Almond Crusted Stuffed Chicken Breast

I recently wrote about a few alternative flours that I am experimenting with.  Flours like almond, black bean, and rice make it possible to make gluten free baked goods.  Some are suitable for making baked goods that meet the requirements of a Paleo or Primal diet.  However, you don't need to be eating a special diet to enjoy the benefits alternative flours offer.  They add a whole new dimension in creative cooking allowing you to bring a little pizazz to your family favourites,

There is just something comforting about stuffed chicken breasts.  They are easy to make yet tasty and filling.  Stuffed chicken breasts are quite economical as well.  They can be lightly seasoned and uncoated or coated with seasoned flour or bread crumbs.  I used unblanched almond flour to make almond crusted stuffed chicken breasts.

Almond flour adds a light, nutty flavoured crust to the stuffed chicken breasts.   The almond flour browns nicely.  It adds a little extra protein as well.  These delicious bundles of yummy delight are sure to please!

Method:  Pound out boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Place a single layer of washed spinach leaves over top of each prepared chicken breast.  Place sliced or shredded cheese on top of the spinach.  Carefully roll the chicken breast jelly roll style.  Secure with wooden toothpick if desired.  Place the prepared stuffed chicken breast into a bowl of almond flour.  Pat the almond flour around the chicken breast to coat evenly.   Place the coated chicken breast onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350°F until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes.

Chicken Schnitzel With Provolone and Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce

Most people have the view that 'going on a diet' means depriving themselves of pretty much everything they enjoy eating.  That view is further distorted by the myth that there are good foods and bad foods which simply is not the case.  The general premise is, if you eat the good foods you will lose weight.  The problem is this approach simply doesn't work.  All you have to do is browse through the everydiet.org site to see how many diets there are that really are not sustainable, so in the end even if you lose the weight you will gain it back when you resume your normal eating pattern.  What does work is eating the foods you enjoy in moderation, getting active and creating a calorie deficit which ultimately results in healthy weight loss that can later be maintained.  The focus with this approach becomes total fitness not just weight loss.  With that in mind, even fried foods can be enjoyed while you are in weight loss mode.  

My husband offered to make dinner a few nights ago.  He had seen a dish on FoodTV that he wanted to duplicate.  The dish was a chicken schnitzel.  Schnitzel is simply a piece of boneless veal, chicken, beef, turkey or pork pounded out thin then lightly coated and pan fried.  If the meat is veal, it is referred to a Wiener Schnitzel.  Chicken Parmigiana is chicken schnitzel topped with Parmesan cheese.

He pounded out four 183 g (6.45 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts then dredged the meat in milk and lightly seasoned flour.  The traditional coating is flour, beaten egg and bread crumbs.  Eliminating the egg and bread crumbs reduced the caloric value of the cooked chicken schnitzel.

He heated olive oil and a little butter in a ceramic coated fry pan.  Olive oil is a healthier oil for frying while butter adds a lot of flavour.  Coconut oil is another healthier oil for frying.  Both have health benefits.  Vegetable oil blends, canola and sunflower oil should be avoided because they are GMO which  can have negative health effects including gastro-intestinal upsets.

He placed the prepared chicken schnitzel in the hot oil then fried to a golden brown on both sides.  While the chicken schnitzel was frying, he brought a pot of salted water to a boil then stirred in 4 oz of broad egg noodles.  A serving size of broad egg noodles is 2 oz dry weight.  He removed the chicken schnitzel, drained on a piece of paper towel, then placed on a Silpat lined baking sheet.  He topped each chicken schnitzel with 28 g (1 oz) of cheese, two with provolone and two with mild cheddar.  While the chicken schnitzel baked to perfection with bubbly cheese, he drained the pasta and heated the home canned roasted tomato garlic sauce.   
   

The entrée was simply the chicken schnitzel with provolone cheese and egg noodles served with a light topping of roasted tomato garlic sauce, garnished with fresh basil.  The chicken schnitzel was moist and fork tender.  The provolone cheese added a lovely richness.  The roasted tomato garlic sauce perfectly complemented the chicken and egg noodles.  It was a simple, delightfully tasty meal! 

This is a low prep, easy to make, under 30 minute entrée.  The nutritional value is based on a 183 g piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast, olive oil, butter, milk, flour, seasonings, provolone cheese, egg noodles, home canned roasted tomato sauce and basil as pictured.   

Nutritional value for entire entrée as pictured: 633 calories, 52 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 61 g protein, 535 mg sodium, 4 g fat

Parmesan Ranch Chicken Wings

One of the ideas I had for a recipe to enter in the Hidden Valley Ranch^TM Ranchify Recipe Challenge was ranch dressing paired with chicken wings.  Ranch dressing is often served as a dip for carrot sticks served with buffalo wings.  I wanted to take that flavour one step further, right on the wings!  We usually visit Hooter's for wings each trip to our vacation home,  My husband loves their garlic Parmesan wings.  These wings are rich, gooey, messy and delightfully yummy.  I decided to go with that type wing using ranch dressing.

Hidden Valley Ranch^TM dressing is available in three yummy flavours - original, cheesy and spicy.  I tried all three combinations for the contest creation stage recipes.  Hands down the Hidden Valley Ranch^TM Ranchify spicy dressing was a sure fire taste winner when paired with chicken wings!  Although I did not submit this recipe as my entry, it is tantalizingly delicious and ever so easy to make.  They are rich, gooey and messy but oh so good!  I'm sure your family will enjoy them for your next wing night!


Parmesan Ranch Chicken Wings
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

Note:  I used 16 large wings, tips removed and cut at the joint to form 32 pieces.   The parmesan ranch sauce is enough to comfortably coat 8 to 10 large chicken wings.

chicken coating
1 c organic unbleached flour
½ c homemade breadcrumbs
1 tbsp garlic pepper

Mix well in large container.

Parmesan ranch sauce




½ c Hidden Valley Ranch^TM cheesy ranch dressing
1/3 c fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Reserve 2 tbsp of the grated cheese.  Mix the remaining cheese with the dressing in a bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken wings.

