Can opener cuisine

If you're like me, you watch a lot of cooking shows on TV.

What always strikes me as interesting, though not necessarily interesting in a good way, is that cooking with canned (or frozen, or otherwise processed) food is always presented as a "challenge" to professional chefs.  What makes me even more frustrated is the disgust with which they discuss these ingredients: these are things that they "wouldn't be caught dead cooking" if they weren't participating in this particular reality TV show.

First let me say: I get it.  You can do a lot more things with fresh food than you can with things that have been processed in some way.  But let's face it...this kind of "I only cook with fresh organic produce and meat and wouldn't touch canned or processed food with a ten-foot pole" way of thinking is not accessible to your average home cook, either because they do not have access to them, or (more likely) because eating this way can be quite expensive.

So today I'm going to let you in on a little secret: one of my favourite casseroles is made with (gasp!) mostly canned/otherwise processed ingredients.

This is a casserole that my mom used to make when I was little, and I've made a few modifications to the recipe since then.  I love it because the sauce is cheesy and delicious, and it's a complete meal that (1) can be ready in 30 minutes or so, (2) can be made the day before and just re-heated for dinner, and (3) most of the ingredients are things that you can keep in your cupboard/fridge/freezer for a rather long time (making it a great "I didn't have the time/desire to go shopping" meal).

Ingredients

-2 cans of Campbell's "Cream of ________" condensed soup.  I like to use one can of cream of celery and another of cream of broccoli, but feel free to choose any two that you like.

-1 cup of milk

-6 cheese slices (alternatively: use grated cheese, though it doesn't melt quite as nicely)

-3 cans of turkey flakes (you could also use tuna or ham), drained

-2 cups frozen peas

-1 pound of penne (or any other pasta)
-1 cup grated cheddar cheese (alternatively: use more cheese slices)

1) Cook the pasta per the directions on the package.  Drain, and set aside.

2) Combine the condensed soups and milk in a pot over medium-low heat.  Add the cheese slices and cook until they have melted.  Add the turkey flakes and peas.

3) Add the soup mixture to the pasta; mix well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

If you're making this casserole ahead, after step (3) put the casserole in the fridge.  I've left it there for as long as 24 hours (though I wouldn't want to leave it much longer than that).

4) If you'd like to eat right away, sprinkle grated cheese over the top at bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or so (until bubbly).  If you don't have grated cheese and are topping your casserole with cheese slices instead, add the cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking time.  If you have made the casserole ahead it may need a little extra time in the oven...

As always...enjoy the hot, bubbly (admittedly processed and full of sodium) goodness!

I must apologize...I don't have a picture of this particular casserole, mostly because I tend to dig right in after I put it on the plate (seriously...it's that good).  But these are the ingredients, and I always have them on hand for those "Oh crap I don't really want to go to the store" kind of days....

One chicken, three meals

For my posts in 2014, I thought I would try to give you all some insight into how my food brain works: mainly, how the heck I decide what I'm going to cook on a weekly basis.

It all begins when I get a food craving: one particular week, that craving was for roast chicken (and stuffing and mashed potatoes...instead of the usual turkey I had lamb for Christmas, and I was consequently going into a bit of roasted bird withdrawal).  So I say to myself, "Self, we're going to make a roasted chicken this week."

Now, my absolute favourite roasted chicken recipe of all time is forty clove chicken...because anything that literally involves three bulbs of garlic can't not be absolutely delicious.  Along with adding flavour, the brine helps to keep the meat nice and moist, which means that you're safe to leave it in the oven a little bit longer (ensuring that your roast chicken is cooked and that no one at the table gets food poisoning)....if you want you can increase the cooking time to 25 minutes per pound instead of the typical 20.

I like to add a clove or two of roasted garlic to the mashed potatoes...and I also like to puree some into the gravy.

Since brining the chicken requires buying a bunch of celery, I thought that I had better find a way to use the rest of the bunch (I find that celery goes floppy quite quickly in my fridge, and I absolutely despise wasting food).  My answer: stuffing.

Every family has a slightly different recipe for stuffing, and every child is certain that their mother's is the best.  I am no exception to that rule, and firmly believe that my mother's sausage and raisin stuffing is the benchmark against which all other stuffing recipes should be measured.  The problem with using recipes from our mothers, however, is that moms tend not to really measure ingredients once they've been making something for awhile...and mine is no exception.  So the quantities here suggested are just that, suggestions...feel free to modify the recipe to suit your own taste buds.

Ingredients

-2 stalks celery, chopped

-1 large onion, diced

-1/2 pound pork breakfast sausage (casing removed if using links)

-1 cup raisins

-1 loaf of bread (I personally like sourdough), cubed

-1 or 2 cups of chicken stock (more or less depending on how "wet" you like your stuffing)

-1 or 2 tbsp poultry seasoning 

-salt and pepper to taste

First, brown the sausage in a frying pan.  Add the veggies, and cook until they are beginning to soften.  Combine the vegetable and sausage mixture with the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker; cook on high for 2-3 hours (adding more liquid if necessary/desired).

Doesn't that look delicious?  Don't worry, there are plenty of leftovers...

Once the chicken is roasted and that meal is finished, the next thing to figure out is exactly what to do with the leftovers (of which there are plenty, even once you have put some aside for lunch the next day).  Chicken soup is an obvious solution...and the carcass of a forty clove chicken makes a particularly flavourful stock.  

To make the chicken stock, first pull all the remaining meat off of the bones and put it in the fridge for later.  Then add the chicken bones, all the aromatics (celery, garlic, etc.) that were inside the chicken while it was roasting, one of the bulbs of roasted garlic, one coarsely chopped onion, one coarsely chopped carrot, and one coarsely chopped piece of celery to a large soup pot.  Cover everything with water and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for an hour or two.  Strain out all the bones and veggies and add salt and pepper to taste, and then you have a deliciously flavourful stock.  At this point it is quite easy to make soup: all you need to do is add the leftover chicken meat (chopped up or shredded into fairly small pieces), some finely chopped carrots and celery, and some noodles (or rice, or pearl barley).

