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!
Okay - this meal looks just SOOOOO good... This blog post is going to be required reading for my hubby when he gets home tonight :) ... Donna (who is also a non-cook!)
Posted by: An Enchanted Cottage | June 23, 2008 at 11:54 AM
mmm...my favorite!!! :)
Posted by: Morgan | June 23, 2008 at 01:07 PM
Yummy photos, yummy food:)
Posted by: Leah C | June 23, 2008 at 04:03 PM
Hmmm your address please!
Lanny:)
Posted by: Lanny Stanard | June 23, 2008 at 06:18 PM
Hi Sara! Do you guys take reservations??? Your dinner sounds dee-lish! Mr. Cupid likes to cook too and does really well in the kitchen. I find my hubby extra cute and sexy when he is at the stove or grill :) Enjoyed your post and will have to try that chicken recipe for sure. Have a great week. ~ xo ~ Joy
Posted by: Joy at Cupids Charm | June 23, 2008 at 08:21 PM
Delish! Beautiful photos.
Smiles ~ Ramona
Posted by: Ramona Owen | June 24, 2008 at 06:29 AM
I love artichokes and this looks like a yummy, and healthy, way to eat them. How easy to do the chicken on the barbeque too. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: pamela prussel | June 25, 2008 at 04:55 PM
It looks delicious. Monsieur le Chef is very generous to share his secrets. I've never tried grilled artichokes; now I certainly will!
Bon appétit,
Colette
Posted by: Colette | June 25, 2008 at 07:33 PM
I think he's hot! I mean the food looks good and your a lucky girl!
Posted by: Ruth | June 30, 2008 at 01:38 PM