Prepare the desired number of wings.  Place in the flour mixture.  Shake to coat.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Leave the wings in the flour mixture until ready to deep fry.  Heat the deep fryer to 356°F.  Fry the chicken wings in small batches of 8 to 10 wings at a time until golden brown, about 7 minutes.  Remove from deep fryer and drain.  Place the wings into the sauce then use a flipping motion to coat the wings.  Remove wings to serving plate with tongs.  Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the wings.

Have a Wing Night

Chicken wings have been a long time favourite pub grub fare.  Traditionally, cheap wing night was held on Tuesday nights but that varied from pub to pub.  The going price was 10¢ per wing several years ago but now that has more than tripled to 35¢ per wing.  Still, even at the higher price it is still a cheap at only $3.50 for 10 wings.  Wings tend to come naked (no coating) or breaded, sauced or sauce on the side and a choice of usually mild, hot or suicide sauce although new and exciting sauces like chili lime and honey garlic are quickly becoming popular.  We love chicken wings so get together with the guys quite often on Tuesday nights to enjoy wings at one of our favourite bars.  Wing nights are fun because the focus is on the wings, with wings making up most or all of the meal.  It's quite common to order a big plate of wings and a drink.  That's it!  The price of drinks greatly increases the cost of the meal as does ordering a side salad as I like to do.  The biggest complaint I have with this particular bar and their wings is the lack of consistency.  One week the wings will be large and nicely cooked, the next week the wings will be small and over cooked.  The sauces are never the same!  Seriously, how difficult can it be to make the same honey garlic sauce the same way so it tastes the same from week to week?  At any rate, the place remains popular with the guys because it is the only place in town with a wing night.

I decided to experiment with chicken wings as a potential candidate recipe for my Hidden Valley Ranch^TM Ranchify Recipe Challenge. I've tried naked and coated wings.  Coating in the pubs tends to be more on the thicker breaded side.  Quite frankly, I am not a huge fan of anything breaded but when it comes to wings, some type of coating helps make the sauce stick better.

I started with 16 large chicken wings then removed the tips and cut at the joint for 32 pieces.  I used a light breading mixture consisting of 1 c organic unbleached flour, ½ c homemade breadcrumbs and seasonings.  I placed this in a large container, mixed well then added the wings to coat.  The easiest way to coat the wings I found is to lightly shake the container then let sit for five minutes and shake again.

I left the coated wings in the container until ready for frying.  I heated the deep fryer to 356°F then fried the chicken wings in small batches until golden brow, about 7 minutes.  It took three batches to fry the 32 wings.  Once the wings were fried, I drained them then set aside for the various sauces I was testing.

I used  ½ c of each sauce in separate bowls then divided the cooked wings into four equal amounts (8 pieces per sauce).  I added each portion of the cooked wings to the respective sauces then used a slight flipping motion to coat the wings well with the sauce.  I used tongs to remove the wings to be plated for serving.

I made four varieties of chicken wings.  Three were ranch based creation stage recipes for the contest, the last was Sweet Baby Ray's.  Of the four versions, bottom left with garnish and the Sweet Baby Ray's were definite keepers.  Watch for the creation stage recipe to be posted.

The beauty of using the light breading method for homemade chicken wings is virtually any sauce desired can be used.  They are good left without sauce then sauce on the side for dipping as well.  You can experiment with the seasonings added to the flour and breadcrumb mixture as well so the possibilities are endless! 

The homemade chicken wings came in at 37¢ each but the wings were quite large.  Chicken wings seldom go on sale here so that price likely won't change much.  However, drinks and salad were a lot cheaper at home.  This is really a quick and easy meal as the sides can be kept quite simple.  It is a sure to please meal as well since each family member can choose their own sauce or just mix and match.  Having a wing night is a fun activity the whole family will enjoy!

Barbeque Chicken

We were excited when we bought our vacation home in sunny Florida.  Not only did this make it possible for us to spend extended periods of time on vacation, it gave us a means to still enjoy home cooked meals.  Don't get me wrong as we do love eating out and fining new dining experiences while in Florida, but we also want our taste of home too.  Our vacation home is located in a resort community with a park-like setting and full amenities.  There are ample photo opportunities.  The house itself is a 2 bedroom plus den, 2 bathroom, 2007 Fleetwood manufactured home with carport and lanai.  Our vacation home kitchen is almost as well equipped as our home kitchen so cooking is not a problem.

We spent most of May at our vacation home arriving back in beautiful Ontario Wednesday night.  During our stay we enjoyed a lot of great food although this trip we ate out a bit less.  It was hot and humid with pop-up thunderstorms the last week of our stay but that didn't stop us from doing a bit of grilling.  Our meats of choice at our vacation home tend to be pork (loin,ribs), beef (steak, ground) and seafood even when eating out.  I spotted a lovely package of chicken legs with their backs attached when we were at Publix and thought that would be a nice change.

Years ago as newlyweds the only way we cooked chicken on the grill was with barbeque sauce.  The biggest problem with grilling chicken was always the flare-ups.  A friend told us to bring the chicken to a boil then drain and finish barbequing.  That method worked to remove some of the fat causing the flare-ups but it also removed flavour.  Overall, chicken cooked this way is grilled as the cooking time is fairly short.  We discovered using lower temperature and a beer spritz to control flare-ups then using a barbeque sauce as a wet mop during the last 15 minutes of cooking gave lovely, moist, barbeque results.  We haven't cooked chicken like this in ages.  I'm not sure why because it is ever so delicious!

The difference between grilling and barbequing is timing.  Grilling is short, quick and high heat sometimes using a marinade whereas barbequing is long, slow with low heat often using a dry rub and/or wet mop (sauce).  Barbequed meats are moist, tender, and fall off the bone delicious.  The sauce is nicely caramelized but not burnt or charred. 

