Homemade Shake & Bake Chicken Halves

Chicken has recently been on sale so I took advantage of the low prices to stock up.  I typically do this with any meat or fish not purchased in bulk when they are on sale.  My experience has been that you really do need to know the current prices.  Sometimes it is less expensive to buy from the meat counter at the abattoir even considering the price of gas than it is at the grocery store.  This is often the case when it comes to pork loin cuts.  Our local Wal-mart offers price matching so even though their price of meat may be higher they will match the competitor's price.  Market sale prices for meats and fish are cyclic as are most sales so that is something to consider as well.

I bought a few of the whole chickens on sale.  It is less expensive to cut up the chicken yourself than to buy already cut chicken pieces.  I cut a couple of the whole chickens in half.  They are excellent for grilling when cut this way.  A few days ago, I thawed two halves with the intention of grilling.  By dinner time, it was literally raining cats and dogs.  I'm not kidding!  I made a quick change of plans to coat the chicken halves with homemade shake & bake mix.  Many consider this type of coating strictly for chicken pieces but it can be used on even whole chickens and as the coating for country fried steak.

I baked the chicken at 350°F/175°C until the chicken was golden brown, just starting to caramelize and the juices were clear (about 50 minutes).  Baked potatoes are perfect when baking chicken because they cook in about the same time.  Cooking more than one dish at a time in the oven is always the frugal use of whatever cooking fuel you are using.

The chicken, as always, was moist and tender, simply delicious.  Sometimes simple meals are the best, often falling under the category of comfort meals.  Now, a half chicken is a lot of meat, certainly more than I can eat at one sitting.  Generally, a half chicken is enough for both of us.  I cooked both halves as planned leftovers since shake & bake chicken reheats nicely.  This really was an easy, frugal meal coming in at a total cost of just under $6 for 4 servings including sides or $1.50 per meal.  Doesn't it look scrumptious?

Easy Italian Linguini

I spent much of Sunday just trying to organize my pantry and that was after helping my husband replace a few electrical outlets and switches.  The good news is we bought another industrial metal shelf unit yesterday so he was able to finish the partially assembled one in the pantry.  Hopefully the missing lock clips are found soon but in the meantime, I was able to get a fair amount of food organized.

I mentioned yesterday that due to the pantry chaos we were having rather simple meals embellished with a few fresh gourmet touches.  I'm sorry but I am beyond exhausted so fancy cooking isn't going to happen but at the same time plain meals aren't going to work.   I made an easy Italian linguini using a home canned roasted Italian tomato sauce and boneless, skinless chicken breasts from the freezer topping fresh store bought linguini and garnished with basil from my new indoor herb garden.  The chicken breasts were simply seared then pan fried and seasoned with garlic pepper.  I cut them across the grain, layering them on top of the linguini with sauce.

Homemade egg noodles are very easy to make but when time is lacking, many grocery stores are now carrying fresh pasta.  It is nicer than dried pasta but not as nice as fresh home made.  The basil is not just a garnish either.  Cut into pieces while cutting the chicken makes the fresh basil part of the meal and oh my gosh is it very good that way!  There's no such thing as too much basil so I am quite pleased to get my indoor herb garden underway. 

Rib Roast

We have been in our new house officially as owners for five weeks but for the two weeks prior to that we were essentially living between two houses and three days after the closing date we left for our vacation home for a much deserved rest.    We've been home from the vacation home two weeks now so we are working on getting settled.  I'd love to report that I'm cooking up a storm but the reality is there is still a good amount of my pantry stock in boxes.  The movers in their ultimate wisdom dismantled one of my large Alea industrial steel racks and a knock off smaller gauge one (Canadian Tire).  We have yet to find the locking clips to hold the shelves so I could gladly give them a piece of my mind not that it would help any.  My husband wants another of the industrial racks anyway so he came up with a plan.  My partially assembled rack and already loaded will be finished tonight with the new purchase then the new rack will be partially assembled.  Hopefully somewhere in the process we find the locking clips. 

