Tag: chicken

Connecticut Farmer & Feast Book Review

I found the Connecticut Farmer & Feast: Harvesting Local Bounty book at the library, and took a few weeks to read it.

The book opens with an introduction and I was saddened & shocked to learn that Connecticut’s farmland is disappearing at an unbelievable and alarming rate of 8000 acres a year! The author, Emily Brooks, states that it is one of the fastest in the country! In less than 20 years, CT has lost 21% of their farmland; residential and commercial building is taking over.

She also states that farms require less than 50 cents in town services for every dollar they generate in local taxes while residential development costs towns more than 1 dollar for every dollar of revenue generated.

That statement puzzled and intrigued me, so I did some research. With the cost of schools/education, police/fire, road maintenance, towns that have a choice to purchase & save open space vs allow commercial/residential development, are much better off in the long run choosing to save the open space. Real estate taxes go up for everyone to recoup the cost of more children attending schools.

Here is a great link I found while searching:
http://www.greatswamp.org/Education/anjec.htm

When I think about it though, we can’t blame the farmers for selling out to developers. The local farmer is overworked and vastly under-appreciated.

That’s why this book is so important. It shines the well-deserved light onto local Connecticut farmers.

The book is divided by county. Each farm is highlighted with a few pages, including their location info and a full description/interview with several photos.

There are many different types of farms including many that grow vegetables, several that raise animals, and some even operate a fishing/shellfish business.

I was amazed that there were also a few maple syrup producers, although the book states that only tenth of % of all maple trees in Connecticut are actually tapped for their syrup.

This is not necessarily a cookbook although there are lovely recipes using some ingredients that the highlighted farm sells. It’s more like a history book with stories from each farm with photos so you can really see each farmer and the land they work.

Some stories are heart warming and some are heart breaking. For instance, the owners of Futtner’s Family Farm (3 generations) are going through financial problems due to health issues. They are drowning in medical bills. Theirs is a sad but hopeful story of family and deep love for each other and farming.

I wish we lived just a little closer to Connecticut and some of these marvelous farms.

It’s exciting that the author is currently writing a ” target=”_blank”>similar book for NYC. I really hope she considers a Massachusetts version in the future! It’s something that could be a fantastic reference for every state!

If you live nearby to Connecticut, I recommend finding a copy of the Connecticut Farmer & Feast: Harvesting Local Bounty book, even if it’s from the local library. It’s a great resource to learn more about specifically where your food comes from!

Disclaimer:
I love reading cookbooks, like some people love reading novels! I am inspired by recipes, and enjoy learning ideas from cookbooks, which means I’d rather put my own spin on a recipe than follow it exactly. Please keep in mind that my opinions might be completely different from the other home cooks.

Organic Whole Chickens – One Day Sale at Whole Foods Market

This Friday, Whole Foods Market is having a great sale on organic whole chickens – $1.99/lb.

I called my local store and they are specifically selling chickens rated Step #3 on their 5-step animal welfare rating system.

No, Step #3 is not as wonderful as step #4 which is “fully pastured” but it’s much better than the #2 rating that the majority of their chickens are rated.

Chickens rated as Step #3 have continuous daily access to the outdoors. As per the Global Animal Partnership standards details:

From 4 weeks of age, all birds must have continuous access to an outdoor area that is equal to or greater than 25% of the total floor space of the house. During seasonal or weather conditions that pose a welfare risk and preclude outdoor access, all birds must have continuous access to an indoor foraging area that is equal to or greater than 25% of the occupied floor area of the house.

The bonus is the chickens are raised organically, so that means no GMO in the feed!

I’m going crazy because my shopping list was organized (and budgeted) for a trip to Trader Joe’s on Friday. Now this sale has de-railed that plan. ;) I’ll be shopping at Whole Foods Market on Friday instead.

I’m psyched because the bag of navel oranges are still on sale, along with the split chicken breasts for my dogs!