Method:  Heat the grill to medium.  Place the chicken on the grill.  Cook the chicken slowly turning when the first side just starts to brown.  If flare-ups occur, spritz with water or beer.  Continue cooking the chicken turning as needed until both sides are a light golden brown.  Apply the sauce, coating generously.  Cook until sauce begins to caramelize.  Turn the chicken and apply sauce on the other side.  Cook until caramelized. 

Beer Grilled Chicken Legs

Yesterday, I wrote about cooking with non-alcoholic beer.  Basically, you can have all the flavour and the health benefits of beer without the alcohol content or the higher price of beer.  Be warned that non-alcoholic beer still has caloric content ranging from 35 to 100 calories per 355 ml serving and some brands have added sodium so be sure to read the nutritional label.  If you are replacing regular beer with non-alcoholic beer then you will reduce the calories in the dish as non-alcoholic beers are lower in caloric content than regular beers.  If however, you are replacing water with non-alcoholic beer you will be increasing the calories in the dish.  Calories aside, those non-alcoholic beers containing sodium could be problematic for those on a low-sodium diet so choose a non-alcoholic beer without sodium added.

When it comes to grilling, one way to add flavour without adding calories involves smoke.  The smoke is generally created using wood chips but liquids can be used to extinguish any flames which can impart a flavour to the resulting smoke.  The smell of beer on the grill is amazing imparting a wonderful flavour to the grilled meat.  It has a deep nutty, almost sweet aroma.  That flavour permeates into whatever is being cooked on the grill.  What I was looking for when testing out the non-alcoholic beers was flavour combined with results consistent with using regular beer without the alcohol, getting that same aroma and flavour when grilling with a non-alcoholic beer.

Chicken has been a long time favourite for grilling.  Years ago as young newlyweds fiddling with our first charcoal grill, we learned how to control flare-ups when grilling chicken by spritzing beer over the chicken and flames.  Chicken grilled this way remains tender and juicy.   Used in this manner, I highly doubt there would have been any residual alcohol in the food.  The beer adds a wonderful flavour without adding extra calories. 

I grilled four chicken legs on the propane side of our outdoor grill on medium high heat.  Once small flames appeared, I spooned non-alcoholic beer over the legs and continued grilling until flames appeared again and repeated the beer application.  A baster can be used to apply the beer if desired.  I continued in this fashion, turning the legs and applying beer until they were golden brown with nice grill marks and the juices were clear.  Despite being very simple the additional subtle flavour was impressive.  I used about a half can of President's Choice Blonde non-alcoholic beer (355 ml can: <0.5% ABV, 80 cal, 17 g carbohydrates, 55 mg potassium, 3 g protein) to baste the chicken legs as they grilled.  This is a nice, smooth flavoured non-alcoholic beer perfect for pairing with poultry.  PC Blond is brewed for Loblaws by Brick Brewing Co. in Waterloo, Ontario and distributed throughout the Loblaws Companies chain stores (eg. RCSS, No Frills, Zehrs, etc.).  If you cannot find PC Blonde, Our Compliments (Sobey's brand) or O'doul's would be fairly similar in flavour.  Even a stronger flavoured non-alcoholic beer would work for this method.

The chicken was delicious!  It was golden brown with slightly crispy skin, moist and tender flesh nicely flavoured from the beer.  Basting chicken with beer is an excellent way to get extra flavour without the calories.  It is an easy method to see if you like the flavour the beer imparts because it is a bit more subtle than infused beer (eg. beer can chicken) or beer used in part or whole as a marinade for grilling. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Meals do not have to be fancy or complicated to be both frugal and delicious.  Simpler meals save on the cost of additional ingredients, they take less prep work and often less clean-up.  They are the perfect go to meals that often become family favourites!

Our local grocery store had boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale so I bought a family pack.  The chicken breasts were quite large so were a good deal for $7.01.  I mentally calculated a yield of four servings from the package.

I really don't like buying any meat in this type of packaging as none of it can be recycled.  The  foam trays cannot be cleaned well enough to prevent an risk of contamination from the raw meat they held.  I wash the trays well, dry then spray with rubbing alcohol to kill off contaminants.  I reuse these types for applications that will not come into anything edible.

Most meats cooked in the slow cooker need to be browned first.  This seals in some of the juices while adding flavour.  I used organic coconut oil to lightly brown the chicken.  Normally, I would use olive oil as the sauce was tomato based but I'm experimenting with coconut oil.  Coconut oil is very heat stable making it suitable for searing or browning meats.  It adds a light nutty sweetness.

Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils you can use for both culinary and home made beauty products.  It contains lauric acids that aid in digestion while protecting the body from bacterial and fungal infections.  It is a solid at room temperature.  It can be used as a moisturizer on hair and skin as well.  I highly recommend using it on your hair to keep it healthy and shiny.

Home canned tomato sauces are our number one homemade convenience food.  I make several different, gourmet tomato based sauces each tomato harvest.  They range from plain and smooth to rich and meaty with everything in between.  One of my specialty tomato sauces started off as a roasted tomato sauce that quickly evolved to several versions of fire roasted sauces.  Fire roasting gives a rich depth to the sauces that can't be achieved by simply roasting.

I placed the browned chicken breasts in the slow cooker then poured a 1 L (quart) jar of fire roasted Italian tomato sauce with mushrooms over the chicken.  I set the slow cooker on low for 2 hrs than increased to high for an hour.  This is a newer slow cooker that does operate at higher temperatures than the old one it replaced.

I served the chicken breast on a bed of extra broad egg noodles then ladled with sauce, topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and garnished with fresh parsley from my indoor garden.  It was a simple, low cost meal that was easy to prepare.

My home canned tomato sauces cost me nothing more than the canning lid, cooking fuel (fire roasting, processing) and extra ingredients if necessary.  A 1 L jar of sauce without meat or mushrooms averages about 30¢ but I can reduce that cost using a reusable canning lid (glass insert, Tattler, 4ever recap) by 13¢.  Store bought broad egg noodles are quite inexpensive and homemade even less expensive so the only real cost for me with this type of simple slow cooker meal is the meat.  In this case using store bought chicken at the sale price brought the cost per serving to just under $1.80 which is rather frugal.

