Larry and I are boomers. Frozen chicken pot pies were awesome eats in our formative years. They were cheap, salty, fatty, easy, high-cal pots o’ tasty stuff a kid, teen, babysitter, college student happily ate. Now, as conscientious grownups (buzz kill), we’d probably STILL eat those bombshells of bad nutrition if not for the consequences. In my photo (above), that entire salt shaker probably has less sodium than one commercially packaged pot pie. Time for homemade.

I don’t claim this to be a “diet” meal (thanks, pie crust), but it’s definitely wholesome. To punch up flavor with less salt, I used a big tablespoon of Herbes de Provence, an organic blend that includes lavender. The Spice Hunter sells it. 

Using an oval shaped casserole dish produced scraps of leftover crust dough, and you can see it was hard to resist putting little chickies on the pie.  The baking vessel is your choice: a deep casserole dish, shallow pie pan or several individual soufflé dishes. That’s because the contents are cooked on the stovetop, then you bake just for the top crust. This recipe has NO bottom crust as (1) it saves a bunch of calories and (2) the potential for a soggy bottom crust always bugs me.  Don’t be put off by the appearance of a long list of ingredients: it’s pretty much veggies, chicken, broth, herbs and crust.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large (or 2 small) boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 scallions, ends trimmed, whites and greens cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 russet potato, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/2 inch coins (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups chicken broth (I used homemade chicken stock)
• 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence seasoning blend
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Dough for one 9-inch pie crust (try making an all butter crust)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add chicken breast and sear 4 minutes on each side, remove from skillet (it will not be fully cooked, that is OK).  Add scallions, potato, celery and carrots along with 1/2 cup chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer until carrots and potatoes are just barely fork-tender, around 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice chicken into one-inch cubes. When vegetables are cooked, add chicken back to skillet along with remaining broth and heat the chicken until pink has disappeared.  Add mushrooms and peas, blend in.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Then, mix flour into 1/2 cup water, stir until blended, pour into the skillet and mix.  Continue cooking a minute or two until the broth thickens.

Pour all contents into a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish, or several single-serving ovenproof dishes.  Smooth contents to level.  Top with the pie crust dough, crimp edges and trim any overlap.  Poke a few holes in the top to help vent steam. Brush with egg wash.  If you wish, roll out dough scraps and using cookie cutters, cut a few decorative shapes.  Add to the top without blocking vent holes. Brush decor with egg wash. 

Bake on a cookie sheet (for drips) 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Makes 4 generous portions.

A Greek encounter this week: exchanged a quick pleasantry with actress Rita Wilson, but I won’t tell you where (hey, this is LA, celebs are everywhere). I love Greeks and I love Greek food, thanks to college pals, brothers John and George (who were my high school pals, too). Their Yayas cooked yummy stuff for them every visit home, which they brought back to school and shared. Nice boys.

Here at home, we have a nearby fast food place called Daphne’s that serves surprisingly good Greek food. Their tangy Lemon Orzo Soup is sooo lemony, gives me a little tummy burn sometimes. So I was excited to find a recipe for this good stuff in the January/February Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food. The haircutter’s salon was too crowded for me to sneaky-tear-it-out; I actually paid my money for a copy of that issue. Martha’s recipe was twice the size I needed and was made with rice, but I wanted to use orzo. Below is my adaptation. If you suffer from heartburn, just admire the photo. It’s quite tangy.

Greek Lemon Orzo Soup

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

• 2 cans (14 oz.) chicken broth or 4 cups homemade stock
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3/4 cup orzo
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice from 1 large lemon
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Italian parsley

In a medium saucepan, combine broth and chicken. Bring broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat, reduce heat slightly so liquid is moving but not simmering. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and let rest until cool enough to handle. Shred into bite sized pieces.

Add 1 cup water to the broth, bring back to a rapid simmer, add orzo and cook according to package directions. Return chicken to pot. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice. Whisking constantly, slowly pour 1 cup hot broth into egg mixture, immediately whisk egg mixture into pot. Season soup with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley. Makes 2 large servings

This is not Larry. Michael James is a Westwood, CA firefighter, and I cornered him at the grocery store.  Firehouse 37 is OUR neighborhood fire department. They were right there when Francoise’ vintage gravity heater blew a fireball, when Margie’s wall was mysteriously smoking, when senior neighbors fall ill and UCLA students do what they do.  I personally visit “37” each June with our block party leftovers while Larry cleans up… at home… while I visit firefighters. Good times.