Soup was not was I made, however.  Instead, roasted chicken day 2 involved simply sauteeing the leftover chicken with the leftover gravy and serving it over the leftover stuffing I had warmed up in the oven...I had better plans for the stock.

Since the stock that this chicken makes is so strongly flavoured, I decided to use it to make a delicious risotto.

I've talked about risotto one this blog once before, but I cannot stress the deliciousness of this creamy rice dish.  Sure it's involved and you have to spend basically the entire cooking time standing at the stove and stirring...but the results are worth it.

Ingredients

-1 tbsp olive oil, divided

-cremini mushrooms, sliced

-small onion, diced

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-2 cups arborio rice

-1/2 cup dry white wine

-6 to 8 cups of chicken stock

-1/2 cup grated parmesan

-1 cup frozen peas

In a medium sized pot, bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer.

First (using half of the olive oil), saute the mushrooms in a large, heavy bottom pot.  Set aside.

In the same pot (over medium heat), use the remaining oil and saute the onions and garlic until they just begin to soften.  Add the rice and mix well.  Cook for about 2 minutes.

Turn down the heat slightly, and add the white wine, stirring until the liquid is almost absorbed.  Add the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring until the liquid is fully absorbed.  Continue that process (add liquid, stir until absorbed) until the rice is al dente (tender, yet still firm...but not crunchy)...the process should take 20 to 30 minutes (but don't panic if it takes longer).

Stir in the parmesan cheese, mushrooms, and frozen peas; mix well.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.

"Vegetarian"...full of vegetables, though it uses chicken stock as the base.  Could easily be made truly vegetarian if vegetable stock were used instead, though that would change the flavour.  You could even add some shredded leftover roasted chicken to make it a truly balanced meal...

The rich, roasted garlic flavour of the stock comes through in the rice, and marries quite well with the roasted mushrooms and parmesan.  The green peas give a burst of freshness (and a much needed serving of veggies)....serve with a salad and a glass of the white wine that you used in the recipe.  Enjoy!!

New year, new concept

You may or may not have noticed that I have been slacking when it comes to my posts as of late.  This is partly due to the holidays, but is also due to the fact that I'm starting to find this "recipe of the week" format a little boring and have been trying to think of a new way to go about writing this blog for 2014.

That's right, I'm going to continue writing into 2014.

I'm not sure yet what the new concept will be, but I can tell you that I will no longer  be posting on a guaranteed weekly basis.  I hope to post at least every two weeks, and I feel like I'm going to focus more on making weeknight cooking seem a little less daunting to those who do not already cook on a regular basis (and less on recipes that I find simply delicious).

For now, ring in the new year with some of my favourite recipes from the last 365 days...

Chicken pot pie

Slow cooker marinara sauce

Creamy corn risotto

Pasta with beets

And...the recipe that has made it back onto my weekly menu more times than any other....

Gooey...creamy...delicious...macaroni and cheese.

Happy New Year everyone!!

Low & slow

It's snowing today.  I don't know about you, but I think that days like this call for stew.

While it is quite easy to make a good stew in a relatively short period of time, nothing really beats the taste and texture of something that has been braising for hours.  "Braising" involves cooking a piece of meat in some liquid at a low temperature (just barely simmering) for a very long time (ideally several hours), resulting in meat that is oh so tender and flavourful.

At first glance this recipe seems really involved...but then you realize that the meat is going to spend three hours in the oven, so the prep time isn't really that bad.  The meat portion of this recipe could easily be made in a slow cooker (though slow cookers aren't that great at baking biscuits...if you wanted to make the biscuit topping you would have to do that separately in the oven).  Also, since this recipe comes from a cookbook dedicated to beer that is what makes up the braising liquid...if you're not a beer fan you could try substituting an equivalent amount of wine, beef stock, or onion soup (from one of those powdered onion soup mixes).  Basically: braise your meet in something that you like the flavour of, because that is what it's going to taste like at the end.

Ingredients

Beef
-2 lb beef roast, cut into cubes.  Because you're going to be braising this for quite a long time you can go with one of the cheaper cuts...those cuts are usually less expensive because they have a lot of connective tissue/fat and are difficult to cook (and are therefore the perfect cut for this kind of braise)
-3 tbsp butter
-4 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
-1 onion, diced
-2 cups of English brown ale (Newcastle is a readily available variety).  If you're using a roast that is bigger than 2 lbs, increase the amount of beer.
-2 cups beef or chicken broth
-3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
-1 bay leaf
-12 to 14 cremini mushrooms, halved
-1/2 cup frozen green peas
-1 large carrot, diced
-salt and pepper to taste

Biscuit topping
-1/2 cup milk
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/4 cup melted butter
-2 cups all purpose flour
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 grated cheddar cheese
-1/2 cup English brown ale (helps the biscuits rise, so if you're not going to be using the beer in this particular instance you will want to find a different biscuit recipe.  Alternatively, you could just top the beef with mashed potatoes, shepherd's pie style)

1) Heat the oven to 300 degrees F; set the rack in the second lowest position.

2) On the stove, over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large Dutch oven (if you do not have a Dutch oven a heavy stainless steel pot will do...it just needs to be something with a fitted lid that you are able to put into the oven.  If you are going the slow cooker route a frying pan will also do the job.)  Divide the beef into at least two batches and sear the outside of the pieces until deep brown and caramelized (the goal here is not to cook the beef all the way through, it is to add some nice browned flavour).  Remove from the pan and set aside.

It's tempting to add all the beef at once and just stir it around until it is brown...but don't.  If you overcrowd the beef it will actually steam instead of searing, and you won't get that delicious browned flavour into your meat.  It takes more time, but it's totally worth spreading out the pieces and taking the time to brown each piece.

