the strategic shopper ~ week one/part one

so i decided on "the strategic shopper" as the name for this series...  david dust's suggestion of "sloppy seconds" WAS hilarious, just not all that appetizing LMAO.  besides, when i go to the store, i buy items based on how i can reuse them.  not that i map out every meal for every day ~ not even CLOSE ~ but just:  "leftover shortribs would be good in this or prepared like that."  the strategic shopper sums up the totality of my concept, though i admit it's not the catchiest title in the world, LOL.

this week, the main item i'm working with is a whole fryer chicken ($3!).

here's what else i bought:

~  1 bag frozen corn* (see #5, today's tips)

~  1 bag frozen green peppers*

~  1 bag frozen mushrooms*

~  1 bag celery

~  2 onions

~  3 lemons

~  2 bunches scallions

~  1 large bunch of cilantro

~  2 avocados

~  a dozen eggs

~  1 large can tomato paste

~  1 can black beans

~  2 boxes shredded wheat (obv not being used in meals, LOL, but they were b.o.g.o.!)

of course, i'll use the stuff already in my fridge, too, but the above list was about $25.

TODAY'S TIPS:

1.  i have seen lots of ideas for keeping herbs fresh ~ stand them in water, wrap them in dampened paper towels ~ but none of those worked for me.  it's antithetical to every tip i've ever heard about herb-storage, but i pre-mince them.  I KNOW!  sounds like crazy-talk, right?  if i didn't know first-hand that it works, i'd agree w/ you.  i chop the herbs/scallions and place them in a plastic container lined w/ a well-dampened coffee filter.  i put another wet coffee filter on top of the chopped herbs and put the lid on.  they last for 5-7 days in the fridge like this, no jokes.  if you notice them begin to dry out a little, just re-dampen the top filter.

2.  OH!  i almost forgot:  make good use of  the stems on succulent herbs (parsley, cilantro)...  i finely mince them and mix them right along w/ the leafy bits ~ they have an incredible amount of flavor ~ or keep them whole to flavor soups and stocks.

3.  this is prob something everyone does, but when i am working w/ chicken, fish, or meat i always mix up the spices in a little bowl.  that way, my habit of grabbing spices w/ my hands doesn't make a mess.  :D

4.  prick the chicken skin w/ a fork, especially in the fattiest areas like the back and thighs.  if you are roasting your chicken in a pan on a rack, pour a layer of kosher salt in the bottom of the pan to catch the fat and prevent flare-ups and/or the embarrassment of your smoke alarm going off.  if you aren't using a rack, just line the pan w/ mirepoix.

5.  i only buy frozen veggies that have one ingredient (corn, mushrooms, etc), so i can avoid hidden salt or sugar wherever possible.  lucky for me, the publix brand not only meets this criteria, but is also the cheapest available to me.

anywho:  the chicken.  as y'all know, my oven hath forsaken me, but i figured if i can bake a cake or a lasagna in my crock pot, i can damn sure do a whole chicken!  ^_^  thinking through the process, i decided to line the crock w/ my "mirepoix"  (mirepoix-based, with changes) to keep the fatty juices away from the chicken.  alone, i figured they'd produce enough liquid to keep the mixture from burning to the bottom of the pot.

for "mirepoix":

~  2 medium carrots

~  leafy tops from the bag of celery

~  1 onion, chopped

~  2 lemons, in 1/2-inch slices

~  3 T chopped cilantro

~  1 one-inch piece of ginger, smashed

~  3 large garlic cloves, smashed

~  scallions, chopped (white portion from both bunches only)

~  left over spice rub

1.  chop everything roughly and mix together in the bowl of the crock.

2.  use some of the mirepoix to fill the chicken's cavity.

for the spice rub:

* i don't measure spices, sorry.  :))  i just do it to taste. *

~  kosher salt

~  black pepper

~  mrs. dash

~  porcini flour

~  oregano flakes

~  garlic powder

~  ground dill

~  cumin

1.  mix together in a small bowl and rub on the rinsed, dried, oiled chicken skin.  be sure to season the chicken cavity, too.

i put the seasoned chicken on top of the mirepoix and covered the crock pot w/ heavy-duty foil.  (the pot was too full for the lid to fit properly at first, but i wanted to keep the heat in.)  so far, it has been on high for 4 hours, covered, and i had to drain it once.  i reserved the juices to de-fat and use to make either a sauce tonight or later, a soup.

when the chicken is completely done, i'll update with the finished pics.

TUNE IN MONDAY FOR PART TWO! :-D

thanks for reading, bbs!  as per usual, thoughts/suggestions are welcome, especially since i am just starting this series...  xoxox.

UPDATE:

wow...  crock pot chicken was a massive success!  i know it looks terrible, but it is very, *VERY* good.  i have never had something so tender that it literally fell apart, but as you can see, i couldn't even lift my poor chicken out of the crock pot w/ out it falling apart.  i was happy that it got brown, too; i wasn't sure that it would.  one of my favorite places to get chicken in atlanta is a place called eats on ponce b/c their chicken is well-seasoned and SO TENDER (not to mention CHEAP ~ half a chicken & 3 sides for $7).  i am stoked that i inadvertently found their secret today:  low and slow, like bbq!  i love when an experiment pays off, LOL.  i will def be making chicken like this again.  FYI, i cooked the chicken for 6 hours on high:  4 hours covered and 2 hours with a spoon under the lid.