It’s that time of year where the weather is warming up and people start thinking about home renovations.

A few years ago, I went through a kitchen renovation that took almost 4 weeks to complete. Although I was very pleased with the end result, living without a kitchen for 4 weeks was pretty tough. For one, my oven stood next to the television in my living room, my fridge in the dining room and pots, pans and dishes were stored in plastic bins which were scattered throughout. My microwave sat on my dining room table and was plugged into the wall.

So for the first few days I was a little discouraged and ordered take-out for lunches and dinners until I realized how much money I was spending. One thing people don’t factor in with the cost of renovations is the cost of how often they’ll be eating out or ordering in because living without a kitchen makes it hard to prepare a decent healthy meal, or so I thought. After those few days of take-out I thought to myself, “there’s got to be a better way”.

Here are some tips on eating healthy while having your kitchen restored.

Cooking equipment:

1. Use your BBQ – if the weather permits, a BBQ can be your best friend during a kitchen renovation.
2. If you have an indoor grill, find a spot where it can be plugged in and use it on those days where it’s just too hot to be outside.
3. A microwave ALWAYS comes in handy.
4. You can keep a few small plates out that can easily be washed in a bathroom sink but ideally, I recommend paper plates. You can buy a large amount of recyclable paper plates at your local grocery store or dollar store for little cost. Same goes for utensils.
5. Get your toaster oven out.
6. Your slow-cooker can also be handy but you’ll need to find a spot to wash it. I suggest the laundry basin if you have one.
7. Your electric kettle.

Food:

1. Your refrigerator will be plugged-in so you can make full use of it. Keep plenty of foods that can be easily prepared on your BBQ or indoor grill, like chicken breasts or chicken sausages.
2. Before the renovations start, I suggest preparing foods that can be frozen that way all you have to do is reheat them in a toaster oven or microwave.
3. Buy a rotisserie chicken and prepared salad at your grocery store. A whole pre-cooked chicken can last you a few days. If you have a large family, buy a few. You’ll save money in the long run. Rip bits off the breast meat or dark meat and place between two slices of your favourite whole grain bread; add mayonnaise or hummus and a handful of prepared salad. Or serve the chicken on top of the salad greens with your favourite bottled salad dressing.
4. Frozen vegetables (get the one’s that can be steamed in the bag) are easily prepared in the microwave.
5. Sweet potatoes or potatoes can be washed clean, wrapped in foil and cooked on the BBQ. You can also prepare them in the microwave, minus the tin foil.
6. Grated cheese is always handy to have around. Try placing a few corn chips topped with salsa and grated cheese in your toaster over for a quick snack.
7. Keep plenty of fresh fruit around. Fruit is great for breakfast or for a snack.
8. Buy a box of instant oatmeal and use your electric kettle to boil the water.

Try some of our easy to prepare recipes at www.chicken.ca

Chicken and Vegetable Pockets

These Chicken and Vegetable Pockets are easy to prepare using only 6 ingredients. Keep them in your fridge or freeze them and cook them in your toaster oven when you need a quick meal.

Thai Style Sweet Chili Chicken

This slow cooker recipe uses only 7 ingredients with no chopping required.

Chicken Chili

Chili freezes well and can be thawed in the microwave.  It’s also perfect served on its own, with corn chips, or wrapped in a flour tortilla sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese.

I hope this has taken some of the stress out of planning your kitchen renovation.

Summer is just around the corner and that means BBQ time! Nothing says BBQ season to me like grilling up a batch of flavourful kabobs. Bite-sized pieces of marinated meat threaded onto skewers and grilled to perfection – Mmmmmm, I can hardly wait!

Not only are kabobs the perfect meal to serve up from the grill but they are inexpensive and easy to prepare. Choose seasonal vegetables or stick to the basics like onions, mushrooms and peppers. If you’re feeling adventurous, try using pineapple! It’s perfect when paired with meats like chicken or pork.

Here are some tips for preparing kabobs.

