JAW DROPPIN CHICKEN!

This recipe I have to give credit to my girl Ina Garten, and if you don’t know who she is you need to!! Her recipe calls for fennel and Yukon Gold potatoes. For those of us that don’t shop at a specialty grocery store these ingredients may be a little difficult to find at your local Food 4 Less! I have made it though with the Yukon golds but their way more expensive then you $1.98 10lb of russet potatoes. So I made it with your average potatoes and added carrots and an onion and some chicken stock.  I know cooking a whole chicken can sometimes be scary, if you’re like me the whole wondering if it's cooked correctly is a little daunting. I can guarantee that this chicken will be delicious and you will look like a chicken makin ninja!

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F.

1 Whole Chicken

Carrots (however many you think will feed your family)

Russet Potatoes (Same goes for the potatoes)

*I have a family of 4 and I use 8 carrots and around 6-7 potatoes depending on size.

1 Yellow Onion

I Stick of Butter

1 lemon

10 Cloves of Garlic

A handful of Thyme

Olive Oil

1 14.5 oz. can of Chicken Stock

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Butchers Twine (you can find this at any grocery store, even Food 4 Less!)

Peel and cut carrots and cut potatoes, you don’t need to peel the potatoes but wash them very well. Place carrots and potatoes in a roasting pan pour olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a few sprigs of thyme.

Now it’s time to get the chicken ready don’t get scared it’s very easy! If you buy the whole chicken you will have to clean it that means taking out the neck and gizzards that are in the chicken. They will fall out but after you will need to clean the inside by rinsing with water.  You will also need to rinse the whole chicken under the wings and legs. Pat dry the chicken and cut away any fat that is at the opening of the chicken.  Cut the lemon in half and place inside the cavity of the chicken, followed by the cloves of garlic and thyme and the other half of the lemon.

 Now you want to tie the legs together, I don’t have any special tie for this just tight enough to close the legs and keep the cavity closed. Place the chicken on top of the veggies in the middle of the roasting pan, put the wings under the body of the chicken so they don’t show.

 Melt your stick of butter and spread melted butter all over the chicken, sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken. The butter will give you the most delicious crispy skin!

 Put the chicken and veggies in the oven uncovered for an hour 1/2, with 30 mins left put the chicken stock in the pan covering the veggies. The last step you don’t have to do, I just like my veggies a little on the softer side. When the 1 ½ is up poke the thigh of the chicken with a fork and if the liquid is clear it’s done and if there is no liquid it’s done. Take the chicken out and let it rest for about 15 mins, this will let the juices settle in the chicken.

This chicken is so moist and delicious serve it with some rice pilaf and you have a fancy dinner!

DELICIOUS!!

RED VELVET CUPCAKES!!!

RED VELVET!!!!! Everyone loves Red Velvet cupcakes!

The recipe that I’m going to share is one that I have always used but over time I have tweaked it a little.

Let’s get started!!

*Before you get started take out your eggs and buttermilk, they need to come to room temp.

Ok let’s try it again!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 ½ cups of All Purpose Flour

1 3/4 cups of sugar

1tsp. Baking Soda

3 tsp. Cocoa Powder

1 ½ cups of Veggie Oil

1 cup of Buttermilk (room temp)

2 large eggs (room temp)

2 tbsp Red Food Coloring

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and cocoa powder and set aside. Combine veggie oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk together. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients with a mixer until batter is combined. Place in cupcake holders and bake for 18-20 mins. Ovens vary so check after 18 mins, cupcakes should come back to shape if pushed with your finger.Batter makes 24 cupcakes .

FROSTING!!!

I use a traditional cream cheese frosting for these cupcakes and it’s AWESOME!!

1 8oz cream cheese

½ cup of unsalted butter (1 stick)

2 cups of Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract.

1 tsp. milk (add if needed)

Combine butter and cream cheese and mix in the mixer, once combined add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.  Add the milk if the frosting is dry and needs some moisture . Only add a a tsp of milk at a time because you don’t want it to be runny!

Once the cupcakes have cooled frost and if you don’t have a frosting tip use a storage bag and snip a hole at the bottom and pipe in a circular motion. I think they look way fancier with this type of frosting but you can always spread the frosting.  Once there frosted and if you place them in a holder it really will look bougie and set them apart from other desserts! Let me know what you think!!!

ESSENTIALS!!!

To get started I think a few cheap investments that can really make any recipe or get together stand out.

1. Glass pitchers: These inexpensive pitchers can be found at any store, but the cheapest I have found is Wal-Mart. This is a great tool to bring a little pizazz to any table setting. You can pour some .99 punch and cut up a lemon and you have a bougie element to your table.
2. Platter: These you can find at any store as well and range in price. Anything will look fancy on a platter, you can make pigs in a blanket and if you platter them WOW!!
3. Kosher Salt: I think this is essential because I add this in many of my recipes and it is very versatile.
4. Good Butter: I do spend a little more money on a higher quality butter. I find that it has a higher fat content and makes everything smoother from any savory dish to the best buttercream.
5. Decorating tips: These are the little tips that you can pipe buttercream/whip cream. This will make any dessert pop, and will be very useful!
6. Cupcake holder: This is another investment that you will get a lot of use out of. Even if you don't make homemade cupcakes and make box cupcakes ,and you pipe some buttercream and place them in the holder it is a wow factor!

These are just a few tools that will make an impact and is worth the little extra cash!

Welcome everyone to Budget Bougie! This is my personal guide to help make the average fabulous and help keep your budget in tact! I hope to provide you with useful recipe and little tricks that will make anything you do look a little bougie! To start off I am not a professional chef or baker but could spend the whole day doing both. Some of the recipes I will provide will be a little mix of my own and some that I have picked up along the way and have made my own. I learned that if you add a few personal touches to anything it will make any experience fabulous! I welcome anyone to contact me with their own recipes and tricks and would love to post them.  So let’s get started!