Crock Pot Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

After reading Liz's post about making chicken in the crock pot, I decided that I ought to try making a whole chicken for once in the crock pot. I absolutely love the crock pot because it allows me to make dinner when I am at work. I come home and my house smells just like home is supposed to smell. The best part is that you can make pretty much the whole dinner in there and just round it out with a little fruit or salad or a steamed vegetable or maybe some bread or pasta.

I scoured the web for a roasted chicken recipe for the crock pot and came up short. Everything I found was for just unflavored chicken. I was concerned because a lot of times I make a recipe for the crock pot it comes out lacking flavor. So, I decided to make it up instead.

Last night, I cut up some parsnips, carrots, and onions into bite sized pieces. I put them in a gallon size ziploc bag with some Lawry's seasoning salt, Thyme and garlic as well as a sprig of rosemary and set them in the refrigerator overnight.

I also dressed the chicken (just like Amelia Bedelia) with some salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and garlic. I put the garlic in the cavity and removed the other stuff that was in there. However, I was pretty grossed out dealing with the whole chicken. It was a little close to real life animal for me. I had this same problem once when I needed boneless pork shoulder but was distracted by the low price of boned pork shoulder (called Pork Arm Picnic--which should have stopped me immediately)--the thing that was worse about that was that you could feel the joints. Disgusting. So, I had a lot of trouble with the chicken, but I manged to dress it and then put it on a plate in the fridge overnight covered with foil.

I have to leave for work before 7 in order to get there with the shortest possible commute in minutes. I leave myself 30 minutes to get ready and leave in the morning. Because I did most of the preperation last night, I was able to prepare the pot in just 7 minutes, set it to cook, and still leave before 7. Impressive, I know.

I used the probe feature on my crock pot for the first time and I was a little worried about it. I read the Betty Crocker cookbook basics about cooking a whole chicken in the oven. I learned that it has to be 180 degrees to be fully cooked in the thickest part of the thigh. This is where they lost me. I know what a chicken thigh is, but when I looked at the bird sitting there, I couldn't really determine where the thigh was. I guessed, and apparently I got it right. Phew. The probe switches the crock to Warm after it reaches the tempurtare inputed in the morning.

The chicken turned out to be flavorful and delicious except the breast part was a tad dry (but I don't usually like the breast part in general, it was pretty much as dry as any chicken breast is usually). The vegetables, while fully cooked were tasteless, I don't know how to fix that though, so we just salted them.


Crock Pot Roasted Chicken and Vegetables - Served 3 with 1/2 chicken leftover
Ingredients:
1 Whole 5+ pound chicken
1 bag parsnips
4 red potatoes
3 large carrots
1 brown or yellow onion (I made a recipe with a red onion and it didn't hold up at all in the crock)
6 cloves of garlic, papery skins removed
3 sprigs rosemary
salt or lawrys seasoning salt
pepper
dried Thyme

Directions:
1. The night before, remove giblets from chicken and replace with garlic and 2 rosemary sprigs. 2. Sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme on both sides of the chicken, rub in
3. Cut up carrots, onion and parsnips into bite sized chunks--don't cut them too small or they will turn to mush
4. Sprinkle vegetables with salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary and store in a ziploc bag overnight
5. In the morning, spread vegetables on the bottom of the crockpot
6. Place the chicken backside up on top of the vegetables. Shift veggies to be sure that chicken fits in.
7. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the thigh avoiding the bone
8. Set the crockpot to stop cooking once it hits 180 degrees (I can't tell you in hours, but I know I left at 7 and it was at 32 degrees and I arrived home at 6:30 and it was on warm)
9. Serve chicken with vegetables straight from the pot

The Devil Made Me Do It

Deviled Eggs
It is a dish for which everyone seems to have their own recipe. I even found a website dedicated to the subject (Deviled egg website). I thought it might be interesting to discuss on the blog . . . assuming it is not too old fashioned for all you modern cooks.
Boiling the eggs . . .

For a long time I used to put the eggs in cold water, bring it to a boil, cover the pot, take the pot off the heat and then let it sit for 17 minutes. Now, I use this nifty egg timer device that changes color as the eggs cook.

Cool down the eggs in cold water (to prevent the ugly green ring around the yolks).

Using older eggs makes them easier to peel, but I recently read that adding salt (liberally) to the water makes even really fresh eggs peel easier. I tried it and it does seem to work.

Probably a good idea to make a few extras . . . they don't always peel no matter what you do

Making the filling . . . I don’t really have a ‘recipe’ for the eggs – it is really to taste. I mash the yolks with a fork and then add mayonnaise and dry mustard to taste – add a little at a time given the adage that you can always add more but can’t take it out once added. I add salt to taste (sometimes it doesn’t need any). This is how Mom made them and I don’t feel the need to change.

Now, people I know add pickle juice (and cut up pickle) and a lot of the recipes call for a little vinegar but I am not tempted. The website indicated a huge variety of ingredients that people use.

Serving them . . .
Well, what else to use but a deviled egg dish (I own two plus a Tupperware holder if transport is needed) but if you don’t have one, a plate will do.

Now, do you top them or not? Mom always sprinkled with paprika to add color – sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I know Jake likes them with a little paprika on top.

So, do any of you make deviled eggs? If so, what is your recipe?

