Roasted Chicken

Do you ever walk by those Roasted Chickens at the grocery store and just immediately get hungry? The smell is intoxicating. I thought roasted chicken would be the perfect dinner last night, but I am not one that usually buys precooked meats, I just get worried about bacteria and things along those lines. So, I decided to try my hand at my very first roasted chicken. It was surprisingly easy, and satisfyingly tasty and moist!

I looked at a few different recipes to get an idea of what to do, so this is an amalgamation of about 5 different recipes. You should do the same! Look at a few and get the basics of what you have to do (cooking temperature, time, things like that) and then play around with the flavorings!

Happy roses from the garden! Flowers make any normal evening special. 

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Ingredients:
1 Roasting Chicken (not frying chicken)
Salt and pepper and other seasonings of choice (I used Cavender's Greek seasoning)
1/4 stick (two tablespoons) of butter, melted
1 lemon cut into slices
5 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
20-30 baby carrots, almost one whole small bag (I snacked on the rest of them!)
Butcher's twine

Steps:
1. Gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

I had already washed and seasoned my chicken in this picture.

2. Remove any innards from the chicken, and then wash with water and pat dry.
3. Liberally season the outside and inside of the chicken with salt, pepper and your choice of other seasonings.
4. Fill the cavity of the chicken with as many pieces of onion, garlic, carrot, and lemon you can possible fit.

5. Tie the legs together with the Butcher's twine.
6. Spread the remaining carrots, garlic, onion and lemon slices evenly across the bottom of a large baking dish or roasting pan.

7. Place the chicken (with legs up) on top of these veggies.

8. Brush the chicken with all of the melted butter.

9. Bake the chicken for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Basted the chicken every so often with the juices that accumulate in the dish. My chicken came with one of those devices that pops up when it is cooked through, but I also used my meat thermometer just to make sure. When you cut into the meat, the juices should run clear, as that indicates fully cooked chicken.

10. Enjoy with mashed potatoes, corn muffins and a fresh salad!

Shafer helping Bunker with some late night work!

Italian Wedding Soup

What is Italian Wedding Soup? I always assumed that it was something that authentic Italians ate at Italian weddings. I equated it in my mind to the Groom's Cake in Southern weddings, a longstanding tradition that you do not question, you just let your groom's imagination and taste buds run wild, and in the end create an entertaining conversation piece for your wedding guests. However, after doing some extensive research (aka...wikipedia!) I now know that I was wrong, so very wrong!

My ever loyal sous chefs, Cort and Shafer! 

Italian Wedding Soup actually has nothing to do with the happy marriage between two people in love. Rather, the original Italian name for the soup, minestra maritata, refers to the happy marriage between ingredients. I agree fully with this accurate translation. The flavors and textures in this soup are wonderfully balanced, and "marry" well. I love this version which is creamier than any canned variety you will ever find. This is also incredibly economical. The ingredients cost about $15 and includes many things that you have on hand, and serves at least 8 servings. Enjoy with hearty thick bread on a chilly evening.

This recipe is brought to you by: The Kitchn, a super cute food blog.

Another beautiful and creative person in my life is just amazing me with her fun creations! Adrienne Norwood Dougherty has the most adorable Etsy shop where she makes custom made banners. Here is an example that she made for our 100th post celebratory dinner. Please check out her little shop and get in contact with her if you want something sweet and handmade to make an evening turn into a special event! Here is the link: Hawthorne Ave Arts and Vintage!

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Ingredients:
3/4 pound of ground beef (you can also use ground chicken, turkey or pork)
1/2 cup of dry bread crumbs (I used Italian)
3 large eggs (one used on its own and 2 used together)
1 cup of freshly shredded Parmesan, divided into 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon of dried oregano, or 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
3 tablespoon of olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced (per usual in the Curnes house...I omitted the onions)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
8 cups of chicken stock
3 cups of spinach
2 cups of cooked orzo pasta
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
Squirt of fresh lemon juice (optional)

Steps:
1. Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, one egg, 1/2 cup of the cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

2. Mix these ingredients together (I used my hands..this is a recipe where you really have to get your hands dirty!).

3. With your hands, form the mixture into 1 inch balls. I ended up with about 20. You want them to be smaller rather than larger because these should be bite sized and they should be able to fit on the spoon size that you will use while eating the soup.

