I wanted to make myself a roast chicken the other day. I wanted a chicken dinner to enjoy on the day and then some leftovers to play with on another day. I had some oven bags in the cupboard that my son had brought over for Thanksgiving a few years back and thought I would use one of those.
I had never roasted a chicken in a roasting bag before, although I had done turkeys in them. The end result is always a delicious, moist and tender bird.
Plus, you have all of the juices from the bird, handy and ready to use in the bottom of the bag. It is very easy to pour them out of the bag (carefully, as they are hot) into a measuring cup. It is also very easy to scoop any fat off then and use the juices to make a delicious gravy.
- 1 3-lb. (1.4 kg) oven-ready chicken
- 3 ounces (75g) butter, divided
- 1 TBS finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 TBS freshly chopped fresh chives
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp freshly chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- finely grated lemon zest to taste
- 1 lemon cut in half
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS flour
- 1 oven roasting bag
Got leftovers? Here are a few delicious ways to use them up!
CHICKEN & MUSHROOM POT PIE - A delicious pot pie with a filling loaded with tender pieces of chicken and meaty mushrooms in a delicious gravy. Topped with a buttery flaky golden brown short crust pastry topping. This is simple to make and oh so tasty!
TERIYAKI CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE -Deliciously simple using a fabulous homemade teriyaki sauce, leftover cooked chicken, precooked rice and frozen stir fry vegetables. A store cupboard favourite!
CHICKEN AND STARS SOUP - This is a very simple and easy soup to make. I often use the carcass from a roast chicken to make this, saving some chicken from the roast to use as well. As I always cut up chickens myself to use in other recipes, I usually always have bags of chicken backs and necks in the freezer as well, which are very good when used in this soup! Its amazing what you can do with a few bones and some vegetables!

Roast Chicken in a Bag
Tender and moist roast chicken, always. An oven-ready roasting bag makes it easy. Flavor filled with plenty of herbs, garlic and lemon.
Ingredients
- 1 3-lb. (1.4 kg) oven-ready chicken
- 3 ounces (75g) butter, divided
- 1 TBS finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 TBS freshly chopped fresh chives
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp freshly chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- finely grated lemon zest to taste
- 1 lemon cut in half
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS flour
- 1 oven roasting bag
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Have ready a roasting tin large enough to hold the chicken in the bag.
- Take your roasting bag. Open it up and add the flour. Give it a good shake and then place it into the roasting tin.
- Pat your chicken dry with some paper towels. This will help the butter adhere better.
- Prepare all of the herbs and garlic, and place into a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Zest your lemon and then cut in half. (reserve the zest for now) Dip the cut sides of the lemon into the herbs and place the cut lemon halves into the chicken.
- Add the lemon zest and paprika to the herbs. Drop in the butter. Cream everything together well and then rub this mixture all over the chicken skin to coat. Place the chicken into the bag, breast side up. Close the bag according to the manufacturers instructions.
- Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for about one hour and 15 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear, and the skin is golden brown. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165*F/74*C.
- Remove from the oven and leave to rest in the bag for 15 minutes. At the end of that time carefully remove the chicken and carve to serve.
- The bag juices make a delicious gravy.
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One thing I really enjoy about this time of year is Hot Cross Buns. When we were children, we only really had them on Good Friday, which was quite traditional. These days they are available pretty much all year round, and in a variety of flavors as well. Some being studded with chocolate chips, cherries, and all sorts.
I prefer the traditional and whilst I will don't wait until Good Friday to enjoy them, I generally leave the enjoyment of them to the Easter season. To do otherwise takes away from the pleasure for me. When something becomes every day and common, then it just isn't special anymore. Know what I mean?
Yes, I am very much a traditionalist when it comes to food and specifics, especially when we are talking holidays and celebration types of food. Always a turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and always a Ham for New Years and Easter.
- 1/2 cup (120ml) warm milk
- 1 TBS instant yeast
- 3 TBS (43g) butter, melted and left to cool
- 1/8 cup (20ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups (188g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (38g) raisins (I used mixed fruit)
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water
- 1/2 cup (60g) icing sugar
- enough milk to make a thick pipeable glaze

Quick and Easy Hot Cross Buns (small batch)
If I had not made these myself I would not have believed how quickly they could be made. Light and fluffy, beautifully flavored, and on the table in not much more than half an hour. I kid you not.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120ml) warm milk
- 1 TBS instant yeast
- 3 TBS (43g) butter, melted
- 1/8 cup (20ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups (188g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (38g) raisins (I used mixed fruit)
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water
- 1/2 cup (60g) icing sugar
- enough milk to make a thick pipeable glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Line a small baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.
- Whisk the milk and yeast together in a bowl. Whisk in the egg, melted butter and maple syrup, mixing everything together very well.
- Add the flour, mixed spice and salt. Mix together until you have a shaggy dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead gently for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth ball. You may need to add a bit of additional flour if it is too sticky.
- Roll out to a rectangle. Sprinkle the raisins all over the surface of the dough. (You can soak the raisins first in some warm water to plump them but do dry them off well before using.)
- Roll up tightly and then shape into a ball again. Cut into six equal pieces, and shape each piece into a ball.
- Place onto the baking paper, seam side down, leaving a bit of space between each. How much space you leave will determine whether you have soft sides or not.
- Brush the tops with some of the egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. They should be golden brown on the top and bottom. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
- Make a thick pipeable glaze with the icing sugar and some milk. (you won't need much milk)
- Pipe this over top of the buns in the iconic cross shape.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Mixed spice is a very common spice mixture used in British baking. You can easily make your own: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
Did you make this recipe?
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content, and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
I have always loved making my own granola. I have been making it since the early 1980's when my next-door neighbor at the time shared her recipe with me. I, for the life of me, could not get my children to eat oatmeal, but they gobbled up granola like crazy. I was grateful for that.
That original recipe was pretty primitive compared to the granola that I make today. Through the years I have experimented and adapted it to use different flavors and additions, and I have also tried other people's recipes with great success.
What can I say? I LOVE GRANOLA! It can be a really healthy and delicious way to get protein and fiber into your diet without adding a lot of fat or sugar. It's all in the mix, and if you add fresh fruit and some yogurt when you are eating it (my preferred way to eat it) then you have a really delicious and healthy breakfast option.
- 3 cups (241g) old fashioned rolled oats (the large flake oats, not instant)
- 1 cup (120g) chopped pecan nuts
- 1/3 cup (71g) coconut oil
- 1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Maple Pecan Granola
Deliciously wholesome and not overly sweet, with a nice bit of spice and plenty of toasty pecans!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (241g) old fashioned rolled oats (the large flake oats, not instant)
- 1 cup (120g) chopped pecan nuts
- 1/3 cup (71g) coconut oil
- 1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Line a large, lipped, baking tray with some baking parchment. Set aside.
- Toss the oats, pecans, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and salt together in a bowl.
- Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the vanilla and the maple syrup. Whisk well together to combine.
- Pour the coconut oil mixture over the oats and nuts, mixing well together.
- Spread out evenly on the prepped baking tray.
- Toast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Give it all a good stir and spread it out again. Toast for an additional 15 minutes until toasty and golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
- Enjoy in a bowl with your favorite breakfast toppings (fruit, yogurt, milk, kefir, etc.) or enjoy eaten out of hand as a wholesome snack.
Did you make this recipe?
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content, and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
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