"Perfect" Chicken

As I titled this post, I realized I make a lot of chicken recipes. Whoops. It's easy, and I like it. I'll mix it up soon enough.

If you have spent any amount of time on pinterest, you have probably seen a recipe claiming to be the "best" or "man pleasing" (I may have rolled my eyes at that one) or "So Good it Can’t Be Described, Explosion on Your Taste Buds"*  chicken. Well, after seeing it over and over, I finally decided to make it a few weeks ago. Lemme tell ya...it's really good. Maybe not the "best" (I'm still swooning over the queso smothered chicken), but it is pretty amazing.

There are a few variations floating around on pinterest, but I use this recipe, which uses chicken breasts instead of thighs. It's incredibly easy and it really is delicious. I usually serve it with brown + wild rice, and whatever frozen vegetable I have on hand. Last night, I had a frozen mirepoix blend and i just threw it in the pan with the chicken. Let me pat myself on the back and say, "Excellent decision, Meredith." It worked out quite well. The vegetables mixed with the sauce, and although not defrosting them ahead of time was a bit of a rookie mistake (it watered down the sauce a teensy bit), I didn't think about adding the vegetables until was time to bake.

Since I am still without a memory card reader and now a memory card, as I lent it to my parents after our trip to visit my brother and his family this weekend (a post is coming soon, I'm sure), a picture from the original pin will do. This would be the recipe made with chicken thighs, but the aesthetic is the same.

Courtesy of: wittyinthecity.com

Seriously, you guys. So easy, and so...so...so good. I may get a little heavy-handed with the maple syrup, but that's because I have a major obsession with maple.

This is a great standby recipe for the nights you want something quick and something you know is great. Which may or may not have been the case last night, as the gentleman friend and I would have spent more time debating who is more indecisive about coming up with dinner plans than actually making dinner.

*Not my words, it is actually what the pin says that I have on my board

Rosemary Chicken Burgers

It's hard to maintain a blog about cooking, when the only times you reallllly cook are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I work until 9 pm on Monday and Wednesday nights, which usually means on those nights, I fend for myself, or bring leftovers for dinner. Which I have done today.

Last night, I made this recipe: rosemary chicken burgers with caramelized shallots and blue cheese. The name is long, and sounds complicated, but it was honestly one of the easier recipes I've made (without a crockpot) in awhile.

I don't have a way to upload photos from my nice, fancy pants camera, so I'm having to make do with the ones I took on my phone last night. I apologize in advance for the quality of the pictures, especially the one of the finished product. I was so excited to eat that I didn't realize how awful the light-colored burger would turn out on a light-colored plate using a flash, because my phone is extremely limited, photo-wise. I am an embarrassment.

Anyway! I found the site I got this recipe from through pinterest. And after scouring their recipe index, this one seemed like the perfect first recipe to try. I plan on making more from them, because this one turned out quite well, and there are a few others that really piqued my interest.

I modified the recipe a bit by using store-bought blue cheese dressing (the "chunky" kind from the produce section...I hate that word, but there is literally no other way to put it. It makes me dry heave...but I digress) instead of making my own. I also dusted the chicken patties with garlic powder before putting them in my cast iron skillet (another modification, as I have no outdoor space for a grill, or a grill pan), to give it some extra garlic flavor, in addition to the garlic you already add to the chicken mixture. Because I love garlic. A lot. It also gave the burgers a better charred flavor with my skillet.

I have to add that I really hate raw chicken. I can handle raw ground beef, steaks, pork, whatever with no hesitation. But raw chicken really bothers me. I get that from my mother.

Isn't this lovely? Notice my cat-shaped spoon rest making an appearance.

The burgers turned out really well. I'm actually surprised with myself, as I usually leave burger-cooking to others, when I have ventured into that territory. Next time, I will probably either caramelize some onions or use more shallots, because I eat caramelized onions like candy, and doing 4 shallots was not near enough for me when I'm having to share.

