Roast Chicken with Orange-Spice Rub
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Roast Chicken with Orange-Spice Rub

I think I mentioned I got 3 whole organic chickens at Wholefoods a few weeks ago and I took one out of the freezer because we were getting ready for yet another snow storm filled weekend. We’ve had close to 100” on snow this year and we were all praying for a winter like last year. Well those of us who don’t ski that is. This recipe was adapted from Diabetes and Heart Healthy Cookbook published by American Heart Association. I adapted it for chicken they did a 5 lbs. turkey breast. The smell of this spice rubbed chicken, was driving us crazy while it cooked. Yes it was one of Lyn free meals this week.

 

Ingredients:

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 whole roster chicken
  • 1- 2 teaspoons of soften unsalted butter.
  • 1 small navel orange cut in quarter

 

How:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Spray a roasting pan and baking rack with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the spices.

Rub small amount of rub inside the cavity of chicken.

Stuff orange in cavity, you can add some onion if you want.

Using your back end of regular knife, place under breast skin and loosen the skin from the breast

Rub the butter under skin on as much of the breast as you can

Rub spice mixture evenly under and over the skin.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (this step could be skipped and it can go straight to oven)

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Bring to room temperature

Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan, and insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh making sure it doesn’t touch the bone.

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Roast, uncovered, for meat thermometer 170 degrees (if skin becomes to brown you can loosely tent with tin foil.

Let the chicken stand for 15 minutes.

Serve

Carve the chicken and enjoy.

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Georgiana Fraccola’s Chiffon Cake Recipe

Richard came in to work raving about this cake he had over the weekend and thought that it would be a good post. He says you just have to try it, it was the best cake he ever had.

He says he will take a picture when he give this a try in the meantime here is what it looked like.

chiffon-cake-ck-1072219-l

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups Cake Flour                                    ½ cup Cooking Oil (Wesson or Mazzola)

1 ½ cups Sugar                                             8 Jumbo Eggs (separate yolks from whites)

3 teaspoons Baking Powder                     ¾ cup Cold Water

1 teaspoon Salt                                            1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1 tablespoon Lemon Extract

Confectioner’s Sugar                                  ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

 

Step 1:

              Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the Cake Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt in a bowl

Sift the dry mixture together 3 times

Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture.

Add (in order) the Cooking Oil, Unbeaten Egg Yolks,  Cold Water, Vanilla Extract and Lemon Extract.

Beat, using a mixer, for 2 minutes.

Set aside

Step 2:

In a different mixing bowl, add the Egg Whites, and Cream of Tartar.

Beat until very stiff

Step 3:

Very slowly pour the yolk mixture over the egg whites – gently folding in to combine. (do not stir – fold)

Pour into Ungreased, large, 2 piece Angel Food Cake Pan immediately (it’s a good idea to cut a piece of waxed or parchment paper to place in the bottom of the pan to ease removal of the cake).

Bake in 350 degree oven for 55 – 60 minutes.

When cake is done, invert the pan (a beer bottle works well, as a stand, while inverted) until cool

After cake is cool, gently use a butter knife to run along the side to help free it from the pan.

Dust the top of the cake with sifted Confectioners’ Sugar

Nothing Special except the Person I made it for, Sunday Breakfast in Bed.
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Nothing Special except the Person I made it for, Sunday Breakfast in Bed.

She was still sleeping, the paper had been delivered and I thought to myself this would be nice.

Ingredients

  • Eggs
  • Feta cheese
  • Sliced green yellow and red bell pepper
  • Canadian bacon
  • Vita English muffin
  • Strawberry jam
  • Fresh organic strawberry

sunday breaskfast

How

Dice the bell peppers and Canadian bacon

Sauté in a small amount of unsalted butter until the peppers slightly soft remove and set aside

Scramble the eggs with some salt and pepper and to the sauté pan let set sprinkle the peppers, bacon and feta.  Fold in half let sit for a second or two and flip. Cook until done and slide onto a plate.

Meanwhile toast the English muffin – butter and spread some jam. Slice a strawberry or two

Garnish with a little feta and some cilantro, arrange the strawberry and muffin on the plate grab the newspaper, egg and coffee and serve with a smile. Guaranteed to get me that smile and a kiss.

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sunday newspaper
Crispy Shallots
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Crispy Shallots

 

Ingredients

  • 1-2 shallots shaved into rings, used our new mandolin
  • I cup rice flour – gluten free which browns more quickly
  • Canal oil as needed.