• Meats, fruits and vegetables should be cut into 1” thick cubes. This will allow the ingredients to cook more evenly.
• If you are using ground meat, don't use too much meat or it will fall off the skewers during grilling. By refrigerating the skewers 2 hours before grilling, you’ll not only allow any seasoning to come through but it will help the meat hold together.
• If you are using metal skewers, take caution as they get very, very hot. Use your BBQ tongs to rotate the skewers or invest in a metal kebab basket like this one. 
• If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them at least 30 minutes before cooking time. This will prevent them from scorching.
• For ultimate flavour, try marinating your meat for a minimum of 30 minutes (but preferably overnight). Although you can use any of the leftover sauce to baste the meat, I suggest doubling the marinade recipe and having one batch for basting and one that has not been in touch with raw meat for dipping.

We have six chicken kabob recipes to get you grilling:

Gin and Tonic Kabobs with Mint Tabouleh

If you’re looking to impress your guests at your next BBQ gathering, then these gin and tonic marinated chicken kabobs will have you looking like a star.

Chicken Yakitori with Warm Carrot Salad

Canadian summers are short so why not leave the take-out for those cold winter months and grill up your favourite Asian dish in the great outdoors?

Grilled Chicken Tofu Kabobs with Brown Rice

Grilled tofu? You heard right! These kebabs are not only high in protein but high in fibre. If your best friend is vegetarian, omit the chicken. If tofu isn’t your thing, then double up on the chicken.

Tropical Chicken Kabobs

If your kids are picky eaters, grill up a batch of these sweet kabobs. The caramelized pineapple works perfectly with the colorful sweet potatoes.

Egyptian Kabobs with Mint Potato Salad

Enjoy your favourite curry dish on a stick. How cool is that?

Chicken Kefta Kabob with Salad Greens & Lemon Walnut Yogurt

For something a little different, why not try ground chicken kabobs? These are loaded with flavour and will not disappoint.

Do you have a favourite chicken kabob recipe you’d like to share with us? We’d love to hear it so share it in our comments!

It’s that time of year!  The warm weather is finally here, your flowers are in bloom and it’s time to get your barbecue ready so that you can spend time outside to enjoy it all!  So what do you need to get your barbecue ready?  Here are a few cleaning tips that will start you on your way.

Cleaning your barbecue after each use is important but a thorough cleaning should be done once, even twice a year, preferably before and during barbecue season.

1. Cleaning tips for your propane barbecue:

The first step in cleaning your barbecue is to clean the tubes that connect your propane tank to your barbecue.  Detach the tubes at both ends and wash them out by using a gentle detergent such as soap and warm water.  While the water is running through the tubes, check them for leaks or cracks.  If you find any or see any water leaking out, it’s time to replace your tubes. Once the tubes are cleaned and left to air dry (make sure they are dry), re-attach them securely to your barbecue and propane tank.

You’ll want to check other areas of your barbecue specifically where the tubes of your propane tank meet your barbecue.  Dirt, dust, cob webs and insects may be resting in this area so you’ll need to clean it to avoid any flare ups when lighting your barbecue.  Remember, safety first, grilling and fun in the sun second!

Remove and clean your grates.  Warm soapy water and a scouring pad will remove any crust or grease that has accumulated on the grates.  Do not let them air dry, because they can rust.  If you find any rust on your grates, be sure to replace them, your food shouldn’t come in contact with rust.  Once they are clean, set them aside and check your burners.  To do this, you’ll need to fire up your barbecue and check that the burners are working and that the flames are evenly distributed, otherwise it may be time to replace your burners.

2. Cleaning tips for your Charcoal barbecue:

It’s a new year so start fresh and dump last year’s coals!  Old coals mean grease build up which can cause flames to flare up and burn food.  Before you replace your old coals with new ones, you should thoroughly clean your barbecue by getting rid of any excess grease, crumbs or dust before using it.

You’ll want to use a gentle cleaner, like warm water and dish soap, and a scouring pad is not suggested for this process as you don’t want to damage the base of your barbecue.

So now that you’re barbecue is prepped for the season, why not try out some of our delicious grilled chicken recipes like this beer can chicken or these tropical chicken kebabs.

Here are a few extra tips for keeping you and your family safe during barbecue season.

