New favorite low-maintenance way to make a roasted chickenJump to Recipe
I crave rotisserie chicken often, but I found myself going to the California Chicken Cafe too often.
Until… I found out how to rotisserie my own chicken. This method works! It takes 3 hours in the oven. But you don’t mess with it at all. So you can do your work-from-home thing while it cooks.
Beware though, the aromas from the oven whet your appetite pretty good. It may distract you from your work.
I don’t think I’ll roast chicken any other way or outsource it out to the local chicken rotisserie spot anymore.
This now my preferred rotisserie chicken. (I love stories with a happy ending 😂)
Slow Cooked Chicken
Ingredients (for 4):
3 1/2-4lb. Whole Chicken (pasture-raised is best)
1 lemon, cut in half
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Dried thyme
½ tsp. Paprika
2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 F (yes 300 F- I know it’s low). Center the rack to the middle of the oven.
2. In an oven proof pan, pie dish or cast iron, place the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bag in the cavity of the chicken, if there is one and discard it. Cut the lemon in half and place both halves in the empty cavity of the chicken.
3. Mix all the other ingredients except lemon in a small bowl or measuring cup. I do this with my fingers but you could do it with a fork. Then slather this herby butter on the chicken and get under the skin. It’s a messy job but it’s the only way to guaranteed it’s seasoned in and out.
4. Place the whole chicken in oven for 3 hours. No need to touch that bird. At the end of 3 hours it should be fall apart tender. You can check it with a thermometer if you want, but it will most likely be very done. It should read 165 F. Let it rest 10 minutes or so before cutting it.
Dip some bread into the sauce and you’ll thank me.
I served it with tortillas, rice, beans and salsa.
Prepping Mrs. Chicken. I had a quarter onion I threw in underneath the chicken. After 1 ½ hours of cooking She’s done Tender and falling apart
½teaspooncrushed red pepper flakesor 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
¼teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp.Dried thyme
½tsp.Paprika
2Tbsp.Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 F (yes 300 F- I know it’s low). Center the rack to the middle of the oven.
In an oven proof pan, pie dish or cast iron, place the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bag in the cavity of the chicken, if there is one and discard it. Cut the lemon in half and place both halves in the empty cavity of the chicken.
Mix all the other ingredients except lemon in a small bowl or measuring cup. I do this with my fingers but you could do it with a fork. Then slather this herby butter on the chicken and get under the skin. It’s a messy job but it’s the only way to guaranteed it’s seasoned in and out.
Place the whole chicken in oven for 3 hours. No need to touch that bird. At the end of 3 hours it should be fall apart tender. You can check it with a thermometer if you want, but it will most likely be very done. It should read 165 F. Let it rest 10 minutes or so before cutting it.
Notes
Dip some bread into the sauce and you’ll thank me. I served it with tortillas, rice, beans and salsa.
It went so fast I couldn’t catch the perfect shot. But trust me, it’s tasty!Jump to Recipe
Once again, ground turkey comes in for the win, for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
With just a few ingredients and the right spices, you can make a delicious dinner nobody will complain about.
I serve it with rice, beans, avocado, and salsa on the side so everyone is happy. Its a build-your-own taco kind of night.
Easy Turkey Tacos
Ingredients (for 4):
1 lb. Ground Turkey (I use 93% lean)
1 Tbsp. Avocado or olive oil
¼ onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ Fresno or jalapeño chile, chopped fine
1 small Roma tomato or half of a large one, medium chop
½ tsp.-1 tsp oregano
½ tsp. Cumin
½-1 tsp. Salt
Directions:
1. In a large pan, heat oil. Add turkey, onion, garlic, and chile. Sauté and break up turkey with a wooden spoon or spatula until cooked and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Then, add diced tomato, spices and salt and mix in. Mix for a couple minutes in the pan. Taste and add more salt if needed.
3. Heat tortillas and serve turkey, taco style with avocado, salsa and lime if desired. See recipe for pico de Gallo salsa here.
1small Roma tomato or half of a large onemedium chop
½tsp.-1 tsp oregano
½tsp.Cumin
½-1tsp.Salt
Instructions
Directions:
In a large pan, heat oil. Add turkey, onion, garlic, and chile. Sauté and break up turkey with a wooden spoon or spatula until cooked and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Then, add diced tomato, spices and salt and mix in. Mix for a couple minutes in the pan. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Heat tortillas and serve turkey, taco style with avocado, salsa and lime if desired. See recipe for pico de Gallo salsa here.
This dessert came together because I was lazy, if I’m being honest. The oven was already on from dinner. So I just decided to throw the apples in there and let the oven do all the heavy-lifting.
