The Unfriendly Economy

I am sure that there is no one who did not feel the harshness of the economy this year. Yet no matter what we have to push past the hardships and keep moving.

Even as the year races to an end with just a little more than twenty-four hours to go, we keep looking for how to keep our spirits high despite the high cost of things.

It seems that in my part of the world, prices of food items are highest around Christmas and New year, unlike in some other parts of the world where people enjoy massive discounts on their shopping experiences. Whatever happens though, we try our best to celebrate in the spirit ofcthe season.

A Treat For My Family

Some things are fast becoming family traditions in my home! Not that I planned it, but what can I really do about it? Lol 😆

A couple of years ago, I decided to switch things up a little bit by creating a special recipe for my family's Christmas Eve dinner, and then another one for New Year's Eve. My family became hooked, and that's why I said what I said earlier about family traditions.

As the end of year holidays were approaching, I became a little concerned because of the high cost of everything, especially food items. But then, a little treat for the family wouldn't hurt, right!

So I decided to go ahead with the original plan as the kids were already looking forward to the whole thing. The big ones wanted to vlog about it while the younger ones were more concerned about filling their stomachs. It wouldn't be nice for any of us to be disappointed 😕.

So, having succeeded with the Christmas eve dinner, preparations are on for the new year eve. And guess what I will be making? Whole roasted chicken stuffed with rice and veggies, together with oven-baked rice.

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken (freshly slaughtered and dressed)
Curry powder
Dried thyme
Dried rosemary
Ginger
Garlic
Black pepper
Chilli powder
Salt
Stock cubes
Vegetable oil
Carrots
Green peas
Red and green bell peppers
Scotch bonnet
Onions
Parboiled rice

Procedure:

*Wash the chicken thoroughly with water, and pat dry with paper towels.

*Season the chicken both inside and out with salt, stock cubes, black pepper, chilli powder and ground ginger, garlic and rosemary mixture. Apply the seasonings under the skin as well.

*Brush some vegetable oil inside and outside the chicken.

*Allow chicken to marinate for minimum of 2 hours.

*Wash your parboiled rice thoroughly until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.

*Add diced carrots, green peas and green beans, diced bell peppers, Scotch bonnet and onions.

*Season the rice with salt, curry powder, thyme and stock cubes.

*Mix the rice, veggies and seasonings together and set aside until you are ready to stuff the chicken.

*When the chicken has marinated enough, light the oven and allow to preheat on medium for 15 minutes.

*Stuff the chicken cavity with the rice and vegetables mixture. Use a twine or strong thread to tie the chicken legs together.

*Spread the remaining rice in your baking dish or pan, and place the chicken on top of the rice.

*Add some water to the baking dish to ensure the rice doesn't dry or burn in the process of cooking.

*Place the rice and chicken in the preheated oven and allow to cook for about 1 hour (you will need to check for the doneness) depending on how high the temperature of the oven is.

*You can insert a skewer into the chicken to check if it is done.

*Remove dish from oven and allow about 20 minutes cooling time before carving the chicken and serving.

*Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the stuffing alongside the chicken.

Thank you for reading. Let me know if you will be trying this recipe. I have written this post in response to #decemberinleo prompt for Day 30.

The first image is from my 31st December 2023 dinner.
All images used are mine.