Chicken Pot Pies

Years ago as a newlywed, I learned a cardinal rule of frugal cooking that has never failed me.  Left-overs need never taste like left-overs.  They don't even have to look like they were left-overs.  Seriously, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to serve your family the exact same meal they had the day before just reheated.  That's why left-overs get such a bad rap.  There are so many creative ways to use left-overs that simply reheating can go by the wayside!

A couple of days ago I made a quick roast chicken dinner consisting of roasted chicken with baked potatoes and steamed carrots.  I had half of the chicken and the gravy left-over for another meal.   It has been cold and snowy here so last night I de-boned the chicken putting the carcass into the freezer to make stock with later.  I decided to make chicken pot pie with the chicken and gravy.  Pot pie involves a filling thickened to a stew consistency and topped with at least a top crust but can be in a double crust if desired.

There is nothing wrong with mixing left-overs with a bit of fresh cooked or using them as an ingredient in a new dish.  I had no left-over potatoes or carrots so steamed some for the filling then stirred in frozen whole kernel corn and the left-over gravy.  The steamed vegetables were warm which helped mixing in the cold gravy.  Once that was mixed, I stirred in the chicken pieces.

Pot pies are usually served in individual serving dishes.  You can buy the aluminium pot pie pans at the dollar store but I prefer to use re-usable oven safe stoneware of which I have a fair number of pieces.  The shape doesn't really matter.  I have round, oval, rectangular and scalloped.  The standard would likely be round the same as you would use for French onion soup.

I poured the chicken mixture into two individual serving size baking dishes and one double serving size one.  At this point the chicken mixture was very much like a thick stew so could have been enjoyed just the way it was but I decided a topping was in order.

Pot pie has at least some type of topping crust if not double crusted but you can get very creative here.  Anything from biscuit batter to pastry works well.  If I am in a hurry, I like using a drop dough that I would normally use for dumplings.

Puff pastry is a nice topping for pot pies because it is light and flaky.  You can use home made puff pastry but for this dish I used a store bought puff pastry left-over from holiday entertaining.  The rectangular piece of dough was just perfect for cutting into three pieces to fit on top of my filling.

Trust me, a pot pie topping does not get much easier than using puff pastry sheets.  Simply cut and top even if using home made.  Don't tuck or pinch, just lay the sheet of puff pastry over the filling loosely to allow steam from the hot filling to escape.  It doesn't matter if the dough touches the sides or fully covers the filling because it does puff when it is baking.  If it touches the sides sealing off the filling completely, poke a few holes in the crust with a fork to release some of the steam.  You can lightly brush the dough with melted butter if desired.  This will give a nice golden colour to the crust but it is not necessary if using puff pastry or drop biscuit dough.

Pictured are the chicken pot pies fresh from the oven.  I baked the pot pies until the filling was warmed through, just lightly bubbling and the crust was a golden brown.  The two smaller, individual serving size were served in the baking  dishes as is with a side Caesar salad.  It was a delicious, low cost meal that used up a few left-overs, just perfect for a snowy, winter's day.

Even though I used left-overs, it was fairly easy to make a completely different dish that did not resemble the first.  This is a frugal way to use left-overs.  Did you know that left-overs can actually be hidden in other dishes as ingredients.  For example, if I have a couple of tablespoons of mashed potatoes left, I often use them to thicken soup.  If I have a couple of tablespoons of applesauce left over, I use it in quick breads.  Bits of left-over vegetables find their way into meatloafs.  Get creative with using left-overs if you really want to save money in the kitchen!

Cleaning Out the Freezer - Chicken Stock

Stock making is a year round activity because we use a lot of stock.  I prefer stocks over water for cooking many savoury dishes because they add flavour.  The vast majority of the stocks I make are home canned for convenience.  Stocks can be home canned any time of the year but I prefer to can them during the winter months when there is less fresh produce to process.  I also prefer to make stock when there will be enough run the pressure canner at half to full capacity.  I freeze bones to be used for larger batch stock-making during the busier canning season.

This batch started with five large zipper freezer bags of chicken bones.  All stocks are richer and more flavourful when made with roasted bones.  In this case, the bones were from chicken that had been charcoal grilled during the summer months.  This adds an subtle extra flavour element to the stock.

I started the stock with cold water, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and peppercorns.  Stock-making is always a two day process.  The stock is made the first day, strained of the bones and vegetables then cooled overnight for de-fatting.  The large stock pot would over tax the refrigerator for cooling so I often cool the covered pot in the garage in the winter months.  It cools quickly there while being protected from critters.  In milder weather, I quickly cool the pot of stock in a sink with ice cubes surrounding the pot.

The easiest way to do the first straining for any stock is using a colander.  This removes the larger solids.  I often take the stained solids, add fresh water to them and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes and strain again.  This adds flavoured liquid to top up the stock without watering it down by using plain water.

Once the large solids are removed, the stock is cooled to allow the fat to congeal on the surface.  The fat is removed then the stock is heated and strained through a cheesecloth double lined colander to remove the finer particles.  At this point, a couple of egg white can be added to help clarify the stock further if desired.  If the stock is to be canned, it can be reduced slightly if desired but it isn't necessary.  The stock can also be frozen as is or it can be reduced to 25% to freeze as a concentrate.  An alternate is to reduce to a thick syrup consistency then dehydrate for homemade bouillon [I'll show the entire method for this in a future post.]
 

As mentioned, I can the majority of the stocks I make.  If I have extra from a batch of stock, I freeze or concentrate it.  I also make homemade bouillon from time to time.  By far, home canned stock is the most convenient for most applications because you don't have to thaw it.  It's ready to use as is.  Homemade bouillon is ideal for those recipes that call for bouillon.  You get the rich flavour of bouillon without the high sodium content.  When I make stock at our vacation home, it is mainly for fresh use with any left-overs frozen to be used while we are there, not long time storage because we rent out our vacation home for periods of time when we aren't using it.