Is it bad to eat corn & soy fed meat from a humanely raised farm?

I’m in the middle of a debate with myself. Which is a better purchase?

  1. 100% grass-fed animal products sold at Whole Foods that might or might not be humanely raised, from an faceless farm in different state many many miles away?
  2. or
    local humanely-raised outdoors, mostly grass-fed but also fed corn & soy?
  3. or
    local humanely-raised outdoors, 100% grass-fed, but at a much higher cost to purchase?

I had a long conversation with a local farmer at the farmer’s market yesterday. He pasture-raises his animals, but he also supplements with soy and corn feed. I don’t necessarily agree with all his reasons to feed GMO corn and soy, but our discussion was enlightening.

Corn-fed beef tastes more familiar to consumers than 100% grassfed, and it’s more cost effective.

He didn’t come right out and say it, but reading between the lines, I realized that as a farmer, you’re trying to sell to many people, so it’s necessary to make local humanely-raised animals more attractive and accessible by keeping the cost as low as you can, and at the same time, offering a meat product that tastes better but more “familiar” to the consumer.

He is a responsible farmer. He uses no chemical fertilizers, as the fields are self-fertilized by the animals. He’s sustainable, and that’s more than we can say about the majority of other farms (even organic) across the country.

I wrestle with the idea of adding corn/soy to a cow’s diet, and I know there are other local farms that do not feed corn and soy, but they also have to charge much much more. Is it worth the extra cost? Perhaps, yes, or perhaps it doesn’t matter so much either way because we personally limit our animal product consumption, and eat mostly plant based foods.

Or perhaps it doesn’t matter because the animals and the farmland they are raised on, are treated with respect and care by ALL of these farmers.

Then it hit me. I realized the most important question I should be asking is how well the animal is being treated? As long as an animal is raised with respect, on land that is equally respected, THAT is a good life. THAT should be priority number one!

So I did purchase a few items from that farmer. I bought a small whole chicken, a beefalo brisket, and a small picnic pork roast. My total was just shy of $60. I’m still considering other sources, but it’s a start for me in my quest for local meat!

PS He told me he feeds about 5-6 pounds of formulated grain (no anti-biotic or growth hormones) to each his beef cows per day; from what I gathered online, the average feedlot cow eats about 20 pounds of corn/grain per day, so, if my calculations are correct, his animals are not getting a whole lot of corn/soy per day and are mostly grass fed.

$5 Challenge – Slow Food With a Budget

So the Slow Food movement has been promoting a $5 challenge that is starting today, Sept 17th. Cook a meal for yourself, your family, your neighbors, a party, for $5 or less per person, using the slow food ideals: “food that is good for those who eat it, good for farmers and workers, and good for the planet.”

The $5 challenge has been met with praise and some criticism.

Yes, for a family of 5 or more, @ $5 per person, that could pose a bigger challenge for some families to afford on an ongoing basis. But I think the point is, the $5 amount is a guideline, as in “$5 or LESS” – so work within your own monetary means.

My $5 Challenge Meal

Last night I started to think about what I would like to cook for my $5 challenge meal. I won’t know exactly how the finished dish will come out until I start cooking, but I was inspired by a couple of recipes:

  1. Butternut squash with celery leaves and orecchiette (Whole Foods recipe) – now I wish that I didn’t “dry” all the leaves from this week’s fresh CSA celery.
  2. Pasta with Winter Squash and Tomatoes (Mark Bittman from cooking channel)

Here are the planned ingredients (I’m not counting salt & pepper or dried spices or balsamic vinegar):

