Bill Cooks A Quick and Elegant Little Dinner

Things just didn't work out today. Sheila had to work on her consulting job for a couple of hours, and then there was an emergency at her full time office that required immediate attention. I was stove up from yesterday's doin's and spent most of the afternoon asleep. Bottom line, when things finally came together it was around five and we needed a quick little dinner. I think it came out pretty well. You might call it a "Wal Mart Gourmet" meal since everything came from there.

The salad is WM's house brand Ceaser straight out of the bag. It's not bad at all. The tea is Lipton's "Brisk" Raspberry. I'm quickly becoming addicted to it.

The little bird couldn't have been simpler. I had bought two Cornish game hens for later in the week. I used them tonight instead. I split the skin from the meat near the breast and worked my finger under there until the skin was completely separated but still attached. I then stuffed in a couple of generous sprigs of rosemary and poured in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. After patting them dry with a paper towel again, I massaged the outside with a little more olive oil and then salt and peppered them generously. A peeled shallot in the body cavity finished the prep. It took no more than five minutes.

Cooking the little bird was just as easy. I lit off one side the gas grill (no time for a charcoal or wood fire) and positioned the birds off the heat but near enough to it where they would roast and brown but not burn. I moved them around a couple of times to make sure they cooked evenly. They were a golden brown in a little over half an hour.

It was a very tasty little meal that took less than an hour from beginning to end. And, judging from Sheila's picking every morsel of meat from her bird and what I had left on my plate, I would say a good time was had by all.