Whole Chicken (Slow Cooker)

There's a story out there about a whole chicken recipe that is dubbed the "Proposal Chicken," because if you make it for your man, he'll realize what a Real Woman you are and a diamond ring will soon follow. Although this particular recipe isn't that same one, I have a feeling that it worked in the same way ;) The first time I made it, he was really impressed. But when I had to tell him how to get the chicken ready over the phone later on, he realized how easy it was. Darn, should've kept the secret! ;)

There's something about a whole chicken that reminds you of home, Sunday dinners, and family. Even though many people are intimidated by the whole-chicken concept, fortunately for you, this is not only one of the easiest recipes I have, but it's practically fool-proof. I found it online one day, made a few slight modifications, and now it is a regular "go-to" recipe. I probably make this once a month.

Don't tell anyone how easy this recipe is. ;)

From Food

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
1 whole chicken, around 4lbs
A few slices of onions, rings left whole

$7.30

Spice Rub:
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper


*The total amount of spices is actually enough for two batches--save half for next time. Because the most time consuming part is mixing together the combination of spices, I usually go ahead and make enough for 4 batches by doubling the recipe and dividing evenly between Ziploc baggies to keep in the pantry. That way they're always on hand, and I don't have to do that every time.

I always keep a baggie or two of this spice combo in the pantry :)

Then, all I do is:
1. Cut up onions (I don't even bother to dice them, I just slice and separate the rings) and lay them in the bottom of your slow cooker.

2. Rinse and pat down your whole chicken. I usually get one around 3-4lbs. For two people, you could go with a smaller one, but Jason and I have an arsenal of meals that we use the leftovers with. :)
4. Rub the spices all over the chicken, as well as under the skin layer. Lay the chicken breast-down in the slow cooker.
5. Turn the slow cooker on on high for 4 hours, and wait.

Chicken ready to go after rubbing the spices all over!

As soon as the chicken is done (I always worry about 4 hours not being enough time, but it is!), I transfer it to a shallow baking pan and broil it breast-side up in the oven to give it a nice golden crisp. This eliminates much of the "greasiness" that other reviewers originally complained about for this recipe.

Also, the gravy from the crock pot is to die for: so crazy flavorful! Since I left my onions in rings, I just have to fish those out before transferring the juices to a small pot. The trick is to get the right combo of cold water and cornstarch: about 1/2 c. water and 2 big tablespoons of cornstarch, mixed well. Then, while the juices are just to a boil, slowly add the mixture, stirring well, until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency. This has taken many attempts for me to get "just right," but once you get the hang of it you'll have amazing, tasty gravy for your (instant) mashed potatoes!


Slice up the chicken, serve it up, and enjoy!

For leftovers...
After dinner I can almost always pick apart the chicken to fill up a decent sized Tupperware container. There's always enough for at least two more meals of chicken and mashed potatoes, but after that, we've even done awesome chicken salads, quesadillas, and soon I'm going to try chicken enchiladas from the meat that we have remaining. I bet we easily get 3-4 meals each, for 2 people! Not bad for a $7 dollar chicken.

The original recipe I used is found here: http://www.food.com/recipe/whole-chicken-crock-pot-recipe-33671

"To Die For Burgers" that are actually pretty good :)

Jason had been talking about wanting to make burgers for a while. Apparently he's a real burger man and I didn't know it. So, after school yesterday I was getting ideas for dinner and typed into Google "Best recipe ever have to try" to see what would come up. First I found a good taco seasoning that I want to try soon. But then burger recipes came up and I thought it was worth browsing, remembering that said boyfriend had been craving them. :)

What drew me to this recipe were the unusual ingredients. I was immediately drawn to the garlic included in the meat as well as the roasted bell peppers and avocado.

Avocado and Peppers on a burger? Delicious!

According to the website, this burger recipe was included in a contest and didn't win, but turned out to be popular. Makes 4 quarter pound burgers, and only takes about 30 minutes to prepare and grill.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced (I got to try out my new garlic press, wow, does it make using garlic easy!)
Montreal Steak Seasoning (from McCormick)
Avocado slices
Roasted bell peppers
Red onion (optional) 

Directions:
Mix the meat with the onion, garlic, and seasoning. Form into four patties.

If only we had a grill... We put ours on the George Foreman for 8 minutes. The burgers turned out perfectly juicy but still done all the way through.

Place the burger on the roll, we used regular wheat rolls and that tasty, and then add the avocado and peppers to preference. I also added Swiss cheese.

