The fall of the chicken

Autumn flavors are warm and comforting and what could be more comforting than a chicken dish?

With autumn slowly pushing its self into our lives, we begin to give up our outside cooking, for the warmer and slower cooking of indoors. Fall is an excellent time to start cooking with chicken, as it goes wonderfully with many of the fall squashes, tubers and fruits.

Chicken is also a good source of vitamin B6, Phosphorus, protein, niacin and Selenium. Not to mention that it is also low in sodium. Chicken is lower in fat than most other meats, and over half that fat is unsaturated, the kind that helps lower cholesterol. While the white meat is lower in fat than the dark, the dark meat is higher in iron, which is important to maintain a healthy body.

There is little reason to store fat in our bodies for the up coming winter, that is unless you hibernate or you expect the end of the world is forth coming. To reduce the amount of fat contained in your chicken, remove the skin before eating. I recommend you leave it on to cook, as it makes for a juicer meat. And be sure to trim excess fat before cooking. This can be done using a regular kitchen knife. Carefully cut under the skin, wiggling the knife back and forth under it, and then pulling the fat out. This will keep the skin intact.

Fall brings with it the dark orange and red colors of harvest. The pairing of chicken with these harvested foods is a joy to the mouth. Try pairing apples and chicken together, Creating an Apple filled Chicken. Or use sweet potatoes for a stew. If the slow cooker is calling your name, a rustic style chicken served over rice will quiet it. And for the more adventurous types, reinvent the Lasagna.

With a little experimentation, your fall chickens can bring mouth watering sensations to your dinner table. Curry, nutmeg, and cloves, along with your favorite fall gourd will bring everyone running for seconds.