  • $1.22 per person – Air chilled boneless chicken breast $4.89 for just under a pound = 4 servings. We’ll have leftovers! (boneless chicken breast is a treat for us, I normally buy whole chickens – pastured or organic. Eventually, I’d like to find a local source, but for now, I purchase at Whole Foods store.
  • $.52 per person – Butternut Squash @ 2.11 for 2 lb squash = 2 4 servings – after cutting up the squash, I realized there is more than enough for 4 servings.
  • $.38 per person – Dececco Pasta 3oz each person @$2 for a 16 oz box (Dececco is my splurge pasta. I think this brand is worth the slightly extra cost.)
  • $.17 per person – one 8 oz onion – 3 servings
  • $.58 per person – received a pint of mixed cherry tomatoes in our CSA box this week plus I picked a tomato from our garden (FREE). I’m estimating the cost to be $3.49 for the whole pint. Only using half the pint box tonight – 2 3+ servings.
  • $.14 per person – Olive oil 2 Tbsp. $7 for a bottle of California Olive Oil = 50 Tbsp per bottle
  • $.33 per person – Parsley from CSA. A batch of parsley – 3 servings
  • $.66 per person – I’m adding left-over cooked green beans, and a batch of pea tendrils, both from my CSA share this week. I’m estimating the cost for 3 servings.

$4 per serving!

Our Meal: Orecchiette Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash, Sauteed Onions, Pea Tendrils, Tomatoes, Green Beans, & Parsley Topped with Baked Boneless Chicken Breast

$5 challenge - slow food

UPDATE: Well our meal was great. Not the BEST dinner we’ve ever had, (I wasn’t totally happy with the butternut squash mingling with the other flavors) but it was very tasty and VERY filling. I even had a lot of leftover veggies that I’ll throw into a soup tomorrow with the rest of the chicken.

Note: I ended up tweaking the ingredients’ cost per serving due to the left-over veggies.

Even though I have been regularly cooking and eating “slow”, it was helpful to organize my ingredients beforehand and really “see” how I was spending my money. It made me think about how I can create a better meal but save money at the same time! On the negative side, it was a little more stressful than usual. I don’t like being held in a constrained box when I’m cooking. I like being spontaneous. For me personally, I’d rather stick to a monthly or weekly budget, not a per meal budget, but it is a good way to start for newbies just learning to cook homemade food.

I hope the slow food $5 challenge brings much needed attention to good old-fashioned family dinners! Whether your table is set for two or twenty, get back to cooking from scratch! And challenge yourself to create something wonderful without spending a lot of cash. It can be done!!!

Links:

Eating From the Freezer

I have decided to try to eat what’s in my freezer before purchasing any more meat or seafood.

I have lovely scallops, shrimp, boneless chicken, whole chicken, ground beef, etc. and I think it’s important to save some money and just concentrate on eating what’s there first.

So far so good! I roasted a chicken on Sunday, and it’s given us 6 meals! 4 dinners (including soup!) and 2 lunches!

I can’t believe that I haven’t been to Whole Foods since the end of August! I did shop at the local Market Basket grocery store to pick up a few things, I desperately needed a bag of King Arthur white whole wheat flour, yogurt, and some bananas.

This week, I’m glad that there isn’t much on sale again at Whole Foods. I’ll just pick up a few necessities at Market Basket, and grab all my produce from the local farms and from my CSA share at Farmer Daves.

With our lower meat consumption, I could actually be sustained for a few weeks, and possibly not need to visit Whole Foods until October. Wow, now wouldn’t that be a feat!

But for now, one week at a time!

Big BIG Plan Ahead Cooking Weekend

My sweet niece is having her first baby within a couple of weeks. I know as new parents, they are not going to have a lot of time (and energy) to cook healthy meals for themselves, so I am taking this weekend to cook up big batches of food to freeze for them.

Yesterday, I went shopping and purchased most of what I needed.