3) Add the onions and bacon.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon has begun to crisp.  Remove the onions and bacon (drain off some of the fat if there is lots in there) and add the beer to deglaze the pan (use a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits off of the bottom).  Add the browned beef, onions, and bacon back into the Dutch oven.  Add the broth, thyme, and bay leaf.  Cover and move to the heated oven.  Cook with the lid on for two hours.  Then remove the lid and cook, uncovered, for one more hour (if at any point the pot dries out add more liquid).

It will be in the oven for three hours, and you don't have to stir it, giving you time to do other things.

If you're going the slow cooker route, follow the above directions as far as using the beer (or whatever liquid you have chosen) to deglaze the pan.  However, instead of adding everything back into the Dutch oven, put all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

4) During the final hour of uncovered cooking, prepare the mushrooms and the biscuit topping.  For the mushrooms, melt 1 tbsp butter in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and toss to coat.  Cook until they have shrunk noticeably and have turned dark golden brown; set aside.

For the biscuit topping, start by combining the milk and lemon juice in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cheese.  Add the melted butter and beer to the milk and lemon juice mixture, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until just combined.

5) After the hour of uncovered cooking, remove the thyme and the bay leaf from the Dutch oven.  Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the frozen peas, diced carrots, and mushrooms.  Drop the biscuit batter over the top of the stew.

Leave some room around the edges for the steam to escape.

Return the pot to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes or so (until the biscuits are nice and brown).  Let stand for 15 minutes until serving.

If you've decided to go the slow cooker route you have a couple of options for the biscuit step.  First, you could omit them all together and just serve your stew with mashed potatoes.  Second, you could choose a different biscuit recipe (I've provided a nice one here) and just serve them on the side.  Finally, after mixing in the veggies you could transfer everything from the slow cooker to a 9x13 baking dish, cover with the biscuits, and bake as directed (400 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until brown).  The choice is yours!

Letting it stand is the hardest part, because by the time you get it out of the oven that final time you've been subject to the delightful aroma for hours.  Dig in and enjoy your warm (and comforting) stew!

Everything's better with bacon

Bacon has been a food trend for some time now...it pops up in the expected places (with fish, for example) as well as the unexpected ones (candied...or in a brownie).

So what's the big deal?  Why is everything better with bacon?  The answer is surprisingly straightforward: bacon contains both salt and fat, and these both make food taste better.

The reasons for the role of fat in this are fairly simple: things that are fatty contain many calories, and we need calories to survive.  Therefore we are, in essence, biologically programmed to enjoy fatty foods (much to the chagrin of anyone attempting to diet).  This also explains why, as Julia Child famously said, everything is better with butter (again....fat).

The deliciousness of salt is a slightly more complicated matter...because it's not simply that salt itself is delicious, but rather that it makes other things taste better.  The reasons for this are varied and complicated, but the gist of the idea is that salt "wakes up" our tastebuds and helps us experience the full flavours of food.

(For those of you, like me, who may like to watch the odd cooking show or six...this is why the word "underseasoned" is the kiss of death: when something is underseasoned it usually means that there is not enough salt, meaning that the flavours just don't pop as much as they should.)

(If you want to know more about why salt does the things that it does, check out this link...)

All that being said...there's a good reason why people love bacon as much as they do.  It adds salt and fat to the meal...as well as that undeniable "cured pork" flavour, with just a hint of smokiness.  

Here are two ways that you can put more bacon on your plate.....

#1- Prosciutto wrapped chicken

Prosciutto is an Italian dry-cured pork product similar in nature to bacon, but not as fatty...which makes it perfect for wrapping around things.

(The problem with wrapping other meats in bacon being that the meat on the inside often overcooks before the bacon has become beautifully crispy...making the timing difficult.)

It's a super easy process: simply take the chicken, and wrap some prosciutto around it.  Then bake in a 400 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes (or until the chicken is done).  Or, for something a little fancier, wrap the prosciutto around a stuffed chicken breast...

This chicken breasts were stuffed with provolone cheese and just a little bit of pesto...makes it a bit of an inside out chicken cordon blue.  Yum.....

#2- Bacon and Egg Udon 

The original recipe that I used for this (from Fine Cooking) called for 225g of bacon...but I find that you don't need that much.  Adding some chicken would be a great way to bulk up this soup if you don't find it filling...you could cut the chicken into strips and poach it in the broth before adding the noodles.

You will need...

-eggs (1 or 2 per bowl of soup, really depends on your personal preference)

-4 to 6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

-a bunch of green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 tsp chili garlic sauce (or Sriracha...something to give the broth some heat)

-1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

-4 cups chicken broth

-1 cup water

-2 tbsp soy sauce

-udon noodles or, as the original recipe suggested, ramen noodles (discard the flavour packs if using the Sapporo Ichiban or Mr. Noodles variety)

-baby spinach (as much as you want...kale would also be delicious)

First: poach the eggs and transfer them to a plate (set aside for later).

Cook the bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until just browned and crispy.  Carefully pour off most of the bacon grease, reserving about 2tsp (and leaving all of the bacon in the pan).  Add the green onions, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce.  Cook, stirring constantly, for -2 minutes (until the garlic begins to brown).  Add the chicken broth, water, and soy sauce; bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (where are the salty bacon flavour is).  Add the noodles and cook until they are done (2-3 minutes).

Put some baby spinach in the bottom of two deep soup bowls.  Divide the udon and broth among the bowls, and top with the poached eggs.

Three things to do with carrots

The humble carrot: healthy, delicious, cheap, and underrated.  While salads and carrot sticks are obvious choices, there are so many things that you can do with this vegetable!  Here are three suggestions....

1) Roasted

Carrots are sweet, which means that they roast beautifully.  It's also ridiculously easy: once the carrots are in the oven all you need to do is set a timer and take them out when it dings...no need to slave over the stove checking for done-ness.

The method is basic.  First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cut up the carrots into bite sized pieces (as a general rule, the larger they are, the longer they will take to cook).  Toss them with a little oil (I prefer canola or vegetable oil for this since olive oil tends to smoke in the oven at high temperatures), add salt and pepper to taste, as well as whatever other spices/flavours you desire.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes (longer if necessary).

