Roasted Chicken

This whole, roasted chicken is so easy and delicious! Guests ask me for the "recipe" all the time. Last week, I decided to get back to the blog and record a recipe.

The secret to this perfect chicken is using a timer and a meat thermometer so you should have both.

I think that, if you are going to make 1 chicken, it's just as easy to make 2. The first chicken can be dinner on night one for a family of 4. Take the meat off of the 2nd chicken and freeze it in plastic bags for an easy dinner, like chicken noodle soup or chicken tacos, another night. I buy a 2 pack of chickens from BJs. These chickens were under $8.00 which is a great deal!

Note: Please use a large, heavy roasting pan. Also, the chickens will come with a package of giblets and the neck. I toss these right into the roasting pan. If you don't like to eat them, just toss them out after they are cooked.


Roasted Chicken (Whole)

2 whole chickens, approximately 4-4 1/2 lbs. each
1/4 c. olive oil

1 T. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Other supplies:
heavy duty foil
a large, heavy roasting pan
a meat thermometer
a timer

Preheat your oven to 450. Combine the salt, garlic and pepper in a small dish and set aside.


Line your roasting pan with foil and add the chickens.

Divide the olive oil between the two chickens. Rub the oil into the chickens to thoroughly coat them.


Once the chickens are coated with oil, divide the salt mixture between the two chickens and rub this into the skin as well using your hands. Follow this with the chopped parsley.



The chickens are ready for the oven! Place them into the oven uncovered and immediately set the timer for 50 minutes. The chickens need to be cooked to 180 degrees. The timing will vary because of the size of the chickens you are using so the 50 minute mark is a good place to start. When the timer goes off, check the temperature by inserting the thermometer into the meatiest part of the thigh of each bird (no jokes, please. Women can get temperamental about meaty thighs).

Depending on the temperature at this point, and how close it is to 180 degrees, reset the the timer for 10 minutes and go from there. As the temperature approaches 180 degrees, it tends to rise quickly. Babysitting the birds is essential at this point so you will need to check and reset the timer accordingly. If you are at 170, for example, try resetting the timer for 5 minutes and check them again. When you get to the temperature (I've been known to pull them at 178-179 as well), immediately remove the chickens from the oven. Allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Resist the urge to start eating before dinner!

Loco Diner Roasted Chicken

Pizza Omelette

This one is a shout out to my dad. I think it's safe to call this his signature dish: The Pizza Omelette.

Whether you wanted one or not, in good times and bad, he'd serve you up a Pizza Omelette faster than you could call the ambulance to come and pick you up after you ate this fried pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce filled masterpiece. This delicacy always came with a complimentary glass of orange juice served in a wine glass.

Need an occasion to make one? Try one of these:

Your boyfriend/girlfriend dumped you.
You are hung over.
You got fired.
You got a raise.
Someone stole your car.
It's a snow day.
It's Sunday morning.

Don't be afraid. Try it.



Note: This is a fun choice for a dinner omelette if you aren't up for eating it for breakfast. If you do this, serve it with some hearty, Italian bread and a glass of chianti.

Also, the amounts are made to my taste. I don't like omelettes with too much filling. If you prefer to add more, go right ahead, just be aware that you have to fold it over and if there's too much filling, it might be difficult.

Dad's Pizza Omelette

1 package of Hormel, sliced pepperoni
2-3 eggs depending on how big you want your omelette, beaten with a splash of water
2-3 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 tablespoons of preheated Hunt's canned tomato sauce. Do not use spaghetti sauce!
butter for the pan

Pan fry the pepperoni. This is actually so delicious you might not have any left for your omelette. Try to resist.

Heat a nonstick frying pan and add the pepperoni. After a couple of minutes, it will start to bubble and get crispy on the ends. At this time, remove it from the pan and drain it on paper towels. If you want to fry up the whole package of pepperoni, it's great for sandwiches, just wipe out the pan between batches. Here's what it looks like as it fries.

At this point, remove the pepperoni from the pan and drain it.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl with a splash of water. Heat a separate pan for the eggs and add a pat of butter. When it foams, add the eggs and allow them to set. I never add filling to the eggs until they are mostly set.
Add a layer of pepperoni and the cheese and follow that up with the sauce.

Close the omelette and allow the cheese to melt.

Serve it up to your happy or distraught family member, friend or guest.!

Dad's Pizza Omelette

Pork Balls

I was going to call these absolutely delicious meatballs Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs but that's just too long and gives the impression of Chinese food. These meatballs are derived from the Pennsylvania Dutch specialty Ham Balls which you can find at the many smorgasbord restaurants in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

It was at Yoders Family Restaurant that I tried Ham Balls over 15 years ago. After finding them shockingly delicious, I had to make them at home so I bought a local PA Dutch cookbook, Weavertown School Family Cooking. There are 3 different Ham Ball recipes and 4 Ham Loaf recipes in the book all calling for ground ham.