The yield for this batch of rich chicken stock 4 - 1 L, 3 - 750 ml and 8 - 500 ml jars .  The L and 750 ml jars were processed at 10 lb pressure for 25 minutes; the 500 ml jars were processed at the same pressure for 20 minutes.  The L and 750 ml constituted a full canner load while the 500 ml jars were a half canner load.  I used Tattler reusable lids on the 500 ml jars.  The more I use the Tattler lids, the more impressed I am with them.  Their performance has been problem free after the initial learning curve.  Each time I re-use a Tattler lid instead of using a single use metal snap lid, I'm saving 12¢ which doesn't sound like much but over the course of on average 1,200 jars per year, my savings if using all Tattler lids would work out to a savings of $144.

Charcoal Grilled Jerk Seasoned Chicken

I am currently tweaking the final two Ranch recipes I will be submitting for the Hidden Valley Ranch™Recipe Challenge.  When I received my box of five delectable Hidden Valley Ranch™chicken immediately popped into my mind and I already had a idea in mind.  The recipe would used chicken but not any chicken.  My creation would use charcoal grilled jerk seasoned  chicken to give a unique flavour that would go nicely with the Ranch.  Before I post that recipe to be submitted for judging, I wanted to share with you exactly how I make the chicken.

When I took these pictures for the first run of the recipe we were using charcoal briquettes.  We ignite them using an electric starter rather than use lighter fluid.  Briquettes are wonderful and used properly you can get some amazing results.  They add a smokey note that you can't get using propane or natural gas grills.  We have since switched to using old fashioned lump charcoal in favour of briquettes.  Briquettes burn hotter than lump charcoal and they are cheaper but they produce a lot of ash.  Lump charcoal is all natural.  It lights quickly, burns hotter with little ash production but it burns faster and is more expensive.  Still, we are finding we are getting better results using lump charcoal in terms of flavour and performance.  Whether you use charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal, the method for grilling the chicken is the same.

The Hidden Valley Ranch™ Recipe Challenge specified using fresh ingredients with a strong emphasis on fresh vegetables and kid friendly.  I picked up two fresh whole chickens to start creating.  The reason being, I knew I would have to recreate my recipe a few times to get it the way I wanted.

Pictured is one of the fresh chickens.  I removed the fatty portions around the cavity opening as they would cause flare-ups on the grill.  They went into the freezer bag of chicken parts for stock making.    Once the chicken was clean-up, I cut in in half, butterfly style.

For this purpose, it didn't matter whether I cut along the rib cage (butterfly) or breastI cut from end to end along the breast line.  The cut really didn't matter as all the meat would be cut from the bones. Leaving the chicken somewhat whole gives a juicier result than cutting it into individual pieces.  Leaving as many bones in the chicken gives nice stock bones.

I used Cool® Runnings Jerk Seasoning to lightly season both sides of the chicken.  I reasoned the seasoning would compliment the smokiness of the charcoal without over powering it.

I put the chicken on the grill when the briquettes were covered with white ash.  The heat can be adjusted by lowering or raising the coal bed or the chicken can be moved to the upper shelf to cook slower.

When cooking on charcoal, it is important to avoid flare-ups much the same as any other types of grilling.  Flare-ups cause heavy charred or burned parts on the food.  The standard trick of using water or beer to douse the flames doesn't work with charcoal as that causes ash to rise and stick to your food.  Keep a close eye on the food and move it to another part of the grill when flare-ups occur.  Be sure to adjust the coal tray level to reduce flare-ups and add fresh coal if necessary especially if you are doing a slow cook.

The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.  Note the smoke surrounding the almost cooked chicken?  This adds an amazing flavour that permeates the meat without overpowering.  It is mouthwatering!  This is my current favourite way of cooking chicken on the grill.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the grill and allow to rest 10 minutes before deboning.  The meat will fall from the bone rather nicely.  Cut larger pieces into strips or you can cube if desired.  Make sure you leave bits of the skin on as it really does add flavour.  Most of the fat has dripped off anyway.  Cool the chicken pieces.  Reserve bones for stock.  When the chicken pieces are cooled they are ready to be used in sandwiches, salads or you can freeze for a taste of summer during the winter months.

Grilled Chicken Breast with Mango Pepper BBQ Sauce

I have to confess that I buy very little in the way of barbeque sauces.  In fact, the three main ones I buy occasionally are Dianna Sauce and Sweet Baby Ray's simply because I have not cloned them yet.  The bottom line is, homemade barbeques sauces are fresher and can be tailored to your taste buds while saving you a bundle of money.  I understand wanting the convenience of a ready to use bbq sauce though so what I do is work on a recipe until it is just right, then home can it.  That gives me the convenience, cost saving and a lovely, preservative free product that is ready to use.  This is the time of year I like to start experimenting with bbq sauces that may make it to the canning pot.

Mango goes nicely with pork, poultry and fish.  Since chicken was on sale I decided to prep a couple of the chicken breasts for the grill.  This is the time of year here where mangos are fairly inexpensive as well so using them to make a bbq sauce made a lot of sense.

This tasty sauce takes a bit more work but it is worth it.  The sauce would have to be thinned somewhat for home canning and I would pressure can it.  The mango pepper bbq sauce will more likely be a sauce I make fresh to use when mangos are in season.

Mango Pepper BBQ Sauce
inspired by: Better Homes and Gardens, New Grilling Book, 2005., Pp. 35.

1 c red sweet peppers, chopped
1 sm onion, chopped
1 mango, seeded, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp chili powder
1 tbsp green pepper, finely chopped

Heat oil in non-stick skillet.  Stir in peppers and onion.  Cook until just tender.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a low boil.  Reduce the heat then simmer about 10 minutes.  Cool mixture.  Pour into food processor bowl.  Process until smooth.  Brush on meat or poultry during the last 10 minutes of grilling.

