Herb Roasted Chicken

I got this recipe from the cookbook, Stop and Smell the Rosemary, which a friend gave me last Christmas. The cookbook and this recipe are fabulous!

1 large whole chicken (4 pounds)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano or marjoram (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tso. freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse chicken inside and out with cold water. Remove pockets of fat just inside chest cavity (those I'm pointing at below). Pat dry.

Blend garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano or marjoram, pepper, salt, and olive oil to make an herb paste. Rub herb paste over chicken and under skin.

Roast, breast side up, 20 minutes.

Turn and roast another 20 minutes. Turn again and roast another 35 minutes. Remove chicken from oven. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 15 minutes prior to carving. Serve chicken au jus with crusty bread (this is the BEST part!!!). The chicken juice makes an incredibly delicious dip for the bread.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This has been a family favorite since a friend brought it to us after our first child was born. When we lived in CA, I made it using Claim Jumper BBQ Sauce (because I could buy it at the grocery store) and Gouda cheese (that I bought from Trader Joe's). Now, I use KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce and mozzarella cheese.

1 pizza crust (Boboli or any pre-made crust works. I make crust in my breadmaker and cook it for about 6 minutes before topping it.)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2-1 cup BBQ sauce, divided
red onion, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 cups mozzarella or Gouda cheese

Toss the chicken with 1/4-1/2 cup BBQ sauce to coat. Spread remaining sauce over cooked crust. Top with chicken, cilantro, red onion, and cheese. Bake at 400 for 12-17 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.

Poached Chicken Meal Starter

The above pictures are my chicken ready to cook and 5 bags of meal starters. I LOVE having cooked ground beef and cooked, cubed chicken in the freezer. Eliminating that step when it's time to make dinner saves so much time. It can also be a great money saver. I wait for chicken breasts to come on sale, purchase quite a bit and then poach and freeze it. Chicken meat used in soups, salads, sandwiches, and curry dishes is usually poached.

Here are some meals I use poached, cubed chicken in:
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Super Southwestern Bake
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Quesadillas

Here's how it's done: To poach chicken, simmer the chicken in salted stock or water to which 2 ribs of celery, 1 onion, and 1 bay leaf have been added. Cook the chicken until just tender, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. It is important to simmer and not boil the chicken. Boiling yields tougher meat. A low simmer yields more tender meat. Allow the meat to cool. Chop 2 chicken breasts, place in freezer bags (eliminate as much air as possible before sealing), and freeze for future use.

Vegetable Soup

2 Tb. olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves minced
Salt
5 cups vegetable broth
2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped medium
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat until shimmering. Stir in onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and 3/4 tsp. salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the broth, potatoes, and tomatoes. Bring to simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Off the heat, add the peas. Let the soup stand for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

This soup was really yummy and my whole family enjoyed it.

* To turn this soup into Minestrone replace the potatoes with one 16-19 ounce can of white beans that have been rinsed. Garnish bowls of soup with pesto and grated parmesan.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

4 egg yolks
1 can (12 0z.) evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C. sugar
3/4 C. butter
1 pkg. sweetened coconut (about 2 2/3 C.)
1 1/2 C. chopped pecans (optional)

Beat egg yolks, milk, and vanilla in large saucepan with wire whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 minutes or until thickened and golden, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add coconut and nuts; mix well. Cool to desired spreading consistency.

German Chocolate Cake

4 oz. Baker's Chocolate
1/2 C. Water
2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. butter, softened
2 C. Sugar
4 Eggs, seperated
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Cover bottoms of 3 9 inch round cake pans with wax paper; grease sides of pan. Microwave chocolate and water in a bowl for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until chocolate is melted.
Stirring after 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Mix flour baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugar until creamed. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

Beat egg whites in small bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently stir into batter. Pour evenly into pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool layers completely and frost.

* Baker's makes a german sweet chocolate which is what I used. I think you could substitute another kind although it may change the flavor.

Red Velvet Cake

1 C. butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 Tb. cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 C. cake flour
1 tsp. salt
1 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter, eggs and sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the shortening mixture. Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions, beaing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. Fold in the baking soda and vinegar. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack. Invert the cakes from the pans

The batter is such a cool color. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. They need to cook for about 12 minutes. Of course top with your favorite cream cheese frosting!