October Roasted Chicken

turmeric
sea salt
olive oil
fresh squeezed grapefruit
garlic
parsley
ginger
coarsely ground black peppercorns
1 chicken, from new seasons (they always sell free range, hormone free, vegetarian fed birds)

coat chicken with all of the above. for a 1 1/2 lb bird, i used 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp sea salt, about 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 grapefruit, 3 cloves of garlic, half a bunch of flat italian parsley and 1 Tsp of freshly grated ginger, and 1 Tsp. of freshly ground black peppercorns ... to give you an idea of the measurements.

also, after coated the bird, i took half the parsley and put it into the bird's cavity.

i surrounded the bird with about 6 small yellow potatoes and a large pieces of yam.

i cook it at 350 degrees until one of the chicken legs could easily and gently be pulled off the bird.

this was a very good roasted chicken.
:)

Ground Beef, Tomato, and Dried Fruit with Olives Spaghetti Sauce

1 red onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
a sprig of rosemary, chopped; leaves from a few sprigs of thyme; sage leaves chopped; parsley chopped (altogether the herbs amounted to a few Tablespoons of herbs)
2 tsps of sea salt, and then add more to your preference
small handful of chopped cranberries and apricots
about 20 small green olives
3 Tablespoons of tomato paste
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. lean groundbeef
1 cup of water


Add olive oil to large saute pan and turn on heat to medium/medium high. Add onion and garlic and saute a while, about 5 minutes. Add meat, salt, and continue sauteeing. Stir every so often. After about 10 minutes, add herbs, tomato paste, the chopped fruit and water. Stir and then reduce heat to medium/medium low and continue cooking for about another 30 minutes. By this time the sauce will be done, though feel free to continue simmering the sauce another 30 minutes to really allow the flavors to meld.

Serve over pasta.

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Broth

Sometimes, all I want around is homemade chicken broth. I recently discovered a way of making some, with little trouble and fuss, using a slow cooker.


Here's last night's recipe:

I threw into the cooker, 2 large frozen chicken breasts, 4 cloves of frozen, peeled garlic, half a cup of frozen sliced onions, 2 cups of frozen sliced celery and a few teaspoons of salt.

I covered everything with water ... filling the slow cooker 3/4 of the pot.

And then cooked it all on high for 5 hours.

I then removed the chicken; when it had cooled off, I removed the skin and bones; chopped the chicken meat; placed it all in a container and put it in the freezer. Lately, I've been big on freezing stuff.

Then, I strain the broth, disgarding the celery and onions. Taste the broth to ensure it's salted to my liking, and then I freeze the broth as well, in individual, single serving containers.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

I use water when I don't have enough broth. And I don't always add parsley and garlic. Nor the meat. It doesn't seem to make any difference whatsoever, in terms how much I enjoy this recipe. It smells and tastes delicious.


found on/source: WholeFoodsMarket.com


A perfect winter soup, filling and flavorful, you'll be glad this double recipe means leftovers! Carrots and garlic provide some antioxidant power. Round it out with a green salad and whole grain crackers.

Ingredients

1 (16-oz) package dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 ribs celery plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth
Method

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.


Nutrition

Per serving (About 11oz/317g-wt.): 300 calories (35 from fat), 3.5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 26g protein, 42g total carbohydrate (less than 1g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 30mg cholesterol, 610mg sodium

Slow cooked Beef Stew

Place 1 lb of stew meat into crock pot. Add about 2 cups of water. Add garlic cloves, fresh, peeled and either whole or sliced. Add garlic pepper salt to tase and cook on high for 2 hours.

Add 1-2 tomatoes, 3-4 potatoes, and whatever other vegetables strike your fancy or which you have readily available.

Add another cup of water if needed, and cook for another hour or so.

When potatoes are done, add to stew a mixture of flour and warm water. The consistency of the flour water mixture needs to be a little watery yet it should stick a little to the back of a spoon.

Stir well into the stew and cook for another 20 minutes.

Add freshly grated parmeasan cheese, about ¼ cup

And if you have fresh herbs … like parsley, chopped and add.


This was very delicious.

Serves about 2.

Salt-Broiled Fish/Shioyaki

"Salt broiling is a simple but delicious way to prepare fish. The salt sprinkled on the fish before broiling gives it a special flavor. Any small whole fish may be cooked in this way. Fillets, or boneless pieces of fish, may also be used as long as the skin is left on."


2 whole trout, cleaned, or 1 lb. fish fillets with skin on
salt
soy sauce
lemon wedges

1. Salt fish lightly on both sides and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. With help from an experienced cook, start charcoal grill or preheat broiler.
3. Grill or broil fish for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
4. Serve with soy sauce and lemon wedges.*

* Grated daikon (Japanese white radish) adds a bit of extra zip to a dipping sauce for shioyaki. Give each diner a small dish to mix soy sauce, lemon and daikon to his or her personal taste.


Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves 4




"Simple flavors and ingredients help this fish dish shine."





excerpted from same cookbook as prior post.

Broiled Chicken Teriyaki - Japanese

This was taken from a cookbook I found at the library last year. It was so good, I made it often. It's time to throw the hard copy away, and so I'm posting it here on my blog today. :)


"One of the tastiest yakimono dishes is teriyaki, meat or seafood broiled with a sauce that gives it a shiny, glazed coating. This simplified recipe is baked in the oven instead of broiled, as broiled food can burn easily. Beef, pork, shrimp, and soe kinds of fish are also delicious prepared with teriyaki sauce."

1/2 c. soy sauce
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, grated
3 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 1/2 to 2-lb chicken, cut into serving pieces

1. preheat oven to 375F
2. combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger root, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
3. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour sauce over it. Bake for 45 minutes. Brush on more sauce as chicken bakes (about every 15 minutes.)

Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves 4.