Easy as Pie Test Kitchen

Here's a chicken!

This chicken dish had a cameo appearance in my contest entry video in the Intuit small business grant contest. (No, it is not the same chicken. Ew. And no, I do not know whether I won. Winners will be announced June 4. Until then, just assume that my video was the most awesome.)

With only 5 ingredients and very little prep time, this impressive-looking meal is deceptively simple. Trussing a chicken and learning how to eat an artichoke can be a little intimidating if it's your first time doing either. (I've included instructional links for both below.) By the second or third time, though, you'll be an old pro and want to invite your friends over so you can demonstrate, along with your new magic tricks or maybe your trick knee. Plus, you'll probably become as addicted to artichokes as my husband and I have since we first ate some. Pop the chicken in the oven, throw the artichokes in the steamer, and have a little wine with your guests while you enjoy the smell of the chicken roasting. (I suggest "forgetting" to turn on the oven for half an hour and plying everyone with more wine when your realize your "mistake", but maybe then they won't be able to savor this lovely dish quite as well. Ah well, more for you.)

Roast Chicken with Artichokes & Mustard
1 2-3 pound whole chicken
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise, or substitute
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 large or 4 small artichokes

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. Truss the chicken. (Click here for my instructional video on trussing a chicken.) Put the chicken in a casserole dish or roasting pan. Roast until it is done 50-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in meatiest part reads at least 185. There is no need to baste the chicken or do anything else with it while it is roasting.

While chicken is roasting, chop the rosemary. Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and 1/3 of the rosemary. 30 minutes before the chicken is done, put the artichoke(s) in a steamer to cook for 25-45 minutes. (Instructions for how to cook and eat an artichoke can be found here.)

Remove chicken from oven and add remaining rosemary to juices at bottom of pan. Spoon the juices over the top of the chicken and allow to sit for 15 minutes, continuing to spoon juices over it every so often.

When serving, use the mustard sauce to spread on the chicken and as a dip for the artichokes.

If you are like me and you can't eat store-bought mustard or mayonnaise, try this quick substitution:

Mustard Sauce
7 ounces silken tofu
1-2 tablespoons ground mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Lamb & Yams

Hey, it's Memorial Day, so I did some grillin'. Cook-outs can be a minefield of allergens, what with the potato salads and buns and condiments and all (think soy, eggs, wheat, sugar, vinegar, corn, you name it). Here are some Mediterranean inspired cook-out friendly recipes that definitely won't leave your friends and family running to the convenience store for hot dog buns.

Chipotle Grilled Leg of Lamb
1 boneless leg of lamb
2 tablespoons chipotle chile powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Prepare gas grill by greasing the rack and heating it to high heat.

Most legs of lamb will come butterflied (cut up so it lays fairly flat on the grill). If not, see this handy web tutorial for how to do it.

Mix spices together in a bowl. This makes your spice rub. Dry off the lamb and rub it with the spices on all sides. For rare or medium rare meat (that's how I like it), grill leg on high for 10-15 minutes on each side. For more well-done meat, lower heat and grill 15-25 minutes on each side.

Grilled Yams
3 pounds yams, sliced about 1/4" thick (I sliced mine length-wise, but cutting them in round cross-wise pieces works, too)
non-stick cooking spray, or olive oil
seasoning--just salt is fine, but I used the following:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix spices and salt together. Spray or brush yams with cooking spray or olive oil, then sprinkle with mixed spices. Grill about 10-12 minutes per side. Be careful not to let them fall through the grill! :)

Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Salad
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice or red wine or sherry vinegar
2 garlic clove(s), mincd
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups cooked chickpeas, rinse if canned
2 roasted red peppers
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
3 tbsp capers
4 slices bacon, crumbled

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic to make dressing. Combine chickpeas, peppers, parsley, green onions, capers, and bacon in a medium bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.