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 Fresh whole chickens are a bargain this week at 77-cents a pound. Albacore tuna is $1 a can and asparagus is $1.48 a pound -max. With prices like those, recipe researcher Sheila Kern came up with low-cost, high-quality ideas that will help you stretch your shopping dollars.

Roast Chicken With Orange Mustard Glaze

From www.southernfood.about.com

Serves 6

Serve this tasty roast chicken with rice and your favorite steamed veggies for a delicious family dinner.

Ingredients:

1 roasting chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds

2 tablespoons cold butter

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil leaves

Sprigs and leaves of fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, and basil, optional

Glaze

2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°. Wash chicken and pat dry.

Line a roasting pan with foil or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Put a rack in the pan or set 4 3-inch ribs of celery in the pan to make a simple rack.

Sprinkle the chicken and cavity with salt and pepper. Using fingers to slide under the skin, gently loosen skin over the chicken breasts and legs. Mix butter with garlic; spread butter evenly under the skin, then tuck whole basil leaves under the skin. If desired put other herb leaves under skin. Put some herb sprigs and leaves in the cavity of the chicken, if desired. Place the chicken on the rack or celery in the roasting pan.

In another bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate with mustard, brown sugar, and melted butter. Set aside.

Roast the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes per pound, or until chicken registers about 165° when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Brush the chicken with the orange glaze mixture and continue roasting for 10 minutes longer, brushing a few more times with glaze.

Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

ROAST CHICKEN PROVENCAL

From www.foodreference.com 

Recipe by Brian Johnson Awesome Chef Recipes

Serves 2 - 3 adults

1 whole roasting chicken

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon freshly ground course black pepper

zest and juice from one fresh lemon

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dry thyme

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dry rosemary

1 teaspoon fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse chicken and set aside.

Prepare the marinade. Zest the lemon, mince the zest placing it in a medium size stainless steel bowl. Once the lemon has been zested you may juice the lemon, placing the juice in the bowl with the zest. Prepare all of the herbs, mince all and add them to the bowl with all remaining ingredients. Mix all ingredients well and reserve.

Place the chicken in a large stainless steal bowl. Slightly pull the skin from the breast section and place a bit of the Provencal marinade between the breast meat and the skin.

Pour the remaining marinade over the entire chicken making sure that the entire chicken is coated well.

Place a chicken roaster in a roasting pan, place the chicken upright on the roaster and place in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the chicken has reached 165 degrees.

Finish this meal with rosemary roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes and some fresh vegetables for a special Sunday meal.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

From www.americantuna.com

Ingredients:

1 lb Bow tie or Shell pasta

3 oz. capers

1 small onion

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup Kalamata olives

1/4 cup parsley

1 lemon

2 cans of Albacore tuna

Olive Oil

Finely chop capers, onion, garlic and parsley. Set aside in bowl. Cook pasta until al dente, and drain. Toss in your mixed ingredients, and add Kalamata olives and albacore. Top with the juice of 1 lemon and olive oil to taste. Crack fresh ground pepper. Garnish with few sprigs of parsley. Eat hot or cold.

Albacore Appetizers

From www.americantuna.com

Ingredients:

2 cans of Albacore tuna

1 8oz. soft cream cheese

1 onion finely chopped

Chopped jalapenos or Serrano peppers

1-2tbs. of mayonnaise to taste

1 cucumber sliced

Crackers of your choice

Mix albacore, cream cheese, onions and peppers. Spread on cucumber slices or crackers.

Asparagus Fettuccine

From www.williams-sonoma.com

Serves 4 to 6

To trim asparagus, you can cut off the dry, coarse-looking base or simply break off the tough end of each spear by bending it gently until it snaps. It will break at the point where the tender part ends and the tough part begins.

Ingredients:

1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1⁄4 cup dry white wine

4 Tbs. (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter

Zest of 2 lemons

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 lb. fettuccine

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh chives

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

In an asparagus pot or steamer filled halfway with boiling salted water, add the asparagus, tips up. Cover and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut the asparagus into 1 1⁄2-inch lengths; set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook until almost evaporated. Add the asparagus, butter and lemon zest, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the butter melts. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Add the asparagus sauce and chives and toss to coat. Add the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Pass the cheese at the table.

Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Thyme

From www.epicurious.com

Bon Appetit | April 2008

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 large fresh thyme sprigs

1 1/4 pounds slender asparagus spears, trimmed

Fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt

Preparation

Melt butter with oil and thyme sprigs in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus in single layer; using tongs, toss to coat. Saute, turning often, until crisp-tender and beginning to brown in spots, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper and serve.