Ground ham has the feel and look of ground beef and I've only seen it in Lancaster County grocery stores. Since it isn't readily available, I decided to give Ham Balls a try using just ground pork so that my fellow Loco Diners can have the opportunity to give this delicious dish a try.

Note: I got 18 meatballs out of this recipe. All of the meatballs would not fit in one baking pan so I baked the additional 6 meatballs in another dish with the remainder of the sauce and the sauce did burn a bit on the edges. Overall they were fine.

You can also make extra sauce for serving if you would like. The sauce thickens and caramelizes so there isn't much left over for spooning over the meatballs when they are finished.

Loco Diner Pork Balls
The Meatballs
4 lbs. ground pork
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk (low fat milk is fine)
2 cups fine, plain bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper

The Sauce
1 26oz can of condensed tomato soup
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tbs. cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350.

Start by mixing the milk with the plain bread crumbs in a dish.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground pork, eggs, salt, pepper and bread crumb/milk mixture.

Mix this thoroughly with your hands. Scoop the meat into a 1/2 cup measure and roll into a ball. The meatballs will be quite large. It is also a good idea to use a disposable baking tin for this because the sauce will caramelize and can possibly burn making it difficult to clean out of a baking dish.
For the sauce, empty the tomato soup into your pot. Add the brown sugar, dry mustard and vinegar and whisk this together. Bring this to a low boil.


When the sauce is ready, ladle it over the meatballs.

These are ready for the oven!

Bake uncovered at 350. I baked them in my convection oven for 40 minutes and they came out delicious and juicy. The instructions on most of the recipes I read called for 1 hour. You will have to be the judge based on your oven.


I was very pleased with the results. While they did vary in taste from the actual Ham Ball, these were quite similar. When cut, they were juicy and tender with a nice amount of sweetness. Before I shared this recipe with you, I tested the meatballs with everyone at my house and they were a big success. Try serving these with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes and a veggie of your choice!


Reference: The Weavertown School Family Cooking Cookbook, pages 116-118

Borscht

On my quest to try cooking some Polish dishes, the thought of making red beet borscht sounded interesting to me. My first step was to consult my mother-in-law's recipe card and the two Polish cookbooks I have.

I also never tasted authentic borscht so step two was to try actual, authentic Polish borscht. Fortunately, I knew just where to go. We piled into the car and took a road trip to the New Wave Cafe located in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Port Richmond.


Don't let the facade fool you. You will find delicious Polish food in this restaurant that also doubles as a corner bar and alien-themed disco. For a mere $3, I had a delicious bowl of the New Wave's borscht. It was creamy probably from a healthy dose of sour cream and flavorful with some surprise ingredients that included potato and large lima beans. I knew right away that I wanted to serve the sour cream on the side and that I would probably skip the beans even though I really liked them. I wanted a lighter, vegetable soup that people could eat guilt free unless they chose to do otherwise.


After reviewing the recipes I had and tasting the soup, I realized that this soup is like any other ethnic standard. There are several ways to make it and everyone has their own unique recipe. So, here is my recipe. I hope you like it!

Loco Diner Borscht

The Vegetables
8-10 bunches of fresh beets, scrubbed
1 tablespoon of salt
cold water

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, whole with the leaves
2 large potatoes, peeled, precooked and coarsely chopped

Broth
1 32 oz. carton of Swanson beef broth
approximately 4 cups of beet broth reserved from when you boiled the beets

Other:
1 tablespoon of beef base
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar

Garnishes:
sour cream
fresh, chopped dill

*Start by scrubbing and trimming the beets leaving about 2" of stem. Cover the beets with cold water and boil them with 1 tablespoon of salt until they are tender. When the beets are finished, reserving the broth, remove them from the pot and allow them to cool.



Heat your soup pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the grated carrot, chopped onion and celery to the pot and cook on low heat until the vegetables soften. Be careful not to brown them. Sprinkle them with some salt and pepper.

While you are waiting for the vegetables to soften. Peel the cooled beets. They will peel very easily. Grate 1/2 of the beats and slice the other half. When the vegetables are soft, add the beets to the pot. Oh, and wear an apron. This is going to get messy!




At this point, add the beef broth and 4 cups of the reserved beet juice from boiling the beets as well as the precooked potato. Stir to combine.


It's time to add 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of beef base. Add some salt and pepper to taste at this point as well.