Once you start making your own bbq sauces you will seriously be amazed at how easy and inexpensive it is.  I served the grilled chicken breast with mango pepper bbq sauce with a zucchini boat stuffed with grilled grape tomatoes, carrots and mushrooms as well as a grilled beet.  What is nice about this meal is the absence of starches aka low carb (eg. potatoes, pasta, rice) giving it a nice, clean, healthy approach.  It was very low fat as well with less than a quarter ounce of fresh grated Parmesan cheese used as a garnish and flavour boost.  Beets roasted on the grill are simply delicious too!  All away around, this healthy meal was a real family approved pleaser!

Grill Roasted Chicken with Grilled Vegetables

I recently posted about the whole chicken sale our local Wal-mart is having.  It is a one week sale of two whole chickens for $10, limit two packages (4 chickens) per customer per visit.  The trick with these types of sales is to get the largest weight possible to reduce the cost per kilogram (pound) as they are sold in multiples of two regardless of the weight.  The second trick is to get their early in the morning to get the heaviest packages possible.  Sunday's purchases were a bit lower in weight (6.492 kg)  because I didn't get there until after lunch.    Monday's purchases came in at 7.236 kg.  I intend to end up with 16 chickens total so the next few posts will discuss what I do with all this chicken. 

The weather has been beyond unseasonably warm with highs in the 70's (F) and lows in the 50's (F).  We have had the furnace off for over a week now and the heat wave is predicted to continue for the rest of the week.  The house has actually been rather on the warm side so I decided to roast on of the chickens on the grill. 

The chickens are trussed so they cook nicely.  I cut away the excess fat without disrupting the leg trussing so I could stuff the chicken.  This is our favourite way to have roasted chicken.  Once the chicken was stuffed, I added about a half cup of water to the bottom of the soaked clay baker, put the chicken in, finished with salt and pepper and butter then placed it on the pre-heated grill (300ºF).  The propane side of our grill has three burners.  I used the two outer burners with the centre one off until it was time to brown up the chicken.

I wanted to add flavour without adding calories.  One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to use a smoking bisquette (blue arrow).  I use 100% organic Bradley Smoker smoking bisquettes The bisquette is placed directly on the pre-heated grill.  After 10 minutes, the grill is ready to use where the smoking bisquette will add a delicious wood-smoke flavour without the calories. 

Once the chicken started browning up a bit, I put the potatoes, zucchini and grape tomatoes on to grill.  Roasted tomatoes are simply delightful!  The flavour is rich and intensive yet smooth.  I hollowed out the zucchini to make grilled zucchini boats.

Just look at that beautiful roasted chicken with just a slight hint of apple smoke.  The deep golden colour comes easier using the grill.  The beauty of roasting a chicken or any other meat on the grill is you can infuse it with delicious, natural wood-smoke flavour while keeping the heat outdoors.  In this respect, roasting on the grill is superior to roasting in the oven. 

While the chicken was gorgeous, nicely roasted, there wasn't enough juice to make gravy.  It could have been due to the clay roasted as there wasn't much in the way of tasty yum yums as Emeril Lagasse puts it.

I served, the moist and tender, wonderfully flavoured grill roasted chicken with grill baked potatoes and zucchini boats.  The meal was beyond delicious!  My husband couldn't stop raving about it so that means it was a really good meal.

Grill Baked Potatoes
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

Wash the desired number of potatoes.  Poke with a fork to allow steam to escape.  Place on the grill on indirect heat.  Bake until tender.

Zucchini Boats
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

Choose zucchini that are about 8 - inches long.  Wash then cut the stem and blossom end off.  Cut the zucchini in half longitudinally from stem end to blossom end.  Use a spoon to scoop out a shallow channel.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Turn cut side down onto grill on indirect heat.  Wash and cut grape or cherry tomatoes in half.  Place in a small foil baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Place on the grill on indirect heat.  Cook the zucchini until tender with defined grill marks.  Remove from grill and plate.  Fill the channel with cooked tomatoes.  Sprinkle lightly with sea salt,  fresh cracked pepper and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Wal-mart Chicken Sale

Our last house was rural, about a 30 minute drive from the closest grocery store.  That meant a lot of times I passed by the sales because driving a total of 1 hour just to save a few cents or even a couple of dollars was not justified with the current price of gasoline.  We now live within walking distance of one grocery store and a 7 minute drive from Wal-mart and another grocery store.  It is quite possible to walk or bike to either on nicer days.  What this means is I can easily take advantage of cherry picking the sales without having to drive plus I'm getting a bit of fresh air and exercise at the same time. 

We let our food stock dwindle somewhat while the house was on the market and once the house sold.   We essentially bought only the bare essentials and mind you that wasn't much.  What I did was take any money that I would have spent on groceries to create a restock fund.  We normally spend about $50 per week on groceries if that and that is mainly dairy, fresh produce and the occasion splurge item.   While the house was on the market and during the move we pared that down to about $20 per week so over the 18 month ordeal I managed to stash away a tidy sum for restocking, not that I will use anywhere near that!

Wal-mart (Canada) has a sale on chicken this week where we live.  The last time they did this it was imported from the USA but this time it is chicken produced in Canada.  We always support our Canadian growers whenever possible.  The chicken is priced at two whole chickens for $10, limit two per customer per visit.  

The total weight for the two packages was 6.492 kg (14.312 lb) which works out to $3.08/kg or $1.40/lb.  This is an excellent price!  In comparison chicken breasts with skin and bones is $6.59/kg ($2.99/ lb) and boneless skinless chicken breasts are $13.82/kg ($6.25/lb).  A cooked rotisserie chicken is $7.47 with clearance after 5 PM but I can easily cook it and still realize a savings of about $2 per chicken.  I am stopping tomorrow to pick up a couple more packages and may even stop again on Tuesday.  Each chicken is enough for two meals for us with a bit of left-overs and bones for stock but the number of meals can be stretched if the chicken is used for soups, casseroles, and stews.

