The holiday season is upon us and it's time to get cooking with and for the ones you love! Finding the perfect holiday recipe that everyone will love can be a headache. We have the perfect cookbook that is great for couples and family gatherings. Kitchen Decoded: Tools, Tricks, and Recipes for Great Food, by Logan Levant and Hilary Hattenbach, is a new cookbook that is full of amazing recipes and they have great tips on how to use those great kitchen gadgets that you received as wedding gifts and never used! So open up those boxes of kitchen appliances that you got from your wedding registry and start cooking this holiday season with Kitchen Decoded. Check out two delicious recipes that are sure to be a crowd-pleaser this Thanksgiving!
WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN
Want to impress your friends and family with an elegant and delicious one-pot meal that won’t break the bank? This Whole Roasted Chicken is just the ticket. The flavor of the bird is enhanced by adding a compound butter mixture of lemon juice, zest, and fresh herbs to the skin just prior to baking. While the chicken roasts, its juices flavor the veggies underneath. It’s simple to make, and because there’s only one pot, cleanup is a snap.
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 2 hours
helpful tools: chef’s knife, vegetable peeler, small and large mixing bowls, 6- to 8-quart cast-iron or clad stainless steel stockpot, meat thermometer, cutting board, aluminum foil
CHICKEN
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3–4 pounds), giblets discarded, room temperature
salt and pepper
½ batch (2 ounces) Herb Butter (page 72), room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut in quarters
1 yellow onion, cut in quarters
VEGGIES
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch half-rounds
4 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the inside and outside of the chicken to season it.
- In a small bowl, mix herb compound butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil and set aside.
- Place the lemon pieces and onion in the cavity of the chicken. Use your fingers to rub the butter and oil mixture all over the outside of the chicken, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss all of the ingredients for the veggies together. Transfer vegetable mixture to the stockpot. Place the seasoned chicken, breast side up on top of the veggies.
- Place the stockpot in the oven uncovered and roast the chicken for 11⁄4–13⁄4 hours, rotating the pan once halfway through cooking time. Roast until the breast temperature registers 160°F and the thigh 175°F on a meat thermometer.
- Remove from oven, transfer to a cutting board, and tent the chicken with tin foil for 10 minutes before carving. Add veggies to the serving platter with cut chicken and serve warm.
BUTTERCAKE BAKERY CHOCOLATE CAKE
“This cake was the most popular flavor at Buttercake Bakery. It’s delicious with the Buttercake Bakery Buttercream Frosting or the Buttercake Bakery Dark Chocolate Frosting, but my family requests their birthday cakes frosted with Cream Cheese Frosting” —Logan
makes: 1 (9-inch) double layer cake or 24 cupcakes
prep time: 15 minutes … bake time: 20–25 minutes
helpful tools: 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, or if making cupcakes, use 2 (12-cup) muffin tins, paper liners, and a ( 2-ounce) ice cream scoop, mixing bowl, stand mixer with flat beater, spatula
1½ cups cake flour
¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not hot
chocolate mix)
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (5½ ounces) unsalted butter,
room temperature
1¾ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream, room temperature
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour cake pans, or line cupcake trays with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on low (speed 2) and gradually increase speed to medium (speed 4) until mixture is pale and fluffy.
- With mixer on low (speed 2), add the eggs and vanilla and combine. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl.
- With the mixer on low (speed 2), alternate the dry ingredients with the sour cream (dry, wet, dry, wet, dry) in several batches. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, or use the ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake tins.
- Bake the cakes for 25 minutes, or 20 minutes for cupcakes, until a toothpick comes out dry.
- Once completely cool, frost with your choice of frosting and serve. Serve warm or room temperature.
Want to learn how to use those great kitchen appliances you got for your wedding gifts and learn how to make some really delicious meals? Visit kitchendecoded.com to get your copy of the cookbook today! Let us know what you'll be cooking for the holidays in the comments below.
Curated by our Wedding Features Editor, C.K. Alexander. C.K. is the owner and founder of Love Ink and Brownstone Bridal. Keep up with C.K. on Twitter here: @Love_Ink