4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat.
5. Add the meatballs to the oil in about 3 batches (you do not want to overcrowd the pan), and cook until browned all over. They might still be a bit pink in the center, and that is okay because they will keep cooking once you add them to the broth.

6. Once browned on all sides, place the balls on paper towels so that the excess oil is absorbed.

7. In a large soup pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium high heat and add the onion and garlic, and saute until they soften but not browned. About 5 minutes.

Again...note the absence of onions here. It turned out delicious without them and my husband was happy!

8. Add the stock to the onions and garlic and bring to a boil.

9. Add the spinach.

10. Reduce the heat to low and then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
11. Add the meatballs and cook for another 5 minutes at least (I didn't plan perfectly...so mine simmered at a very low temperature for a bit.

12. While this is cooking, use a small bowl to combine the two eggs and remaining cheese. Stir to combine.

13. While stirring constantly, slowly pour the egg and cheese mixture into the hot soup.

14. Add in the fully cooked pasta.

15. Cover and let simmer for about one more minute.
16. I also added a dash of red pepper flakes for spice and a generous squirt of lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
17. Serve and enjoy with hearty bread!

Spicy Apricot Chicken

In Texas last week we heard of an impending cold front. It is all anyone could talk about. Could it really be? Could Dallas finally be out of the 100s? Could we actually drop into the 90s...or even...dare I say...the 80s? It almost seemed like a fairy tale. Yes, it seemed like a lovely story, and perhaps it could happen to another city, but would Dallas really get this lauded cold front from the North? I couldn't believe it. Until, at long last, I opened the door at 6 in the morning for the pups and felt the rush of refreshingly cold air (yes...60 degrees is cold!) as opposed to the usual heavy warm air of 90 degrees I am generally greeted with when I open the door for the pups, even before the sun was up and about.  

So, yes, the heat has finally broken, and Dallas was bestowed a just reward for this never ending and blindingly hot summer: a refreshing week of low temperatures and soft breezes. I soaked up every second of this delightful weather, because, as a native Texan, I know that the temperatures will peak towards 100 at least once or twice again before fall really falls upon us.

Although the temperatures dropped, the lack of rain and presence of high winds brought the dangerous threat of wild fires, and I am sad to say, but the Texas Hill Country and Possum Kingdom (west of Dallas) sustained devastating fires, still smoldering as we speak. My heart goes out to those who have lost so much, and I can only hope for calm and steady rainstorms to come to Texas and give us much needed relief.  

Okay...onto the food. I had apricot preserves left from the Grilled Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze. We loved the sweet flavor of the apricot, and so I wanted to see how else I could use the apricot preserves, but with chicken and with a slight Asian spice. Ergo, Spicy Apricot Chicken for a yummy dinner on the patio! This was an incredibly easy recipe with a huge flavor payoff. You just gather all of your ingredients, mix them together, and then cook the chicken! We paired this chicken with homemade sweet potato chips (baked, not fired), a fresh salad and a hearty bread. Oh, and we also paired dinner with 68 degrees outside!

I got this recipe from Food and Wine, but changed the format from chicken wings to chicken breasts, omitted the paprika, and used cinnamon rather than ginger. I also used local honey rather than brown sugar (fall allergy season is about to hit!). I also seared my chicken inside in a heavy pan rather than grilling outside.

View from my kitchen window...watching the pups play and enjoying the fresh and cool breeze!

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Apricot Preserves
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons of Honey
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Honey Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon of Salt
2 teaspoons of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon
3 Chicken Breasts

Steps:
1. Gather all of your ingredients

2. Combine all of the ingredients, except for the chicken, in a large bowl and stir to combine.

3. Scrape half of the mixture into a small bowl and reserve for serving with the chicken.

4. Add the chicken to the larger bowl with the other half of the sauce.

5. Make sure that the chicken is fully coated in the sauce. Let stand for at least 5 minutes.

6. Sear the chicken on medium-high heat (make sure the pan is hot before you add the chicken) for about 8 minutes each side.

7. Once the chicken is golden brown with some darker spots on each side, take the chicken off the heat and add a lid to the pan for about 10 minutes. When the chicken is almost firm to the touch the chicken is done. Make sure that your chicken is fully cooked (no longer pink inside and with clear juices) before serving!

8. Enjoy this spicy and sweet chicken with the reserved dipping sauce, sweet potato chips, a fresh salad and hearty bread!

My sweet Bunker :)