  • Chicken bone-in whole breast (found a good deal on Bell & Evans air-chilled) – chicken soup
  • A large beef chuck shoulder roast along with a 7-bone chuck roast – braised beef
  • 5 lb potatoes and 5 lb onions – not sure if I’ll be able to use the potatoes, as I’m reading that potatoes do not freeze well.
  • Kale, carrots, poplano peppers
  • Swanson chicken low sodium broth – a brand I haven’t bought in a long time.
  • Small bag of store brand white rice
  • 6 cans of Pine Cone whole tomatoes – another brand that I haven’t bought in awhile, but it was cheap!
  • And the purchase that shames me more than anything….a pack of frozen Perdue chicken breast. Oh the horror. I have spent so much time criticizing Perdue and other “Big Food” companies like them, I can’t believe that I stooped so low to actually purchase their product! But they are convenient, and my niece and her DBF will be able to prepare them quickly and easily.

So, yesterday afternoon I got started on the chicken soup and white rice.

The soup turned out very well. I sauteed onions, celery, carrots, (and from my fridge,) zucchini and a couple chopped radishes in my new 7 qt Staub cast iron pot (oh have I mentioned I absolutely ADORE this pot!) and then I added some fresh tomato chunks, and both cartons of chicken broth, along with the bone-in chicken breast and tons of dried herbs and a little turmeric. Simmered it on the stove for over an hour, and it was done.

I divided the chicken into two 1-gallon freezer bags along with a hefty portion of soup. I filled one more bag with just the soup (no chicken) with instructions to add a cooked Perdue chicken breast if needed.

The rice didn’t fair as well. I decided to try Lucinda Scala Quinn’s suggestion of a 1 to 1.5 ratio when cooking white rice.

In my 4 qt Staub pot, I poured 3 cups water and added 2 cups of rice and some salt. I was a little distracted, and made the mistake of leaving it for a couple of minutes, and then stirring the rice. You’re not supposed to stir rice while cooking, but there was still a big mound of rice rising out of the water. When the liquid was cooked out, I took it off heat, and allowed it to “steam” like I always do. Well, when I tasted it afterward, there were “crunchy” parts. Oh no!

My biggest mistake I think, looking back in hindsight was using such a large pot. The water wasn’t filled enough over the top of the rice and I think it evaporated too quickly. Then I left the pot with the rice still mounded up over the water for a few minutes and stirred it!

I tried to fix my mistake today by re-cooking the rice (same pot) but adding about 1.5 cups more water. I allowed it to cook until the water evaporated and then I took off heat to allow it to steam. I like steaming rice after cooking, as it allows any “stuck” on bits at the bottom to soften and lift from the pot. Makes it easier to clean and it make the rice fluffy!

So, I think the rice is saved! I packed it into 3 quart sized freezer bags.

Oh and a bit of advice about freezing. I know my niece doesn’t have a large freezer, so I wanted to make the food as compact as possible. I am freezing everything flat on a large cookie sheet, so she won’t have to worry about too much bulk.

Today’s cooking started out with braised beef, and ended with some tasty tomato sauce. In between I made her a loaf of homemade bread.

For the braised beef, I used my wonderful 7 quart Staub again (I can’t believe how useful this pot is!) and I browned the beef. Starting with the taller roast chunk, I browned all 4 sides, then I transferred onto a plate. I browned the larger flatter 7-bone “roast” (it’s not really a roast, it’s more like a chuck steak, but then I suppose shoppers might confuse it for a real steak and try to grill it, not braise it) on top and bottom. Oh and I generously salted and peppered all sides of the roasts as I was flipping.

Once the 7-bone was browned, I transferred that to the dish as well, then tossed in 5 large-chopped onions and a little bit of juice from one can of tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon (I NEVER use metal in my beloved enameled cast iron) I scraped up some of the delicious flavor bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.

I allowed the onions to cook for a few minutes, covered, then added some cheap red wine, scraping up more flavor bits at the bottom, making sure they were all found. I arranged each piece of meat back into the pot, then poured the rest of the canned tomatoes and more wine on top. Covered and cooked for about 5 hours. I checked on it once after 3 hours.

