Chicken Stock

Making stock from scratch is dead simple and it's such a good way to use every bit of the chicken. I very often will buy a whole organic chicken, remove the meat for use in other dishes, then use the carcass for amazingly fragrant stock. Once the carcass is cooked, you can pull off the extra meat for a small helping of chicken salad. I make a huge batch of the stock, then freeze in smaller containers, pulling it out as needed, until it's time to make more. You can put just about anything edible in the pot for extra flavor. This batch had radish greens and tops and some cauliflower stems in addition to the other ingredients. It's so easy and a great way to save a few extra pennies!

Chicken Stock

Ingredients:


1 Whole Chicken, Breasts, Thighs and Wings Removed
8 Cups of Water
1 Lemon
1 Carrot
1 Celery Stick
1 Peel and Outer Skin of an Onion
2 Garlic Cloves (Leave the Peel On!)
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon of Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Whole Cumin Seeds
Any Other Clean Vegetable Scraps!

Cooking:

In a very large stockpot, put in all of your ingredients and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer, covered, for approximately 2 hours. Strain the stock and store. DONE! It's that easy!

Coke Can Chicken

I love buying a whole chicken at the market, and I am a really big proponent of organic, cage-free chickens. Yes, they can be more expensive, but the flavor is so much better. Buying whole is a way to keep your meat costs down, as you pay extra for someone else to butcher the chicken. The great bonus about a whole chicken are the bones for stock, the liver and heart for frying up (perfect with eggs for breakfast!)
This is a really popular method of cooking chicken, but my husband and I just recently started making it. He has been making this dish lately, with a beer can, and I cannot get over how moist and delicious the chicken meat tastes. I wanted to do a version with soda to see if the flavor noticeably changed, but I came to the conclusion that it's not very important what is in the can, so long as it's steaming the chicken from the interior while the skin roasts.
Last week, I made a version roasting two of my favorite vegetables, fennel and cauliflower, in the pan, and coating the chicken with a peppery, anise flavored rub to compliment those two vegetables. It's one of my favorite yet.


Pepper Anise Rub

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Black Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon of Thyme
1 Teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Caraway Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon of Red Pepper
1 Star Anise

Preparation:

In a spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle, grind your spices together until mostly smooth.


Coke Can Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken

1 Can of Coke, Half Empty (Or beer, or any other 12 oz can of beverage you like!)

1 Head of Cauliflower, Chopped Roughly
2 Bulbs of Fennel, Sliced Thinly
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Salt 
Pepper Anise Rub

Cooking:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and coat the entire bird in the rub. Place the coke can upright in a roasting pan and place the bird carefully over it. The can should almost entirely fit within the bird and it will keep the bird upright. Place the vegetables around the bird in the pan and sprinkle on the salt and olive oil. Put the pan into the oven and roast for one and a half hours. Carefully remove the bird and carve!

Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Cheese Chicken Roulades

I was inspired by an appetizer that my mom has been making recently, marinated cream cheese. The marinade consists of roasted red peppers, onion and parsley, and it's wonderful on crackers. I started thinking it might be amazing stuffed into a chicken breast. I was right! This dish sounds fancy, but it's not that complicated and the cream cheese filling makes the chicken moist and delicious!

Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Cheese Chicken Roulades

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts
8 Ounces of Cream Cheese
1/2 Onion, Diced (Vidalia might be best for the sweetness)
7 Ounces of Roasted Red Pepper, Chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Tablespoon of Parsley, Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt and Pepper each
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Cooking:

Place your chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pound with a heavy pan or meat pounder (flat side only) until the chicken is approximately 1/3" thick. You want to even out the meat for cooking. Next, in a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese with the onions, roasted red peppers, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Once the cream cheese mixture comes together, spread an approximately 1/2" thick layer on each breast. Next, carefully roll one side of the chicken into the other, trying to keep majority of the cream cheese mixture inside. Secure the roll with either cooking twine, tooth pick or skewer. Season the outside of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet, pour in your olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Place your chicken breasts in the skillet, turning occasionally to brown it on all sides. You want to sear the exterior meat to add color and seal in the juices. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once your chicken is seared on all sides, cover the pan with aluminum foil and place a thermometer into the meat. Cook until 165 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and serve!

Braised Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Onions

I usually buy a whole chicken when we want chicken. I buy organic meat as much as possible and it's often much cheaper to buy whole and butcher it yourself, which I must admit, I highly enjoy for some strange reason. Also, you get the added benefits of having the carcass for stock, the chicken livers for a nice appetizer and the bits off the boiled carcass (after making stock) for chicken salad! It's the gift that keeps on giving. This recipe is my favorite go-to recipe for the chicken breasts and legs. It's an adapted version of a recipe which I saw Mario Batali make on his road-trip through Spain. So easy and really tasty! I especially love it over buttery couscous.

Braised Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Onions

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Onion, Halved then thinly sliced
2 large Roasted Red Peppers, Sliced
2 Dried Chiles
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Paprika
Salt and Pepper, for Seasoning Chicken
2 Chicken Legs and Thighs
2 Chicken Wings
1 Cup of White Wine (Do not use a wine that you wouldn't drink, because it will not be tasty in your food either)
1 Cup of Chicken Broth

Cooking:

In a large Dutch Oven, pour in your olive oil, and toss in your onions, chilis and garlic. Saute until these are translucent and starting to brown slightly. Meanwhile, season your chicken pieces on both sides with the cumin, paprika and salt and pepper. Once the onions have a slight bit of color on them, add in your chicken pieces, making sure that the chicken is touching the bottom of the pan. Your trying to brown them a bit, so you can sort of slide the onions aside. When the chicken is golden brown on both sides, add in your roasted red peppers. Next pour in your liquids. Turn the heat down to med-low and cover. Cook for 40 minutes and you will have unbelievably moist tasty chicken with a sauce that is fantastic over any starch you care to use as a side!