Message
Week Day High Heat Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Inspired by a Cooks Illustrated recipe
Brine Ingredients:
1 cup kosher salt - or - 1/2 cup table salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Chicken and Potatoes:
1 cut-up chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 lbs
5 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and quartered.
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
First, create the brine (this is not required, but it helps keep the chicken moist) by dissolving the salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in a large container. Place the chicken in the water so that all pieces are submerged and refrigerate from 1 hour to all day. I place the chicken in the brine before work.
Second, adjust your oven rack to the second from the bottom level and preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
While the oven is heating do the following:
1. Line bottom of a broiler pan with foil.
2. In a bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt/pepper to taste (you can also can add a dash of paprika for color and garlic powder or crushed garlic for taste).
3. Spread the potatoes in the bottom of the broiler pan and place the top piece (the grate) onto the pan.
4. Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Then pat dry with paper towels.
5. Rub chicken with 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with pepper and a little bit of salt if you brined the chicken, a tad more salt if you did not brine.
6. Place the chicken onto the top of the broiler pan and place in the over.
7. Roast chicken for 20 minutes (the skin should be spotty brown). Rotate the pan and continue to roast for approximately 20 – 25 minutes more. The chicken is done when the skin is crisp and brown (and the thickest part of the breasts is 160 degrees when tested with an instant-read thermometer).
8. Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board and cover with foil.
9. Remove the broiler pan top and use a turkey baster or several sheets of paper towels to remove excess grease from around the potatoes. If you want the potatoes to be a bit crispier, place the pan under the broiler for a minute or two (watch them like a hawk).
10. Line a plate or bowl with paper towels and remove the potatoes to plate or bowl. If the potatoes look too greasy, use additional paper towels to pat off the remaining grease.
Plate the chicken and potatoes and serve with vegetable.
Inspired by a Cooks Illustrated recipe
Brine Ingredients:
1 cup kosher salt - or - 1/2 cup table salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Chicken and Potatoes:
1 cut-up chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 lbs
5 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and quartered.
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
First, create the brine (this is not required, but it helps keep the chicken moist) by dissolving the salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in a large container. Place the chicken in the water so that all pieces are submerged and refrigerate from 1 hour to all day. I place the chicken in the brine before work.
Second, adjust your oven rack to the second from the bottom level and preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
While the oven is heating do the following:
1. Line bottom of a broiler pan with foil.
2. In a bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt/pepper to taste (you can also can add a dash of paprika for color and garlic powder or crushed garlic for taste).
3. Spread the potatoes in the bottom of the broiler pan and place the top piece (the grate) onto the pan.
4. Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Then pat dry with paper towels.
5. Rub chicken with 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with pepper and a little bit of salt if you brined the chicken, a tad more salt if you did not brine.
6. Place the chicken onto the top of the broiler pan and place in the over.
7. Roast chicken for 20 minutes (the skin should be spotty brown). Rotate the pan and continue to roast for approximately 20 – 25 minutes more. The chicken is done when the skin is crisp and brown (and the thickest part of the breasts is 160 degrees when tested with an instant-read thermometer).
8. Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board and cover with foil.
9. Remove the broiler pan top and use a turkey baster or several sheets of paper towels to remove excess grease from around the potatoes. If you want the potatoes to be a bit crispier, place the pan under the broiler for a minute or two (watch them like a hawk).
10. Line a plate or bowl with paper towels and remove the potatoes to plate or bowl. If the potatoes look too greasy, use additional paper towels to pat off the remaining grease.
Plate the chicken and potatoes and serve with vegetable.
Anonymous wrote:OP here. The ideas have been so helpful!! And I'm proud to say that two nights in a row I've cooked recipes listed here and while my kids hardly ate as it wasn't mac n cheese or chicken nuggets, I figure they won't starve (there were veggie and fruit sides "acceptable" to them) and the more I cook real meals, the more likely it is that they will actually enjoy them. So, to answer Bakersman's questions--what an incredibly generous offer:
OP -
I'm willing to accept this challenge.
1. I'd say we are a 7. We buy mostly organic produce, dairy, meat, seafood, etc. And I don't want to serve beef more than one time a week...However, I've got a "meat and potatoes" type of husband and I don't actually like tofu and other meat-substitutes.