I put some mixed greens on top and drenched it in blue cheese, because I live dangerously like that. My gentleman friend actually ate his with a fork because we both overdid it on the dressing. The rosemary flavor was subtle, but quite nice. Not too seasoned, but not plain at all. I may add a little more next time.

Here it is! Again, sorry for the quality. I was in too big of a hurry to eat to really care about how well the photo turned out. That's the story of my life. I'm always too excited to eat.

Hopefully I will be able to get a memory card reader soon so I can take better pictures. My cell phone just won't cut it forever.

I'm back, babydoll!

I've been doing the domestic thing recently, and cooking a lot more. I have more reason to, since I have another person to cook for (who doesn't mind doing the dishes after I've cooked-- nice bonus). And I'm also coming around to the idea of leftovers*, which has greatly helped.

Pinterest has, like for so many others, really broadened my recipe collection. And the reason I'm back is to show my friends and family the recipes I've tried and how well (or not) they've worked! Because you can't always trust pinterest when it tells you something is "amazing" or "the best ever". I know this to be true.

I'm starting off with what I'm having for dinner tonight, actually. I made it for my gentleman friend and I last night, and I'm having it again tonight. It's that good. It's actually what turned me around most to leftovers. I kid you not, it has changed my eating habits! This recipe is even better left over, if it makes it to the leftover stage. It may not, I make no promises.

The recipe is called Queso Smothered Chicken. And it gets nothing but raves from the gentleman friend. I didn't plan on making it again so soon after I made it the first time, but I found myself craving it and gave in, because I have patience/impulse control issues. It also takes about 30 minutes to cook (not including marinating time), which is great for me, because of the aforementioned patience issues.

I won't post the whole recipe here, as I don't want to take traffic away from the site I found it on (I have made a few recipes from there and they've all been keepers). I will, however, post a link and let you investigate all on your own! Here's a picture, though, to give you something to look at:

Courtesy of: plainchicken.com

Like many of the recipes I make, this one is not exactly healthy. But it is so, so good, that it's worth cheating a little bit for. That is, if you believe in that whole "dieting" thing. I do not.

Okay, that's it! I hope I'm back for awhile. You never know...


*I have always hated leftovers. I tend to not want the same food again the next day, and the thought of it makes me quite unhappy. Luckily, the food I've been making recently has changed that.

Chicken Stock

I can recall a time that I did not obsess over Ina Garten and her show, "Barefoot Contessa". It's shocking, but true. Her word is gospel to me now, and (much like Liz Lemon) I really want her life.

Anyway.

Whenever I started watching her show, she would make a point to say that using homemade chicken stock was ideal. I hated that. And I mean I really...hated that. I thought that making your own stock was time consuming and expensive-- more expensive than it was worth. I was wrong. I'm sorry, Ina.

This was my first attempt at homemade stock, and since I had two leftover chickens from my Halloween party, I ended up being able to make two batches.

It really is completely different (and better) than store bought stock. It's richer, more flavorful and definitely adds more to recipes (like risotto, for example) than canned broth or stock.

I added cut up celery (leaves included) and carrots, 3 cloves of garlic and threw in a bay leaf or two with my leftover chicken.

Put in enough water to cover it, and let it simmer for about 8 hours. Maybe more.

It's not something you need to worry about.

While it simmered, I did some chores. Cecilia helped.

I'm pretty sure she thought changing the sheets was some sort of game.

But she's so cute, I can't get mad.

The finished product.

The really finished product, (the solids strained and discarded) divided into containers.

Notice the separation? Leave it in the refrigerator overnight, so that all of the fat separates, and then skim it off.

Freeze what you won't use immediately.

It's amazing what you can do if you just listen to Ina Garten.

A Serious Post

Warning: Long and fairly personal post ahead.

In a previous post, I alluded to some health issues/hospital stay.  I had been under the impression that the worst was behind me and all I have left to do is recover and live normally, yadda yadda yadda.

Since I am bothering to go into detail about my mishap, I will let you know that my surgery was to take care of a cyst on my left ovary.  The cyst was approximately 12 x 8 x 5 cm, the size of a baby's head, stretched across my abdomen.  Surgeries are typically done for cysts that are 5 cm, so I had a big ol' boy in there.  My ovary had been twisted and turned around multiple times, and it was brought up that I may have had to lose my left ovary, but I didn't.