• Never use a water squirt bottle on a flare-up.
• Keep your barbecue at a safe distance from your walls, windows and especially wooden fences. If your barbecue doesn’t ignite, turn off the gas and wait a few minutes before lighting it again.
• Keep children and pets at a safe distance from your barbecue.
• ALWAYS Make sure your barbeque is turned off, and completely cooled before covering.

For more detailed instructions on how to prepare a new cast iron grill or to “season” an old one once you’ve cleaned it out here are some more tips from Weber:

• To maintain the wonderful searing/grilling performance of your cast iron grates or griddle, as well as their longevity, some special care is required. As with any cast iron cooking tool, proper seasoning is most important.
• First time use: Before using a cast iron grate or griddle, wash it thoroughly with a mild dishwashing liquid to remove the protective wax coating applied for shipping. Rinse with hot water and dry completely with a soft cloth or paper towel. NEVER ALLOW TO DRAIN DRY and NEVER WASH IN A DISHWASHER. Now season the grates/griddle to prevent rust and sticking.
• Seasoning: A solid vegetable shortening is recommended for the initial seasoning. Spread a thin coating of solid vegetable shortening over the entire surface, including all corners, with a paper towel. Do not use salted fats, such as butter or margarine.
• Gas grills: Preheat grill for 15 minutes, place grates/griddle in grill. Turn burners to medium-off-medium with lid closed. Allow grill to heat grates/griddle for 1 to 1½ hours. Turn all burners to OFF, and leave cooking grates/griddle in grill until they are cool.
• Your cast iron cooking grates/griddle are now ready to use. To prevent rusting, they should be re-seasoned frequently, particularly when new. If rusting occurs, clean with a steel brush. Re-apply vegetable shortening and heat as indicated above.
• Maintenance for every time you grill: Don’t do a burn-off after you grill, rather leave the cooking residues on the grates/griddle to keep a protective coating on the cast iron. Then do a burn-off just before you grill. Brush off charred residues with a steel brush rather than a brass brush.

Thanks to Theresa Stahl, Weber-Stephen Products Co., http://weber.com/

This is going to be a busy week, so I decided it was time to revisit one of our past blogs.  I chose this one because it is full of great tips on how to cook perfectly moist chicken in a frying pan.

When it comes time to make a simple but flavourful dinner, one of the most common staples of Canadian households is a pan-fried chicken breast. It can be breaded, rubbed, glazed or sauced to easily add to the flavour, and when cooked properly, it's simple and doesn't add a lot of fat to the cooking process.  So, what's to know about pan frying? 

Well, as it turns out, there are a few easy techniques that will help you make your chicken seem like it came from a chef's kitchen. The first thing to consider is the pan http://www.chickenfeeds.ca/2010/04/technique-choosing-a-pan/. Personally, I prefer stainless steel for its ability to keep a consistent, medium-high heat. If you just cringed at the thought of your chicken breasts sticking to the pan and covered in oil, read on - this is for you.

When you're heating a pan, a few things are happening. At a molecular level, the atoms that make up the steel begin to vibrate - randomly at first, but as they begin to vibrate faster, the surface of the pan begins to change. As the pan reaches a consistent temperature, the surface normalizes, and no longer clings to what is placed on it.  This takes some practice and some familiarity with your cookware, but the easy test is to place a few drops of water in the middle of the pan. If it evaporates, it's not hot enough. If it stays together in a droplet that looks like a ball of mercury and skates along the pan, it's at exactly the right heat. You'll have to play around with this, but with my pan, it takes about 10 minutes at medium-high heat to get to this stage.

Once you've wiped any testing water away with a towel, turn the heat down a bit and pour in a small amount of oil. It should shimmer in the pan, and distribute along the surface like "legs."  For this type of heat, it's best to use an oil with a higher smoke point, like peanut oil or regular olive oil (not extra virgin). If the oil smokes, it's too hot, and you should wipe out the pan (don't pour water into it) and start again. Assuming, however, that you've reached the perfect consistent temperature, pat dry the chicken breast with paper towel and place it presentation-side down in the pan until it develops a nice, brown crust.

