The Review: Murray's Chicken

Review


Murray's Chicken is great to cook with and only slightly more expensive than other supermarket brands. I have been cooking and eating their product for years and have never had an issue with quality. All of their chickens are raised in the New York Tri-State area and therefore no preservatives are needed to keep the birds fresh during transportation. Additionally, the only reason they are not certified organic is to absolve the customer from having the costs of being certified passed onto them. The birds are brought up on a 100% vegeterian diet of soybeans and corn, and Murray's is a certified humane organization. I recently bought a whole chicken and was very pleased, although there were one or two feathers left which I needed to pluck before cooking. 

• Expect the prices to be slightly higher than other poultry brands in stores but the quality of meat to be better

Murray's Chicken

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The Recipe: Roasted Carrots

 Everyone grew up with carrots, whether they were on the kitchen table or in Sunday morning cartoons. Few of us, however, see carrots in stores and think of a hard-working, oft-overlooked vegetable, especially as they are second only to potatoes in consumption here in the United States. Carrots are not glamorous. Carrots are not trendy. Carrots are rustic. Carrots are the food that's always there.

Originally they were not even grown for their roots but rather for their aromatic leaves. Parsley, fennel, and cumin, all members of the same family as carrots, are still primarily grown for their leaves throughout the world today. Carrots, however, are more than just a staple in American households; they  are the Good Samaritan of the vegetable garden.  

 

Carrots help other vegetables flourish. When planted along with tomatoes, tomato production increases. If carrots are left to flower, the wasps they attract kill garden pests. In addition to helping other vegetables, carrots help us as well. Numerous health benefits, including improved vision, healthier skin, and increased resistance to disease, are all associated with eating carrots. 

Next time you are looking for a vegetable to serve with dinner, don't overlook the carrot. There is nothing left to say except ... that's all folks!

 

Recipe

• 3/4 lb. baby carrots

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tbsp. honey

• 1 tsp. coriander

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 3 sprigs of thyme

• Sea salt

1 Preheat oven to 425^o. Peel carrots and trim leaves. Add oil, honey, coriander, cumin, and fresh thyme into mixing bowl and whisk until blended.

2 Toss carrots in bowl until evenly coated, then lay flat on baking tray leaving excess dressing in bowl. If needed, dress carrots in batches. Season with salt.

3 Cover carrots with tin foil and add to oven. Cook for 20 minutes before removing foil. Cook for additional 5 minutes then serve with drizzle of olive oil.

The Lesson Learned: Basic Chopping

Chopping is perhaps the most basic, yet most incorrectly performed, task in any kitchen. When I first began to take cooking more seriously than “I am hungry and need to eat something”, I found that starting at the beginning was really starting with chopping. On my prior blog, one of my first posts was a tutorial on chopping an onion.

Jamie Oliver divides opinion like many celebrity chefs, but he is one of my favorite chefs for a number of reasons: he makes food that most people could make at home, he has the right attitude about health and nutrition, and, perhaps most importantly, he has so many videos for the home cook. The following videos from his website and YouTube channel will help teach all the home cooks out there the correct way to chop anything from onions, to zucchini, to herbs.     

• Secure the chopping board
• Chop with the three basic techniques
• Cook quick meals by chopping effectively

The Dish: Pan-broiled Flat Iron Steak with Basil Pesto

Pairing the flavorful char of a steak with the fresh taste of basil makes this dish one of my favorites. In addition to tasting great, it is incredibly simple to prepare. The pesto can be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated until an hour before being served. The steak can be seasoned right before hitting the pan and in total, you can have a wonderful meal prepared in 30 minutes or less.  

I chose a 1.25 lb. flat iron steak, which I cut into two steaks to ensure even cooking, from Fleisher’s to serve three people. I prepared a batch of basil pesto a few hours ahead of time, and made sure it reached room temperature before I pan-broiled the steak for 15 – 20 minutes on the stove. Next, I allowed the steak to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing into strips and serving topped with the pesto.

I additionally prepared some slow roasted green beans and onions as well as mashed baked turnips with shallots, both variations of the recipes below. 
Charred steak, fresh basil pesto, roasted green beans, and baked turnips made for a fantastic and fresh winter meal. Try it at home when searching for a nice weekend dinner or, alternatively, a quick weeknight meal.

Suggested Sides:

• Slow Roasted Green Beans with Sage
• Whole Baked Carrots
• Mashed Turnips with Sage
• Baked Potatoes with Sea Salt and Rosemary



The Technique: Pan-broiling

Pan-broiling is a dry heat cooking method which consists of cooking food on a stovetop without any additional fat or oils. For apartment dwellers like me, pan-broiling is one of the best methods for cooking steaks or chops.

Pan-broiling lets the heat do the work and the result is a piece of meat with a crispy, charred exterior and juicy interior. This method is similar to searing, so all of the lovely juices and flavors of the meat get sealed within during cooking.

Use a dry rub of spices when pan-broiling. The flavors create a wonderful crust on your meat with minimal effort. My favorite base spice mix for steak, pork, or lamb contains black pepper, sea salt, coriander, cumin, thyme, and parsley. Play with your own mix based upon your palate. I like to amp up the cumin and coriander when cooking lamb, but I prefer a steak rub that is predominantly sea salt and black pepper.

As long as you are using good quality spices, you can’t go wrong. Simply pat your meat dry with a paper towel, then lightly coat your meat with your rub, and, you guessed it, rub it evenly over your steak or chop.

Eating Well and Martha Stewart each have flavorful rub recipes you might want to try. Below I seasoned a pair of lamb shoulder chops with my personal blend of spices.
 

The process for pan-broiling is outlined and illustrated fairly well on WikiHow, but I have included my process below. Additionally, the New York Times just put out an article in their Dining & Wine section with a video demonstrating this dry heat method. One word of warning, this method will generate a bit of smoke in your kitchen, so you might want to put the microwave fan on (if above the stove) or crack open the kitchen window. Otherwise, it is probably a good idea to have a dish towel ready to do battle with a fickle smoke detector!

Technique

1 Heat non-stick pan over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes until hot.

2 Add seasoned meat to pan and drop heat under pan to medium flame. Gently move meat around for first 10 seconds to avoid it sticking to pan.

3 Depending on thickness of meat, cook for 5 to 7 minutes before turning. A good indicator is where meat browns on its sides. Aim for halfway up before turning.

4 Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes after turning. I also make sure to rotate meat and cook sides as well before removing it from pan.

5 Cook to preference. On my previous blog, I outlined a fast and easy method to determine how well-done your meat is. Cook additionally as needed.

6 Remove from pan and let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.