1 chicken, cut in serving pieces 4 small raw carrots, cut in sticks 4 raw potatoes, quartered 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 4 teaspoons b.u.t.ter or margarine Preheat oven to 350oF. Tear off 4 pieces heavy duty aluminum foil, approximately 18-inches square. Place 1 or 2 pieces of chicken on each piece of foil. Put one carrot and one potato on each piece of foil. Sprinkle salt, pepper and oregano over all. Add teaspoon of b.u.t.ter or margarine to each. Wrap tightly. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through.
POTATO CHIP DRUMSTICKSServes 4-6 These are wonderful for school lunch boxes. Since they"re stored in the freezer, you can take them out a meal at a time and they"ll defrost in the child"s lunch box in time to eat later in the day.
6 chicken drumsticks 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1 container (8-ounces) plain yogurt (1 cup) salt and ground pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (optional) 1 package (7-ounces) no-salt potato chips, crushed Preheat oven to 375oF. Grease a baking sheet. Remove skin from drumsticks. In small bowl, combine yogurt, salt, pepper and curry. On wax paper, place crushed potato chips. Roll drumsticks first in yogurt mixture and then in potato chips, pressing crumbs gently onto drumsticks to coat thoroughly.
Arrange drumsticks on baking sheet and place in oven.
Reduce heat to 350oF and bake 45 to 50 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Chill drumsticks, uncovered, on baking sheet. Then wrap individually in foil and freeze. If desired, allow extra foil at ends of package and twist to form a chicken.
To pack for lunch: Freeze individual containers of juice overnight. Place frozen juice in lunch bag with well- chilled or frozen foil-wrapped drumsticks and fresh peas and cherry tomatoes in plastic bag. Frozen juice will keep other foods chilled and by lunchtime will be a "fruit slush" dessert.
Variation: Instead of potato chips, use crushed salt-free tortilla chips and subst.i.tute chili powder for curry.
PUNK PIZZA ROLLSServes 8 Tell your kids as they"re eating this, "If you grew as fast as a chicken, you would have weighed 349 pounds by the time you were 2 months old!"
8 chicken franks 1 cup tomato sauce or pizza sauce 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 8 flour tortillas 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese Preheat oven to 350oF. Pierce each frank in several places with a fork. In a small bowl combine tomato sauce, onion, and oregano; spread equal amounts over each tortilla.
Place one frank in center of each tortilla and roll up.
Place rolls about one-inch apart in shallow baking dish and sprinkle each with equal amount of cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese melts and bubbles.
RAMAKI WRAPSMakes 64, Serves 16-18 This is a good appetizer for a teenage party. I"ve served it to kids who would never go for the chicken livers in the original ramaki recipe. They"ve loved this version, made with cut up franks.
8 chicken franks 1 can (8-ounces) water chestnuts, drained 32 strips bacon Preheat oven to 400oF. Cut each frank into 8 slices.
Slice water chestnuts thinly. Halve bacon slices crosswise.
For each ramaki, wrap frank slice and water chestnut slice with bacon; secure with toothpick. Place ramakis on a rack over large baking pan and bake for 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
RED EYE EGGROLLSMakes 16, Serves 8 These take some work, but they"ve been a great success with both kids and adults. I"ve served them at parties where both have been present and the "egg rolls" vanished just about as fast as I could make them.
8 chicken franks 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 can (16-ounces) bean sprouts, drained 2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage or iceberg lettuce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/4 cup chicken broth 16 square eggroll wrappers (You might be able to find them in the produce section of your supermarket and they are available in Oriental food shops.) 1 egg, beaten vegetable oil for deep frying Halve franks crosswise, set aside. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat oil; add vegetables, toss and cook 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to medium- low and simmer, covered, 5 minutes; drain well in colander.
Place eggroll wrapper on work surface with a corner pointing toward you; brush each corner with egg. Place two rounded tablespoons of vegetable mixture in center, then top with frank piece horizontally. Fold bottom corner over frank and filling, then fold right and left corners over and roll up to complete.
In a wok, fryer or heavy skillet, heat 2-inches oil to 370oF or until a small cube of bread sizzles when placed in oil. Fry 3-4 eggrolls at a time until crisp all over.
Drain well on paper towels.
Before serving , re-heat on shallow baking pan in preheated 350oF oven for 10 to 12 minutes. (I don"t recommend reheating them in the microwave. They"ll come out soggy instead of crisp.) SPICED CREAMED CONE CHICKENServes 4 This is my first choice for when our twelve grandchildren are coming. The ice cream cone flavor is so subtle that no one has yet been able to identify it without being told.