When it was tender and falling apart, I removed the meat from pot to a large platter to cool. What was left in the pot was scrumptious, so I figured it would be a great base for tomato sauce, which I could then make into chili later.

So, I poured 4 cans of tomatoes into the pot, along with what I thought was some mild Poblano chili peppers – ouch. My fingers are still stinging from chopping them. I usually wear gloves while chopping hot chiles, but since Poblanos are known to be very mild, I didn’t. Thankfully I tasted a small piece before putting too many into the pot. It was powerfully hot! So, I chopped the rest to freeze in a quart freezer bag for them to use in future recipes. I only added about a half a chili, figuring I can add more later.

In the meantime, I started to shred the beef and transfer the pieces to a glass storage container, making sure to keep out any gross fat pieces. The large chuck roast didn’t have much fat to remove, but the 7-bone had a bit.

I’ll keep the meat in the fridge overnight and pack it into freezer bags tomorrow, along with maybe starting on a batch of chili with beans, and the rest of the carrots and kale.

And so, all in all, it was a productive day…Yes, my fingers are still stinging and tingling from the chili oils, and I have two small burns on my arm. One from the beef splattering up at me trying to take it out of the pot, and once when I touched the top of the oven while taking the pot out of the oven. Boy, that pot is a heavy one too. But I love cast iron for muscles! Who needs a gym when you can lift heavy pots!

Anyway, it was a good cooking day! Tomorrow, I’ll probably make her some blueberry muffins, and get the tomato sauce and beef into freezer bags.

I was thinking I’d also like to make her a small batch of quinoa. We’ll see.

Tyson Anytizers – Processed Chicken Appetizers Are Not Healthy!

I keep seeing the commercials for Tyson Anytizers – so of course, I had to find out exactly what they’re about, knowing perfectly well, that it’s not going to be a healthy outcome.

From their web site:

Any time is right for Tyson Any’tizers®. They are the hot, substantial snacks that are always perfectly delicious. Ideal for any snack, partying with friends or as a unique meal, they’re unbelievably easy to prepare in just minutes. With so many varieties to choose from, the only hard part is deciding which ones to eat first.

tyson anytizers chicken

Notice, there’s nothing mentioned about healthy. They do use the word “substantial” though. I guess that’s supposed to make a mom feel good about feeding this processed crap to her kids for a snack.

Hmm, how about some celery sticks with some peanut butter? Or an apple with some yummy locally made cheese? Or a cup of plain yogurt with seasonal fruit? Would any of these suggestions take longer than the 15 minutes that it takes to bake Tyson Anytizers? No, I don’t think so.

How about buying some plain chicken breast tenders, throwing them in an oven for 15 minutes, and giving those to your kids for a healthy snack!

Tyson Anytizers – Where’s the Ingredient List?

Don’t you just love it when a food company “forgets” to share the list of ingredients on their web site. Do they think we won’t notice? I guess they figure it would take up too much space? Or perhaps they are ashamed and know that once you actually read what these morsels are made of, you possibly won’t buy them.

Thankfully, other web resources are willing to pull back the curtain on their secrecy.

Here is the list of ingredients for Tyson Any’tizer Popcorn Chicken:

White Meat Chicken, Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphates. Breaded with: Bleached Wheat Flour, Water, Yellow Corn Flour, Salt, Spices, Dextrose, Dried Whey, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Soybean Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Sugar, Yeast, Dried Whole Eggs, Sodium Alginate, Soy Flour, Extractives of Paprika and Annatto, Garlic Powder, Mono and Diglycerides. Breading Set in Vegetable Oil.

chicken and water? hmm, when you make baked or sauteed chicken at home, do you usually add water? Nope, me neither. But there’s lots of salt, and sugar (dextrose) and some icky GMO products like corn flour, soy flour, and soybean oil. Yeast? Leavening? Sodium Alginate? Nope, not what I usually put in my homemade chicken.

