Baked Chicken with potatoes & carrots

This simple yet scrumptious dish has all the look and flavor of a meal that was slaved over in the kitchen for hours, but in reality requires very little prep time and very few ingredients.  A couple other benefits of this nutritious meal include the "left-overs" factor (there are almost always enough for another meal), and the seasoned chicken bones provide a great start to homemade chicken stock.  This is also a great meal to make when having guests for dinner as it allows you to be visiting while the oven does all the work.  We eat at 5 o'clock in our home so I do my prep work at about 3:15 pm and have it in the oven by 3:30 pm~ that's all. =)

Ingredients:

• 1 (3.5-4.5 lb) Whole Fryer Chicken (we prefer organic free-range)
• 5 large organic Russet Potatoes, peeled and largely cubed
• 7 organic Carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• All-purpose Seasoning (we use a homemade one but Jen using a great one from U.S. Wellness Meats)
• Water for basting

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375°.
2. After removing the gibblets, rinse the chicken with water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Heavily season all sides of the chicken and lay breast-side up in a large baking pan.  Secure the chicken legs together with kitchen twine (thread works fine too).

3. Spread your potatoes and carrots around the chicken, sprinkle with the all-purpose seasoning and mix together.  Bake, uncovered, for 1¼ to 1½ hours (or until juices run clear), remembering to baste about every 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday

 

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Ham & Potato Soup

Last Wednesday, in the middle of our gorgeous 80 degree week, we had a wet and cold day.  The weather came out of nowhere, although I am convinced the Lord, in His sovereignty, gave me this day because I had planned on making my ham & potato soup.  Well, He may not have given this weather just for me, but I praise Him for it just the same.  My parents came over just as we had finished our soup, and I witnessed my mom return to the pot again and again for another little taste.  She must have said "Oh, this is very good" at least 10 times, which, coming from a woman who's food is raved about up and down California (by those fortunate enough to have tried some) just made my heart smile.  I love that we share a love of cooking, and I love that my cooking skills don't embarrass her. =)

For those of you who are still entrenched in winter, here's a recipe worth making while the weather permits.  And please, if anyone else's mom drops by unexpected on the night you make this, you have to let me know if she too fills your home with Ooos and Awws. =)

Ingredients:

• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch squares
• 3 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 3/4 to 1 cup ham steak, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 5 TBS butter
• 5 TBS flour (I use sprouted spelt)
• 2 cups whole raw milk
• cheddar cheese, opt.  

Prepare your ingredients.  This is probably as time-consuming as cooking the soup, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time.  This is a great recipe to let your kids help you with~ I gave my 6 year old a butter knife and he diced my ham, carrots and celery.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, saute your onion in the olive oil, about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the carrots, celery and ham and cook another 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the ham starts to slightly brown.

 Next, add in the wine and deglaze your pan, then incorporate the potatoes, cooking another 5 minutes or so.  If you'ld like, after the onions are sauted you could add in the other ingredients at once and cook for a few minutes, or even wait and add it all with the chicken broth.  I add in stages to bring out the flavor in each ingredient separately.  

 Add in your chicken broth, sea salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan melt butter on med-high heat.  Whisk in flour to make a rue~ make sure to whisk quickly and until there you have a smooth paste. 

Slowly pour the milk into the rue, whisking continuously.  After incorporated, cook on med-high heat for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened, then add it to the soup and stir well.  For a chunkier soup, take a potato-masher and mash soup several times.  For a creamier version use a immersion blender.

Top with some shredded cheddar cheese and pair it with a slice of spelt buttermilk bread, and enjoy!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

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Eliminate the "4:30 Scramble"

 I'm an organizer at heart.  It's not the easiest thing, especially on my family who really doesn't care that I've organized the closet starting with jackets on the left, then sweaters, long-sleeve polos, long-sleeve tee's, short-sleeve polos, and finally, short-sleeve tees on the far right.  My poor husband doesn't understand why I don't want his help hanging up our childrens clothes.  He tries to reason with me that there are a lot of clothes (there are!) and it would go so much faster if he helped (and if I didn't go back through the stuff he's hung up and switch it to the "correct" place). 

Anyway, being organized with my meals is something everyone in my house appreciates.  Not only does it help me stay within my monthly grocery budget, it also eliminates the "4:30 Scramble" to throw something together for dinner.  I've gotten away from consistently planning my weekly meals, usually done on Sunday night, but I'm ready to get back on the ball.  Plan on seeing a Menu Plan Monday post every Monday morning from here on out.  I won't have links to a bunch of my recipes yet, but I'm more than happy to provide them for those who want them.  Here's this weeks menu:

• Monday: Fried Chicken (left over from Easter), potato-leek soup and grilled balsamic artichokes
• Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie (this is a favorite of my 3 boys, and I love to pack it full of fresh organic carrots, celery and peas)
• Wednesday: Homemade breadcrumb-baked chicken, buttered brown-rice pasta, steamed asparagus
• Thursday: Grass-fed beef tacos
• Friday: Organic free-range Chicken fried rice
• Saturday: Cuban Sea Bass and salad
• Sunday: Breakfast for dinner night (Blueberry sprouted-flour pancakes and bacon)

For those of you who have also planned your meals this week~ enjoy not having to participate in the "4:30 scramble"! =)

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

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Simple Things

It really is the simple stuff in life that makes me happy. We got some wonderful fresh organic potatoes in our Abundant Harvest box, so I had to make mashed potatoes and it is just not right to make mashed potatoes without some sort of buttery vegetable. Why not carrots? We got some of those in our box too. It is not often that I am pleased with EVERY ingredient in my meal, and this is no exception... however, it is pretty close. Other than the Costco EVOO, this is a very nourishing meal. Free range, organic chicken, organic produce, pasture butter, raw milk, Celtic Grey Sea Salt... it doesn't get much better! The best part about all of these ingredients though, is the taste. When I started to research organic and whole foods, I assumed that I would be sacrificing flavor or quality. Not so! I have been pleasantly surprised with just how much more delicious foods are when they are in their natural state. We are so used to the SAD diet that we assume that it is optimal, I mean, why on earth would we be eating this way if not?? It is amazing to me that not only is it terrible for you, but it is just terrible in general. I could never go back to the way I was eating 2 years ago! Fresh, organic carrots caramelized in rich pasture butter sprinkled with fine ground Celtic Sea Salt... there is not another taste in this world to compare that to. Very simple, yet VERY satisfying!

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