Most afternoons, two fire trucks are parked outside Ralphs Grocery while the firefighters shop for dinner ingredients; the trucks need to be where the firefighters are. Here was my opportunity; I’d been thinking about this for some time. I know they cook; I’ve been to their kitchen. This time, I wanted to blog about it.

Mike (photos) was in the produce section; he gave me his attention once it was obvious I wasn’t going to leave him alone. Here’s the scoop: firefighters take turns making dinner. Tonight, Mike was cooking for 10, down from 14 due to budget cuts for personnel. Each guy puts in $6 for dinner groceries, plus another $4 daily for House Use Items – condiments, man chairs, whatever they need to buy.

Later that evening, Larry and I showed up at 37 (I brought Larry to hopefully offset any impression of a cougar wannabe). Last time I saw the kitchen, it was wild. The TV show Monster House had transformed it, including hand-painted flames on walls. Since then, they calmed it down to a roomy, comfortable, California-style space. Mike was cooking in a kitchen with one wall completely open to a mild November night. Not bad.

Mike claims to not be the best cook, “everyone agrees Chris is the best.” But from what we saw, he was skilled at a complicated task – satisfying grown men with a balanced, flavorful meal on a tight budget.

More complications: recipes must be able to withstand abandonment – when an alarm sounds, everything is turned off and adios. Upon return, pick up where you left off. We learned that for some situations, like major fires, another company will cover the firehouse and if a meal is mid-prep, those firefighters will finish cooking it – and NOT eat it – so it’s ready when our guys return. Fraternal courtesy.

What did Mike prepare that night?

• Chicken breasts, marinated a few hours in Italian dressing and seasonings, charred on the grill, then finished in the oven
• Fresh, whole oven-roasted yams
• Rice pilaf with green onions and mushrooms
• Cheddar biscuits
• Spring Mix salad with sliced Granny Smith apples

So here is my take away: (A) firefighters are adept at making some darn good eats, (B) they buy their own food and (probably) wouldn’t turn down a cake, turkey, leftovers from a trade show or photo shoot, (C ) if you have recipes that are yummy, cost efficient, foolproof or can stop mid-way, share them with your firehouse, and (D) bring gifts – I asked Larry to whip up a batch of his Larry’s Famous Brownies for the visit.

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Things to cook with pumpkin were getting boring here, so I thought an Asian flavored soup would be different. I took this ‘n that from about five recipes and came up with a pot of flavorful, thick Chicken Pumpkin Lemongrass Soup.

What gave it Asian oomph was fresh-cut lemongrass from our patio. And juice from our fresh limes. (Sounds like we’re mega-farmers but that’s pretty much all that’s consumable on our property, given how lousy the lemon tree is.)

In Vietnam, fields of lemongrass dot the countryside. Southern California is obviously not Vietnam, but I’m hoping our climate can sustain my one little lemongrass plant. I bought it online after our Vietnam trip. $9. It took a few months to sprout, and somebody should remind me to bring it indoors next summer. But, I can confirm that fresh-from-the-plant lemongrass is glorious.  And very strong, so only use one 2-inch stalk.

Chicken Pumpkin Lemongrass Soup

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 fresh stalk of lemongrass – remove leaves, cut to 2-inch piece, smash with a large heavy knife
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups pumpkin puree (I used fresh)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 to 6 Tbsp. nuoc cham sauce, divided (I made some fresh, pretty easy)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh green onions
• Fresh limes

In a large, heavy stockpot, melt butter with olive oil.  Add onions and cook until softened. Add chicken pieces and cook until browned.  Remove chicken to a plate.  Add lemongrass, pumpkin, water, salt and 4 Tbsp. nuoc cham sauce. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove lemongrass stalk. Using a handheld blender, puree soup to desired smoothness. Add cooked chicken back to soup and heat through. Add more nuoc cham sauce to taste. Serve topped with cilantro and green onions, drizzle with fresh lime juice to taste. Serves 6.