Shallot bulbs

How

Heat canola oil in a small sauté pan. Toss shallots in rice flour, shaking off excess. Fry rings until crispy and lightly golden. Remove from oil and season with salt. Drain on paper towel. To be honest the first batch burnt, the second was not quite crispy enough, and the next batch was perfect. Sound like a familiar story to you? I used the 2nd and third batch tossed the first. Learned you got to watch them cause they turn real quick.

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Hard Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

crispin_ciders

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup hard apple cider
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice (about ½ orange)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (used our 18 year old)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

How

Bring cider, juice and honey to a boil in a small saucepan.

Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.

Pour into a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add shallots, vinegar, Dijon salt and pepper stir with a whisk. Gradually add the olive oil stirring constantly with a whisk.

Set aside.

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Caramelized Acorn Squash Salad with Crispy Shallots.
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Caramelized Acorn Squash Salad with Crispy Shallots.

The first time I had something similar to this they served with herb goat cheese on a bed of arugula. We had on hand crumbled feta, cut up oranges, pumpkin seeds, served on a bed of mixed greens. In fact it was at Stonewall Kitchen cooking class and they made a salad very similar this is my adaptation using what we had on hand. Here is a good site to read about varieties of winter squash. There were 2 of us and this made one fine meal, I even skipped dessert that night which for some reason this last year I have become a dessert person so strange to me.

acorn-squash

I apologize I was so into cooking that I forgot to take a picture in the pan while cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Acorn squash or any thin skinned winter squash – the thin skin allows you to eat it when cooked.
  • ¼- ½  cup hard apple cider – could use regular cider
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

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How:

Cut off the ends of the squash and scoop out the seed

Cut into ½ inch think rings.

Combine the sugar, salt, pepper and butter in a large bowl. Add the squash and coat.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and place the squash in a single layer. Add apple cider to pan. Allow squash to cook and apple cider to reduce until squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While pan roasting, turn the squash with a spatula to be sure it browns evenly.

Things I might try next time –

  • I think next time I might melt the combination making it easier to coat the squash.
  • My pan was a little too small so I ended up using half rings to fit.
  • Cooking in batches to retain the circles
  • I might try roasting and flipping a few times next time

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Hard Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup hard apple cider
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice (about ½ orange)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (used our 18 year old)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

How

Bring cider, juice and honey to a boil in a small saucepan.

Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.

Pour into a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add shallots, vinegar, Dijon salt and pepper stir with a whisk. Gradually add the olive oil stirring constantly with a whisk. Set aside.

Crispy Shallots

Ingredients

  • 1-2 shallots shaved into rings, used our new mandolin
  • I cup rice flour – gluten free which browns more quickly
  • Canal oil as needed.

How

Heat canola oil in a small sauté pan. Toss shallots in rice flour, shaking off excess. Fry rings until crispy and lightly golden. Remove from oil and season with salt. Drain on paper towel. To be honest the first batch burnt, the second was not quite crispy enough, and the next batch was perfect. Sound like a familiar story to you? I used the 2nd and third batch tossed the first. Learned you got to watch them cause they turn real quick.

Caramelized Acorn Squash Salad with Crispy Shallots.

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Cape Cod – Provincetown

Cape Cod – Provincetown.

I Was Bored The Other Day – Chicken
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I Was Bored The Other Day – Chicken

Not sure what time it was or how I found this picture but I was snurfing the net, yes snurfing, an art much like using a TV remote in a man’s hands. I am male and way back when the males supposedly did the hunting. Now I bet cha there are a lot of cave women out there that would beg to differ and I would not be one to disagree but I once heard that  the art of channel surfing is a replacement for hunting with a man. Something to point and shoot in a sense. They went on to explain why  yada yada…. now there was someone with too much time on their hands.

Anyway I once dubbed that art form “snurfing” and it has crossed over to my wandering aimless through the vast realms of the internet. The blank stare is about the same as are the raised eyebrows and sudden freezing action when something catches my attention. Wait a minute who is the hunted one here? I came across this picture and I LIKE I muttered in a grunt. Quickly Pinning it so I don’t lose.

the-chicken-cake

 

Nice job sorry I can’t give you credit whomever you are!