I prepared one of the chickens for roasting on the outdoor grill (will post later this week).  Then I cut one chicken in half.  Why would I do this?  Cutting the chicken into pieces as desired is saving me at least $1.50/lb.  While we do have a gorgeous dual fuel (charcoal/propane) grill, it is not equipped with a rotisserie given the design so cutting some of the chicken destined for the grill makes sense.  Half chicken is a cut that is very difficult to find in the stores but it is delicious cooked on the grill.  The trimmings (left) went into the scrap bag I keep in the freezer to make stock when I have enough and time permitting.  The chicken halves will be grilled on the outdoor grill likely on the charcoal side.  I froze them for later use. 

The whole chickens are already tied to keep the wings and legs looking nice when roasted.  I put two of the chickens in freezer bags for later use.  These will end up being roasted either in the oven or more likely on the outdoor grill.

Tomorrow's purchase will be cut into chicken pieces then packaged in meal sized portions.  I will end up with BLSL chicken breasts, chicken legs with backs attached, ribs and wings.  Wings tend to be rather expensive here but using the wings from the sale chicken will give me 16 pieces at a rather inexpensive price per kilogram.

At any rate I am pleased with the price per kilogram for the sale chicken.  With any luck I will be able to pick up enough chicken to last us the summer.  Watch for Tuesday's post of roasted chicken on the outdoor grill.  It was phenomenal!

Maple Herbed Roasted Chicken Breasts

My very first cookbook was Betty Crocker's Cookbook (circa 1969).  It remains my favourite recipe book for tried and true easy recipes for healthy meals.  In addition to my favourite cookbook, I have the newest Big Red Betty Crocker cookbook (2011),  Betty Crocker's New Cookbook (1996) and Betty Crocker Why It Works (2006).  Of interest is the 's is not always on the Betty Crocker cookbooks and it does not appear on the Betty Crocker products.  I am not sure why but at any rate I love the cookbooks.

I've been working my way through the Betty Crocker Why It Works cookbook written by Kevin Ryan, PhD.  This is an amazing cookbook with lots of great recipes, each with an explanation as to why certain ingredients pair nicely or why the method works.  I decided to make the maple-thyme roasted chicken breasts on page 74.  However, my version took a different path.  I substituted herbes de provence for the thyme, omitted the vegetable oil, reduced the amount of butter used and changed the method entirely.

Pictured is my version of the dish using the great Canadian flavours of real maple syrup and old fashioned chili sauce paired with home canned green beans.  Home canned green beans is a Canadian favourite, right up there with dill pickles, strawberry jam, applesauce, peaches and old fashioned chili sauce from the canning pot.  The chicken was absolutely delighful!  It was nice an moist with a lot of flavour.  This is a definite keeper recipe.  The meat was lower in fat than the original recipe that when combined with the sides made for a delicious, healthy meal.

Maple Herbed Roasted Chicken Breasts
modified from: Kevin Ryan, PhD, Betty Crocker Why It Works, Maple-Thyme Roasted Chicken Breasts. Pp. 74.

4 large, bone in skin on chicken breasts
⅓ c pure maple syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp cold butter
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
¼ tsp ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425ºF.  Place the chicken in a baking pan, skin side up.  Mix the remaining ingredients together.  Pour over the chicken.  Place a ½ tbsp of cold butter on top of each chicken breast.  Roast chicken uncovered for 35 minutes, basting with the sauce using a pastry brush every 15 minutes.  Brush again just before serving.  Serve additional sauce in a dipping bowl if desired.

Easy Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

I mentioned previously that I have been relying on tried and true dishes to get to know my new natural gas stove.  I'm also keeping the meals a bit simpler until we get settled into our new home.  So far, I have not attempted canning on the gas stove simply because I'm too tired and the opportunity hasn't presented itself.  The weather has turned cold and rainy so soup season has started!  Tonight I made use of one of my pressure cookers to make a quick and easy chicken noodle soup. 

Pressure cooking is my preferred method for making soups.  From freezer to stock it only takes 45 minutes for tender meat and rich stock.   I add vegetables if desired then bring the pressure cooker back to pressure to cook them or if using noodles, dumplings, rice or barley I just de-bone then add to the hot meat stock mixture and cook without pressure.

Tonight's soup started with two frozen chicken legs with backs attached.  I added a stalk of celery, a quartered unpeeled cooking onion, and two bay leaves then filled the 6 qt pressure cooker to the 2/3 mark.  I brought the pressure cooker to pressure then cooked for 45 minutes. After de-pressurizing, I removed the lid the de-boned the chicken placing skin and bones in a small sauce pan, covering just barely with water and brought to a rapid, hard boil.  While that was in process I strained the remaining stock adding it to the meat in the pressure cooker bottom.  Once the bones boiled hard I strained the resulting stock into the meat mixture then added one chopped onion and brought the mixture to a boil then stirred in extra broad egg noodles.  When the noodles were cooked, I stirred in salt, fresh cracked pepper and Worchestershire sauce to taste.  That's it.  The whole soup took about 75 minutes from start to finish. 

I was quite pleased with how the pressure cooker performed on the natural gas stove.  It came to pressure quicker and de-pressurized quicker which is a very encouraging sign for running the larger pressure canners.  I am planning on putting the pressure canner through its paces this weekend since the pantry is quite close to being organized.  I likely have another half day's worth of work in there then it will be tweaking as need be.  I'll be posting pictures hopefully on Friday!

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. 

Spinach Artichoke Parmesan Chicken Bundles

A few years ago I signed up for a free subscription to What's Cooking magazine by Kraft Canada.  I really like this magazine.  While it does promote Kraft products I find it rather easy to substitute ingredients.  The nice thing is the recipes are fairly simple without a long list of ingredients.  I have kept every copy I have received.  I recently found out they will be charging for the magazine only because I went to their site to change my email and address.  Their email service and online recipe resource remains free.