Fresh lemongrass plant

“This is a recipe?” you may ask. Well, no, but it’s a favorite technique of mine to tackle a few things simultaneously on a leisurely Sunday, my happy cooking day.

Chicken parts were a very good price this week, frugal friends. Sunday morning, I threw two pounds of them into the crockpot with two bay leaves, half teaspoon of salt, fresh cracked pepper, and enough water to reach an inch below the rim. Turned it to HIGH.  Just after lunch, I scooped the chicken pieces out with a slotted spoon to a plate. Using two forks, the fall-off-the-bone meat came away easily.  The carcass and remains then went back into the crockpot stock. Put the shredded chicken into a container in the fridge. Turned the crockpot to LOW and we decided to hit a late afternoon movie.

Back home, first I dealt with the 9 cups of fresh stock by scooping it into a colander over a large bowl to catch the scraps, then portioned the liquid into storage containers and put in the fridge (the next morning, scraped off the fat and froze). Well-cooked scraps were then tossed.

For dinner, burritos! In a small sauté pan with a lid, heated 1/4 cup green salsa, 2 Tbsp. water and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded chicken.  Whole wheat tortillas, cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and avocado.

Remaining shredded chicken was parceled into storage containers in two-portion sizes for soup, sandwiches, salads. Do you make your chicken this way?

Larry takes me on some pretty interesting dates, like last week’s Laserium Beatles Show (remember the LA Griffith Observatory?  Now it’s in Hollywood).  As we left the theater, Larry noticed that Beso, Eva Longoria’s uber hip restaurant was across the street, so we stopped in for a wildly expensive glass of wine and some Beautiful People watching.  Surprisingly, prices on the bar food menu were reasonable; we didn’t eat but I took notes.

The $10 Eva’s Tortilla Soup reminded me of a recipe in my home binder.   Since Larry is Beautiful People to me, I could watch him eat my soup.  The recipe is from a January ‘07 Sunset Magazine; I cut it down from the original; the two of us don’t need 4 1/2 quarts.

Happily, this is a rather low-cal recipe to begin with, but I chose to lighten the Sunset version a bit more by baking the tortilla strips.  To keep my figure looking like Eva’s, no fried tortilla strips.  Ok, BIGGGG joke there, friends. But good soup here:

Tortilla Soup

Adapted from Sunset Magazine

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 brown onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. red chile flakes
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 cups low salt chicken broth or homemade stock (or two 14 oz. cans)
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced no-salt tomatoes
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Additional toppings, as desired:  sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh avocado, limes, hot sauce, green onions

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, salt, cumin and chile flakes, and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes and lime juice, increase heat to gentle simmer and cook 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray, arrange the tortilla strips in a single layer and bake in a 375 degree F. oven until brown and crisp, 12 to 18 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender.  Return to heat, add chicken to soup and simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve hot with tortilla strips and your choice of toppings.  Makes 4 servings.

In anticipation of turkey leftovers, friends… Larry and I both work from home offices so we share a good number of meals together. For my lunch today, I dibbed leftovers of this Thai Pasta with Chicken while we were still eating it for dinner last night.

We were in Thailand a few years ago and that’s when we REALLY got hooked on the flavors. Thai food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then once home, still craving it every meal. Spicy, garlicy, gingery, make-you-sweat-it-is-so-hot goodness of some Asian cuisines can be addictive. Fear not, this is a mild entree. For more heat, use pepper flakes at the table. Plus, use plenty of limes, those really kick up the flavor.

This recipe page, torn from Sunset Magazine has been in my binder so long, it’s not in the magazine’s online archives. What made it a keeper for me is that the original recipe calls for turkey. Imagine after your Thanksgiving feast having a Thai recipe for as least some of the leftovers; this is a treasure because it actually IS better with turkey. I used fettuccini pasta last night, but as you can see, the recipe calls for linguine.