The most work you have to do is peel the apples. After that there’s not much science to it, like other baking recipes. Sprinkle some cinnamon, sugar, etc. on top and sit back until it’s done.
You can easily make this for one, with just one apple. But, it’s really nice to make a couple at a time so you can have one for breakfast the next day. 😋
Serve it with vanilla ice cream or yogurt for something more. Otherwise, it’s a fruit dessert that’s nice and light.
You can even make it vegan with vegan butter if that’s your thing. It would come out almost as good.
The aroma of baking these beauties will just make it feel soooo homey, like you’re a domestic goddess.
Baked Apple Dessert
Ingredients (serves 3):
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
3 Tbsp. Butter
2-3 tsp. Cinnamon
3 Tbsp. Brown sugar or coconut sugar
Sprinkle of salt (optional)
2 Tbsp. Walnuts or other nuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a cast iron pan, baking dish, pie dish, or baking tray, place peeled and cored apples.
3. Place 1 Tbsp. of butter and brown sugar in the center of each apple (where the core was taken out). Sprinkle with cinnamon, evenly across apples. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on each, if using. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, add the walnuts around the apples. Place in the oven another 5 minutes or so, or until the apples are fork tender.
5. Wait a couple minutes or so until they cool down before serving. Tilt the pan, and spoon some of the caramelized butter on top of each apple when serving.
Baked Apple Dessert
The aroma of baking these beauties will just make it feel soooo homey and like you’re a domestic goddess.
In a cast iron pan, baking dish, pie dish, or baking tray, place peeled and cored apples.
Place 1 Tbsp. of butter and brown sugar in the center of each apple (where the core was taken out). Sprinkle with cinnamon, evenly across apples. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on each, if using. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add the walnuts around the apples. Place in the oven another 5 minutes or so, or until the apples are fork tender.
Wait a couple minutes or so until they cool down before serving. Tilt the pan, and spoon some of the caramelized butter on top of each apple when serving.
This is for one of those busy weeknights. You only have 30 minutes start to finish with cleaning and everything!
It comes together in a jiffy and it holds over the next day really well. Serve it over pasta or in a sandwich.
Weeknight Turkey Bolognese
Ingredients (for 4):
1 lb. Ground lean turkey
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
¼ white onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1 Fresno chile, sliced in thin rounds
1-2 cups marinara sauce
Directions:
In a large saute pan, heat the oil. When hot, add chopped onion, chile, turkey and garlic. Sauté until turkey is no longer pink. Break up the turkey as it cooks with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add salt and some pepper as you cook it.
Once turkey is cooked through and no longer pink, add marinara sauce. Heat through until it bubbles for a couple minutes.
This is an easy option for lunch or dinner. All you need to make sure is that your beans are cooked and Chiles are roasted.
I grew up with a pot of cooked lentils or beans in the fridge at all times. So, bean tacos, or bean and cheese quesadillas were always a go-to snack or lunch.
Today was one of those busy days that I was so grateful to have already cooked beans in the fridge.
You can serve these tacos with a side of chips, salad or vegetable to make it a complete meal.
Save this for when you’re starved and don’t have time to make a full on meal.
Beans with Roasted Chiles Tacos (for 2)
1 poblano chile
1 cup beans, cooked (I like Peruvian white beans)
¼ avocado
1 tsp. Oil
4 tortillas
Directions:
Roast Chiles. (I did this the day before when I was cooking other stuff.) With tongs, roast them over an open fire until blackened, a few minutes. (See pictures below) Turn them to evenly blacken them. You can also do this in the oven on broil but it will take longer. Once fully blackened, place in a plastic bag or bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. This helps it steam.
When chiles are cool to touch, remove blackened skin. Try to avoid dunking the whole thing in water because it will lose flavor. Just wet your hands to remove the skin easier. Once it’s peeled, cut it open and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Cut out the stem. Then, slice it into strips.
At this point you can store the Chile strips in the fridge, or use them right away.
Make refried beans. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp. oil and heat. When hot, stand back and pour beans (without liquid) into the pan and smash with a spoon or potato smasher. Lower heat. Add a little bean liquid or water if it gets too dry. After a minute or two, add the chile strips and mix in. Heat just a couple minutes, stirring to prevent it from dying. Set aside.
Assemble tacos. Warm tortillas and then fill with bean & chile mix. Top with quarter avocado and salsa or hot sauce.