Using a mix of coloured carrots is not only delicious, it's also beautiful!

2) Soup

I love vegetable soups: they are creamy and delicious...and ridiculously good for you since they amount to little more than veggie puree thinned out with a little chicken stock.  Also, really easy to make.  For this particular curried carrot soup you will need the following:

-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 1/2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (if you can't be bothered peeling/chopping, just buy a bag of baby carrots from the store!)
-6 cups chicken stock
-1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
-1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (more=spicier)
-salt and pepper (to taste)
-sour cream (for serving)

Preheat a large pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil, onion, and carrots; saute 5 minutes.  Add 4 cups of chicken stock, curry powder, cayenne, and about 1 tsp of salt.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender (15 minutes or so).  Remove from heat, and use a hand blender to blend until smooth (or, you can blend small batches in a normal blender.  Be careful though...hot liquids in a blender tend to splash!).  Return to heat; if the soup is too thick add more chicken stock (until you reach the desired consistency).  Add salt and pepper to taste; serve with sour cream.

You can make these fancy hearts by putting down small dollops of sour cream and then dragging a toothpick through them in a circle.

3) Bake

Muffins are a great place to put vegetables, especially since grated veggies take the place of oil or milk.  These muffins are extra special since they also contain crushed pineapple...and they freeze really well!

-1 1/2 cups flour
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-3/4 cup natural bran

(If you don't like bran in your muffins you can just use 2 cups of flour and omit the bran.  Another option is to use 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat!)

-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Make a well in the centre, and set aside.

-2 eggs
-1 cup grated carrot
-1 can (398 mL) crushed pineapple with juice
-1 tbsp cooking oil

In a small bowl beat eggs lightly.  Add carrot, pineapple, and oil; mix well.  Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the centre of the dry ingredients.  Stir to moisten.

(At this point you can, if you choose, add 1 cup of raisins or dried cranberries.)

Fill greased muffin cups with batter.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

As always...enjoy!!

Keeping it simple.

I'm not one to get scared off by a complicated recipe, but the last thing I want to do when I've been running around madly all day is attempt some process that requires 16 steps and random ingredients that I have to dig out from the back of my cupboard.

As luck would have it though, the best way to cook a piece of white fish happens to be the simplest.

Pan-fried white fish is something that brings back lots of memories for me...memories of going fishing with my dad, and bringing home whatever we could catch for my mom to fry up in a pan.  All you need are four ingredients:

-1 cup of flour
-salt and pepper to taste
-2 tbsp of whatever combination of herbs and spices that you desire (though you don't really have to add anything more than salt and pepper if you don't want to)
-2 tbsp butter

Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and spices (if you're using any).  Dredge the fish (that is, cover it in the flour mixture), then fry in melted butter until golden brown and crispy.

Simple right?  And delicious too.  Just ask Michael Smith...

The best thing about this particular method of cooking is that it's easy to add different flavours and change things up: all you need to do is vary which herbs and spices you add to the flour.  I was eating curried lentils with my fish this week, so I decided to add a couple of tablespoons of garam masala to my flour mixture....the result was pure deliciousness.

The second best thing is that the fish is done is fewer than 10 minutes!  These lentils took longer.......

No kneading necessary.

I've always wanted to try making my own bread, but have never gotten around to it simply on account of the fact that making bread involves an inordinate amount of effort.  All that kneading and waiting and kneading and waiting again.......

So you can imagine that I was quite happy when I came across a recipe for no-knead bread.  I was even happier when I realized that this particular loaf had to rise for at least 8 hours...meaning that I could put the dough together the night before and then finish in the morning for fresh baked cinnamon raisin goodness...

You will need...

-1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp active dry yeast (not quick rising)

-1 1/4 cups cold water (using cold water ensures that the dough will rise slowly)

-2 tbsp honey

-2 tsp cinnamon

-2 tbsp brown sugar

-1/2 cup raisins

-1/2 cup chopped almonds (or whatever other nut you fancy)

Step 1: mix the dough.  Whisk together the flours, salt, yeast, cinnamon, brown sugar, raisin, and nuts.  Using a wooden spoon, mix the water and honey into the dry ingredients and stir just until the dough comes together.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a loose fitting lid and allow to rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

Because there's more water than usual the dough should come together fairly easily...

Step 2: After the dough has risen, dust more flour over the surface to prevent it from sticking to your hands as you shape the loaf.  Gently pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl and then lift it out...be careful, you want to work it as little as possible to maintain the air bubbles formed by the yeast.  Quickly stretch and tick the dough under itself, turning it as you work, to form a right ball.

The top will be smooth, the bottom will be a collection of loose ends.

Step 3: Put the shaped loaf into a greased and floured dutch oven.  Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.  After it has rested, cut a small cross into the top.

Step 4: Put the dutch over in the centre of a cold (not preheated) oven and set the temperature to 425 degrees F; bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake for 10 to 20 minutes more, until the loaf is nice and brown.  Carefully remove from the Dutch oven; allow to cool before slicing.

Best to let it cool completely...if you can resist.

I could not resist slicing it open shortly after it came out the oven...but this was my breakfast after all.  It was perfect...deeply flavoured, and pleasantly chewy (on account of all the whole wheat flour).  Delicious, and filling!

Think pink

When you think of delicious food, what colours spring to mind?  The rich red of tomato sauce?  The golden brown in the skin of a delicious roast chicken?

The (what can only be described as) magenta of a pasta sauce made with red beets?

I'm guessing that last one probably wasn't your first thought.  It wasn't mine either...until I gave this recipe a go last night.  The original calls for golden beets, but I didn't have any of those.  I used red, and the result was delicious (if a slightly strange colour).  The original also calls for prosciutto and beet greens, but I didn't have either of those either...

