Walking on Wednesday ~ Meal For A Hectic Day

Having little time to do much of anything but work, dinners at our house have been a little lacking. If we don't order out, or I don't pick up things from the deli at the grocery store, I revert to 'Get Your Own' night and everyone makes their own dinner. This is hardly the tastiest or healthiest ways to go about having family dinner. 

if only it were that easy

 
I suspect that I am not alone in this dilemma of trying to get dinner on the table the fastest and easiest way. I am one to really value a family dinner time, and insist that we all eat together whenever possible. But since I opened the shop and have been working all open hours myself, with few exceptions, home made dinners eaten as a family are becoming few and far between. 

these 2 ingredients make it YUMMY

Then my youngest asked for a dinner I haven't cooked in ages. It is a dinner I learned from hubby's family - a staple of Caribbean cooking - Stewed Chicken and Rice and Beans. It tastes like a meal that must have taken forever to cook, and it can be slow cooked and take hours and hours. But really, the prep time is only about 20 minutes, and then you just pop it in the oven until the chicken is done, and you have a yummy home cooked meal. Perfect for hectic days and chaotic times when you just want a homey, comfy meal and to sit with your family and enjoy. 

Season-All works great too, but Thyme is IMPORTANT

The key special ingredients are simple things you may already have. If not, easy to get at the store. Ketchup and Pickapepper. You will also need, thyme, onions, salt and pepper. That's it. Well, besides the chicken. You can use Seasoned Salt if you want, but not necessary. 

I get a whole chicken already cut up, clean it and place in a baking dish. Can be a glass dish or metal roaster. I take off as much skin as I can, trying to cut down on the fat, but you can leave the skin on for a bit of decadence. 

Mix the Ketchup and Pickapepper

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, thyme (lots of it, fresh sprigs are best but I didn't have any). Mix the ketchup and Pickapepper sauce - enough to cover your chicken, and the ratio should be so the sauce is a brown color. Really, use a bit more ketchup and then the Pickapepper to taste. Some like it more, some like it less.

Finished and ready to cook

Once your sauce is mixed, spread over the chicken until well covered. Then add the chopped onion and more thyme. You can also throw in a Scotch Bonnet pepper here. This will add a great flavor, and a wee bit of a kick. (Just be sure not to eat the pepper when it's finished thinking it is an onion. I learned that the hard way.......)

This morning I prepped the chicken in about 20 minutes and got it all ready to pop in the oven this afternoon. I can ask hubby or daughter to pop in the oven and it will be near finished when I get home. It just needs to cook until the chicken is done, I ususally cook an hour and a half, just to make sure nice and done and juicy. 

Then I will just have to make the rice and beans, which should take about 10 minutes to prep and about 20 minutes to cook.  (I will share that recipe later.)  This means I will have some relax time before dinner, then we can all sit down and have a relaxing meal.  

This really is an easy and quick prep yummy comforting meal. Perfect for a crazy life. I am sure your crew would appreciate a different way to cook chicken and the great conversation you all can have while enjoying.

Then, of course, back to the chores. Dishes.