Recommendation: YES!
Overall, it was a delicious twist to the burgers. I had the avocado-pepper burger, and Jason had one made into a deluxe regular cheeseburger. He thoroughly enjoyed both and said it was the best burger he'd had in a long while. :)We'll definitely prepare the patties with garlic, onion and seasoning every time we make burgers. That was delicious all by itself.

I would definitely make this again for the two of us, since it wasn't too much food but still enough for leftovers, and it was easy and a quick meal. However, it would also be awesome for a party and offer the avocado and peppers along with the regular "fixings" to mix things up a bit!

I have more recipes for the blog world, but I'll have to do it later. My latest favorite show, Lie to Me, is on right now! ;)

-Betsy

Easy, Flavorful Pot Roast

I realize I started this blog two weeks ago, but last weekend was pretty busy since we got a new dog (Zoey!) and although I make some pretty good meals, I didn't have the time to write about them.

Tonight I'm making round 2 of a pot roast I made a while back. When Publix has sales on meat, I've learned to stock up and keep a bunch of chicken breasts, pork loin chops, roasts and ribs in the freezer so I have something on hand whenever we need a good meal. I'd used up everything except the pot roast so I needed an idea of how to prepare it on the spot with no special ingredients. I open the spice cupboard, and....

Grill Mates Montreal Steak Marinade!

(*The one I used was actually the low-sodium kind, which I thought would be better for us in conjunction with the meat, but I couldn't find the low-sodium ones again at Publix so we'll be using the regular type tonight)

Let me show you how easy it is to make this roast: 

1) Brown roast in pan with a little bit of olive oil on both sides.
2) Add 1/2 cup of water and 2 Tbs white vinegar plus packet seasonings (basically following packet directions, without the oil) to a crock pot.
3) Put roast in crock pot. Set for 6-8 hours.

I figured that this roast couldn't be bad, but I never expected how good it would actually be! Now, I love pot roast, but there's a certain point where the meat starts to taste bland after eating a few bites of it. Not THIS roast! Every bite was amazing and had just a bit of that peppery kick to it.

Not to mention that the gravy made from the leftover liquids in the crock pot was fabulous, too! :)

We almost always eat ribs/pot roast with mashed potatoes and corn. These are made from a box/ warmed up in the microwave. Also easy. Sometimes I go all out and make Bisquick biscuits too, which takes all of 10 minutes, and are so yummy.

See, good cooking can be easy and fool-proof! ;)

Betsy

Cooking: reality or hobby?

Hello, Blog-world.

Although I've written about my life as a teenager in high school, about my travels and internships, and various posts throughout college documenting my relationship highs and lows-- This time I've reinvented myself as a recipe blogger.

Since graduating and moving out of the house, not to mention relocating 1,000 miles away from my hometown in Michigan to sunny and busy Central Florida, learning to make meals has become more important than ever to me-- especially for my health and happiness. However, in my early months, it was only every couple of weeks that I would actually plan and create a full meal for myself (and occasionally the roommate.)

Since meeting my awesome boyfriend Jason, and reorganizing his small apartment kitchen to suit my own preferences, I have been making meals for the two of us on a nearly daily basis. The advantage of cooking for two is that one of us is always bound to have the energy to put something together, and Jason makes the best salads I've ever tasted. :) Although the main course is almost always something I've dug up online or a recipe book or from family traditions, we usually supplement the meal with Uncle Ben's 90 second microwaveable rice, the various flavors of boxed mashed potatoes for 2, vegetable steamers and/or a fresh salad. Sometimes I even make Bisquick biscuits. But it's always something healthy, delicious, and yet easy to put together.

My own recipe book is something I've come to treasure, especially with the "winners" that we'll make more frequently. These are almost all recipes I've found elsewhere and adapted to meet my own needs. But I love these recipes so much that I'd love to be able to share them with friends and family-- especially the people who find it even harder to find time to cook than I do. There are easy recipes out there that will make you drool when you walk into the kitchen and smell what's coming out of the oven or crock pot! It also goes to show that you do not need a modern, updated kitchen to learn how to cook and to make some amazing meals. Jason and I do not have a real kitchen table, either. We eat at a low coffee table on the couch. We look forward to a day when we'll have the kitchen I've always dreamed of (counter space, double oven, and a window over the sink!) and a real dining room table, but for now, I'm happy with what I've got. :)

So, a few recipes you can look forward to---

*The easiest, most flavorful pot roast you'll ever have
*Best bbq ribs ever
*Wakiki chicken
*Chicken Parmesan in homemade tomato/artichoke sauce!


My hope is that I can share these delicious recipes with you and hear how other people are able to enjoy them, too. :)

Betsy