2. As for time, I think I've got an hour between the time I start cooking and the time dinner needs to be ready. My concern is actually a bit less the prep time but rather that I can't get to the grocery store more than about two times a week so I need to "buy in advance" for several of the meals.
3. No allergies.
4. Favorite food for me is seafood, but not for hubby and kids. They probably prefer chicken or beef.
5. I am intimidated by cooking as I never was taught it at home growing up and I have always leaned on take-out or VERY basic meals (pasta w/ red sauce, etc.) I'm ready to do more, as long as the steps and ingredients are limited. I figure the more comfortable I become in the kitchen (especially with timing, where I seem to fail most often) the more likely I am to branch out and take risks and try more interesting recipes.
THANK YOU!!!
Got it. Your family profile is similar to ours.
Anonymous wrote:OP here, I must say i'm surprised at the response to this thread, I thought I was the only one like this.
How many of you have spouses and kids though and how do you relate to them? Do you ever fear that the way you are will affect your kids? If so how?
Are you asking for the number of real or imaginary spouses and kids?
OP -
I'm willing to accept this challenge.
1. How health conscious are you on a scale of 1-10, 1 being I'd eat McDonalds ever day if given the choice and think Cheese Whiz can make anything taste better and 10 being I only fruit and vegetable that are so organic I can taste the dirt and I would never consider eating anything fried.
2. How much time do you have to prepare dinner? It would be helpful to know how much time you can dedicate to actively preparing the meal and the amount of time that can pass between when you get home and you need to get something on the table before the family begins fighting the dog for kibble.
3. Any allergies?
4. Anything a particular favorite foods?
5. Do you like cooking or is it something you do so everyone doesn't starve to death.
If you will answer these questions, I will try to give you 5-7 recipes that will meet your needs.
I'm willing to accept this challenge.
1. How health conscious are you on a scale of 1-10, 1 being I'd eat McDonalds ever day if given the choice and think Cheese Whiz can make anything taste better and 10 being I only fruit and vegetable that are so organic I can taste the dirt and I would never consider eating anything fried.
2. How much time do you have to prepare dinner? It would be helpful to know how much time you can dedicate to actively preparing the meal and the amount of time that can pass between when you get home and you need to get something on the table before the family begins fighting the dog for kibble.
3. Any allergies?
4. Anything a particular favorite foods?
5. Do you like cooking or is it something you do so everyone doesn't starve to death.
If you will answer these questions, I will try to give you 5-7 recipes that will meet your needs.
There are different machines and masks. Some are more comfortable than others. For instance, I couldn't stand a full face mask. Also the machine I have has variable pressure so when I exhale there is less pressure, which makes it more comfortable. You may want to experiment with other masks and machines.
What fillings other than prune, poppy seed and apricot have you had? I'm thinking of a pb&j filling.
My first thoughts are:
1. Teaching at the college level.
2. Health related policy research.
3. Librarian for a medical school or some other human sciences organizatio (e.g. NIH).
1. Teaching at the college level.
2. Health related policy research.
3. Librarian for a medical school or some other human sciences organizatio (e.g. NIH).
Anonymous wrote:http://simplyrecipes.com/
I just made some beef stroganoff from that site. They have GREAT basic recipes (and some fancier ones, too). Lots and lots of stuff, all organized by type of dish (main, soup, salad, cuisine type, etc). And I have found them to be consistently excellent, whereas allrecipes is hit-or-miss (sorry PPs!) -- nobody on there rates anything below a 4-star, and some of the recipes are just not good
I second this suggestion. I have over 50 cook books but now start looking for recipes here.
I always brown my roasts first and, while I have never used a roasting bag, I think you will need to do so in this case as well if you want that nice color.
This is pretty much what I do as well. But also let your chicken rest 15-20 minutes before you cut into it to allow the juices to redistribute. if you want crispy skin, cut slits between the drumbstick and thighs to let the fat out.Anonymous wrote:It all depends on the weight/size of the bird. If the first chicken was smaller, there's your problem right there.