Roast over open fire until blackenedPlace in bag to steamPeel, and remove seedsCut into stripsAdd chile to smahed beansMake tacos!Cook over low heat if you want crispy
Roast Chiles. (I did this the day before when I was cooking other stuff.) With tongs, roast them over an open fire until blackened, a few minutes. (See pictures below) Turn them to evenly blacken them. You can also do this in the oven on broil but it will take longer. Once fully blackened, place in a plastic bag or bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. This helps it steam.
When chiles are cool to touch, remove blackened skin. Try to avoid dunking the whole thing in water because it will lose flavor. Just wet your hands to remove the skin easier. Once it’s peeled, cut it open and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Cut out the stem. Then, slice it into strips.
At this point you can store the Chile strips in the fridge, or use them right away.
Make refried beans. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp. oil and heat. When hot, stand back and pour beans (without liquid) into the pan and smash with a spoon or potato smasher. Lower heat. Add a little bean liquid or water if it gets too dry. After a minute or two, add the chile strips and mix in. Heat just a couple minutes, stirring to prevent it from dying. Set aside.
Assemble tacos. Warm tortillas and then fill with bean & chile mix. Top with quarter avocado and salsa or hot sauce.
Growing up, my mom would make this side dish often. We loved it. (So much better than salad with Newmans dressing- sorry, Newman)
It was a great way to eat our veggies, and no one complained about it!
Soy sauce really does a good job of upping the flavor of zucchini and onions to another level. The combo just works.
I always love making this dish when I’m short on time and have a spare zucchini lying around. Zucchini go bad so quickly so it’s best to use them if you find them in your fridge!
Like my mom, I paired this with chicken and pilaf rice. I know, it’s mixing different cultures, but it goes together so well.
Keep this recipe in your back pocket for picky veggie eaters or a quick side dish for dinner.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
It only takes 5 ingredients to make
Heats up well the next day
Passes the picky eater taste test
Zucchini and Onion Stir-fry
Ingredients (for 1-2):
1 zucchini, sliced in half and quartered
¼ onion, thick sliced
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1 tsp oil
Dash of sesame seeds
Directions:
1. In a small to medium saute pan, heat oil and add all chopped zucchini and onions at the same time.
2. When it starts to sizzle lower heat to a medium. Cook until zucchini is fork tender but not too mushy about 7-10 minutes. Add soy sauce in the last minute or two of cooking so it can evaporate a bit. Mix frequently while cooking.
3. Add a dash of sesame seeds right before serving.
Zucchini and Onion Stir-fry
This is mom’s classic vegetable side dish. It’s quick, easy and pleases the pickiest of eaters.
In a small to medium saute pan, heat oil and add all chopped zucchini and onions at the same time.
When it starts to sizzle lower heat to a medium. Cook until zucchini is fork tender but not too mushy about 7-10 minutes. Add soy sauce in the last minute or two of cooking so it can evaporate a bit. Mix frequently while cooking.
Add a dash of sesame seeds right before serving.
Notes
Be careful to not overcook the zucchini because it will turn mushy. Better to undercook than overcook.
I only learned this recently and don’t always remember to do it.
But, I feel better about eating my produce when I do.
Here’s 3 ways to wash pesticides off your produce:
Salt water
Soak produce in salt water using Himalayan salt or sea salt for 20 minutes. Rinse with water afterwards.
Baking Soda
Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 cups of water and soak produce for 15 minutes. Rise with water afterwards.
White wine vinegar
Soak produce in vinegar and water for 20 minutes. Use 1-part vinegar to 4-parts water, so 1 cup of vinegar would need to be mixed with 4 cups of water. Porous fruits such as berries may become soggy when soaked for too long.
For more tips, like these sign up to my email list: Subscribe here
The Blue Zones are places where people live 90 to 100 years, and are free of disease.
So the recipes from there are valuable. They give us an insight into what people eat there. What they eat is only part of the story. Their way of life is a big key, too.
Living a long, healthy life sounded good to me. So, for a full year I cooked a Blue Zone recipe each week.
I found which ones were tasty and easy to make. And found others that just didn’t work out (cornmeal pancakes 😕) or were not enjoyable.
After all that research I want to share my favorite Blue Zones recipes so you don’t have to go through the same disappointments I did. The recipes I choose are easy to prepare, plant-based and delicious.
These recipes are adaptations from the bluezones.com website or Blue Zones Cookbook.
See my version of the recipes by clicking on the links below. Enjoy!
This recipe is made with buckwheat soba noodles. I hadn’t really worked with soba noodles before, but they are amazing. They are whole grain and just take 4 minutes to cook. There’s only a handful of ingredients in this recipe. So, it instantly became a favorite weeknight meal for me.