Ingredients
-a dozen or so red beets, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick half moons
-3 small yellow onions, thinly sliced
-6 slices of bacon, diced
-8 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 cup chicken broth
-1/2 cup white wine
-1 tsp dried rosemary
-1 lb rotini (or whatever pasta you happen to have on hand)
-3/4 cup grated parmesan (more for serving)

1) Heat a medium large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the bacon and onions and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and the bacon has begun to crisp (about 10 minutes).  Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the beets and cook for 5-7 minutes, until just tender.  Stir in the broth, wine, and rosemary; simmer until the liquid evaporates the beets are completely tender (about 15 minutes).

2) Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until done.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

3) Combine the pasta, beet mixture, and parmesan (if needed, add some of the reserved cooking water to moisten).  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with more parmesan.

See, I wasn't kidding.  It's PINK!  Delicious, warm, and comforting...but very very pink....

Biscuits 101

Baking is probably the most intimidating form of cooking, if only because it requires that you be particularly exact: fail to cream the butter and sugar together for long enough and your cake will not have the right texture...mix too vigorously and your muffins turn into hockey pucks.  Can't let doughs rise for too long, but you have to make sure that they rise for long enough.....

Lots of errors are made when learning how to be a good baker, and I have made most of them.  But the result of all that trial and error is delicious, and so all the mistakes turn out to be worth it.

One of the first things that I learned how to bake was biscuits, buttermilk ones to be precise.  My mom always used to make them when we had beef stew...they're perfect for sopping up that last little bit of gravy in the bottom of the bowl.  Working well for gravy also means that they're delicious with soup, which is what I paired them with this particular weekend...meaning that you're about to get two recipes for the price of one.

First, the soup: roasted broccoli and garlic.  I love roasted vegetable soups of any kind, mostly because they are basically a giant pot of vegetable puree and are super good for you.  Roasting the broccoli adds a depth of flavour that you can't get from merely boiling it, though if you were pressed for time you could just boil the broccoli in the chicken stock before blending in the cream cheese.

You will need....
-5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
-2 pounds of broccoli florets
-4 tbsp olive oil
-salt and pepper
-125g cream cheese
-3 or 4 cups chicken broth (personal preference...depends on how thick you like your soup)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Wrap the garlic in a foil packet and roast for 50 minutes.  Meanwhile, toss the broccoli florets in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes (or until tender).

Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a large soup pot.  Add the broccoli, cream cheese, and chicken broth; puree until smooth using a hand blender.

(Of course you can use a normal blender instead...just put the broccoli, garlic, etc. into the blender instead of the pot!)

Bring the mixture to a simmer.  Add salt and pepper to taste...then serve.

Garnished with bacon...though a sprinkling of old cheddar would be just as delicious.

Now, the biscuits.  I used to do mine the old fashioned way (adding cubes of butter to the flour and then mixing until a mealy texture was achieved), but then I got my hands on a cookbook by Michael Smith.  His tip: freeze the butter, then grate it in.  Seriously.  All you have to do then is mix the flour and butter together and you will immediately achieve the right texture...less work.  I like things that involve less work.....

Trust Michael.  You'll never go back.......

Ingredients
-4 cups all purpose flour
-2 tbsp baking powder
-2 tsp salt
-1 cup butter, frozen
-1 1/2 cups milk (try buttermilk...it will give your biscuits a rich, creamy flavour!)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F (convenient if you're making this recipe at the same time as the soup).  Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.  Using a grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour and toss lightly until it's all combined.

At this point you can also add all kinds of things for a little extra flavour: chopped dried herbs, curry powder, a handful of cheese.....get creative!

Pour the milk into the four mixture, and stir until it forms a large mass.  As with muffins you don't want to overmix the batter...as soon as most of the mixture forms a ball tip everything out onto a lightly floured surface and fold the dough over a couple of times until it all comes together.  Roll the dough out until it's about 1/2 inch thick, and use whatever you have handy to cut it into the shape that you desire (I use a water glass since I don't have a biscuit cutter).

I also use a wine bottle to roll out my dough since I don't have a proper rolling pin...

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes...until they're deliciously golden brown.

And I quote: "Better than my mum's!"

Breakfast for dinner

Every now and then I like to shake things up, take a breakfast or a brunch dish, and eat it for dinner.  This usually takes me in the direction of pancakes, but the other night I created a strata.  A strata is basically a savoury version of a bread pudding (you could also think of it as a french toast casserole): cubes of bread are soaked in a basic milk and egg custard, and then the whole mixture is baked until the custard sets.  I was initially skeptical of the idea, but the texture turned out to be quite delightful (very much like quiche).  It was a great way to get rid of the extra loaf of bread that I had in my freezer, and it's also a great way use any random vegetables that you have in the fridge...

-1 loaf of bread, cut into cubes
-mushrooms, spinach, leeks (any vegetables really, in whatever quantity you like)
-10 eggs
-3 cups of milk
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-other seasonings as desired (next time I think I'll add some cayenne for spice)
-1/2 to 1 cup grated old cheddar (or any other cheese)

Note on ingredients: while I chose to make my strata of the vegetarian variety, you do not have to do the same.  Feel free to add whatever meat you desire...ham, bacon, and sausage are natural companions to eggs (though chicken would be pretty good too).

1) Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until dry and lightly browned (3 to 5 minutes).  You may have to toast the bread in several batches.  Transfer the toasted cubes into a large mixing bowl.

2) Lower the heat on the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish, set aside.

3) Heat a skillet over medium heat and saute the vegetables that you have chosen until they have begun to soften.  Add the vegetables and the cheese to the bowl containing the bread and mix well.

4) In another bowl combine the eggs, milk, and seasonings.  Add this to the bread mixture, mix well, and transfer to the waiting baking dish.

At this point most recipes recommend that you let the mixture sit, in the fridge, for at least two (and up to twelve) hours.  I only had time to let it sit for 30 minutes or so and it turned out fine, but the longer you let it sit the more the egg mixture can penetrate the bread...which will make the strata more quiche-like.

