Classic Chicken Dinner

Brined Roast Chicken

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Brining is one of the oldest kitchen techniques in the world; it’s a very common way to preserve food with salt. It’s also an amazingly simple way to make the juiciest chicken you’ve ever had!

Ingredients:

Brined Roast Chicken

• 2 qt of water
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• A fresh chicken
• A chopped onion or two
• A few chopped parsnips
• A few chopped carrots
• A few stalks of chopped celery
• A splash of olive oil

Directions:

Brined Roast Chicken

1. Whisk the salt and sugar into the water until they’re completely dissolved. Place the chicken in a large bowl or pot and cover with the water. Refrigerate it in the brine for an hour or two then remove it and dry well with a clean towel.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Toss the vegetables with the oil and a bit of salt and pepper then pour them into a casserole dish or shallow roasting pan. Sit the chicken on top and roast it until an instant read thermometer registers 160°F in the thickest part of the breast and 165°F in the thigh. Cooking time depends on the size of your chicken.
3. As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle - and without taking it out of the pan - cut off the legs and slice off the breasts. Cut as much of the meat as possible off the bones and stir into the vegetables. Serve together.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Everybody knows how good mashed potatoes are but if you really want to impress your friends and family try them with brown butter. You won’t believe how much flavour is locked into a stick of butter but you will believe these are the best-mashed spuds you’ve ever had!

Ingredients:

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lb. or so of unpeeled potatoes (about four large)
• 1 stick of salted butter (four ounces)
• A few pinches of nutmeg
• A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Directions:

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

1. Cut the potatoes into large chunks then steam, boil or microwave them until they’re tender. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, toss the butter into a small saucepot and heat it until it melts over medium heat. Because butter contains as much as twenty percent water it will then begin to steam and foam. Once the water has evaporated the foam will subside and the butter’s temperature will begin to rise. The milk fat solids that are one or two percent of the butter will then begin to brown. Continue watching as it begins foaming a second time. Swirl it gently, watching the colour, until it turns golden brown and releases the aroma of toasting nuts. Immediately pour the browned butter into a bowl to stop it from browning further.
3. When the potatoes are tender mash in the butter, nutmeg and seasonings. Taste and season a bit more if needed. Then watch the bowl empty!

Power Smoothies

Ease of Preparation: Easy
1 Serving

A well-crafted smoothie tastes so good you’ll forget it’s good for you! It’s one of my favourite ways to fill a glass with energy, nutrients and flavour. Use it to kick off your day – everyday – with the goodness of fruit. At heart, it’s just flavoured fruit puree so it’s easy to make. It’s also easy to jazz up with other healthy goodies like flax seed oil, yogurt or berries.

Power Smoothies

Orange, grapefruit, cranberry or apple juice
Yogurt, preferably active culture - alive and kicking!
Ripe bananas
Frozen blueberries or other frozen berries
Other ripe seasonal fruit, fresh or frozen
Flax seed oil
Vanilla extract
Honey

Orange, grapefruit and cranberry are the best juice choices. They’re not as calorie rich as apple juice and tend to be higher in nutrients. Active culture yogurt is full of real live goodness; it’s a much better choice than sugar-laden substitutes. Bananas add reliable body and smoothness and they’re full of nutrients like potassium. Blueberries are packed with anti-oxidant blood scrubbers that are good for you – even if you don’t know what an anti-oxidant does. Flax seed oil is loaded with a laundry list of good stuff including a high concentration of the same omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.

Orange Banana Berry
Toss a banana or two into a blender with a handful of frozen berries. Pour in orange juice until it’s almost level with the fruit. Add a large spoonful or two of yogurt, a splash of flax seed oil and a dribble of vanilla. Puree until smooth. Drink with a big smile on your face!

Berry Blaster
Toss a handful of frozen blueberries into a blender with a handful of frozen strawberries. Pour in enough cranberry juice to almost cover the fruit. Add a large heaping spoonful or two of yogurt, a small spoonful of honey, a splash of flax seed oil and a dribble of vanilla. Puree until smooth.
Feel your body sing!

Raspberry Peach
Toss a handful of frozen raspberries into a blender with a handful of peach slices. Pour in enough orange juice to almost submerge the fruit. Add a large heaping spoonful or two of yogurt, a splash of flax seed oil and a dribble of vanilla. Puree until smooth. Mix with champagne for a special brunch treat!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Makes about 18 cookies. (depending on size)

This is probably the most important recipe in my repertoire because it impresses my son Gabe more than anything else I cook! It’s a favourite of my family’s and I’m sure yours will love it too.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A heaping cup of all-purpose flour
One-half spoonful of salt
A small spoonful of baking powder
A stick of cold salted butter
One-third cup of brown sugar
One-third cup of white sugar
A spoonful of corn syrup
An egg
A splash of vanilla
A cup of chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together. Set aside.
Cream the cold butter and sugars together by beating them until they’re smooth in a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer beat vigorously by hand in a large mixing bowl or combine them in a food processor. Add the corn syrup, egg and vanilla and continue beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and gradually add the flour mix, beating just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and any optional nuts with a spoon.

Using a spoon scoop out a ball of the dough and drop onto a lightly greased cookie tray. Flatten slightly. Repeat leaving lots of room in between the balls for the cookies to expand. Bake for ten to twelve minutes. Cool for two minutes on the cookie sheet then remove and cool further.



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