Lo mein is another noodle I’ve never cooked before trying this recipe. But, knowing I can make this, I don’t order Chinese food anymore! This is a healthy stir fry with a ton of vegetables and a flavourful sauce. You can feel better eating this version and not the greasy who-knows-whats-in-it take out version.
This recipe takes a few more ingredients and time to prepare but it lasts for days. It makes a ton so it’s a great meal to share, or take to a pot luck. I love that it’s full of veggies. In just one bowl I can get my 5 to 9 veggies for the day! I love eating it with the vegan cornbread recipe from Loma Linda. Recipe here=> Vegan Cornbread
Did you know you could add pumpkin purée to pasta sauce? The result is a creamy sauce without any dairy. The pumpkin naturally sweetens acidic tomatoes, too. I love the balance. Pumpkin adds all kinds of healthy vitamins, and increases the fiber in this pasta dish too. It’s hard for me to NOT like a pasta dish, so this healthy version was a quick favorite for me.
These noodles are an adaption of street noodles you’d find in Indonesia. I love how it’s packed with flavor, but it’s still healthy. It’s definitely one of those addicting kind of noodle bowls because of the spicy-sweet combo of flavors.
I’m a personal chef. And this is one of my clients’ meal prep favorites. I love making this on a Sunday or in the beginning of the week for myself so I can enjoy it in the days to come. It holds up well and one bowl is all I need to get full.
Did you know tomatoes don’t come from Italy? The first sauces were pestos made from pine nuts or walnuts like this recipe. Grinding up walnuts and sautéing them in olive oil oddly gives them a meaty, filling mouth feel. In other words, you don’t miss meat. This recipe was a surprise because it’s so minimal, but tasty. The only thing is it doesn’t keep well and should be eaten once it’s made.
I love lentils because they only take about 25 minutes to cook from dried, as opposed to hours for beans. Once you have your cooked lentils, it simply goes on top of your greens. I love making this recipe in the warmer months and keeping it in the fridge when I need a quick lunch or a healthy snack. I like to eat it with sourdough bread or crackers. It always fills me up in a healthy way.
I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did. I hope they inspire you to eat more vegetables. And it saves you the time from experimenting and failing (like I did) with some Blue Zones recipes that need more refining.
For more information on my work and vegan meal prep service, please visit www.chefjoannas.com
To your wholesome & healthy life,
Joanna
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see it! @chefjoannas
If you’re hanging out at home, this is a really easy recipe to prepare.
You don’t need a slow cooker.
You can cook it in a low temperature oven (325 F) for a couple of hours.
At the end you have really tender, shreddable beef that’s perfect for tacos.
You can also eat the broth as a soup or dip the tacos into the broth.
I make something similar with pork that comes out almost like carnitas. It’s my new favorite way to cook low cost cuts of meat! Here’s the recipe=> Carnitas in the oven
Hope you enjoy this low-maintenance recipe and can do more of the stuff you love.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
You throw everything in a pot and 2 hours later you have super tender beef
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make it
It’s a low cost recipe
Braised Beef Tacos
for 4 people
1 lb. beef chuck
1 small oxtail (optional)
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
10 black peppercorns
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 small stalk parsley
½ lb. small yukon gold potatoes, halved
Blend:
½ onion, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
½ fresno chile or jalapeño
1 tsp. salt
½ cup – ¾ cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large oven proof pot add all ingredients in the first list, except potatoes.
Blend the other ingredients. Add just enough water to blend ingredients well. Add to the pot.
Place a lid on it, and place in the oven for 2 hours. Stir halfway though.
When, 30 minutes are remaining, add the halved potatoes.
When done, beef should be very shreddable. Serve with tortillas and beans.
Preparing the potPlace the meat inside without choppingSide of peruvian beans
Braised Beef Tacos
Make this braised beef recipe when you're doing other chores around the house. In 2 hours you'll have amazing, tender beef for tacos.
By boyfriend doesn’t crave veggies like I do. Sometimes I get sad about it because I want to share a salad with him. Most of the time he wants meat. 😄
On certain occasions, he agrees to order from Sweetgreen (salad chain), and I’m thrilled!
But. . . what’s better than ordering overpriced veggies bowls in soggy eco-friendly containers?
Making it yourself of course!
This one took a little longer than I wanted. But it came out even better than Sweetgreen’s. I changed a few things to simplify it, but my boyfriend approved so I think I got the flavors spot on.
If you meal prep, this would be a great recipe to add to your repotoire.
I think the secret to making this bowl amazing is the dressing. It makes the chicken really tasty. And, if you decide to make it with tofu, like Sweetgreen does, then it will flavor the tofu really nicely, too.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Cooking mushrooms down taste amazing because they get that “umami” flavor
You’ll want to put this ginger-soy dressing on everything
You can get your 5 to 9 servings of vegetables in one bowl. Yay, fiber!