They do have the nutritional data

Serving Size 7 PIECES (84g)
Serv. Per container About 9
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180
Calories from Fat 80
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsturated Fat 4.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 560mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 13g 26%
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 4%

Without benefit of the ingredients list, at first glance, you’d probably think that it’s not too bad, right? Especially when looking at the low saturated fat, and higher amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. But they neglect to tell you that cheap GMO soybean oil is the fat ingredient.

But wow, the sodium is through the roof! There is no fiber, and 180 calories is too high for only 84 grams (under 3 oz). Almost half the calories are fat calories. A full 100 grams of chicken breast is only 165 calories, with 31g of protein! Tyson Any’tizers popcorn chicken only offers a paltry 13 grams of protein, with more calories and more fat!

What’s wrong with that picture? And don’t even get me started on Tyson’s factory farming practices. Stay away! There are better choices!

Don’t Fall for Perdue Chicken’s Bogus USDA Process Verification

perdue receives new usda process verification

I just saw the new {misleading} Perdue chicken TV commercial making a big fuss about their new USDA Process Verification.

I’ve only seen the commercial once so far, so I’m going on what I remember, details are fuzzy. I’ll update when I can review the commercial again.

Jim Perdue is having a press conference about the fact that Perdue chicken is the first to receive the USDA Process Verification. I remember hearing buzz words/phrases like “cage free”, “vegetarian fed”, “no growth hormones”! And then he closes the barn door, and there’s chickens sitting at little make-up tables with lights around the mirror, giving the impression that the chickens are superstars!

Here’s the REAL STORY.

What Does the USDA Process Verification Actually Mean?

At first, the pessimistic in me is thinking okay, Perdue pressured the USDA to create this verification process and applied even more pressure to make sure they were the first. Just sayin LOL

But here’s their official USDA Process Verification:

All Vegetarian Fed – Chickens are fed a high quality vegetarian diet, with no animal by-products.
Raised Cage Free – Perdue chickens are free to roam within the chicken houses.

So, what does the verification mean? From Perdue’s press release:

“We feed our birds the finest natural grain products, including corn, soybeans and marigolds, with no animal byproducts,” says Perdue. Products carrying the Raised Cage Free claim are verified to come from birds that are free to move about within temperature-controlled chicken houses.

Big deal!

The official-sounding verification really means nothing in terms of humane treatment of animals, but I am sure that it won’t matter to consumers. People hear the phrases cage free and vegetarian fed, and they think they are doing a good thing by buying. I know, because I fell for it myself in the past!

They feed their chickens cheap GMO {Genetically modified} soy and corn and their chickens don’t live in cages. They still can be cramped together (like poor cage free egg layers), and there is no stipulation for fresh air, outdoor access, lighting, etc.

Oh and they feed marigolds so the chicken skin turns a nice yellow color! But it does evoke a lovely scene of chickens roaming freely through fields of yellow flowers doesn’t it?

Sorry, but if Perdue is the first and only USDA Process Verified company, then I am sorry, but that just leads me to believe the whole verification process is bogus bull crap, actually make that bogus chicken crap.

Perdue’s Web Site Claims

Let’s take a look at some further details stated on their web site about this prestigious recognition (insert smirk):

We’ve always known our PERDUE® chicken was good, but with our new USDA Process Verified seal, now we know it’s VERIFIABLY GOOD. Perdue is the FIRST poultry company to have a Process Verified seal. The seal verifies that the chickens have been raised without cages and fed an all-vegetarian diet. This means you can have full confidence in the way we raise our chickens. In taste tests,** we’ve also found that this means consumers prefer the taste of Perdue USDA Process Verified Chicken.

Boy that is a lot of congratulatory self-praise, a casual reader could possibly miss the actual verification details. Did you catch it?

The seal verifies that the chickens have been raised without cages and fed an all-vegetarian diet.

If you keep scanning down the web page, the content becomes even more misleading.