Still, the flavor is delicious.
1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 8 ice cream cones, crushed (I use the sugar cones) 1 chicken, cut in serving pieces 2 tablespoons shortening Preheat oven to 350oF. In a shallow bowl combine sour cream, salt, pepper, onion and allspice. Place cone crumbs on a sheet of wax paper. Dip chicken in sour cream mixture; then in cone crumbs. Melt shortening in shallow baking pan; place chicken in single layer, skin side up, in pan.
Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until cooked through.
SPICY SOUTHWESTERN Ca.s.sEROLEServes 6-8 Is there a teenage cook in the family? He or she could make this for the family dinner one night this week.
8 chicken franks 2 cans (15-ounces) chili 1 cup yellow cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 2 eggs 2/3 cup melted b.u.t.ter or margarine 1 cup sour cream 1 can (16 ounces) niblets-style corn, drained 1/4 pound grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese 1 can (4 ounces) chopped, mild green chilies, drained Preheat oven to 375oF. Cut franks in half lengthwise.
Place chili in bottom of a b.u.t.tered 7x14x2-inch baking dish. Arrange franks, cut side down, on top of chili. In medium size mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add eggs, b.u.t.ter, and sour cream and blend thoroughly. Fold in corn.
Sprinkle half of the cheese and green chilies over the layer of franks. Top with half of the corn mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and chilies and finish with a layer of corn mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake in the middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted in corn layers comes out clean.
PHOTO: School"s open, and crunchy Tater-Chip Drumsticks, fresh vegetables and frozen-juice "slush" earn high lunch bag... - 5 SWEET AND SOUR CHICKENServes 4 This is one of the National Chicken Cooking Contest winners, and it"s easy enough for the beginning cook. The original recipe called for adding a teaspoon of salt to the sweet and sour mixture, but I found that the salt in the salad dressing and the onion soup mix was enough. If your kids like foods salty, they may want to sprinkle more on at the end.
1 chicken, cut in serving pieces 1 bottle (8-ounces) Russian salad dressing 1 envelope (1-3/8-ounces) dry onion soup mix 1 jar (10-ounces) apricot preserves Preheat oven to 350oF. Place chicken, skin side up, in single layer in large shallow baking dish. In a large measuring cup combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until cooked through.
TACO DOGSServes 6-8 Our neighbors South of the Border might be surprised at this version of their tacos, but it"s quick and good.
8 chicken franks 8 taco sh.e.l.ls 1 can (15-ounces) chili with beans 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar erey Jack or cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded lettuce 1/2 cup diced tomato Preheat oven to 350F. Split franks in half lengthwise and grill or fry briefly. Place franks in taco sh.e.l.ls and top each with 2 tablespoons chili and 1 tablespoon cheese.
Place tacos on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until chili is hot and cheese is melted. Top with taco sauce, lettuce, tomato and remaining cheese. Serve immediately.
TATER FRANKSServes 6-8 This is inexpensive and easy to like.
8 chicken franks 3 tablespoons melted b.u.t.ter or margarine, divided 1-1/2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon salt or to taste ground pepper to taste 3 cups cooked riced potatoes or very firm prepared instant mashed potatoes 2 egg yolks 2 egg whites, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water 2-1/2 cups cornflake crumbs Preheat oven to 375oF. Pierce franks all over with a fork.
Pour half of b.u.t.ter into a mixing bowl. Add milk, salt and pepper, then add riced potatoes and beaten egg yolks. (If using instant mashed potatoes, omit milk.) Beat thoroughly with wooden spoon until well blended; chill until firm enough to handle. Divide potato mixture into eight parts.
Using your hands, form an even layer of potato (about 1/2- inch thick) around each frank. If mixture is sticky, flour hands lightly. Roll first in cornflake crumbs, then in egg white and water mixture, and again in crumbs. Place tater franks on b.u.t.tered baking sheet so they are not touching, and drizzle with remaining melted b.u.t.ter. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.
TEAM SPIRIT HEROSServes 8 Your teenagers can make this one. If they don"t like peppers or onions, it"s fine to skip them.
8 chicken franks 8 hero rolls 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 green peppers, cut into thin strips 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce 1 tablespoon fresh, minced basil or 1 teaspoon dried 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 12 slices Provolone cheese, cut into half-inch strips Pierce each frank in several places with a fork. Cut rolls lengthwise, leaving the two halves attached. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, heat oil. Add onions and peppers and cook for 10 minutes stirring often. Add sauce and herbs; stir and simmer 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350oF. Place one frank in each roll, spoon equal amounts of sauce mixture over franks. Close roll and wrap securely in foil.
