Everyone Can Roast a Chicken

It is unfortunate but true that blogging is a fantastic way to procrastinate. Unfortunate because I love to procrastinate, and even more unfortunate because, as a blogger, I have almost unlimited outlets for procrastination.

Today's post is entitled "Everyone Can Roast a Chicken." Why, might you ask, is today's post labeled this? Because everyone CAN roast a chicken. It's not scary, I promise. So, to my friend Bridget, who worries about the complexities of chicken roasting, I give you my roast chicken recipe from last year's seder....

Simple Roasted Chicken
1 6/12 to 7-pound roasting chicken, rinsed, patted dry
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh sage leaves or 1/2 tsp. dried ground sage
¼ cup fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves or 1 tsp. crumbled dried rosemary (these three herbs often found together as "poultry mix" in veggie section of supermarket)
¼ medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 head garlic, cloved and peeled, half of heads sliced
1 1/2 cups (kosher) white wine
5 tbsn pareve margarine, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse chickens; pat dry. Gently loosen skin over breasts and thighs. Rub softened margarine under the skin, concentrating most of the margarine over the breast meat. Slide garlic slices and fresh herbs under skin as well, concentrating on breast and thigh meat. Sprinkle skin and inside cavity with salt and pepper. Place onion pieces and remaining garlic cloves in chicken cavity. Place chicken breast side down, on racks in large roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

Turn chickens breast side up. Deglaze bottom of pan with wine and baste chicken with accumulated pan juices. Continue to roast until cooked through and deep brown, basting with any juices in pan and brushing with additional honey occasionally, about 55 minutes longer. Transfer chickens to platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

I particularly like this chicken with the following potatoes, though the potatoes, plus a salad and a glass of wine, can be great as a veggie main...

Dad’s “James Beard” Potatoes
My dad calls these “James Beard” potatoes but I have searched for and never found a James Beard recipe for these, so I think my dad may have made that label up. They are great with the chicken above but are also good as a light dinner if you top them with chevre and serve them with a green salad.

3-4 cups coarsely sliced Yukon Gold or other thin-skinned potatoes
1 tbsn dried rosemary, crumbled in your hand
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped
6-8 smallish garlic cloves, peeled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss potatoes, onions and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat with olive oil (may need less oil, so add it bit by bit until all the potatoes/onions/garlic are coated). Spread in a single layer over baking sheet and roast 45-55 minutes, turning potatoes over after about 25 minutes (the bottoms will be browned and crispy). Add salt and pepper as necessary.

OMG Pot Pie and Posting

I am the worst blogger EVER!

I have been interviewing, dear readers, and I have found that it is much easier to lose weight when one is not cooking (or eating) on a regular basis. However, I also recommend against the no-eating weight loss regime, as it is not a fun process. In the meantime, some notes:

1. I love Lara Bars. I discovered the Cherry and Apple Pie flavors at Trader Joe's. People, these things are amazing. First of all, they don't have a weird chemical aftertaste like almost all other food that comes in a bar shape. Second, they have 20% of one's daily fiber intake and lots of vitamins. Third, they are kosher and parve - which means they satisfy a sugar fix after a meat meal, which drives me CRAZY when I eat meat (i.e. twice a month).

2. Don't go to law school. Maybe I should have put this first, but let's be honest, I don't even want to think about it right now. Even writing about it makes me feel itchy all over. Ugh.

3. I. Love. The. Bowery. I visited back in August while I was staying with my friend Danielle, and OMG it is the most heavenly place on earth. Deliciousness everywhere.

And, finally, last but not least, a recipe for my weary reader. I have not forgotten you, I promise. I will be blogging more regularly now that the interview process is drawing to a close.

Kosher Turkey Shepherd's Pie

I guess it's not "shepherd's" pie unless there is mutton in it. On the other hand, when I was growing up, my mother used ground beef, and I can safely say that I don't need any additional fat calories from the ground beef, so I substituted ground turkey. This is pretty basic comfort food. On the bright side, it freezes beautifully and can (and should!) be made in batches.

Makes two loaf pans (6 generous servings)

1 box parve instant mashed potatoes (plus water in the amount recommended in the cooking directions)
3-4 tbsn parve margarine
1 package tofutti or other soy cream cheese (hechshered parve)
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
1 package lean ground turkey
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small box "creamy" mushroom soup (I like "Imagine" brand, which is available at Whole Foods in 16 oz containers)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 aluminum loaf pans (and foil, if freezing).

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare instant mashed potatoes. Overcome your probable guilt at even considering USING mashed potatoes by remembering that you don't have time to be making this anyway, so why not save the 15 minutes it takes to peel, boil and mash real potatoes. In the meantime, boil water and make a full box of instant potatoes, using not only the margarine as called for on the box (3-4 tbsn) but also half of the soy cream cheese and salt and pepper to taste. If you like adventure, add other herbs and spices.

2. Meanwhile, in a large, thick-bottomed skillet, saute onion in a little bit of olive oil (one turn of the pan) until translucent. Add ground turkey, breaking up the pieces as you brown it. When the turkey is more or less totally cooked through, add the soup and the other half of the soy cream cheese, blending well.

3. Spoon half of turkey mixture into bottom of loaf pan. Top with half the peas and carrots, then spoon the mashed potatoes over top. Place on a baking sheet and bake until potatoes are brown on top and veggies are hot, about 30-35 minutes. Serve with a salad or steamed green beans.

Alternatively, prepare the dish through the layering of ingredients, then wrap each package in two layers of aluminum foil and freeze for later use. (Since this recipe makes two loaf pans, you can bake one and freeze one for later).