Don't lower the temperature during the cooking -- it's not a pieI roast my chicken at 450 for about 1 hour for a 2-lb bird. A 3lb bird would be about 1 hr and 15 minutes. Add about 15 mins for each pound.
YOU MUST TRUSS THE CHICKEN to get great results! Period. Keeps the legs from drying out.
And if you're like me and you don't use a thermometer, check that the juices in the legs -- when they are running clear, the chicken is done. After you roast it, be sure to give it 15 minutes, tented with foil, to rest before you carve it.
Here is a guy's perspective. When you have both calmed down, you should explain why you are upset, not why or how he screwed up. If you try to explain how he did something wrong, he will just feel the need to explain to you why what he did was rightly not that bad. I am betting he would not do something to purposefully make you angry. But he may also have no clue why what he did has made you so angry. It took me a long time to realize that when a woman seemed angry that I had not taken the trash out, as I said I would, that we were actually arguing about what she saw as a broken promise or a what seemed to be me being dismissive of something she needed done.
Let me tell you why the silent treatment may not work. When I'm angry I like be left alone for a while. Gives metime to sort things out and come up with a plan on how to move forward. I'm not that different from a lot of guys on this issue. So when you give him the silent treatment he may interpret it as you just wanting to be left alone to sort things out. Which means that while he thinks he is doing the right thing by giving you time by yourself, you will be getting more angry that the has not realized that what you are doing is waiting for him to apologize.
In short, communication is the goal. He may know what he did, but he may not know why you are angry. If you want him to know you need to tell him.
Let me tell you why the silent treatment may not work. When I'm angry I like be left alone for a while. Gives metime to sort things out and come up with a plan on how to move forward. I'm not that different from a lot of guys on this issue. So when you give him the silent treatment he may interpret it as you just wanting to be left alone to sort things out. Which means that while he thinks he is doing the right thing by giving you time by yourself, you will be getting more angry that the has not realized that what you are doing is waiting for him to apologize.
In short, communication is the goal. He may know what he did, but he may not know why you are angry. If you want him to know you need to tell him.
Anonymous wrote:DH here. I was turned off by bakersman's rah-rah football analogy. But every bit of advice he gave is totally on point. Print out his post for your DH.
ROFL -- while I did mention team sports and controlling the clock in football, in reality, the team I was on was the debate team. The coach I was referencing was our debate team coach. He was a former U.S. Marine so his language may have been a bit saltier than most debate team coaches. But I think the same point work in football, debate or work.
Did he play team sports when he was younger? Because it sounds like he needs a playbook so that he knows what he needs to do in specific situations ahead of time. My coach used to tell use to remember the 4 Ps : Preparation, Prevents, Poor, Performance.
This is my general game plan for keeping projects on track.
1. Red Notebook - I have a medium sized red notebook that I carry around to jot down reminders, make lists and take notes if I need to do so. It is the one item that always goes to work and comes home with me. Why a medium sized red notebook? I want it to be easy to identify on my desk that is filled with yellow pads and files.
2. Long, medium and short term task lists. I have one task list that has everything on it, no matter when the due date is. The list will contain project names, and some sub tasks, but not every task that needs to get done. The second one is my medium goal list, this is the list I make/update on Friday before I leave the office with what I want to get done in the next two weeks. The final list has the tasks I want to complete in a single day. I make this list each morning with my coffee when I get to work, before others arrive. The important thing about this list is that you only put the amount of tasks that you realistically can do in a day. I'd rather have three tasks that I can get done, than five tasks and accomplish only three. Making this list helps you to establish realistic short-term goals.
