Smoked Chicken

You don't have to be around me long to discover I LOVE smoking meat.  Today I will talk about smoking a whole chicken.

I use a Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker with charcoal for fuel.  I think this is the very best smoker on the market in terms of ease of use, reliability, and it is easy to clean.

The night before, or very early on the morning you are smoking it, soak the chicken in a brine.  Make enough of the brine to completely cover the chicken.  There are numerous recipes out there for brine, but this is the one I use:

1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 cups water

I usually have to triple this recipe to make enough.

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator after soaking in the brine and let it sit at room temperature.  Rinse well and blot with paper towels.  Rub generously with a good quality rub.  There are many recipes available for rubs and also store bought varieties.  Actually, I have never used a rub I didn't like!  The very basic one is:

salt
pepper
garlic
paprika

While this is sitting, prepare the smoker.  Fill the bottom of the smoker with cold charcoal.  In a chimney, heat charcoal till most of it is grey.  Pour this hot charcoal in the center of the unheated charcoal in the smoker, along with three chunks of apple wood.

I buy my wood chunks online from fruitawood.com.  Their wood is stored indoors, thus protecting it from bugs and other undesirable "stuff!"

Fill the water pan, which goes above the charcoal.

When the smoker is heated, place the chicken on the rack, close the lid, adjust the vents at the bottom to maintain a temperature of 225 or 250.

Sit back with a glass of wine, enjoying the warm sunshine and the wonderful aroma coming from your smoker.

My chickens are smaller than most you find in the stores, since they have not been injected with hormones to make them bigger.  I get all my meat from a local farmer. It takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours for mine to be done.  The internal temperature should be 165.

The Best Peach Cobbler

There is a funny reason why I'm posting this recipe!  In recent days on facebook, two of my friends, who have never met and live over 1000 miles apart, have brought up a discussion of peach cobbler.  In one of them, Clara, said her grandmother made the best peach cobbler.  To which I replied, "No, No!  I have the market cornered in that regard!"  Clara has accused me, on more than one occasion, of being outspoken and opinionated. . . guilty as charged!

At any rate, here is my recipe that I have had for 50 years or more.  I have no idea where it originated.  But I guarantee you will love this one.  It has a sweet, crusty top with down home Southern goodness baked in.  Enjoy!

Combine:  2 cups fresh, sliced peaches and one cup sugar.  Set aside.

Melt one stick of butter (butter, not margarine!) in a 2 qt casserole.

1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk

Mix together dry ingredients.  Beat in milk until lumps are gone.  Pour batter over melted butter.  Do Not Stir!  Spoon peaches over batter.  Do Not Stir!  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

As the cobbler bakes, the batter rises to the top and covers the peaches.

Energy Bars

This is a tasty, nutritious snack that I found recently.  And it is quick to put together.

Preheat oven to 325 and prepare an 8 inch square pan.

In small bowl, combine:
1 cup oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a larger bowl, combine:
1/2 cup raw honey
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Pour the contents of the small bowl into the large bowl and mix well.  Add the walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

This recipe lends itself to adding your own ingredients, such as chopped dried fruit, coconut, or ground flax seed.

The Best Chicken and Dumplings

Who doesn't love great tasting Chicken and Dumplings?  I've used various recipes over the years but I really like this one.  I found it in one of my Southern Living cookbooks.  If you are an avid cook, you really should check out the Southern Living cookbooks. . . a treasure trove of great recipes!

1 whole chicken
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 quarts water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for work surface)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons Crisco
3/4 cup buttermilk
chopped fresh chives

Place chicken, celery, and carrots in a Dutch oven, add water and 2 teaspoons of the salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about an hour.  Remove chicken from broth and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.  Remove and discard skin and bone from the chicken and cut/tear meat into bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, combine, flour, baking soda and remaining1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.  Cut in the Crisco with a pastry blender.  Add buttermilk, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.  Turn dough onto well floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times.

Pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Pinch or cut dough in 1 1/2 inch pieces and drop into boiling broth.  Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally until desired consistency, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in chicken.  Garnish serving with chives.

