Roasted Omega3 Chicken Recipe

We have had many many  requests for recipe ideas to use with Meat Me in the Junction meats. Also some of our customers have given us recipes that they have tried with our products that they feel turned out great. We would like to start sharing some of these delicious creations with everyone at Meat Me in the Junction so we will include some in our emails as well as on our website and facebook page. If you have any recipes that you have tried with our products that were a big hit – please share them with us and we will share them with the rest of the group. If you happen to take any pictures of the results – please send those along too! We love pictures :-).

The recipe that we will start with is one that John has done many times at home and is writing up for his sister Jen, a busy working mom of 2 growing boys, who doesn’t have a lot of time to work on her chef skills. She really wants to feed her family healthier meals using quality ingredients that will be a hit with her young boys, her husband and, of course, herself!

Flattened Roasted Omega3 Chicken

Time to from prep to table:

  • Prep – 5mins
  • Cook – 65 to 70 mins (based on a 5 ½ – 6lb roaster) (usually go up or down approx. 10min/lb)
  • Set – 10 to 15 mins (this is when you get your veggies ready)

Ingredients:

  • 1 Omega3 roaster chicken
  • 1-2 tbsp Meat Me in the Junction Garlic Infused Olive Oil (or just regular olive oil)
  • 1 tbsp Meat Me in the Junction – Chicken Spice Rub (or any spices that you like with chicken)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F roast.
  2. Flatten or ‘spatchcock’ the chicken – this may look difficult but honestly it is not. Essentially all you need to do is cut the backbone out of the chicken and flatten it. We do have a pair of poultry shears that we use but you could do this with a sharp knife or even a strong pair of serrated kitchen scissors. For step by step pictures of how to do this check out this link https://meatmeinthejunction.com/spatchchicken – pictures make it so much easier.
  3. Season the bird. Rub some olive oil all over the bird, put it in your roasting pan, then sprinkle whatever spices you like on top. Of course we use Meat Me in the Junction Garlic Infused Olive Oil and MMitJ Chicken Spice Rub – a savoury blend of herbs and spices – on ours!
  4. Put in oven for 10 minutes then turn down to 365F. Roast for remaining 55-60 minutes. To check for doneness you can use a thermometer and internal temperature should be 165F or higher.

Delicious tender and moist – YUM!!

Yellowlees Farm – Honestly a Heaven on Earth

If ever there was a place that I went to and really really really didn’t want to leave…. It was Yellowlees Farm.

It was a bright and chilly morning when we went to meet Dennis and Karen Yellowlees at their farm where they have been raising sheep for over 20 years. When we got there they were both busy in separate barns as their ewes had begun lambing. Still, during this busy time they both took time out to show us around, chat and fill us in on their farming practices .

The Yellowlees’ raise their animals in a traditional natural way. No antibiotics in the feed. No growth promoting hormones. All healthy diet and clean beautiful barns and fields. The epitome of what we look for in a farm environment.

As we were standing just inside the barn that held lambs that were a week and older with their moms some little ones kept bouncing up to us to see what we were all about. A few of these lambs were either twins or triplets and they are supplemented with bottle milk so they were the boldest thinking we might have something yummy for them. Adorable!

After a great visit we purchased some samples from Karen and headed on our way.

I am trying to find an excuse to go back an visit Yellowlees Farm – just to be there. It is beautiful, warm, comfortable and peaceful – It is hard to really explain it – you’ll just have to go and see yourself someday.

B.

Update – Feb 15 – I think it’s official – Yellowlees produces one of the best tasting lamb in Ontario. We have had a chance to taste it and also to give to some of our ‘testing friends’ to get their unbiased opinion and the jury is unanimous that it is delicious fantastic lamb. I honestly think that there is not only a connection between what an animal eats and how it tastes but also I believe that how that animal is raised makes a difference in the quality. This one is definitely a winner and we hope to be able to provide this to our customers for sure. B.

Lunar Rhythms Farm

Organic produce anyone? This week’s road trip took us to visit Jessica and her dad Dave at Lunar Rhythms farm.

Jessica runs a CSA produce box program near Oshawa (or is it Whitby?). This is her second season of providing winter vegetables to her customers. She gave us a tour of her greenhouse that has beautiful spinach and other leafy veggies. It was beautifully warm inside the greenhouse – it probably helped that it was a sunny day – but it was so nice to see leafy veggies growing in the dirt in mid-February. That night we had a delicious fresh organic spinach salad. Delish!

I also purchased some organic garlic which most of will go into my next batch of infused olive oil! I’m so excited as nothing compares to local organic garlic. Yummmmm.

Sam got to take a walk around and met Penny and Star their two dogs as well as her first meeting with some chickens – not much interest and an almost nose touch with a BIG cow. It was pretty funny – the beautiful friendly cow was interested but Sam was to say the least a curious but rather shy! Definitely one of those times you wished you had the camera ready! Oh well, maybe next time!

Jessica answered lots of questions that I had. Nothing like talking directly to a true expert when you are trying to get educated on what is involved in growing organic and in facilitating a CSA produce box program. Hopefully we will be able to find a way to economically provide this to our customer as well at some time. It definitely would be great to be able to off our customers healthy, affordable, delicious fruits and vegetables to  complement the healthy delicious meats on their plates!

 B.