Thai Pasta with Chicken or Turkey

Adapted from Sunset Magazine

• 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. hot chili flakes
• 1/2 lb. cooked turkey or chicken, shredded or cut into strips
• 3/4 pound fresh or dried linguine (I use fettuccini sometimes)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped roasted peanuts
• Fresh green onions, if desired
• Extra lime wedges to taste

In a large pot, bring water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in another saucepot, mix together broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili flakes.  Heat to boiling, add turkey and reduce to simmer while pasta cooks.  Drain pasta, mix with broth and meat, add cilantro and lime juice.   Serve immediately sprinkled with peanuts and green onions, if desired.  Add more lime at table, if desired.  Makes 4 servings.

Even in summer, the Crockpot works overtime here.  In fact, we get all the little appliances together and set the rice cooker to finish simultaneously.  Yesterday, Larry and I hit a 5 PM movie and when we walked in the door, dinner practically served itself.  We ate this Green Turkey Chili with a scoop of brown rice.

I found this recipe in the January 2009 issue of Woman’s Day magazine, and it was better than the Turkey Chili I’ve always made.  Most importantly,  it has fewer steps.  In a pinch, substitute two or three sausages for the thighs and no worries.

When ready to photograph this recipe, I asked neighbor Marty for a loaner bowl.   I wish decorator “taste” could rub off on me, her home style is what I love, as Marty is an accomplished decorator.  But shhh… my eye spied lots o’ dishes that would make pretty pictures.   Marty also ponders the use of this teensy Sterling Silver Serving Utensil.

Green Turkey Chili

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 turkey thighs (1 lb. each), skin removed
• 1 can (15.5 oz.) white cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 can (11 oz.) corn, drained
• 1 1/2 cups medium heat green salsa
• 1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chiles, medium heat
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• Cooked brown rice, if desired

Place chopped onion on the bottom of a 3 1/2 qt. or larger Crockpot.  Put turkey thighs on top of the onion, then add beans and corn.  In a small bowl, mix together the salsa, chiles, garlic and cumin.  Pour over top.  Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.   Remove turkey to a cutting board and using two forks, pull the meat into bite-sized pieces.  Return meat to pot, discard bones.  Serve topped with cilantro.  Makes 4 servings.

There was this handsome, bald guy on TV making dinner with ingredients I already had (minus arugula). I’d never seen him before (and I love TV). His show was A Lyon In The Kitchen on the Discovery Health Channel and now I know his name is Nathan Lyon. A recipe like this is one of my favorites on a restaurant menu. Time to make it at home.

First, Nathan inspired me to add arugula to my errand list — I was walking into Westwood Village for a haircut, a 2-1/2 mile roundtrip walk. Carrying a light item like arugula on such a walk is OK. When Larry walks with me, for some reason he always wants to buy heavy ingredients, but he is a hunk so he gets to carry it all.

Although I made Nathan’s recipe with the recommended chicken, it doesn’t need it.  Meatless would be supreme. Larry proclaimed this one of the best recipes I’ve blogged.  The arugula was peppery, the lemon and capers zesty, and the artichokes are always fun to dig out and eat.

By the way, when when cooking with black olives, instead of chopping, just squeeze each one between your fingers and it breaks into nice pieces. My changes to Nathan’s recipe are ever so slight. OK, the better way to say this is I dummied it down – for ME not you!

Tuscan Chicken Pallard over Fettuccine

• 2 skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives, in pieces
• 1 jar (6 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1 Tbsp. capers
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/2 lb. fettuccine
• 2 cups baby arugula
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Between two sheets of plastic wrap, pound each chicken breast until about 1/4 inch in thickness. Remove wrap, season both sides with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.  Heat a grill, cook each side of breast for approx. 2 minutes or until no more pink center.  Set aside on a plate, cover with a lid or foil, allow to rest.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fettuccine until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, cook the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, reduce heat and cook about 1 additional minute. Add capers, chili flakes, olives, artichokes and tomatoes, stir gently and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat, deglaze with the wine. Return to the heat and simmer until the liquid is slightly thickened.

Fold cooked fettuccini into the cooked vegetables. Add arugula and toss until it wilts, only takes a minute. Add lemon juice and season to taste. Slice chicken diagonally in approx. 1-inch widths. Serve pasta immediately, topped with chicken and sprinkled with parmesan. Makes two hearty servings.

I’m not a slave to homemade stock, but I make it when I have the “stuff” that goes into it.  Once you do a batch, you will LOVE it.  Today’s is earmarked for Vietnamese Pho Soup which requires a special (but totally worthwhile) trip to the local Asian market for “sticks and leaves,” as Larry calls all the fresh things that go into pho.