Copycat Shroomami Bowl (not vegan)
Ingredients (for 2):
2 chicken breasts (or tofu)
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced thin
1 package crimini or button mushroom, sliced thin
2 cups kale (I used Tuscan kale from Trader Joe’s)
30 oz. wild rice (I used frozen Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s)
1 hot house cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
Sesame-Ginger Dressing
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground garlic
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 date, roughly chopped (or 2 tsp. honey)
1 lime, juiced
¼ cup cilantro
1 tbsp. sunflower seed butter (almond or peanut butter)
¼ cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Saute mushrooms. In a large saute pan, saute the mushrooms until slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Use a little oil or butter to cook them in. There should be no more juice in the pan when they’re done. Be sure to salt and pepper them. Place cooked shrooms on a baking tray and set aside. (See a visual guide to cooking them in the pictures below)
Cook chicken. Meanwhile, in the same pan, cook the chicken breast (or tofu). I seasoned it with just salt and pepper and used sesame oil to cook it. Brown each side. Then, place chicken breast on the baking pan (you’ll finish cooking it in the oven) with the mushrooms that are hanging out.
Finish chicken in oven. Place the baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, or the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 F. When done, let it rest 5 minutes. Then, slice and chop up chicken to add to your bowl. The mushrooms are fine in the oven and a few should get a little crispy.
Heat the rice. I used frozen rice so it only took 10 minutes to prepare. But, if you are making it from scratch start it early on so it’s ready in time.
Make the dressing. In the meantime, make the dressing. Blend all the dressing ingredients until well blended. I did this in a magic bullet blender. I also added a sprinkle of Chile-lime seasoning (also from Trader Joe’s) to add a little spice.
Assembly. A large bowl is best. This recipe is meant for 2 bowls. Start with the kale, then place ingredients around the side of the bowl in a neat pattern (if you’re slightly anal like me). In a clockwise pattern, add the warm rice, then the cucumbers, then the mushrooms, then the chicken, and a few leaves of cilantro on top. Drizzle the dressing all over to your heart’s delight. Then, eat.
Sit back and enjoy. See, who needs Sweetgreen anymore!
Copycat Shroomami Bowl (not vegan)
Okay, it’s not an EXACT copy, but the biggest thing here was nailing the dressing and the shrooms. This bowl is healthy, delicious, and makes you feel like you’re eating at a fancy spa in California. Hope you enjoy it!
30oz.wild riceI used frozen Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s
1hot house cucumberpeeled and sliced thin
Sesame-Ginger Dressing
1Tbsp.soy sauce
1tsp.ground ginger
½tsp.ground garlic
2tsp.sesame oil
1dateroughly chopped (or 2 tsp. honey)
1limejuiced
¼cupcilantro
1tbsp.sunflower seed butteralmond or peanut butter
¼cupwater
Instructions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Saute mushrooms. In a large saute pan, saute the mushrooms until slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Use a little oil or butter to cook them in. There should be no more juice in the pan when they’re done. Be sure to salt and pepper them. Place cooked shrooms on a baking tray and set aside.
Cook chicken. Meanwhile, in the same pan, cook the chicken breast (or tofu). I seasoned it with just salt and pepper and used sesame oil to cook it. Brown each side. Then, place chicken breast on the baking pan (you’ll finish cooking it in the oven) with the mushrooms that are hanging out.
Finish chicken in oven. Place the baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, or the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 F. When done, let it rest 5 minutes. Then, slice and chop up chicken to add to your bowl. The mushrooms are fine in the oven and a few should get a little crispy.
Heat the rice. I used frozen rice so it only took 10 minutes to prepare. But, if you are making it from scratch start it early on so it’s ready in time.
Make the dressing. In the meantime, make the dressing. Blend all the dressing ingredients until well blended. I did this in a magic bullet blender. I also added a sprinkle of Chile-lime seasoning (also from Trader Joe’s) to add a little spice.
Assembly. A large bowl is best. This recipe is meant for 2 bowls. Start with the kale, then place ingredients around the side of the bowl in a neat pattern (if you’re slightly anal like me). In a clockwise pattern, add the warm rice, then the cucumbers, then the mushrooms, then the chicken, and a few leaves of cilantro on top. Drizzle the dressing all over to your heart’s delight. Then, eat.
Notes
Sit back and enjoy. See, who needs Sweetgreen anymore!
Keyword salad
Cut the portobelloscook until this stageAssembling the bowlCook chicken to 165 FCut chickenPour dressing on top