A Life, Lived

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken is incredibly delicious, juicy and moist. This chicken is perfectly seasoned with herbs and spices and baked to a crispy perfection. The steam from the beer creates an unbelievably moist chicken, you’ll love it from the very first bite. 

I started making beer can chicken a few years ago and ever since then it’s been a favorite. I can honestly say that this chicken is probably the most juicy and delicious chicken and a million times better than the roasted chickens you get at the grocery store. The steam from the beer creates an amazing juicy chicken. 

This chicken is roasted at a pretty high temperature of 425 F degrees, it gets nice and crispy all around, no more soggy chicken on the bottom. Because this chicken stands up on the beer can, it cooks evenly all around giving you crispy skin and juicy meat.

Full disclosure here - I don't actually force the end of the chicken over a can of been and toss it on the grill ay more. I picked up this great pan at Williams Sonoma:

It has all of the benefits of the traditional beer can chicken technique plus it allows you to added veggies or potatoes to the roasting pan. They cook up wonderfully from the grill and have the added deliciousness that comes from the drippings from the chicken.

Enjoy

Beer Can Chicken

1 chicken whole, 3 - 4 lb chicken
12 oz beer can, I've used Sleeman's honey brown, Pilsner, Coor's light
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tarragon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat your gas grill to medium-high heat, with all burners lit. Prepare the chicken as stated in the instructions with the spice rub and oil.

Make sure the beer can is open, and only half-filled with beer, don’t throw away the other half, drink it!

Lower the chicken onto the beer can, making sure the chicken sits upright

Mix all the rub ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the chicken on the grill, use the legs and beer can to support the chicken and keep it stable.

Cover the grill and let it cook. Check it after an hour, then every 15 minutes or so. As with the oven, it’s best to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken and make sure it reaches 165 F degrees.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Let it sit for 15 minutes before carving it.

 

Black Lives Matter

Honestly, another senseless death of a black person at the hands of white authorities.

When will people realize that anti black racism is real and deadly?

I have privilege as a white person because I can do all of these things without thinking twice about it...
I can go jogging (#AmaudArbery).
I can relax in the comfort of my own home (#BothemJean, #AtatianaJefferson, #BreonnaTaylor).
I can ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride).
I can have a cellphone (#StephonClark).
I can leave a party to get to safety (JordanEdwards).
I can play loud music (#JordanDavis).
I can sell CD's (#AltonSterling).
I can sleep (#AiyanaJones)
I can walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).
I can play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).
I can go to church (#Charleston9).
I can walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).
I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (#SeanBell).
I can party on New Years (#OscarGrant).
I can get a traffic ticket (#SandraBland).
I can lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).
I can break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).
I can shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .
I can have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).
I can read a book in my own car (#KeithScott).
I can be a 10yr old walking with our stepfather (#CliffordGlover).
I can decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).
I can ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).
I can cash a check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).
I can take out my wallet (#AmadouDiallo).
I can run (#WalterScott).
I can breathe ( #EricGarner).
I can live (#FreddieGray).
I can ask someone to put a leash on their dog when it is required in the public park we are in (#ChristianCooper).
I CAN BE ARRESTED WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BEING MURDERED. #Georgefloyd

 

Travel Tuesdays - COVID19 Edition

One of the popular social media activities right now is for people to post pics of places that have made them happy. You know the pics, the ones you look at and you get that feeling of calm and happiness inside. I've decided to do that for this week's edition of Travel Tuesdays.

This is the 8th edition from my self isolation.

Relative Importance

It is funny how the pandemic has changed the relative importance of things in 2020.

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Lemon and Feta

'Oh happy day' I thought when I spotted the first local asparagus at the grocery store when I was doing my shopping.

Living in Canada where there is a huge gap in fresh, local produce during the winter months the return of fresh and local is always a cause for celebration. This year, with the COVID19 misery it is even more a cause for a happy dance.

I grabbed a huge bunch and was off to the races.

We ended up using it in this salad last night. This is my kind of a dish - ready in less than 30 minutes, easy, doesn't dirty a bunch of dishes, and when you dig in your taste buds go 'wow'.

Enjoy.

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Lemon and Feta

2 pounds very thick asparagus, about 24 spears, ends trimmed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

Preheat the grill to high.

Place the asparagus spears on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Directly on the prepared baking sheet, toss the asparagus with 2 tablespoons of the oil, the salt and the pepper.

Place the asparagus spears on the grill, making sure they are perpendicular to grates so they don't fall through. Set the baking sheet near the grill (you'll need it for the cooked asparagus). Cover and cook the asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned on one side and still crisp -- do not overcook. Remove the asparagus from the grill and place back on the foil-lined baking dish. Let the asparagus cool.

Transfer the spears to cutting board and cut on the bias into bite-sized pieces. Place the cut asparagus in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice; toss well. Add the feta and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper and lemon juice (I usually add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt). Transfer to a serving platter. Serve room temperature or cold.

Travel Tuesdays - COVID19 Edition

One of the popular social media activities right now is for people to post pics of places that have made them happy. You know the pics, the ones you look at and you get that feeling of calm and happiness inside. I've decided to do that for this week's edition of Travel Tuesdays.

This is the 7th edition from my self isolation.

