Well this never has been (and never will be) a recipe blog... as the sign in my kitchen reads..."The Queen Does Not Cook". (Mostly because I am lazy and not very good at it). But Josh, my husband, is a great cook and I am lucky enough to have him cook for me on occasion. Since his job has him traveling quite a bit, Sunday dinners around here seem to be our biggest and best meal of the week.
This particular meal has become somewhat of a Sunday tradition around here and I can't say that I am complaining. It could very well be one of my favorites.
Stay with me as I attempt to story tell with these photos and share some of Josh's secrets with those of you who do like cooking...
Tonight we are making whole BBQ chicken, lemon artichokes, and baked beans. :)
First.... cut off the tops of your artichokes (the prickly part of the leaves) so they have a flat top. Add them to boiling water in a large pot then cover with lid. Let them boil for 20 minutes. Once, the twenty minutes is up, take them out and cut them in half. Clean out the choke (the hairy part that hides the heart), and add them to a large bowl.
Add olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Allow artichokes to marinate for one hour (un-refrigerated).
Now on to the chicken... start with a whole chicken.... clean out the inside and set on a cookie sheet. Season with sea salt, ground white pepper, garlic salt and any additional seasonings to taste (tonight Josh also added Southern Comfort Cajun BBQ Rub). Cut some lemons, limes, and onions and stuff center of chicken.
Add seasoned chicken to BBQ. (Josh uses a Weber charcoal grill). Cook with lid on for one and a half hours (or until you can wiggle the legs and they feel loose.)
Add the artichokes to the grill for the last twenty minutes. Cook open side down first for ten minutes... then flip over and put leaf side down for another ten minutes. You can add more lemon juice during this time.
Your finished artichokes will look similar to the above photo..... don't be afraid to use lots of lemon... it tastes wonderful with the olive oil and sea salt and you won't even need a dip for these tasty summer treats!
While you carve your chicken... you can heat up some canned baked beans to finish off this delicious meal. My personal favorite is Bush's Country Style baked beans with extra bacon and brown sugar. :)
Now doesn't that look pretty? I can assure you it tastes as good as it looked! Aren't I a lucky girl? Special thanks goes to my husband Josh, who reluctantly agreed to share some of his cooking secrets with the blog world. ;-)
I hope some of you make this and let me know what you think!
Oh wow - lucky you.
Josh is a keeper.
How wonderful to have someone else be able to use your kitchen and cook up some yummies.
Alison
Posted by: Alison Gibbs | June 22, 2008 at 09:51 PM
Looks yummy... I love artichokes.
Posted by: My | June 22, 2008 at 11:32 PM
how stinkin' cute is he!?!
a man in the kitchen, what a dream come true!
what a yummy yummy meal~
as my teenager says, " i am so trying this"
xo
Posted by: paige | June 23, 2008 at 04:23 AM
that looks good!
I'll have to try.
how was camping?
k-
Posted by: kasey | June 23, 2008 at 05:00 AM
That looks wonderful! I can see why it's a favorite.
Posted by: My Shabby Roses | June 23, 2008 at 05:42 AM
Sara, I can't believe that you can make raw chicken look attractive in your photos! I think that's going to be my new standard of greatness.
Posted by: Maegan | June 23, 2008 at 05:56 AM
Sara, You take lovely pictures in addition to your amazing design work. And good for you for having such a great husband.
Cheers,
Michelle
Posted by: Michelle | June 23, 2008 at 08:13 AM
Yum. My stomach is now growling and I have over an hour until lunch. Thank Josh for sharing. I'll certainly be adding these recipes to my online file. :-)
Posted by: Shana ~ Crossroads Cottage | June 23, 2008 at 08:21 AM
Josh's cooking is the BOMB!
Posted by: Denise | June 23, 2008 at 08:27 AM
aren't we lucky queens to have our husbands be the top chef in the house?!
Posted by: Tara | June 23, 2008 at 09:46 AM
Looks fabulous and your photos illustrate perfectly.
Karla
Posted by: Karla | June 23, 2008 at 10:14 AM
My husband, too, is an awesome chef. I always encourage him to open a restaurant of something, but I think he just loves it without the pressure. It's his creative outlet. One of my very favorite meals that he prepares is artichokes. And, I'm so happy to see them come into season again:P Thanks for sharing your yummy dinner photos!
Posted by: Tricia | June 23, 2008 at 11:13 AM