3. Control the clock -- Just like in football or basketball, it is important to control the clock. If you answer the telephone every time it rings or open each email as it arrives, someone else is setting your schedule and disrupting your work rhythm. You will be playing defense the entire day. The very first think I do when I arrive at work is to quickly review all emails and telephone messages. I don’t review and respond to the messages as I read them. I do this before I make my list for the day since the messages could impact the daily list. I respond to as many of the emails as I can until about 9:30 am (I get to the office no later than 8:15-8:30 each day). I then take a short 5-10 minute break. From 9:45 to 10:30 or 11 :00, I return calls. From 11 to 12:30, I work on whatever project I have set for the day. During this block of work time, I shut my door and generally let calls go into voicemail and I don’t open emails as they arrive (I have turned off the audio and email preview notice function on my computer). When you think about it, how often is it actually critical that the person calling has to speak to you at the exact moment he or she calls. Around 12:30 I review emails and voicemail messages. I return any urgent calls/emails before lunch. If I need to call someone back, I like to send the person an email with a time I will call them back in the early afternoon (increases the chance they will be available). I then grab lunch. When I return from lunch, I check messages and return calls and respond to emails. After a 5-10 minute break, I go back to working on the day’s tasks (ignoring the telephone and emails) until about 3:30. I then check and return messages as needed, take a short break and turn back to the day’s tasks. I do another quick review of voicemail messages and emails around 4:45, and after responding to same, I make a decision as to what I can finish and what I need to take home. I personally prefer to work later than take work home so that when I am home I am there mentally as well as physically. Am I flexible about this? Yes. But if taking home work was the rule and not the exception, my marriage and outside of work life would suffer.
4. Give clear signals to the team. When you are supervising the work of others, it is important to let them know what you want. They cannot read your mind. You may tell a person to do X, thinking they clearly understand that to do X properly they need to also do A,B & C. If you don’t know they have done X before, make sure they know about A,B & C. You can’t assume other people know what you know. Set clear and realistic deadlines. A clear deadline is not, ASAP. That might be the preference, but all of the person’s projects have a deadline of ASAP, then he or she is left to guess the order in which you want the tasks accomplished. A realistic deadline is one that allows you time so to look over the person’s work, and, if it is not correct, have THEM make corrections. It may be faster to correct something yourself but in the long run it is better to explain to the person what needs to be changed and have the person do it. And most people appreciate the training opportunity. Also, if they team member does not check in to let you know how the projects you assigned are going, put it on your list to check in with them. You don't have to check in constantly (no need to micro manager) but either they should be checking in with you or you with them so that you have an idea what they are doing. Personally, I like to walk by the desks of each person each day to say hello, which give me an opportunity to check in.
5. Be the team captain. Most people want to be liked, however, if you are in charge it is more important to have good workers than friends. If someone doesn’t make a deadline or fails to perform in a satisfactory manner, it is your job to address the issue. You don’t have to be a tyrant or bully while doing so, but you have to convey that the matter is serious. If you treat your team members with respect, set clear expectations, act in a way that is predictable (i.e. don’t over react some times and under react other time), and give credit to your team when they deserve it, they will respect you. Also, make sure to tell people they are doing a good job when they are going so. Even though we expect people to do their jobs well, everyone likes to know that their contributions are appreciated.
6. Get yourself un-f**ked. When something goes wrong, and it will, it rarely helps to spend time deciding who made the mistake before you figure out how to, as my coach would say, get yourself un-f**ked. Wait until the crisis has passed and people have had time to calm down before holding the morbidity and mortality conference to discuss what went wrong and what could be done better next time.
This is my general game plan for keeping projects on track.
1. Red Notebook - I have a medium sized red notebook that I carry around to jot down reminders, make lists and take notes if I need to do so. It is the one item that always goes to work and comes home with me. Why a medium sized red notebook? I want it to be easy to identify on my desk that is filled with yellow pads and files.
2. Long, medium and short term task lists. I have one task list that has everything on it, no matter when the due date is. The list will contain project names, and some sub tasks, but not every task that needs to get done. The second one is my medium goal list, this is the list I make/update on Friday before I leave the office with what I want to get done in the next two weeks. The final list has the tasks I want to complete in a single day. I make this list each morning with my coffee when I get to work, before others arrive. The important thing about this list is that you only put the amount of tasks that you realistically can do in a day. I'd rather have three tasks that I can get done, than five tasks and accomplish only three. Making this list helps you to establish realistic short-term goals.