Cover the pot and simmer the soup on low-medium heat. As with most soups, the longer they cook, the better they taste but the beef broth and base will help to hurry the soup along. I started very early in the morning and it was fine for dinner that night.

To serve, spoon into warm bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh dill. I serve both on the side.


I cannot believe I forgot to photograph this with the dill. That's what I get for frying 2 dozen pierogi and trying to blog at the same time. It looked so pretty! Really. It did.

References:
Mom's (my mother-in-law) borscht recipe
*Polish Cooking by Marianna Olszewska Heberle
Treasured Polish Recipes for Americans by the Polanie Club
The New Wave Cafe's Borscht Soup, 2620 Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia PA. Neighborhood: Port Richmond

Polish Pickled Mushrooms

If you like vinegar, this one's for you! My intention was to put out a Polish feast for New Years Day but I did get a little side tracked and slipped some Italy disguised as red pepper and garlic into these awesome pickled mushrooms. I guess that explains the "ish" at the end of Polish.

Pickled Mushrooms
2 lbs whole small white mushrooms
2 1/2 c. white vinegar
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
4 small dried hot peppers or 1/2 tsp. dried pepper flakes
1/2 c. chopped onion
4 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

salted boiling water

Clean the mushrooms and boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain them and pour the drained mushrooms into a heatproof serving dish. Set them aside for now.

In a separate pot, bring the vinegar, garlic, peppers, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes.



Remove the vinegar mixture from the heat and pour it over the mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate these for several hours or over night for the best results.



Smacznego!


References:

Polish Cooking, Marianna Olszewska Heberle
Treasured Polish Recipes for Americans, Polanie Club

Pioneer Woman's Cheese Grits

"How do you cook your grits? Do you like them regular, creamy or al dente?"
--Vinny Gambini

"Give cheese grits a chance."
Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

Ok, I admit it. Everything I knew about grits came from the movie "My Cousin Vinny." I've eaten grits a couple of times but they never dazzled me and I never thought they were much more than a sticky, cream-of-wheat type food. I was clearly mistaken.



My sister-in-law got me a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond for Christmas. I absolutely love cookbooks of all kind and usually settle into a pattern of reading a new cookbook first. Eventually, a recipe stands out enough that I'll want to start cooking. Remember my Daisy Cooks experience?

I looked through The Pioneer Woman Cooks from time to time but recently started to carry it around with me. I bring it to the pool to read instead of a novel, or out on the deck with my morning coffee instead of the weekly sale circulars. The book is beautifully photographed. The food looks delicious and Ree Drummond's stories are great. Finally, one hot, August day, I decided I was ready to try out a recipe. I settled on cheese grits. It was the 4 garlic cloves. Garlic and grits? That's just plain intriguing.

There is no Loco Diner improvising here. I am a grits novice so I followed the recipe exactly with fantastic results.

Notes: Since making the grits, I have also made The Pioneer Woman's chili and enchiladas and they were both delicious. Watch out, Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich, you're next.


Ree Drummond's Cheese Grits

1/2 tsp. salt
*2 cups uncooked quick or regular grits
4 eggs
12 tbs. butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into tablespoons
3 c. grated sharp cheddar
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

*I used the quick grits because that's all they had at my store. And yes, I know "no self-respecting southerner uses instant grits." I had to buy a 5lb package. If anyone else has any ideas, please let me know!

Preheat the oven to 350 and butter a baking dish.

Add 1/2 teaspoons of salt to 9 cups of water and bring the water to a boil. Add the grits and stir.





Cover and cook the quick grits for 5 minutes. When they are finished, turn off the heat.


I wasn't sure if this was right, but I kept at it.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Before you add the eggs to the grits, you need to temper them by adding some of the hot grits to the eggs. Keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn't wind up with scrambled eggs, I did it and it was fine. Add a spoonful to the eggs and whisk the grits into the eggs while you add them. I repeated this a couple of times.



Pour the egg mixture into the grits and stir until the mixture is well combined.



Add the butter and stir until the butter is melted.



After the butter is melted, add the cheese and stir until the cheese is incorporated into the mixture.





Finally, stir in the garlic and cayenne pepper. At this point, the mixture will smell so delicious, that you will want to taste it. Try not to.



Pour the grits into your greased baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.



Let the grits stand for 10 minutes before serving. They will set as they cool.



Ree suggested serving this with her Perfect Pot Roast, Roasted Beef Tenderloin or Fried Chicken all of which I'm sure are delicious. After tasting the grits, I don't see why you would need any other food. I suggest serving it with a spoon and a really, really big bowl. They are that good.