The requirement to let this recipe sit before baking is what makes a strata an ideal brunch dish: prep everything the night before, let sit in the fridge overnight, and then bake in the morning for a a warm and savoury breakfast.  Alternatively, prep everything in the morning, let sit in the fridge throughout the day, and then have breakfast for dinner!

5) Bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes or until the custard is set (i.e., no longer runny).  Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Served with a lightly dressed salad.  Also, even better for lunch the next day.

A Sunday Roast

Since my boyfriend moved in I've been looking for ways to help him feel at home, and a good number of those ways involve food.  It's a Kiwi tradition of sorts to have a roast on Sunday night; so this weekend, I decided to roast a chicken.

About six months ago I came across a recipe that required me to flatten a chicken before roasting it, and I haven't looked back.  Cooking the chicken this way has two advantages: first, it allows the meat to cook more evenly (preventing the breasts from drying out), and second, it makes it easier to get all of the skin nice and crispy (and we all know that crispy chicken skin is the best part).

To flatten the chicken I like to cut out the entire spine/neck using scissors (cut as close to the spine as you can so that you don't lose any beautiful leg meat).  Then you just need to slice down the breastbone a touch so that you can open the chicken up like a book.  Tuck the wings behind the head (if you can, this particular chicken wasn't all that flexible), and smother with butter and herbs to add extra flavour.

Any herb will do, though rosemary and thyme are natural choices for chicken.

Roast the chicken at 425 degrees F.  You'll want to roast it breast side down for the first 15 minutes; then pull it out, flip it over, and cook for another 45 minutes or so (until the breast meat is cooked and the juices run clear).  When I flip the bird I like to add a strongly flavoured sausage to the pan (hot Italian or merguez)...then I can baste the chicken with the sausage drippings (every 15 minutes) to add even more flavour/crispiness to the skin.

Since a roast chicken is no good without gravy it's important to make some of that as well.  To make mine I started by browning some crumbled sausage (the same kind I used to baste the chicken) with an onion; I then deglazed the pan with a little white wine, added some water, and simmered the mixture (along with the spine that I removed from the chicken) for about 40 minutes before blending with my handy (ha!) hand blender (make sure to remove the spine from the pot first).  I used this as the base for my gravy...adding a slurry of flour and water, and simmering until I got the right consistency (add salt and pepper to taste).

Sides for such a dinner are simple: mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli.  Served with a glass of the wine that I used to deglaze the pan when making the gravy.....

And the sausages (Merguez) too, of course.

Two of my favourite things

It's no secret that I love macaroni and cheese.  I've dedicated not just one, but two blog posts to the subject...and this will be the third.  Another not-so-secret fact about yours truly?  I like to drink.  Not just anything mind you.  I like the flavours that you can find in different alcohols: like the citrus in white beer, or the berries in red wine.  So, when I came across a recipe that combined the deliciousness of macaroni and cheese with the scrumptiousness of stout I had to give it a go!

Ingredients
-500 g uncooked rotini pasta
-2 tsp canola oil
-200g hot Italian sausage
-1 large onion, diced
-3 tbsp all purpose flour
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/8 tsp salt
-1 bottle of stout (341 mL)
-1/2 cup milk
-80g each grated cheddar cheese and cubed Velveeta (or other processed offering...makes for a very creamy sauce)
-1 1/2 cups frozen green peas

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 casserole dish

2) Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

3) While pasta cooks, heat a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add oil, swirl to coat.  Remove casing from sausage.  Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage.  Add flour, pepper, and salt; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Stir in beer; bring to a boil.  Cook 3 minutes (until thick and bubbly).  Remove from heat.  Add milk and cheeses, stirring until smooth.  Stir in pasta and peas.  Spread into prepare baking dish and bake for 10 minutes (until lightly browned).

Looks yummy....tastes good too.

It doesn't look like your typical plate of macaroni and cheese...and it doesn't taste like it either.  The stout gives the sauce a very interesting flavour that I would describe as "mushroom-y" (what I believe the professionals call "umami").  Next time, I think I would swap the cheddar in for something like Swiss...I think that nutty kind of flavour would go well with the stout.  I might also choose a different kind of sausage: while I love sausages of the hot Italian variety I found that I couldn't really taste the spice (which is kind of the point of hot Italian sausage).  The above recipe would probably work just as well with ground beef, or a most lightly flavoured pork or turkey sausage.

Or a few red pepper flakes.  Because everything is better with red pepper flakes.

Know when to fold 'em

Those of you who know me know that, whenever possible, I like to make things from scratch.  I have good reasons for this.  First, I love cooking.  Second, making my food from scratch allows me to control what goes into it, meaning that I can eat healthy while eating the things that I love.

Sometimes, however, making it from scratch just isn't in the cards.

This was one of those times.  I recently had some people over for an onion chopping party (preparation to cater a weekend's worth of food for 25+ people, but that's a different story), and decided (like any sane person in need of a lot of assistance) that bribery was going to win me the most help.  The bribery food of choice was obvious: pizza, beloved of college students everywhere.

Brilliant eh?

Enter the wrench: gluten intolerance.

My first thought was that it's an easy fix...I'll just google a gluten free pizza crust recipe, buy the requisite ingredients, and continue with my homemade pizza plans.  So I googled, and I found plenty of recipes, but buy the ingredients I did not.

You see, gluten the part of wheat flour that makes it sticky and elastic...it's the reason that you don't want to overmix muffins (you don't want the gluten to develop and makes the muffins tough), and it's also the reason that breads containing yeast are able to rise: the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast is trapped by the network of gluten in the dough.  If this gluten network were not present the bread would not rise, which brings me back to the pizza crust issue.  If you recall from a long-ago blog post, pizza dough is one of those things that needs to sit and rise before it can be baked (this gives pizza dough it's texture).  Making a gluten free pizza dough, then, requires adding ingredients that can compensate for what gluten free flour lacks; ingredients like xanthan gum, agar, gelatin, potato starch, and tapioca flour...ingredients that can give dough a sticky and elastic texture.

