Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A Perfect Picnic Standby

Weekend cooking often starts on Thursday at my house. Why, pray tell??? Because I like to have things on hand, since we rarely plan our weekends, choosing to be spontaneous most of the time, especially now that we might actually have beautiful weather and the opportunity to go exploring this lovely province.

And nothing says "be prepared" like roasting a chicken on Thursday. Three reasons in my house....1) Boaz usually spends the day and I like to focus on him rather than spend the time cooking, plus he likes it; 2) my Honey has an aversion to whole chickens ever since his summer working in a chicken processing plant...need I say more; 3) it's perfect for whipping up tasty treats like the Asian Chicken Wrap we had on the weekend.

Seriously, what could be easier than the 5 minutes it takes to clean the chicken (I like the Eden Valley Farms chicken because it's from local Nova Scotian farms) and then just pop it in the oven, stuffed with a sprig or two of your favorite herb, a chunk of onion or garlic, some lemon or orange and smell the goodness.

In crummy weather, the chicken meat gets added to quick soups, frittatas and of course pastas. Now that the weather is fantastic, it makes excellent sandwiches and salads perfect for picnics.

What's your favorite "have on hand" for the weekend?

5 comments:

Melissa said...

I love prepping early for the same reason. Roast chicken is always a good one. This weekend I'm doing another one of my favorites - roast pork shoulder. It can be shredded for tacos or sliced for sandwiches (or even better, a Cuban!). We have a busy weekend ahead and this is one of our favorite things to make ahead to keep us covered through Sunday.

Ruth Daniels said...

Sounds like a perfect way to eat well with little stress. thanks for sharing.

Maria said...

I was actually planning to roast a chicken on Thursday or Friday to have the meat ready for some yummy wraps I'd like to put together for my daughter's birthday. Thanks for cementing the idea for me! I tend to procrastinate, but planning and prepping is definitely best when you'd like to enjoy a stress-free weekend.

pam said...

I'm with you on roasting a chicken. Between the original meal, the leftovers, and then the stock made with the carcass, it' wonderful!

Rumela said...

My father is a huge fan of
roasting a chicken and I always try to make it for him whenever we see my parents. He has yet to be fully blown away by any of the recipes i've tried. Simplicity is key, and yours looks perfect! Can't wait to try it. thank you for shearing your post.