like by trial and error.  I've made some bad loafs in my day, folks, but I can honestly proclaim here and now that I have it down to an art form at this point.  My better half says it is his favorite dish that I make, which I take as a great compliment, given its humble beginnings as a Midwestern supper staple (and the many, many bad loafs-o-meat that I have left in my wake to get to where I am today!)

Much like last week's chicken entry, I have a couple of tips on meatloaf that I thought I'd share with you all today.  Here they are, in no particular order:

1) there are 3 basic ways that I have cooked meatloaf: free form (on a baking sheet), molded (in a small pan, like a loaf pan), and foiled (wrapped in tin foil and then placed on a baking sheet).  My favorite is definitely foiled, as it cooks evenly, looks the best aesthetically, and is the easiest cleanup.  Usually what I do is cook the meatloaf wrapped up 75% through, and then unwrap for the last 25% in the oven, as-

(rolled, shaped, and foiled loaf)

2) I always add something porky and fatty to the outside layer of the loaf (i.e., bacon or pancetta rounds or prosciutto), and in order to crisp it up a bit, it needs to be exposed in the oven--hence finishing it off sans tinfoil.  Some purists (hi there, mom!) might scream, 'but what about the tomato sauce on top?!'  Spooning ketchup on your loaf verses enveloping it in porky fatty goodness?  Please.  There is no comparison.

(not my loaf)

3) a ground meat combination is essential for flavor--doing just ground beef is definitely no fun!  I've done loafs with varying amounts of ground beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, and pork--play around a bit with the concept!  For today's meatloaf, I'm doing a 60/40 combination of ground sirloin and Italian sausage.  When I lived in northern Wisconsin and had access to local lamb, I would often do a ground lamb/beef/pork combo.  Wild times in Wisco.

(60% ground sirloin; 40% Italian sausage)

4) a few tiny tips: panko bread crumbs are best in the meat mixture (as opposed to whole wheat, white bread, etc).  Dried onions, too--onions retain a lot of water, and fresh onions in the loaf contribute to a watery loaf, in my humble opinion.  Some people use dried onion soup mix in their loaf recipes, which works well for this very reason.

5) stuffing and rolling your meatloaf is fun and looks SO COOL.  Seriously, it is a great way to add extra vegetables and flavor, and the spiral design that you end up with when you slice the finished product makes you really look like you know what you're doing in the kitchen (which, for someone like me, is laughable...and therefore awesome).  

With all of that said and done, for this particular recipe, I stuffed my meatloaf with kale, cheddar cheese, and carrots.  I sauteed the kale in a bit of butter beforehand, and I used the already pre-cut matchstick carrots (I hate the knife work that is typically required to cut larger carrots down to size, plus--it's fun to cheat a bit).  I seasoned my meat mixture with one egg, a quarter cup of panko bread crumbs soaked in milk, a quarter cup of dried onion flakes, and various seasonings (salt, lemon pepper, parsley, a tablespoon of the beef Better Than Bouillon (love that stuff), and, my secret weapon--a teaspoon of anchovy paste.  Once everything is in the bowl together, mix gently.  Over-mixing is not your friend here!

To roll out your loaf, lightly oil a sheet of tinfoil (it assists with the eventual rolling of the log-o-meat and prevents it front sticking to the foil), and place your bacon (or prosciutto or pancetta) down first.  Pat down the correct amount of meat mixture, thinly, on top, and spread it out in a long rectangular shape.  Disperse your stuffing mixture over the meat, and be sure to avoid the edges (about 1 inch on all sides) so that these delicious vittles won't leak out whilst it is baking.  Carefully roll up your meatloaf (kinda like how you would a jellyroll) and be sure to pinch in the sides and make a seam on the long side where the final 'roll' meets up with the full loaf.  Double wrap with tinfoil.