Also...ingredients that can be expensive and hard to find.

I live in a large city, so I will admit that finding the ingredients wasn't the issue...their price was.  Xanthan gum, for example, costs nearly $14 for half a pound, and you only need 1 tsp for the recipe.  Not worth it for someone like myself who does gluten free baking once in a blue moon.

So I threw my hands up in the air and decided that a from-scratch gluten free pizza crust was not going to happen.  Then I went to the store...because a perfectly fantastic gluten free pizza crust mix exists.

Gotta love Bob.

Verdict: my gluten free pizza adventure went much more smoothly than my foray into veggie burgers.  It's not the same as regular pizza dough...you spread it rather than rolling it to get it into the right shape, and you wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them rather than dunking your hands in flour.  But the crust turned out well: was strong enough to hold up the toppings so that we could eat our pizza with our hands, and had a texture not dissimilar to a traditional thin crust pizza.

I was especially happy that it turned out given that I made a small error in execution: according to the instructions the crust should have been blind baked (read: baked without toppings) before adding the sauce and cheese...but I did not do this.  It all worked out.  Lesson: making a "mistake" in the kitchen is not the end of the world!

Unfortunately I neglected to take a picture of the pizza that I created, but that is mostly because it was eaten very quickly by my dedicated onion choppers.  They said it was quite delicious though.......

La-la-lasagna!

Homemade lasagna is a showstopper: beautiful layers of tomato sauce and pasta, all topped with bubbly cheese.  It's a great dish for company...and it's also one of those things that you can make ahead and freeze.

Make-ahead meals are fantastic for those of us that don't have a ton of time on our hand but still want to eat delicious food.  All you need to do on those lazy days is pop whatever you have in the freezer straight into the oven and bam!...great food, no work.  Even better: freeze your lasagna in one of those disposable roasting pans you can buy at the grocery store and you've got a great meal with nearly no dishes.

Don't let the number of ingredients and steps scare you.  It might seem like a lot of work, but there's actually quite a bit of waiting around.  Also: it's totally worth it.

Ingredients (for one 9x13 lasagna.  Double to make one lasagna now and another one later.)
-500g lean ground beef (or any ground meat of your choice.  Half beef/half italian sausage is especially delicious)
-1 onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh)
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 jar of your favourite pasta sauce (alternative: use 2 jars of pasta sauce and omit the diced tomatoes)
-540 ml can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (or this delicious marinara sauce...I keep bags of it in the freezer)
-2 tbsp dried basil (or 1/3 cup fresh)
-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12 is a guess based on how many noodles I usually need...use as many as you need for 3 layers)
-2 cups ricotta cheese
-300g frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped
-1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (or romano, or asiago.......)
-1 egg
-1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and spray a 9x13 baking dish (set aside).

2) Make the sauce.  Add beef, onion and garlic to a large pot; cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Add oregano and crushed red pepper flakes; cook for 1 more minute.  Add pasta sauce, tomatoes, basil, vinegar, and black pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

3) While the sauce is simmering, cook the lasagna noodles.  Tip: I don't like to cook mine all the way through at this stage...if you leave them ever so slightly underdone they're easier to work with (and they'll finish cooking in the oven).  Drain the noodles, rinse them with cold water, and drain them again.

4) In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, spinach, parmesan cheese, and egg.

5) Assemble the lasagna!

Start by spreading 1 cup of meat sauce over the bottom of your baking dish.

Top with a layer of noodles.

Spread 1/3 remaining sauce over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the mozzarella, and one more layer of noodles.

Top with 1/3 sauce, and all of the ricotta mixture (spread evenly, don't worry if it mixes with the sauce)

Cover ricotta with 1/3 mozzarella and the last of the noodles.

Cover the last noodle layer with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.  Make sure to spread all the way to the edges to prevent your lasagna from drying up...add chicken stock/red wine to make your sauce go farther if necessary.

This is the point when you can freeze your lasagna.  Let cool (until no longer steaming), then cover in tinfoil, then wrap with plastic wrap (keep as much air out as possible) before putting it in the freezer for later.

6) Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Letting it stand is the hardest part, but is worth it to avoid burning yourself on hot mozzarella.

If you went the frozen lasagna route, your lasagna can go straight from the freezer to a 375 degree oven (though you should take off the plastic wrap first).  Cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour, then check the temperature by inserting a metal knife into the centre: stick in the knife, then pull it out and touch it.  If the knife is cold to the touch your lasagna needs more time, if it is warm, then you can uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes (until the cheese and sauce are bubbly).  Let stand before cutting.

Yum.  That is all.

Start with a side dish, and make it a meal

That's exactly how my meal planning went this past weekend.  Here's how the decision went down...

I had some potatoes leftover from last weekend's camping, and decided that I ought to use them sooner rather than later.  While thinking about all the different ways that I could cook them I landed on something I hadn't made in awhile (due to the warm summer weather): scalloped potatoes.

Being as the weather has started to cool down, I thought this idea was perfect.

My original plan had been to make scalloped potatoes as a side dish with some chicken.  So I spent some time thinking about what I could do with the chicken...and I couldn't think of anything.  Well that's not actually true; I could think of many things, but none of them were particularly attractive options on this particular fall afternoon.  So I took a slightly different tack and tried thinking about the different things that I could do with scalloped potatoes and realized why I couldn't settle on a chicken recipe...the potatoes were going to be rich and delicious and filling, and there was no real need for any additional food.

Though I did make some space for a side salad.  Gotta get the greens in somewhere!

Scalloped potatoes, as I mentioned, are typically thought of as a side dish, something rich and delicious that you serve along with a simply roasted piece of meat.  But with a few tweaks it's quite easy to make them into a complete meal.  And as there are so many different ways to make scalloped potatoes all I'm going to share is the basic method...that way you can make the casserole your own!

