It has been customary for most of the 20th century in the Western World Nations to have a large dinner on Sundays. Traditionally, these have been well delicious meals they have been at times heavy and not always nutritionally balanced by today’s standards. Regardless, I think the wheel not always need to be re-invented and that cooking of days past worked for several reasons:
1. Food was fresh, raw, unprocessed ingredients were used.
2. People had respect for food and honoured the “from farm to table idea” before it was ever an idea!
3. Regardless of how today’s nutritional stands would measure traditional cooking, it was and still is healthy because it was raw, fresh ingredients free of the processed garbage that we choose to eat today.
That being said, I am by no means authorizing a free fall on portion size if you actually cook at home from scratch with raw ingredients. I am a strong supporter, educator and enforcer of portion size regardless of what you are eating. Actually cooking, and using raw ingredients DOES not negate the need for portion sizes!
Below is an for Sunday Dinner!
Whole Roast Chicken with Roast Potatoes and Fresh Steamed Spring Asparagus
Feeds Family of Four
1- Whole Roaster Chicken
Remove Giblets from Chicken and Into the Cavity insert 4-5 peeled garlic cloves, 1 whole orange cut in half, and 1/2 of fresh lemon. On the breasts, gentle pull up the skin and insert fresh rosemary sprigs, and a few garlic cloves over either breast. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Slice several onions into four parts and place in the roasting pan. Next Take 2-3 medium-sized carrots and dice into thirds. Throw in a couple of bay leaves, place your chicken in the pan, add some water and bang into the oven @ 300 degrees faharenheit. Bake till when meat therometer is inserted it reaches 160F. Roughly an hour and a half. Check at the 1 hour mark.
Roast Potatoes
8-10 Potatoes of any variety
Wash Potatoes and then cut in chuck size pieces about 2.5 cms or 1 inch in size. Dry and place in mixing bowl with some olive oil just enough to coat the potatoes. Add sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper with some fresh rosemary! Bake in the oven till potatoes are brown and tasty on the outside and soft on the inside, in other wards when you can insert a fork into the potato with no resistance! 40 minutes roughly in a 350F oven
Steamed Asparagus
1 Bunch of Fresh Asparagus
Take 3 Spears of Asparagus for each person, so 12 in total.
Slice off bottom tip of the spear off, and trim near the bottom of the stock to remove the harder bits. Steam for 3 minutes in a steamer or in a bowl with water and asparagus that is covered in cling wrap with several holes in the top. This can be done just before you serve dinner! Place 3 asparagus spears on each plate and squeeze fresh lemon juice over each bunch!
Place your chicken and potatoes on each plate and voila Supper!!!
BJV