They list all these great USDA Defined Terms including “organic”, “Free range free roaming”, “No antibiotics”, “No hormones”, but why? Their verification has NOTHING to do with organic, free range, hormones or antibiotics, so why are these words being listed on this page? To perhaps confuse and mislead the public?

Anti-biotics vs Hormones and Steroids

Sometimes people misunderstand the words hormones and anti-biotics, thinking they are one in the same. I know I have been misled in the past when looking at labels.

Here is what Perdue states on their FAQ page about anti-biotic usage:

Perdue does not use antibiotics for growth promotion in our chickens. We use antibiotics as directed by our company’s team of veterinarians, all of whom are board-certified by the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. The antibiotics are used in stringent accordance with FDA and USDA guidelines. All PERDUE® products are free of harmful residues as determined by routine onsite USDA sampling.

They will always need to administer anti-biotics because their poor chickens are crammed together in small spaces, which means they are stressed, which means they will get sick!

I love the line

“All PERDUE® products are free of harmful residues as determined by routine onsite USDA sampling.”

Does the USDA think anti-biotics are harmful? Does this mean that any and all anti-biotic residues are acceptable because they are determined as safe?

PS: Perdue’s consistent claim for non-usage of hormones is bogus, because the USDA forbids usage in poultry and pork. But they still try to mislead the public whenever they can get away with it.

So, please when choosing products for your family’s table, don’t fall for silly verifications like this, even if it does come from the USDA. It’s just a load of chicken sh*t!

One Day Cooking For Meals All Week

My days are getting longer at work, and then with afternoon errands, it’s been so stressful worrying about finding time for healthy weekday cooking. So, I took a tip from Rachael Ray’s new show, Week in a Day and decided that I would try cooking a bunch recipes on the weekend, making it easier to put together meals during busier days during the week. Plus, I need to fill our new chest freezer with some goodies!

So, today I set the oven on 300° and started cooking:

St Louis Style Pork Ribs

I rubbed some Arizona Dreaming seasoning from Penzey’s Spices on a rack of St Louis style pork ribs and slow cooked them on a roasting pan with rack. Thankfully, I applied a layer of aluminum foil on the bottom of the pan so clean up was a breeze!

They cooked for about 4 hours (300°), and then I raised the oven temp to about 375° to crisp them for a few minutes. Delicious and so easy.

Chuck Beef Roast

Next, I sliced all the outer fat off of a small one pound chuck beef roast (looked like a steak) and cut it into two pieces. In one of my smaller 2 quart cast iron covered pots, I browned each piece separately, then deglazed the bottom of the pan with a little bit of Merlot wine. I added both pieces of beef back into the pot, and covered with large chunks of onion, then poured some additional wine over the top. I let it slow cook (300°) for about 4 hours. I didn’t peek inside the pot, I just kept it covered and left it alone.

We ended up having it for our dinner tonight, and it was scrumptious. Tender and flavorful. Chuck rocks I tell you!!! It’s one of the best cuts of beef, it’s cheap and the flavor is outstanding! And so simple! I didn’t even have to add one smidgen of salt, pepper, spice or herb to the pot, and it develops into lusciousness. Just take the time to brown the meat first, deglaze, then add wine!

Chicken Drumsticks

On the stove, I browned 8 chicken drumsticks (two batches of 4 drums each) with some olive oil in my 4 quart cast iron pot. The chicken was reserved on a plate, while I started sauteing chopped onion, carrot, and some leftover purple cabbage. I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out the new bottle of three acre kitchen Balsamic Marinade I just bought from Whole Foods, so I poured a couple of tablespoons in, and deglazed the pan; it bubbled and reduced very quickly. Then I deglazed again with some Merlot wine, then added the chicken back into the pot, and poured more wine.

I placed the covered pot into the oven (300°) and cooked for hmm, I think it was about 2 hours or so. The chicken was falling off the bone, and I tasted a couple of tiny bits, and it was delicious. I completely cooled the chicken, vegetables, and sauce in a separate bowl, and then transferred into a large freezer bag to freeze for a later date.

