Sitting down to share a meal on Sunday with family or friends is a ritual you might only remember from less hectic days. We can help you recreate this gracious tradition with minimum of fuss. As for solving the rest of your crazy schedule, maybe a relaxing Sunday dinner will inspire you to bring more balance to your life.
Lazy Sunday Dinner
Sunday dinner sounds like a big deal, but it doesn't have to mean hours spent in the kitchen. Our approach is to let your slow cooker do the bulk of the work for a one-pot main dish while you toss together a crunchy, colorful, no-cook side dish. Dessert is a fruity affair, with the peak of the harvest baked under a simple batter topping. What to drink? Wine expert Carl Hanson has recommendations for the perfect pairing.
Main Dish
Start with a basic recipe for whole chicken prepared in a slow cooker, then take a tip from reviewers and cook the bird on a bed of carrots, onions, and potatoes with a little bit of broth or wine for moisture. The result is a succulent, fork-tender chicken dish with autumn vegetables built right in. You'll want to start this dish in the morning.
Side Dish
Just in case the weather is still too warm to even consider firing up your stove, we chose a side dish that requires no cooking at all. Visit your local farmers' market to pick up corn, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, crispy cucumbers, a red onion, and a perfect red bell pepper for this gorgeous salad.
Dessert
While you're at the farmers' market, look for juicy peaches, cherries, plums, and the first of autumn's apples and pears. This simple dessert calls for a little peeling and slicing--a pleasant way to let guests give you a hand with dinner--then a simple batter topping and a bit of oven time. Let it bake while you have dinner, then serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream.
Wine Pairing
A slow-cooked chicken makes wine pairing easy. White is the classic choice, of course. But in this case, I might let the weather decide. If summer's still scorching where you live, try a Sauvignon Blanc. A solid match with chicken, Sauvignon Blanc will also play well with the fresh tomatoes and zucchini in the corn salad. But if summer has relented and the weather is mild, I'd use Sunday dinner as an excuse to return red wines to the table. You can't go wrong here with a lighter red, an Oregon Pinot Noir or Italian reds like Barbera or Chianti Classico. The sprinkle of paprika makes this chicken dish particularly red wine friendly.
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