This stock is made in the Crockpot with the bits leftover from deboning chicken for something else.   Or the leftover cooked turkey carcass from Thanksgiving. Tasty appetizers I made for Larry’s birthday, inspiration for the Green Salsa Chicken recipe, were this batch’s source.   That day, I took the giant wad of “stuff” and froze in two baggies of Crockpot-sized portions, making sure to squeeze into a shape that would fit into the pot in its solid frozen state.

Here’s how:  in 12-cup Crockpot, place bones, skin and meat bits (save up at least 4 cups of stuff).  If desired, add some chopped celery, carrots and onion but I never do.  Add water to an inch below the top.  Add four bay leaves, fresh ground pepper and a tsp. of salt.  If the meat parts are frozen, cook on HIGH for about two hours and then pull the pieces apart from each other, reduce to LOW and cook for six or so more hours.  If not frozen, cook on LOW all day.  Strain everything through a colander into a really large bowl (toss all solids into the trash via a plastic bag).  Cover and refrigerate overnight, then skim off the solid fat (who else besides me keeps a tin can in the fridge for this stuff?).  The stock will be gelatinized but will melt once you heat it for cooking.  You’ll have about 8 cups of rich, flavorful stock.  Use in such meals as Chicken Noodle Soup for a Neighbor’s Soul.

This recipe post is being updated for our current almost-winter season. The weather here in LA only got cold this week, so last night’s dinner was steaming homemade chicken noodle soup in the attempt to warm us from the inside-out. If you own a crockpot, print this frugal, filling recipe.

I make this soup as gifts.  Our neighbor, Gene, was very sick and eventually passed away some months ago. His bride of 60+ years, Charlotte ate my soup, which made me feel good. When we first moved into this neighborhood, Gene and Charlotte welcomed us.  I told her we planned to paint our front door a strong red, “the color of your lipstick,” I said.  She went home and colored a swatch, we took it to the paint store and really did paint the door Chanel Red.

My Chicken Noodle Soup is always made in the crockpot.  Not too many ingredients, but I encourage you to make a full pot; freezing it in portions is great.  Jerry’s Famous Deli makes bazillions selling theirs at $7.50 a bowl; mine is equally fine, a little less salty and a whole lot cheaper.  The fun of eating theirs, however, is that deli is a celebrity hangout: Kevin Spacey once mistook the takeout order of my cousin, Melinda’s for his and we had to intercept to get it back.  She didn’t know it was him until after he was gone and then I told her.

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

• 4 – 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into coins
• 2 cans low-salt chicken broth (or 4 cups homemade stock)
• 1 Tbsp. chives
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 clove minced garlic, if desired
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked fine egg noodles

In a 12 cup crockpot, place all ingredients except noodles.  Add enough water to 2 inches below crockpot top.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.  When close to serving time, in a pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile, remove chicken thighs and cut into bite-sized pieces, return meat to soup.  Drain cooked noodles and add to soup.  Add a little Kosher salt to taste.   Makes 12 cups.

*Note – instead of noodles, I also make this soup with 4 red potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes and added at the beginning.   Yes, you can make this with chicken breasts but the meat isn’t as flavorful or juicy as thighs.

It is hard to photograph chicken when the meat is falling off the bone. And excessively juicy. And bubbly hot, but it is sooooo easy to eat this good stuff. Two ingredients only – chicken and green salsa.

A few months ago, we threw a huge bash for a significant Larry birthday. My goal was to feed 100+ guests with hearty homemade food. And I figured the cheaper the ingredients, the more food we could serve. One pass-along appetizer I chose was one of my sister, Gretchen’s all-time good ideas, just a grilled chicken leg. But then I thought that a leg was too large for nibbles. Wings, I don’t like. Thighs won, de-boned and de-skinned, cut into cubes, stuck on toothpicks, marinated overnight in green salsa and roasted.  Sour cream with more green salsa for dipping. Gone like lightening. Men especially dug them.