At the moment, getting into the freezers is a bit problematic.  I have to move boxes as well as clear the tops of the freezers.  I made a path to both then grabbed a plastic grocery bin and filled it with whatever I could reach.  That bin went into my new [to me, it was part of the house purchase]  kitchen side-by-side.  We are eating from whatever was in that bin as well as what I can reach from my home canned and dried food supply.  Needless to say, meals have been rather simple.  I've been picking up the odd extras just to make the meal not so plain.

There was a rib roast in the bin so I used it to make a pot roast dinner by adding cut white potatoes, whole baby red potatoes and cremini mushrooms.  We really like how the baby red potatoes roast up!  I made gravy to accompany the dinner.  It was a simple, easy meal that freed up time to continue with the organizing.  Just wait until you see pictures of my new pantry! 

I am so excited!  Not only is the pantry spacious there is no more ducking to miss hitting your head on beams.  I have lots of space for everything needed for a well stocked pantry.  A friend of ours is custom making a lighted shelf for my kitchen to house a small selection of my cookbooks so that will be really nice.  He's coming out early next week to install it.  Now if you see the work he does, it will be gorgeous.  He made my husband these amazing solid wood, triangle shaped drink tables on wheels for the games room.  He also custom making us a medicine cabinet for the main bathroom and framing in the mirror for a more custom look.  He's going to be rather busy around our house :)

A Simple Ham Dinner

Meals do not have to be fancy or complicated to be enjoyable.  Quite often the simple meals based on left-overs are those that become family favourite meals.  I like planning left-overs just for this purpose especially when cooking meat.  It is easy to cook extra for a planned left-over meal later in the week or to pop in the freezer as a quick meal start.

Bone-in ham is a frugal meat choice in that along with a good amount of meat and little fat, the bone can be used to make soups or chowders.  I cooked a ham for our Christmas dinner rather than our traditional turkey dinner.   It was a lovely ham with bone in.  There was of course left over ham.  Later in the week I warmed up a few slices of the ham to serve with baked accordion potatoes and whole kernel corn.  It was a simple, easy to prepare meal with a definite taste of home.

I discovered baked accordion potatoes last summer and did them on the grill.  They do not develop the same skin crispness of normal baked potatoes.  Cut in this fashion the baking time is reduced making them a perfect grill side.  The cuts are not just for presentation.  The cuts increase the surface area so theere is a bit more caramelization adding to the flavour.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Good home cooking need not be time consuming or complicated. In fact some of the best meals are the simple meals. Typically these meals have fewer ingredients, nothing fancy just normal ingredients you would find in your pantry, vegetable bin, refrigerator or freezer. I love finding a simple side that just works nicely especially when it is just a bit on the rustic side! When it is a side that can be easily made with ingredients I have on hand that's even better.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

There is no doubt that food is a bonding factor in our family. We often call or email other family members with a new recipe we tried. One of our kids called with a way to cook Brussels sprouts that was quite tasty yet very simple involving two ingredients, Brussels sprouts and bacon. Brussels sprouts are one thing I have had problems growing but they are one of my favourite vegetables. I usually steam fresh Brussels sprouts. They don't can well and I don't care for them frozen so fresh it is.

I liked the idea of sautéing with just bacon but had a half of an onion in the fridge so chopped that to add with the Brussels sprouts and bacon. Home made shake & bake chicken legs with backs attached and oven baked potatoes completed the entrée. It was a simple meal, easy to put together with very little prep work just the perfect meal for busy homemakers.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

30 Brussels sprouts
½ medium onion chopped
6 slices thick bacon

Wash and trim the Brussels sprouts. Chop the onion. Cut across the bacon slices to form 1-inch pieces. Place in a fry pan on medium high. Sauté until Brussels sprouts caramelize and bacon is golden brown. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon to help drain any grease before serving.