I also realized how freaking far behind I am on blogging my results to you all!! I'm already on week 11 but haven't even blogged past week four! Oi. Julia, what am I going to do with you? So, I also thought, I should do some sort of weekly roundup - write about whatever I made that week, no ifs, ands, or buts. (I totally always thought my mom was saying, "No if, sands, or butts." when I was little. hehe.) No more of this random picking and choosing, of which I seem to be in the habit. I had thought about only relaying the recipes which were surefire successes, but that wasn't the whole point of this. I started out to try a whole lot of different recipes and write about them - good and bad, successes and embarrassments. And who knows - you might figure out a way to fix a recipe that was a flop in my book, and everyone has different tastes, anyway.
It'll be good to get back into the habit of writing. Ever since I moved to NYC I've had absolutely zero inspiration to write what I used to love writing (which I believe I mentioned is one of the reasons I started this blog - at least I'm writing something). A friend told me some things she'd like to read about, and rest assured they will be notated :) So, if there's anything your little heart desires to see written about here on this little blog, let me know - it'll probably show up!
So, since I just spent a lot of time discussing how organized I'm going to be with this whole PFC, there's no time like the present, is there?
A friend came over and we made a feast of Braised Zucchini, Roast Chicken, and knocked back a few Seductive Swans. Let us start with the Seductive Swan - because I'm a cook who drinks while she cooks. (These are all from week 4)
1.5 oz Vodka
5 Blackberries
3 oz lemonade
Ice
Muddle 4 blackberries in the bottom of the glass. Put 2 ice cubes in. Add vodka (I eyeball liquor measurements), top off with lemonade. Garnish with remaining blackberry.
This is refreshing and very pretty - definitely one of my staple drinks here at home.
2 Zucchini, cut into strips
Cherry Tomatoes, cut lengthwise
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
A few fresh Basil leaves, torn
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet, then add zucchini - cook quickly until browned. Remove zucchini to a bowl.
2. Add a bit more oil, then saute the chopped garlic 30 seconds, then add cherry tomatoes (I used probably half of the square container they come in - base it on how much zucchini you have).
3. When tomatoes soften, add zucchini back into pan. Season with salt and pepper, toss. Add basil, toss again. Serve warm.
Unfortunately, because I was doing several things at once, trying to get the chicken ready and whatnot, to my chagrin the zucchini came out rather over done. This recipe has potential - just make sure you don't over cook it!
3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lb roasting chicken
1 med/large onion, chopped
4-5 Carrots, scrubbed and chopped
4 Celery stalks, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, smashed
1 Lemon, quartered
(And butter, apparently - see, this is what happens when I don't write this stuff down right away - I don't remember what the heck I do!)
4 tsp salt
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cayenne Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2. Make sure there aren't any innards in the chicken. Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Rub smashed garlic all over chicken, then pop inside the cavity. Slather melted butter over this bad boy (I named him Alfred), then rub that rub all over his tub. (Ok, what? Seriously, Julia? Sorry - moving on). Make sure you get under his skin. Stuff him with the lemon quarters. (I just realized how dirty preparing a chicken can sound. But maybe that's just me...)
4. Place chopped veggies in a crock pot. Put Alfred (or whatever you've named your chicken) on top. Feel free to splash some white wine over - though the recipe doesn't call for any liquid. Cook on low 4-8hrs. Alfred was only 3 lbs, so he was does in like, 4hrs. Cooking time depends on the size of your bird and your crock pot temperature.
5. Remove Alfred (or similarly named fowl), place in some sort of heat-proof dish/pan, and pop in the broiler for 4-5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with delicious (and not over cooked) sides!
My friend and I agreed we didn't like the rub - it was too spicy. Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some spice. But it just tasted really weird on roast chicken. It's a good base recipe - with the veggies and cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot (the lemon keeps the chicken moist - and this chicken certainly was juicy!), but if I ever try this recipe again, I'll definitely do different spices - lemon pepper/tuscan sunset spices, something along those lines.
So, unfortunately, this dinner was a bit disappointing all around for me - but the drink was delicious! And my friends always seem to be happy to let me experiment my food on them :)
Until next time, dear readers.