Supporting Local Producers

There is no doubt that the pandemic has kicked the crap out of small businesses Some have just shuttered Others have adopted to different business models in order to stay solvent.Niagara wineries have been particularly hard hit. The wine business is never an easy one but 202o seems to have them in its crosshairs between a catastrophic loss of business (including the lucrative restaurant sales) and a brutal polar vortex last week.

I received an email this week from one of my favourite wineries - Westcott Vineyards. They were offering a special treat for wine club members - a private tasting of some new wines. Paul and I booked a appointment for Saturday.

Westcott does a neat thing in regular times . . .on Friday nights they bring in a visiting chef and they have a fireside dinner next to their ginormous fieldstone fireplace in the tasting room. We went to a dinner there back in December (goodness, it all sees so long ago now . . .). The chef team was a duo called Ricky and Olivia. The vibe was fabulous and the food even better. When the pandemic hit the fireside dinners stopped. Westcott also has a seasonal patio which features Ricky and Olivia working their magic in an outdoor kitchen. 

Rickey and Olivia have been doing curbside pick up meals and they had one last weekend at Westcott. The menu looked amazing:

House Brioche Dinner Roll

Living Green Salad

Greenhouse lettuces, local cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, Thornloe blue cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, R+O garden herb vinaigrette

Wood Oven Roasted Striploin

Ontario beef, wild leek mashed potatoes, wood oven roasted+glazed carrots, Westcott Pinot Noir gravy

So we ordered three dinners to go - lord knows after 9 weeks of being shut in her house mom deserved a treat as well!

We arranged to pick the dinners up after the wine tasting.

Then as fate would have it, another of our favourite wineries (Sue Ann Staff) released a new rosé - the 2018 Windsock Rosé Cabernet Sauvignon. She calls it Ontario's most high flying rosé. The winery isn't opened for visits but they do have curbside pick up. You call ahead, order and pay, and when you get to the winery honk at the back door. While that sounds a bit cketchy to me as I type it the reality is anything but.

Our three bottles of pre-ordered wine were placed in the back of the car and we headed off to Westcott.

I was a bit surprised at the number of cars in the lot. It turned out that any people took advantage of the gorgeous day to hang out on socially distanced chairs and sip wine overlooking the vineyard after their tastings.

We went inside and were seated well away from the other couple in the room. We tasted 9 of their wines, including the new sparkling rosé which was amazing.

After the tasting we headed outside to those socially distant chairs and enjoyed sitting in the sun, looking at the vineyards, and sipping a glass of rosé.

This is exactly what I needed!

Later we picked up the meals we had ordered (and a case of wine!) and headed home.

Dinner was every bit as good as we had anticipated.

It did our souls good to get outside.

Given we have the luck by nature of our work of both still being employed and earning our regular salary it is important to us to support those small local businesses.

2020

This covers it nicely.

Pastitsio

Pastitsio is a favorite traditional Greek dinner recipe. Some say that it is a Greek version of lasagna- characterized by a white and creamy bechamel sauce used in place of marinara and a hint of cinnamon. Frankly I think that is merely an attempt to connect it with something that North Americans might recognize. Certainly this is a casserole with pasta baked in the oven. Lasagna it is not. That aside, I think you’ll find that this is one of the most delicious dinner recipes you’ve ever had!

I first had this years ago (ore years than I care to remember) when a friend's mother made a batch for a party she was hosting. I fell in love in a way that bordered on obsession (but perhaps it was enough to just say that I fell in love). Over the years I've tried many different recipes.

When the pandemic first hit and I was craving comfort from the kitchen this was one of the first meals that I made. I must admit that it certainly served its purpose.

This recipe makes a huge dish. Don't despair, as this is a dish where you'll want leftovers. Plus it freezes very well.

Pastitsio

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

• • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 quart whole milk, warmed until hot
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 large eggs

MAIN DISH:

• • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 pound ziti pasta
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 12 to 16 ounces Kasseri or Kefalotiri cheese, grated

PREPARE THE BECHAMEL SAUCE:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Stir in the salt, remove from heat and let cool. When the sauce is lukewarm, whisk in the eggs. Set aside.

PREPARE THE MEAT LAYER:

• • Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until softened and golden. Crumble the beef into the skillet and cook with the onions until the beef is browned. Stir in the cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir in the water and tomato paste, and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

PREPARE THE PASTA LAYER:

• Cook ziti according to directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cool water. When pasta has cooled down, stir in the beaten eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

ASSEMBLE THE DISH:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. You really need a deep casserole dish for this recipe (deeper than the usual 9x13-inch pyrex).
• Scoop half of the pasta into the bottom of your prepared dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Spoon on the meat mixture to create an even layer; sprinkle with another layer of cheese. Scoop the remaining pasta on top of the meat and sprinkle with more cheese! Top with the cream sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and golden on top. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving (but it is suggested that you refrigerate to let the layers set... and then warm up later to serve).

Travel Tuesdays - COVID19 Edition

One of the popular social media activities right now is for people to post pics of places that have made them happy. You know the pics, the ones you look at and you get that feeling of calm and happiness inside. I've decided to do that for this week's edition of Travel Tuesdays.

This is the 7th edition from my self isolation.