Mexican Pita Appetizer

They may call it an appetizer, but, it was my dinner tonight. The only good thing about Jake missing dinner is that I can make something for myself that he wouldn't consider a dinner! One day last week we had Gyros & I noticed a recipe on the back of the Kronos Pita container that looked simple & good. I make a small adjustment to the recipe & added in some chicken. If I didn't already know that the dough was a pita, I wouldn't have been able to tell. It got crispy in the right places & was very tasty. I would definitely make this again. Next time maybe I will do a BBQ chicken pita/pizza! Oh... & I used my previous salsa post for my salsa.

Click to enlarge:

Meatballs

This is one of those recipes that I make when I need an easy fast dinner. However, it is a recipe that Jake always loves (and Julia too see below:). I never measure anything out when I make these & they always taste good. Sometimes I will throw different spices in if I am in the mood...you can adjust to your likeness. This recipe always make a lot a meatballs & we always have leftovers to make Meatball sandwiches in the sandwich maker with a piece of mozzarella cheese inside.

Click to enlarge:

Grilled Pizza

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to make at least one new dish a month. Recently, I saw Bobby Flay make pizza on the grill and I decided to explore homemade pizza. However, it is not something that you can easily make for one so I invited Kath and Greg over to share my initial pizza venture. I think you will find many "layers of flavor" in this recipe. It got rave reviews so it is on the 'make again' list.

This is one of four small pizzas that the recipe made -- it was very filling so I had the final piece for lunch the next day (reheated at high temperature in the oven).

Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage, Grilled Peppers and Onions and Oregano Ricotta (Bobby Flay recipe from Food Network website)

1/2 lb Italian hot sausage
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (keep rings together for grilling)
2 large yellow pepper and 2 large red peppers -- cored, seeded and quartered (I actually used 1 orange, 1 red and 2 green peppers)
Olive oil
salt and pepper
1 recipe pizza dough rolled into 4 (6 inch) rounds (I used Pillsbury in a tube and divided into four quarters)
1/2 lb grated fontina cheese
1 cup ricotta
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T chopped fresh oregano
Basil vinaigrette, recipe follows

Preheat a grill. Grill sausage on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side (I actually precook the sausage in water or beer so it takes much less time to cook on grill and tends to stay moister). Brush onions and peppers with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until soft, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the sausage from the grill and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Remove the onions, separate into rings and roughly chop. Remove the peppers and slice into 1/8 inch thick slices. (My peppers were somewhat charred but that was fine -- they tasted delicious).

Heat grill to high. Brush dough with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and grill for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the grill and place on a flat surface. (To get on the grill, I sprayed a piece of foil with cooking spray and then put the pizza dough on it. At the grill I flipped the foil over to get the dough on the grill -- I did have to rearrange the dough slightly but it wasn't a problem)

Divide the fontina cheese among the 4 pizza rounds. Divide the sausage, onions and peppers over the cheese. Place the pizza on the grill, close the cover and grill until the cheese has melted, about 3-4 minutes. (you can finish in the oven, but why??? -- 450 degrees for 5-10 minutes on sheet pan)

Mix together the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil and oregano in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pizzas from the grill/oven and drizzle with Basil vinaigrette. Top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Basil Vinaigrette
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 T honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 olive oil

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Old Fashioned Cucumber Salad

Bev often made pickled cucumbers during the summer. Always a family favorite and something I enjoy -- you just have to think about it ahead of time since there is a lot of "sitting" time.

The recipe . . .

2-3 medium cucumbers and 1 T salt

3/4 cup white vinegar (although I have used cider vinegar sometimes)
2 T sugar
1/4 t. pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (optional, but I generally include)

Wash cucumbers. Pat dry and score with tines of folk (or you can peel them if the skin is tough). Cut into transparent, paper-thin slices to measure 4 cups.

Place cucumber slices in deep bowl; sprinkle every few layers with salt. Cover cucumbers with a plate and weight them down with a heavy object (a heavy can will do). Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

Drain cucumber thoroughly and press out remaining liquid. Put cucumbers and onion in container. Stir together vinegar, sugar and pepper; pour over slices. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours. Drain cucumbers before serving.

Warm German Potato Salad

I love German Potato Salad, but find that it can often be too "wet" for my taste -- that includes the one I tried from Grandma Marson's family.

In my recipe search, I found this one on the Food Network website (courtesy of Gourmet Magazine) that I really like.

Ingredients
2 lbs small red potatoes, washed well (I use any potatoes I have on hand and don't find it to be a problem -- for the pictured salad, I think they were Yukon Gold)
5 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips (about 1/4 lb)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 T cider vinegar
1/2 cup beef broth
1 1/2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves plus extra for garnish

In a large saucepan combing potatoes with salted water to cover by 1 inch and simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes into eighths and put into a relatively big bowl. You can cut the potatoes into smaller pieces before cooking to shorten cooking time -- don't overcook since they tend to fall apart to easily.

While potatoes are cooking, in a medium heavy skillet,cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring until browned and crisp and transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Then add to bowl with potatoes. Keep mixture warm, covered (I put a plate over the bowl but I guess plastic wrap or foil would work).

Pour off all but 2 T of fat from skillet and saute onion over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, 1 T vinegar and both and simmer 2 minutes. Add onion mixture to warm potatoes with parsley and remaining 1 T vinegar, tossing gently and season with salt and pepper. I tend to stir it (gently) to absorb more of the liquid that falls to the bottom of the bowl after making and before serving. If it doesn't taste tart enough, I will add a little more vinegar.

Serve potato salad warm or at room temperature, garnished with parsley. When I make it ahead of time and refrigerate, I zap it in the microwave to warm it up.


tip: I freeze the left over beef broth in an ice cube tray and transfer to a freezer bag to use the next time I need beef broth.