Crispy Oven Baked Russet Fries
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Crispy Oven Baked Russet Fries

Lyn got me a mandolin for my birthday and I have tried a few things, potato chips cut them to thin tried to bake did not quite work but tasted OK, onion work pretty good, and then French fries , I still have to get the hang of it I found it hard to slide the potato back and forth. The hold was too small and my fear of slicing my hand made me hesitate. I did manage to get through the potato but think next time I will try for smaller in length making the sliding easier. I made a promise to myself that this time I will keep up with it there is so much one can do with a mandolin. Anyway these fries came out pretty darn good.

Ingredients

  • 1 russet potato
  • Olive oil
  • Malt vinegar salt

 

How:

First I have to say two things I was cooking my snowy day chicken so the temp was pretty set at 450 degree convection and second I could not find the cookie sheet so I used a BBQ pan that had holes in it.

grill_pan_carbon_steel_baking_pan_bbq_summ

Using the mandolin create your fries.

Rinse in a bowl of cold water and thoroughly dry

Crispy Oven Baked Russet Fries

Place on micro wave plate and microwave 3 minutes on high

When cool to touch lightly toss in some olive, since your hands are covered with oil rub the pan to coat and then lay out the fries in single layer. It took about 30 minutes to brown up to a crunchy nice oven bake fry, I was satisfied.

Crispy Oven Baked Russet Fries

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the malt vinegar salt to taste.

Malt vinagar Sea Salt

 

BTW Lyn came in and asked why are you using that pan? Turned around and pulled the cookie sheet out but I got to say I think I am sold on the holey pan.

Snowy Day Roasted Organic Chicken
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Snowy Day Roasted Organic Chicken

We all sighed with relief when the ground hog did not see his shadow and it was declared an early spring it would be! He just neglected to tell us that it would be a stormy snowy wait starting with a 28” blizzard. Then at the beginning of last week it was another 10-14” by midweek 6-8” by the end of the week we were in the 4-6” and by the time Lyn and I pulled into the garage on Sunday afternoon they were saying not even an inch. You just have to laugh. We actually ended up with about 2” after it was all said and done and it did snow pretty much half of Saturday and all day and night Sunday just did not amount to much. Wait more snow on this Wednesday.

Snow_Texture_by_funnybunny_stock

I love the snow fall that has huge flakes drifting slowly to the ground it can be memorizing if not hypnotic as you stare out into the bliss lost in memories of running around catching flakes with your tongue as a child. So what does one do on a snowy Sunday afternoon I decided roasting one of the organic Chickens I got from Whole Foods on sale last week, it was one of those lunch time shopping expeditions were you are armed with a list and you race around beating the clock, my list chickens, strawberries and lunch.  Returning to work Nicole directed, very nicely, the placing of all our bags in the lunch room frig. I got the fun job of throwing out someone’s long deserted and now disgusting lunch from who knows when. I am sure you all have an office frig that collects things. Anyway I babble….

Ingredients

  • 1 whole organic chicken
  • 1 lemon – sliced in ¼” slices
  • ½ orange – sliced in ¼” slices
  • 2 cloves garlic – slightly smashed or not
  • Salt and pepper
  • A couple of table spoons of room temp butter
  • CoffeeSpiceRubCoffee spice rub
  • A few carrots sliced in 2” pieces
  • One or two sweet onions quartered

snowy day chicken

How:

Rinse and dry the chicken

Salt and pepper the cavity

Stuff the lemon, orange and garlic cloves inside

Truss the chicken

Rub and place butter over the top of the dry chicken

Sprinkle with Coffee spice rub

Place in a roasting pan on rack

Drizzle some Olive Oil on the carrots and onion and distribute around the edge of pan

450 degree oven cook for 40-60 minutes until thickest part of thigh is around 165 degree.

Basting optional, I did at halfway point since the pan I used was to long.
Depending on the depth of the oven if you can have legs facing the back if not rotate pan ½ through.
If you feel the skin is getting to dark then tent with aluminum foil.

You can make pan gravy if you want deglazing with some white wine, I opted out since I was making some Russet oven bake fries.

snowy day chicken 2 SNOWY DAY CHICKEN

snowy day chicken plate

How to truss a chicken

truss a chicken

There are hundreds of ways and every one is correct I just use this methods cause I find it easy.

Start at the back of the chicken, tuck the wings under and tuck the neck cavity flap under. Taking some twine run it across the neck cavity along the groove where the thigh and body meet bringing it under the end of the drum stick crossing left to right bringing it to the top pulling the legs together and tying a knot. The uniform shape insures more even cooking.