Ground Beef and Leek Chili

On the stovetop, I browned a 1/3 pound of grass fed beef in my other 2 quart cast iron pot (I love my 2 quart pots, and I highly recommend this size for smaller 2-3 person families), then added in a couple of chopped leeks. Cooked down for a few minutes, then added poblano peppers (frozen from summer veggies), cranberry beans (also frozen from summer), fresh parsley, a carton of Pomi strained tomatoes and lots of spices and herbs.

That was also put into the oven along side the 4 qt pot with drumsticks, 2 quart pot with beef. The roaster with the ribs was on the bottom oven rack. It all just fit! Phew!

It cooked for about 1.5 hours or so, and then I cooled the chili completely; I transferred most of it into a quart sized freezer bag to freeze for a later date. I kept a portion in the fridge, enough for tomorrow’s lunch for either my husband or myself.

Transitional Whole Wheat Bread

I started my soaker and biga for a loaf of bread yesterday, following the transitional wheat bread recipe from Peter Reinhart. I removed the biga from the fridge this morning, and once all the pots were in the oven, it was perfect timing to start creating the final dough.

By the time the chili and chicken drumsticks were done baking, my dough had risen, was proofed and was ready to be baked, so I temporarily increased the oven temp to 350° and the loaf went into the oven.

40 minutes later, it was baked and I lowered the temp back down to 300° for the beef and pork ribs to finish.

Salad Greens

I was thrilled to find some local organic red and green leaf lettuce at Whole Foods at a bargain price of only 1.29/lb. I picked up 3 heads! The total cost was about $2.50, which equaled to one small head of green leaf from California.

I washed, spun dried, and bagged all of it, so now I have enough lettuce for a few dinner and lunch salads for the week.

Accomplishment

Once everything was done cooking, I poured a cup of jasmine brown rice with 2 cups of water into one of the 2 qt cast iron pots, and in an hour or so, we were ready to eat tonight’s meal.

I think it’ll get even easier next time. I will be able to coordinate a little better, multi-tasking a bit more. But I feel so accomplished knowing that a big portion of the cooking for this week is done!

There is a portion of beef left over along with 2 servings of brown rice, so I have a plan to either make tomato beef sauce (with rice or pasta) or possibly some beef stew with rice, leeks and kale. I think I’ll probably go for the soup.

As for the rest of the week, we have pork ribs, chicken (enough for at least two meals), and chili. I have some beets in the fridge, and they will roast nicely with potatoes and/or a butternut squash. I think we’ll be good to go!

Recipe: Mexican Bowl with Brown Rice, Chicken, Beef, Peppers, Onions, Tomato Salsa, and Cheese

I just loved the Burrito in a Bowl at Chipotle Mexican Grill, so I was eager to try cooking something similar at home. This recipe isn’t really the same as Chipotle Grill’s version, but it’s healthy and I thought it tasted delicious. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Brown Rice (all I had was short grain, but long grain would work better)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp Cilantro (I used dried, but if using fresh, you will need more, and you won’t want to add until rice is cooked.)
  • 1 lime – zest and juice (approx 1Tbsp juice)
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 medium Onions (I found wonderful “spring” onions at Whole Foods)
  • 1 medium sized sweet Pepper (green, red, yellow, or orange)
  • Half Chicken breast – about 7 ounces
  • 2 1/4 cups of Frozen corn (3 servings)
  • 1/4 pound deli sliced Roast Beef
  • 1 jar Tomato Salsa (I used Muir Glen mild)
  • 4 oz cheese (1 oz for each person – I had Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar, but Monterey Jack would be great too)

Continue reading “Recipe: Mexican Bowl with Brown Rice, Chicken, Beef, Peppers, Onions, Tomato Salsa, and Cheese”