At this point, make sure that you don't overcrowd the pan. Doing so can rapidly drop the temperature of the pan and does not allow moisture room to evaporate. Flip, and cook until juices run clear and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Celsius. If you're cooking a particularly thick piece of chicken, you may want to put the pan in the oven to finish the chicken, but for most, you should be able to cook evenly in the pan. The advantage of this method is that the same reaction that causes the nice brown crust on your chicken also creates tasty bits left in the pan, called "sucs."  By deglazing the pan by pouring in a small amount of wine or stock, you can keep all of that flavour and use it in a sauce.

Hopefully this will improve your pan frying technique and make those easy weeknight meals even tastier. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them in the comments, and we'll try our best to answer them for you!

Every now and then I like to go on-line in search of cookware and kitchen gadgets.  But today I was inspired by the gorgeous weather and decided it was time to go on a hunt for BBQ items.

Here are three items I’ll be purchasing for this summer.

 

BBQ Stir Fry Wok

Photo courtesy of citychef.ca

Transform your usual stir fry by cooking it grill style!  Toss your favourite veggies and cubed or sliced lean meats, like chicken, in a stir fry sauce or marinade then toss them in the wok and let your BBQ do its magic. 

The non-stick steel surface is easy to clean and the high sides and long handle make for easy flipping.

Where can you find this item?  citychef.ca

 

GrillPro Propane Genius Gas Level Indicator

Photo courtesy of  homedepot.ca

I should have purchased one of these a long time ago.  I hate it when I’m halfway through cooking time and the BBQ flame slowly dies on me.  It’s really, REALLY, frustrating.  So I’m going to give this Propane Genius a try.

It has a temperature sensor and is battery powered and apparently it plays a little tune for you when there’s about 2 hours of cooking time left in the tank. It also magnetically attaches to the propane tank or you can always keep it on your fridge door, whatever works best.

www.homedepot.ca

 

GrillPro Fajita Pan

Photo courtesy of  homedepot.ca

Who doesn’t like fajitas?  I LOVE fajitas, so I’ll be adding this fajita pan to my must-have list.

The cast iron pan heats up quickly and holds the heat to keep your fajita fixings nice and warm throughout dinner.  It can be used on a grill or in the oven so you can enjoy having fajitas all year round.

homedepot.ca

Every now and then I go on line in search of fun and interesting kitchen tools.  Last week, I decided to get going on some fun rice recipes (including sushi recipes) and came across these nifty items on this Canadian web-site www.citychef.ca

This colourful little appliance is much more than just a rice cooker; it also steams veggies and proteins like chicken and fish.  It even makes risotto and sushi rice which is perfect for the not-so-savvy cook.

If you like the rice cooker then this next item is just a must-have.  This colourful lunch tote is not only beautifully designed, it is also waterproof which makes it ideal for any environment.  It comes with three bowls, a set of chopsticks (for those wonderful rice dishes) and an insulated stainless steel lunch jar which keeps hot foods hot and cold foods cold.  You’ll look like a real lunch pro wherever you go.

Here are a few great recipes that would put both of these items to good use.

http://chicken.ca/recipes/view/spiced-chicken-spinach--brown-rice-salad/

http://chicken.ca/recipes/view/lime-baby-bok-choy--chicken-curry-with-brown-rice-gluten-free/

http://chicken.ca/recipes/view/chicken-nori-rolls/

It’s been a few months since I’ve posted a blog on kitchen gadgets so I thought it was time to share with you some of the new gadgets I found while shopping online the other day!

Foldable Kitchen Scale

This unique foldable kitchen scale was definitely designed for small spaces. It folds up to the size of an average spice shaker and does triple duty as a digital clock and cooking timer. Now that’s what I call a real space saver!

Oil & Vinegar Vase Cruet

Need a gift idea for your foodie friends? Then look no further! Not only are these oil and vinegar cruets stylish and cute but each one has two compartments, one for the oil and one for the vinegar and as a bonus, they have no-drip pouring spouts!

Chopping Board Set

Want to keep your foods free from cross-contamination? This chopping board set will make this task easy for you. This storage container holds four color coded chopping boards for different food types, so all you have to do is find the one you need and chop away!