3. Control the clock -- Just like in football or basketball, it is important to control the clock. If you answer the telephone every time it rings or open each email as it arrives, someone else is setting your schedule and disrupting your work rhythm. You will be playing defense the entire day. The very first think I do when I arrive at work is to quickly review all emails and telephone messages. I don’t review and respond to the messages as I read them. I do this before I make my list for the day since the messages could impact the daily list. I respond to as many of the emails as I can until about 9:30 am (I get to the office no later than 8:15-8:30 each day). I then take a short 5-10 minute break. From 9:45 to 10:30 or 11 :00, I return calls. From 11 to 12:30, I work on whatever project I have set for the day. During this block of work time, I shut my door and generally let calls go into voicemail and I don’t open emails as they arrive (I have turned off the audio and email preview notice function on my computer). When you think about it, how often is it actually critical that the person calling has to speak to you at the exact moment he or she calls. Around 12:30 I review emails and voicemail messages. I return any urgent calls/emails before lunch. If I need to call someone back, I like to send the person an email with a time I will call them back in the early afternoon (increases the chance they will be available). I then grab lunch. When I return from lunch, I check messages and return calls and respond to emails. After a 5-10 minute break, I go back to working on the day’s tasks (ignoring the telephone and emails) until about 3:30. I then check and return messages as needed, take a short break and turn back to the day’s tasks. I do another quick review of voicemail messages and emails around 4:45, and after responding to same, I make a decision as to what I can finish and what I need to take home. I personally prefer to work later than take work home so that when I am home I am there mentally as well as physically. Am I flexible about this? Yes. But if taking home work was the rule and not the exception, my marriage and outside of work life would suffer.
4. Give clear signals to the team. When you are supervising the work of others, it is important to let them know what you want. They cannot read your mind. You may tell a person to do X, thinking they clearly understand that to do X properly they need to also do A,B & C. If you don’t know they have done X before, make sure they know about A,B & C. You can’t assume other people know what you know. Set clear and realistic deadlines. A clear deadline is not, ASAP. That might be the preference, but all of the person’s projects have a deadline of ASAP, then he or she is left to guess the order in which you want the tasks accomplished. A realistic deadline is one that allows you time so to look over the person’s work, and, if it is not correct, have THEM make corrections. It may be faster to correct something yourself but in the long run it is better to explain to the person what needs to be changed and have the person do it. And most people appreciate the training opportunity. Also, if they team member does not check in to let you know how the projects you assigned are going, put it on your list to check in with them. You don't have to check in constantly (no need to micro manager) but either they should be checking in with you or you with them so that you have an idea what they are doing. Personally, I like to walk by the desks of each person each day to say hello, which give me an opportunity to check in.
5. Be the team captain. Most people want to be liked, however, if you are in charge it is more important to have good workers than friends. If someone doesn’t make a deadline or fails to perform in a satisfactory manner, it is your job to address the issue. You don’t have to be a tyrant or bully while doing so, but you have to convey that the matter is serious. If you treat your team members with respect, set clear expectations, act in a way that is predictable (i.e. don’t over react some times and under react other time), and give credit to your team when they deserve it, they will respect you. Also, make sure to tell people they are doing a good job when they are going so. Even though we expect people to do their jobs well, everyone likes to know that their contributions are appreciated.
6. Get yourself un-f**ked. When something goes wrong, and it will, it rarely helps to spend time deciding who made the mistake before you figure out how to, as my coach would say, get yourself un-f**ked. Wait until the crisis has passed and people have had time to calm down before holding the morbidity and mortality conference to discuss what went wrong and what could be done better next time.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I make cranberry orange pinwheels every christmas using the recipe in the classic better homes and gardens cookbook. They rarely make it 48 hrs and everyone fights over the last ones.
Do you mind posting the recipe? Sounds delicious.
This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens 100 Best Cookies magazine from a few years back. I'm guessing it is the same one.
1 cup cranberries
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
3 cups all purpose flour
1. For filling, in a blender or food processor combine cranberries, pecans and brown sugar. Cover and blend or process until cranberries and nuts are finely chopped; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and orange peel until combined. Add flour and mix in. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
3. Roll half of dough between pieces of waxed paper into a 10-inch square. Spread half of the filling over dough square to within 1/2 inch of edges; roll up dough. Moisten edges; pinch to seal. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 4 to 24 hours. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
4. Preheat oven to 375. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices; place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack; cool. Makes about 60.
I second this suggestion.Anonymous wrote:Persimmon