Baking time and temp depends on the size of your loaf.  Mine were small-to-medium sized, and I baked them for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, flipped them, and then baked for another 15.  I then cranked the oven up to 425, de-foiled my loaves, and popped them back in the over for another 10 to 15 minutes to crisp the bacon.

The Verdict

Damn.  This meatloaf is tasty.  Although the spirals didn't turn out as prominently as they usually do, it still tasted delicious.  The kale/carrot/cheddar combination was a winner.  Today I was also able to fulfill my little nephew's lifelong dream/constant request to eat a 'bowl of meat' for dinner--apparently, I am in the dream makin' business tonight.  No potatoes, no salad, just...MEAT.  Here's my little munchkin savoring his meat bowl:

Taste: 8
Appearance: 6
Creativity: 6

Improvements for next time: prosciutto over bacon.  I find I prefer this as it is easier to roll, and crisps much faster in the oven.  Also, if I had the time, I would've made a shallot and mushroom gravy to go with it.  Alas, I did not, as I was chasing a two-year-old around all day and watching countless episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba! in a futile attempt to hold the little lovebug still for an amount of time over five seconds long.

I failed on that, but damn if I didn't make a tasty meatloaf stuffed with cheese and veggies to feed the little bugger!

89 Cent Chicken

Grocery Finds: chicken leg quarters (on sale for 89 cents a pound)

Okay.  Here's the thing about chicken: it's cheap.  Usually on sale, it is easy to pick up and make a quick meal out of.  The thing is, it gets boring...and fast.  However, if you make it right, it can be delicious, and leftovers can always be repurposed (chicken salad, eggroll stuffing, chicken noodle soup, etc.).  There are a couple of tricks that I've learned over the years regarding chicken, and here they are (in no particular order):

1) boneless, skinless chicken breasts are NOT your friend.  Chicken on the bone is always, always juicier and more flavorful, and usually less expensive, too.

2) if you want crispy skin, salt your chicken and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before cooking.  Sometimes this is called a 'dry brine', but that is deceiving, as the salt does not actually permeate the skin and therefore does not actually 'brine' the meat.

3) speaking of brining--I'm a fan!  A little brine goes a long way.  Here's a good article on brining turkeys, but the basic rules can be applied to chicken, too.

4) my favorite tip: for juicy, flavorful meat, instead of brining and/or applying a butter or oil rub under the skin, simply place thinly sliced raw rings of onion instead.  It adds flavor, keeps the meat moist, and also assists with crisping the skin!

5) a roasting rack is not necessary.  I learned this the hard way--I used to always place my chicken on a rack, but I eventually caught on that doing so evaporates the juices that drip off the chicken; once they hit the hot roasting pan, they evaporate.  Pan juices are like liquid gold (excellent for gravy or a pan sauce), so you don't want them to disappear!

Here are my chicken leg quarters, pre-onion.  I salted them last night and put them in the fridge to dry out.

As you can see, I stuffed the my leg quarters with onion under the skin.  If you aren't a fan of onions, this isn't the recipe for you--and that is a damn shame!

Here is the final product.  I placed a bed of baby carrots under my chicken, and added about 1/2 cup of chicken stock when roasting.  I roasted 5 leg quarters in a 400 degree oven for about an hour...however, I must confess that time/oven temp is all relative.  The bottom line for me, when it comes to poultry, is temperature--I always use my meat thermometer to determine whether or not it is done.  My little sister once poisoned herself with undercooked chicken.  That shit ain't cool!

In addition to the chicken, I also made a pan sauce with the chicken drippings, some minced shallots, lemon juice, and a bit of butter.

The Verdict

In conclusion, although this blog entry isn't particularly inspired, it IS insanely inexpensive--which is always fun!  My five chicken leg quarters cost $3.50, and served five people...which comes out to 70 cents a serving.  And THAT, my friends, is always a good thing.

Taste: 9

Appearance: 8

Creativity: 4

Improvements for next time: honestly, I can't think of any.  Maybe some additional root vegetables to add to the carrots?  Parsnips and turnips perhaps?