Halleluiah!! It has
been slowly raining this morning since around 6 am. This is notable, since not only have we not
had any rain for the last 2 weeks, we have been enduring unbelievably hot and
humid weather, which has drained the energy out of everyone, including the dogs. Not to complain though, since cottage country
has provided an incredible oasis for us.
The best times are when we can share the cooling breezes and refreshing
water with friends. We had a great visit
this weekend when a couple of friends , Greg and his band mates, dropped by
late in the day for a swim and a visit. Always be prepared is our motto, and so
we were that day. We were able to jump into action, raid the refrigerator and the
garden and come up with a simple feast of chicken and ribs with beans from the garden.
Remarkably, we had lots of leftovers to enjoy the next day.
We hope that you have a week or 2 at a cottage in your future. If you do, we want you to know our secret for successful cottage life!! Keep your pantry stocked, and always make
extra so that you can relax tomorrow and enjoy the day off from cooking, cleaning
and planning. So, here are a few tips for enjoying your week at the cottage:
First off, remember that a week at the cottage should be a
holiday for everyone, even mom. This doesn’t mean hot dogs and hamburgers every
night.
1.
Remember to multi-task
when putting your menus together. Always grill extra –that includes
protein and vegetables. If grilling beer can chicken, use leftovers another
night for a grilled chicken Caesar salad. If grilling pork loin, chop up the
leftovers, mix it with barbecue sauce and serve barbecue pork sandwiches (Cuban
sandwiches). If grilling vegetables, use the leftovers for grilled vegetable,
goat cheese and pesto paninis or frittatas. If making steak one night, use the
leftovers for steak fajitas the next night.
So, out of 4 menus, we have quickly and easily created 8!
These second day meals are great for
picnics, so you can bring them down to the beach, or out in the boat for a real
adventure!
2.
Bring along a pot of mixed herbs to the cottage.
It is an especially nice hostess gift if you are arriving as a guest. These are
available in grocery stores and garden centres everywhere. You can instantly
turn a plain chicken breast or hamburger into something special.
3.
Scout out the local farmers markets on your way
into the cottage, or when you go into town for ice-cream or candy with the
kids. You may find some interesting local farmers sausage or unique greens for
your salads. Sausage is so versatile,
and easy. It can be used sliced as an
easy appetizer, served on a bun with potato salad and a nice mango and roasted
red pepper salad as a main course, and reheated in an omelet for breakfast the
next morning.
4.
Make up the side dishes at lunch and then you
have the rest of the afternoon to join in the activities.
5.
Hamburgers can be better than ordinary- make
sure to use the right ground beef, that which contains 20% fat and 80% meat
–(in Canada, medium ground beef contains 23% fat, so is a good choice) this will ensure a juicy, flavourful burger.
Season it simply with salt & pepper and a little steak spice. Dress it up
with blue cheese and caramelized onions and serve on a toasted bun- yummy!
6.
Grill up a lot of veggies, including peppers,
onions, sweet potatoes, zucchini, corn and leeks – fills people up and can be
used with entrée, in soup, salad, sandwiches or frittatas.
.
Try this chicken when you want to
have a great meal, plus leftovers for a picnic. It was cooked on our Broil King Keg. We cooked it low for about an hour and a half
at 200°F, then flipped the chicken, turned up the heat to 300°F for half an
hour. The end result was tender, juicy chicken, with a rich, smoky flavor and
crisp flavourful skin. Do not forget to baste
it after its been on for 45 minutes. We used a mixture of orange juice and
canola oil, which went well with the jalapeno and fresh herbs that we had
stuffed under the skin.
1.
Pour 2-3” deep layer
of True’Cue lump charcoal on the bottom of the smoker.
2.
Use 2 True’Cue
match-light charcoal starters to ignite the charcoal.
3.
Open the top and
bottom vents to the widest position (#5).
4.
Let the coals burn
for 10 minutes until the smoker reaches 200°F
5.
Dial down the top and
bottom vents to the #2 position
6.
This should maintain
a smoker temperature of 225°F for up to 6 hours.
Smoky South-West Chicken with Fresh Herbs
2 or 3 3lb chickens
Herb
mixture:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
½ onion minced
½ cup each of thyme, parsley and sage
chopped
Rub:
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp chipotle pepper powder
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
Baste:
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup canola oil
Spatchcock the chickens: Remove the backbone by using
kitchen shears to firmly cut along both sides of the backbone. Reserve in the freezer
for making soup on a cool day. Open up the chickens on a cutting board and
flatten it, as shown. This allows for more even cooking and crisper skin.
Massage the flesh lightly, to loosen the skin, then carefully
stuff the herb mixture under the skin. Gently rub the flesh with the rub mixture
and set aside in the refrigerator for an hour.
Prepare smoker as directed above.
When temperature reaches 200-225°F,
place 3 chunks of soaked apple wood on the coals. Place chickens skin side up on the grate,
directly over the heat. After 45 minute, begin basting generously with orange
juice baste. After 1 ½ hours, open the top
and bottom vents to #3 position and allow the temperature to increase to 300°F.
Continue to cook and baste for another ½ hour.
Skin should be crispy and brown. Remove the
chickens from Keg and allow to rest for 15 minutes, tented lightly with foil.
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| HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!! |
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