Heat for 20 minutes, turning packages after 10 minutes.
CHAPTER FIVE: CHICKEN FOR BARBECUING: America"s Love Affair with an Old Flame is Heating Up!
PHOTO: We have four good barbecue photos that might go with this chapter. They"re paperclipped in section labeled page 223.
Are you about to barbecue something? Then you"re part of an ancient tradition. Barbecuing is actually man"s oldest form of cooking; the outdoors was man"s first kitchen and an open fire his first stove. The earliest cooking method was to lay food on smoldering embers or impale it on sticks held over a fire or dying coals.
It wasn"t until the 1950s, however, that backyard barbecuing as we know it began to catch on. It may surprise you, but auto mogul Henry Ford played a major role in this$and it had nothing to do with his automobiles. Ford"s contribution to backyard barbecuing was the invention of the charcoal briquet. In the late 1920s, it was Ford who had the better idea of grinding charcoal, combining it with a starch, and re-forming it into uniform pillow shaped briquets. These charcoal briquets burned more consistently and more evenly than randomly sized and shaped lumps of charcoal.
People immediately began using charcoal briquets for industrial purposes, but backyard grills weren"t readily available yet. In the 1950s, when backyard grills became widely available, and outdoor cooking really began to take off. The combination of outdoor grills and the charcoal briquets made barbecuing so easy and reliable, that today, according to a Barbecue Industry a.s.sociation survey, seven out of ten American households own a barbecue grill, and we use them about 1.5 billion times a year total.
Frank and I also barbecue, but it took some learning on my part. In spite of being someone who loves to cook, before marrying Frank, I"d never barbecued. I"d never even thought to buy an outdoor grill.
What I"d been missing! Frank does own a barbecue, a nice handsome one that can manage chickenburgers for our combined eighteen children and grandchildren all at once.
I love it, because we can all be outdoors, playing volley ball or watching the young ones, with their a.r.s.enal of squirt guns, as they gang up on Frank$and the beauty of it all is that no one has to miss a moment of the fun by having to go into the kitchen to fuss with dinner.
If you"ve been barbecuing for years, skip ahead to the recipes. But if you"re like me and still new at it, here are some tips that can help you get uniformly good results.
The tips come from the Perdue food scientists and home economists, from Cooperative Extension and from the Barbecue Industry a.s.sociation.
_Start with a clean grill. Removing old ashes a.s.sures good air circulation, and cleaning away any cooked- on bits of food results in better flavor and quality.
_Be sure to wash everything after handling raw meat.
Don"t use the same plate for the cooked meat that you used for the uncooked meat unless you"ve washed it in between.
_Coat grate with vegetable cooking spray, or brush with cooking oil to prevent food from sticking.
_If the basting sauce contains oil, however, do not grease the grill; too much oil causes flare-ups.
_Prepare the fire a half hour or more before grilling.
For quick lighting, use a chimney starter with crumpled newspaper in the bottom and briquets or charcoal above. Or stack the charcoal in a pyramid shape and light with a liquid or electric starter, following the manufacturer"s directions. Charcoal is ready for cooking when it"s 80% ashy grey in daylight, glowing red at night. This usually takes about 25 to 30 minutes.
_Toss a handful of aromatic wood chips such as mesquite, hickory, alder, or fruitwood chips over the coals. They"ll create a whole new dimension of flavor without adding any extra calories.
_Check the temperature of the fire before cooking food to prevent over- or under-cooking. For most of the recipes in this chapter, the fire should be medium-hot with a single, even layer of coals lightly covered with grey ash.
It"s relatively simple to judge the temperature of a charcoal fire. To do this, hold your hand, palm side down, at cooking height:
HOT - You can hold your hand over the coals for only 2 seconds.
MEDIUM-HOT - You can hold your hand over the coals 3 to 4 seconds.
MEDIUM - You can hold your hand over the coals 4 to 5 seconds.
_Be patient. If the fire hasn"t cooled down adequately, do not be tempted to put your chicken on to cook - unless you like "blackened bird" a lot more than I do.
_If you"re dieting and want to remove the chicken"s skin, do so after cooking, not before. Without some kind of covering, the chicken will dry out and toughen before it finishes cooking.
_Turn chicken frequently, about every 5 minutes to insure even doneness and to prevent blistering.
_If flare-ups occur, remove the food for a few moments and sprinkle water lightly over the flames, or smother them by covering the grill. A friend of mine who works for a volunteer fire department keeps a laundry squirt bottle handy for flare-ups.