Tonight’s dinner, I used the same idea with legs and thighs. These babies are super tender. And fit my frugal personality: chicken parts were .97 a pound this week. It makes a green salsa sauce, too, that is yummy over brown rice. Leftovers will be lunch.

Green Salsa Chicken

• Chicken thighs and legs, any quantity
• 1 cup green salsa for each portion (2 pieces of meat per portion)

In an refrigerator-to-oven-safe casserole dish with a lid, place chicken and pour salsa on top, turn chicken a bit to coat all sides.  Refrigerate overnight.  Next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   Turn the chicken pieces once more, then bake with lid on for 45 minutes.  Remove lid and cook an additional 15-30 minutes, depending upon how many pieces.  Check internal temperature of chicken to ensure it is 160 – 170 degrees F.

Friday afternoons, I volunteer at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center as the Info Desk Lady.  My co-volunteer Marty is the Info Desk Guy.  Between screening visitors and handling queries like where are the bathrooms, the ER, the gift shop, the cafeteria, and “I’m in labor,” Marty and I discuss things.  One afternoon, we discussed Al Capp (a real piece of work).

Last week, I asked him what recipe I should cook for my blog, and he said Turkey Meatloaf with Spicy Tomato Sauce On Top.  Marty is definitely a guy.  Actually, Marty is a retired political reporter for USA Today, Newsweek, Newsday, and others so he has pretty good stories.

I like Turkey Meatloaf, good idea.  Yet, it is easier to cook and eat than photograph, and this one looks like a school science project, lava and all.  My recipe tastes better now because Marty said the tomato sauce definitely needs to be spicy.  Ran that by Larry and was told, “Who doesn’t know that?”  OK, spicier.

Turkey Meatloaf with Spicier Ketchup

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. ketchup, divided
• 1 1/2 lb. ground lean turkey
• 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring.  Add Worcestershire sauce and 1 Tbsp. ketchup, stir until blended, remove from heat.

In large bowl, mix together turkey, breadcrumbs, and 2 eggs (clean hands work best, in my opinion).  Add the onion mixture to the meat and blend until well mixed.

Spray a pie dish with non-stick cooking spray, form the turkey mixture into a mound.

In small bowl, mix the remaining ketchup with the Tabasco sauce.  Spread evenly over the meatloaf.

Bake 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 170 degrees F.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  Serves 8.

If there is one food I cook well, it is Roast Chicken. Mine always come out juicy and tender; I use the nifty tool, a Spanek verticle roaster. You don’t need anything beyond the wire gizmo that makes your bird sit upright in the oven.

So why try a new recipe? The headline. I tore out the pages from Fine Cooking Magazine for their Best Ever Roast Chicken.

Larry voted it better than mine. I took no offense, as it WAS slightly juicier and had no seasoning beyond salt and pepper. I take full responsibility for the “slightly juicier” because I’m HUNGRY when a roasted chicken is done, and rarely let it rest the 15 minutes needed to redistribute juices. And I’ve used Mrs. Dash to season in the past. No more.  Larry is right, it is a superb roast chicken. Here is my version since I did three things differently* that turned out well. (*the things were, their recipe called for a 4-lb bird and I used a 5 lb. – we like leftovers. I drizzled the olive oil on side #2 before the salt and pepper cuz they needed to stick, and I forgot to push the timer button for the first 30 minute cook, so it got an extra 15 minutes on the first round.) Oh, and I couldn’t find any kitchen twine, so her legs dangled in the air, no biggie.

I also don’t carve on a cutting board, forget that. One very sharp pair of dishwasher-safe kitchen scissors cuts through meat and bone, no dirty board.And P.S., that was a cheap chicken, no special brand or la-de-da.

Best Ever Roast Chicken (slightly rewritten from original)

• 5-pound whole roasting chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Spray a roasting rack with non-stick spray, place in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Remove packet of organs from the chicken and rinse thoroughly with water, place bird on rack breast up.  Twist the wings backwards to tie into knots.  Season the breast with salt and pepper, turn the bird breast-side-down, drizzle back with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.   Roast the chicken breast-side down for 45 minutes, turn over by using sturdy tongs to make the flip.  Roast an additional 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 to 170 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.  Remove chicken from oven, tent with foil and let sit for 15 minutes.

Save the pan juices for an upcoming crockpot soup.

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