Good Housekeeping - Good Housekeeping: Chicken!: 75+ Easy & Delicious Recipes

CROCK-STAR CHICKEN WITH WALNUT-HERB SAUCE ()

Like many cooks, youre probably serving poultry a couple of times a weekand looking for new inspiration. Youre not alone. Last year Americans consumed over 108 pounds of poultry per person. So, like you, were always on the hunt for new ideas. Luckily, poultry is not just an American favorite; it has found its way into pots around the globe, and flavorful preparations abound. Whether you want to do fix-it-and-forget-it Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Soup (), we have the recipes. And many of them take less than an hour in all.

BROILER-FRYERS Tender young birds that weigh 2 to 5 pounds. They can be roasted, fried, sauted, grilled, or broiled.

ROASTERS Meaty birds that usually weigh 6 to 8 pounds and are best when roasted.

CORNISH HENS Small birds that weigh up to 2 pounds each. They are tasty grilled, broiled, or roasted.

FOWL Also called stewing hens, these tough older birds weigh 4 to 6 pounds and are most often available around the holidays. They are best braised or stewed and make the tastiest chicken broth.

CAPONS These are the big boys! Neutered male chickens that weigh 8 to 10 pounds on average. They are very meaty and tender and are usually roasted.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection sticker on poultry guarantees that it was raised and processed according to strict government guidelines. Grade A birds, the most common variety in supermarkets, are the highest quality. And more than 90 percent of all broiler-fryers are marketed under a brand namea further assurance of quality.

ORGANIC The term organic is not recognized by the USDA, so it cannot appear on labels. The term can be used in advertisements to promote a brand, however. Generally, organic poultry has been raised on organically grown, antibiotic-free feed.

FREE-RANGE These birds have been raised in an environment that provides access to open spaces, but not necessarily an open farmyard. This free movement allows them to develop more muscle, which contributes to fuller-flavored meat.

ALL-NATURAL This simply means that the poultry has been minimally processed. Its feed was not necessarily organic and might have contained antibiotics.

KOSHER Birds have been processed according to kosher dietary laws under the strict supervision of a rabbi. The procedure includes salting to draw out the blood and season the meat.