Note:  While the recipe calls for "shortening", I am a true believer in Crisco!

Salsa time!

Yes, salsa is good any time of the year.  But somehow I think of it as a summertime food. . . don't know why!  Here is one that is especially good.  This brief (36 hours according to the weatherman) respite from the winter has got my mind thinking of firing up the Weber smoker out back!

2 cups black beans

1 papaya, chopped

1 mango, chopped

1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped with the juice

juice of 4 limes

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 of a red onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Great tasting pot roast

I found this on the internet and have made it twice.  Just fantastic!

Start with a good quality roast of beef that is completely thawed.  Rub all sides with a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Preheat oven to 550 - yes, you read that right!  Except my oven only goes to 500!

Place prepared roast in an open baking dish.  Bake at:

5 minutes per pound for rare or 6 minutes per pound for medium (pink center)

Turn the oven off but don't open the door for 2 hours.  Actually, I left it closed for an hour and 45 minutes.

The rub makes a fine crust that is delicious.  I prefer a pink center.

Greek Vegetable Pie

I tend to eat more vegetarian meals in the winter time, saving meat for the warmer months when I can smoke and grill outside.  Here is one I especially like.  It is from my Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health Cookbook. I was attracted to it first by the ingredients for the crust and then the filling mixture really caught my eye.  I wasn't disappointed!  If you aren't familiar with the Moosewood Restaurant in upstate New York and their numerous cookbooks, you don't know what you are missing!

For the Crust:

2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives


For the Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups thinly sliced leeks
1 cup diced red bell pepper
3 ounces neufchatel cheese
1 cup grated or crumbled feta cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
pinch or ground black pepper


In a food processor, pulse the crust ingredients until crumbly.  Set aside

Warm the oil in a skillet or saucepan on medium heat.  Add the asparagus and salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the leeks and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the bell pepper, cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 or 6 minutes.  Place the neufschatel on top of the vegetables, cover, turn off the heat, and let sit for several minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, press the crust mixture into a lightly oiled 9 inched pie plate.

Stir the neufschatel  throughout the vegetables.  Add 1/4 cup of the feta cheese and the eggs, dill, and black pepper to the skillet and mix well.  Spread the filling in the pie crust and top with remaining feta.

Bake in preheated 350 oven until the filling is set and golden, about 35 minutes.

Variations:  Add 2 or 3 chopped, softened sundried tomatoes in place of the olives in the crust.

Use broccoli instead of asparagus in the filling.

Marinated Vegetable Salad

I'm always looking for ways to get more fruits and vegetables in my diet. . . smoothies, salads, soups and stews.  Here is one of my newer ones that I really like.  It has a nice blend of flavors and loaded with nutritional value.

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the salad:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
6 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Mix together with the salad ingredients.  Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator or overnight.

A New Twist on Pumpkin Pie

Now this is one you have to try!  A friend brought this to my home for dinner recently.  I had never heard of a pumpkin pie with a cream cheese layer.  It was divine!  It is a recipe handed down in her family for generations.

Cream cheese bottom layer:

12 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs


Pumpkin top layer:

just under 2 cups of canned pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
a dash of salt
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
3 eggs

Use a generous sized pie pan and preheat oven to 359.

Combine all cream cheese layer ingredients and mix until well blended.  Pour into the bottom of the pie shell.

Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour slowly over the cream cheese layer to avoid marbling.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes.

French Toast

This morning I had French Toast for breakfast.  Not the fancy, gourmet recipes for French Toast prevalent today.  I made them the way I grew up eating them for breakfast!

Here is the "real" French Toast recipe!

whole wheat sandwich bread
a mixture of raw eggs and milk
cinnamon

For one person, use 2 slices of bread.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat and coat with butter.

Let bread soak in the milk and egg mixture for a minute or two.  Then place in heated skillet.  Sprinkle top of each side of the bread with cinnamon.

Cook about 3 minutes per side.  Serve with maple syrup.