Ingredients/Directions:
-potatoes (obviously); 2 to 2 1/2 pounds, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds.  Starchy potatoes are best since they will absorb the most liquid and will thus prevent your casserole from being too soupy.
-liquid; 2 1/2 cups.  Most of us are probably familiar with using cream, but you can also lighten up your scalloped potatoes by using any combination of cream, chicken (or vegetable) stock, and milk (so long as the combination adds up to 2 1/2 cups)

The first step (after preheating the oven to 400 degrees F and greasing a 9x13 casserole) is to simmer the potatoes in whatever liquid you've chosen.  Combine the potatoes and liquid in a large skillet along with 1/2 tsp salt and some black pepper (to taste).  Simmer, partially covered, over medium to medium-low heat until barely tender (8 minutes or less).

I chose to simmer my potatoes in a combination of skim milk and chicken stock, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper for spice.

-toppings.  I usually put straight cheese on top of my potatoes, but breadcrumbs and nuts are also lovely.  Use as much or as little as you feel necessary.
-fillings.  This is where things get interesting and you can mix all sorts of neat flavours into your scalloped potatoes.  In order to make the casserole into a complete meal meat is a great option (suggestions: ham, italian sausage, ground beef), just make sure that it's cooked first.  Same with any veggies that you choose to add (onions, leeks, fennel, and mushrooms are all great options).

My toppings (small white bowl on the lower right) were a combination of parmesan cheese, panko, and walnuts; and I filled my scalloped potatoes with hot italian sausage, caramelized onions, and old cheddar.

Once your potatoes are barely tender it's time to get everything into the casserole.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the potatoes into the bottom of the casserole dish, spreading them out as evenly as possible.  Arrange your chosen fillings evenly on top of the potatoes.  Top with the remaining potatoes (again, spreading them as evenly as possible) and pour any remaining liquid over all of the ingredients.  Scatter your toppings over the potatoes, and bake until it's bubbly, brown, and the potatoes are completely tender when poked with a fork.  Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving (this gives the potatoes times to soak up more of the liquid).  And, as always, enjoy!

Served with green peas to get an extra serving of vegetables onto the plate.  And, like many casseroles, these potatoes tasted even better the next day!

Camping in style

My favourite part of camping, hands down, is roasting sausages and marshmallows over a fire.  But there is a limit to the number of sausages that I can eat over a weekend, and these gaps in the menu need to be filled with some other kind of food.

So I did what seemed obvious: I roasted a chicken.

Seriously, over a campfire.

If my time in Girl Guides taught me anything, it was that you did not necessarily have to compromise when it came to the food that you ate while camping.  It's actually quite easy to turn your campfire into an ovenlike device...all you need is a roll of tinfoil.

But before I get there....allow me to talk a little more about the chicken itself.

My initial idea was to cook the chicken beer can style, that is, with a can of beer shoved up it's butt.  After some careful research, however, I discovered that this wasn't really the best method to use: according to one obsessive compulsive engineer the beer in the can imparts very little in terms of flavour, which to me would be the entire point of this particular cooking method.

Since the boyfriend loves beer, and since I want to get as much beer flavour into the chicken as possible I decided to go the route of a brine.  Brining basically involves soaking in a solution of salt (and other things)...it gives the chicken extra flavour, and helps to keep it moist while it cooks (important as I was going to be cooking this bird for an as yet undetermined amount of time over a campfire of unknown temperature).

All you need in a brine is liquid (typically water), salt, sugar, and any other seasonings (vegetables, herbs, etc) that you desire.  I used the following ingredients, which could easily be swapped out for something that you like a little more.....

-750 ml beer (I chose a strong brown ale)
-750 ml water (giving 1.5 litres of liquid total)
-1/4 cup salt
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 onion, quartered
-1 carrot, roughly chopped
-1 bay leaf

To make the brine, combine all of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil (this is what gets the carrot, onion, and bay leaf flavour into the liquid).  Once the liquid is boiling remove it from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Note: cooling to room temperature is very important!  Raw chicken + still-warm brine = bacteria farm!

Once the liquid has cooled pour it over the chicken (so that it is covered).  If you don't have enough brine to completely cover the chicken that's fine...in cases like these I like to keep the bird breast side down (since there isn't a ton of meat on the back).  Refrigerate and soak overnight (ideally) or for 1 hour per pound of meat (if you're strapped for time).

For even more flavour (and to encourage a crispy skin) I also used a spice rub made up of sugar, salt, black pepper, and chili powder.

When it came to cooking the chicken I decided to invest in a vertical chicken roaster, which would allow my chicken to stand up on the grill over the campfire.

I chose the vertical method because of the campfire: roasting horizontally (in a roasting pan) would have resulted in the back side of the chicken cooking far faster than the front.  With this method the lower part of the chicken (legs and thighs...closer to the fire) cooks a little faster than the top (breasts and wings) which is actually quite perfect given that legs and thighs typically take a little longer to cook all the way through (and are less likely to go dry if they are overcooked).

No matter which way you decide to roast your chicken (vertically or in a roasting pan), the key to the process is not letting too much heat escape (the logic behind closed oven door or lids on the roasting pans).  Since campfires typically do not come with a cover I had to get creative with a roll of tin foil.  I used two fairly long pieces to create a tent over the bird, and weighed the ends down with logs.  As soon as the second piece of foil was in place the bird began to sizzle...

I gave my chicken about 90 minutes to roast (since the last thing you want to do while camping is consume raw poultry).  The general rule of thumb is about "20 minutes per pound" (some recommend adding an additional 15 to 20 minutes on top of that number), but regardless of how long your bird has been on for you will want to check the temperature (should read 165 degrees F) or even cut into the breast or thigh (meat should no longer be pink and juices should run clear).

I'm pretty proud of my chicken.  The brine definitely imparted some beer and garlic flavour into the meat, and helped the bird stay nice and juicy.  Served with corn (also cooked on the fire) and a baguette...this meal will definitely make it back onto next year's camping menu!

I served the chicken sitting on the stand...it was just me and the boy so there was no need to be polite: we tore pieces of meat straight off the bones.  Messy, but delicious!