The recent copy of What's Cooking had a recipe for artichoke-parmesan chicken bundles that became the base for the dish created.  I added baby spinach and used marinated artichoke hearts.  I actually used the shake & bake specified but next time will use my homemade shake & bake chicken coating that has a lot more flavour than the commercial version and it's considerably less expensive.  The downside to moving is looking for an ingredient in an unorganized pantry so in this case the commercial version was easier than climbing over boxes.

The spinach artichoke parmesan chicken bundles were very filling and quite tasty.  We really enjoyed them.  The chicken bundles are really quite easy to make  lending themselves nicely to a variety of fillings.

Method:  Prepare your filling of choice.  Pound boneless, skinless chicken breast thin using a food mallet.  Spread your filling in the middle then roll starting at a short side of the meat similar.  Secure with a toothpick.  Coat as desired.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Serve with sides of choice

Roasted Chicken in Gas Oven

Over the next couple of months I will seriously be putting my new gas range through it's paces!  My rule of thumb is whenever switching to a different cooking fuel is to revert to the tried and true recipes.  The reason for this is with a tried and true recipe or dish I know exactly what the results should be.  Using tried and true gives me a gauge to measure the performance of the new cooking fuel against.

Now I am not exactly new to cooking with natural gas.  I grew up knowing nothing else and one of the houses we rented before becoming homeowners had a natural gas built-in range.  While it is not exactly natural gas, over the years I have learned to cook on propane burners in our RV and the side burners of outdoor grills.  Really, I am rediscovering natural gas and adapting my cooking style.

Roasted chicken is an absolute culinary delight!  I always roast it with stuffing usually in the clay baker.  The sad thing is here in beautiful Ontario, Canada the pictured chicken cost us just over $12.  In the meantime we could have bought a rotisserie chicken from Walmart for $5.  Go figure!  The problem is unless I am in a real hurry or have a specific dish to make, I don't buy rotisserie chicken even though they are one frugal meat choice for dinner.

I soaked my clay baker in water for 15 minutes then stuffed the chicken with homemade dressing using homemade poultry seasoning.  I put a few pats of butter on the chicken then sprinkled with fresh ground pepper and Himalayan pink salt.  I roasted the chicken until golden brown and juices ran clear in a natural gas oven.  I was very pleased with the results!  If anything cooking with gas does give nicer results than cooking with electricity.  The chicken was tender and juicy, roasted to golden perfection.  Despite the cost I will be roasting chicken a bit more often in the future.  Isn't it scrumptious looking?

Chicken Penne Soup

It is easy to get into a rut when cooking, falling back on the tried and tested family favourites.  One way to break out of that rut is eating out.  Restaurants tend to put a bit of a new spin on dishes that the home cook might not think of simply because they have always made the dish a certain way.  During the summer months we like to boat to Decker's Landing located  the mouth of the St. Clair River where it meets Lake St. Clair.  There are special events as well as various bands playing during the afternoon and evening.  It's a gorgeous spot to enjoy a meal, and watch the sunset over the lake. 

Decker's offers pub grub and full dinner meals.  My husband ordered the soup of the day, chicken soup.  I make a lot of chicken soup, usually chicken noodle and occasionally chicken vegetable soup.  Invariably the pasta of choice is broad egg noodles.  Decker's chicken soup was made with penne!  I thought this was a rather interesting pasta to use in a soup.  Penne with its deep grooves and hollow centre is usually paired with thick, cream based or tomato based sauces.

The soup was in between a chicken noodle and chicken vegetable soup.  Another interesting touch was the parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  Parmesan cheese is a wonderful cheese for adding that extra flavour.  It really was a nice soup that can easily be duplicated at home.

Stoke's Bay (Sarnia, Ontario)

During the summer months we do a fair amount of boating on the Great Lakes Waterway and smaller tributaries.  This includes Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, and connecting waterways.  We also often enjoy meals on our dock.  Dining overlooking the water either inside or outside is a wonderfully pleasant way to dine.

Stoke's Bay is located at 485 Harbour Road in Sarnia, Ontario.  The restaurant offers dine in, catering and online ordering as well as private rooms for weddings.  Stoke's Bay is a wonderful, cosy bar and grill with an outdoor patio featuring broasted chicken, barbequed ribs, and so much more.  It has a fun, lively atmosphere with friendly waitstaff.  The food is quite good!  Reservations are recommended.  While there are no docking facilities at Stoke's Bay, the restaurant is across the road from Sarnia Bay Marina making it possible to arrive by boat.  Day docking fees are $20 and reservations are recommended.  If arriving by boat from the United States you will need a valid Nexus or I-68.  Be sure to call Canada Border Services Agency (aka Customs) upon arrival.

Our party of six was promptly seated upon arriving at Stoke's Bay.  We ordered cocktails and appetizers.  One of the appetizers was cheddar and bacon skins served with sour cream ($8.49).  The skins were nicely done, quite tasty.  The potatoes had been seasoned before baking.

Baked potato skins are very easy to make at home simply by cutting baked potatoes in half then scooping out the meat leaving about a quarter inch of potato.  Add a bit of extra flavour by seasoning the skins before baking.

Seasoning Potato Skins Method:  To season the potato skins prior to baking, place on a square of tin foil.  Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle with seasoning of choice.  I often use Montreal Steak Seasoning or garlic pepper but sea salt works nicely too.  Wrap the potato tightly in the tin foil and bake until tender (about 40 minutes).   Remove tin foil then prepare the potato skins as desired.  Note that potatoes cooked this way can be done in the oven or grill.

Stoke's Bay offers a wide variety of entées served with soup or salad, vegetables and choice of potatoes.  Dinner prices per person range from $11 to $25.  Pictured is the broasted dinner one member of our party enjoyed.  Stoke's Bay is known for their great food, especially broasted chicken.  Broasting is a trademarked method of cooking chicken that combines pressure cooking and deep frying using a specialty foodservice equipment called a broaster.  It is manufactured by the Broaster Company in Beloit, Wisconsin.  The broaster creates tender, juicy chicken with a delectable golden brown coating.