Time Saving Tip: Seasonings & Marinades Part 1

I prefer to buy all my meat for the month at once. I do this for a couple reasons. First of all, it allows me to take advantage of sales on certain cuts of meat. Second, it minimizes trips to the store throughout the course of the month. I absolutely refuse to spend my child's naptime (when that actually happens) and bedtime hours running errands or doing household chores. Those precious hours when I'm not watching a child are spent doing the things I absolutely can not do when he is awake.

When you buy meat ahead of time, this means you are most likely going to be freezing most of it. In order to expedite this process of thawing and preparation when mealtime arrives. I've devised a system (I use that word 'system' very loosely). I pre-season or marinade my meat when I freeze it so that all I have to do is put it in the oven or on the grill when its thawed out... instead of thawing it out and then having to let it marinade for 30-60 min. That is one less step I have to think about and less ingredients I have to think about having on hand the day I decide to make that particular entree.

It may not seem like a large savings of time at first glance, but think of all the time you take measuring ingredients, removing meat from packaging, and not to mention the additional cleanup involved. In other words, 15 extra minutes really adds up when you have 25 minutes to get dinner on the table before the whole house goes into flames. (Okay, that was really dramatic, but seriously, it feels like that some days)

Here are some examples to give you the idea...

Whole Chicken:

These are usually priced very well at Costco. They come in packages of (2) 4 lb. birds. We usually will make one right away and then I freeze the second one for later. Before freezing, you will want to remove the bird from the packaging and rinse it under cold running water. Then pat it dry with a paper towel.

**Note: You really want to follow this procedure whenever dealing with any meat or poultry, regardless of when you plan on cooking it. Patting it dry with a paper towel ensures that the bird will brown nicely, especially when on the stove top (e.g. stirfry, pan seared chicken, ect.)

Next you will go ahead and season it as if you were going to cook it that night. I rubbed Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and fresh rosemary all over this one. (You could use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand for a variation.)

Citrus Variation: Stuff with lime, lemon, and/or orange segments. Rub salt & pepper over the body. Brush with honey and juice from the fruits you put inside

Lastly, place it *gentley* into a very high quality plastic freezer bag. (don't get the store brand for something like this. Trust me, its not worth the savings..)

Defrost in the refrigerator for 2 days for best results.

To cook:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the bird breast side up onto a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 400 degrees and roast for an additional 40 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (away from the bone) reads 170 degrees. If you have glazed the chicken with honey or something of that nature, it will begin to brown before it is done inside. Simply cover it with aluminum foil once it starts to do this and return it to the oven until its done cooking. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Serving Suggestions:

• green salad and wild rice
• carrots with almonds and roasted new potatoes
• grilled vegetables and sweet potatoes.

You can also just remove all the meat from the bird and use it for a number of other recipes. I typically have something like this in the refrigerator at all times. The tender meat from this chicken is great in salads, quesadillas, panini sandwiches, and soups (e.g. chicken noodle). Pictured right is the meat I removed from the

chicken and hand shredded (which is the best meat for a panini, by the way)

I tried to think of something witty or insightful to add to this post instead of a bunch of instructions... and the best I could do is: remember to put your oven mitt on before you pull the pan out. oh yeah, and keep it real.