I should not have had a cyst in the first place, since I am on "the pill" and I am not supposed to ovulate. This was a concern that I brought up to both doctors I saw. Only one actually took it seriously.

On Monday, I went to my surgery follow-up with a doctor from the hospital where I had my surgery.  Not the actual surgeon or not even anyone who had actually seen me that night, but some effeminate man (no complaints, thems my people) who asked me a few simple questions and sent me on my way.  No looking at my incisions, no ultrasounds, nothing. The conversation boiled down to: "Do you hurt anymore?" "No." "You're fine."

This did not sit well with me, so I made an appointment for a second opinion with my regular gynecologist. He was concerned (as he should have been) that I had developed a cyst in the first place, so he sent me for an ultrasound.  It is still there. 8 cm of mass that may require me to have another, more intrusive, surgery.

I want to have children so badly someday. I burst into tears in the examination room when my doctor said that losing my ovary was definitely possible, if they couldn't reconstruct it.  I'm aware that there are two ovaries for a reason, but I don't want conception to be a struggle for me.

I have an appointment in 3 weeks to check the cyst again to see if it has changed.  If it goes like last time, I will actually know within a week if it is still interfering with my ovaries enough to cause the severe pain I had. My parents and I are fairly certain I will need surgery again.

With this last surgery, I was able to go back to class that Tuesday (I had the surgery on a Saturday night) and completely free of any discomfort by the next weekend.  If I am to have surgery again, it will be more invasive and not nearly as easy of a recovery.

Please send your best vibes, prayers, etc. out there for me, whether I need the surgery or not.  This has been a very stressful and frustrating process for me and my family.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I can't claim to have created this recipe, and neither can my mother (who I got this from), but neither of us know where it came from. It happens, okay? I'm sorry.

Anyway, for my festive fall meal that I prepared for the Mitchells, I wanted to do a squash soup.  I know a lot of people are wary of the squash, but it is so good. Very mild and when prepared like this, creamy and delicious.

I didn't even attempt to cut the squash myself. I made sure the boyfriend did that for me. 

Cleaning it out was so fun. Very similar to pumpkin carving. 

Also, thank God for garbage disposals. 

Beautiful, aren't they? But very intimidating.

Just like Karen Gillan. Yes, I went there.

I do love the color veggies get from roasting.

I think I might like roasted vegetables more than fried food.

...I know, okay? I know.

Here's the ingredient that got me excited for this recipe: apples. Apples and apple cider are both included. I think there's something in me that will not look over apples. I just love them so.

This is a huge measuring cup. I had to feature it. 

That's chicken broth. Vegetable broth would be easily substituted to make it vegetarian/vegan friendly.

This is what the soup looks like before you puree it.

Never make the mistake of blending too much warm liquid at a time. I did that once. 

It wasn't pretty. 

And after blending! Pretty, isn't it?

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• Cut one large butternut squash in half and de-seed with a spoon. (You can either peel the squash now or after roasting, it's your call)
• Cut into 8 total pieces, then drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 350 for one hour.
• Heat one teaspoon oil in a pot, add one chopped onion and sauté.
• Add squash, four cloves of crushed garlic and one peeled, cored and chopped apple, 5 cups chicken broth, one cup apple cider and one teaspoon of salt.
• Simmer for 30 minutes, until apple is soft.
• Puree in blender (a little at a time, seriously!)
• Throw in any spices you see fit. (I used cumin, cinnamon, pepper and I can't even remember what else)
• Garnish with sour cream.

I used the soup as a first course, and then made this for the main course. It was super easy, and very good. Pork really absorbs flavors without marinating. I love that.

I'm certain Meredith will have pictures from the dinner itself posted soon. I may post a few here when she gets them up, but for the full feature, go to her blog soon.

No, go there now. It's a good read.

Themed Meals

Since this blog is named after my 80-something year old alter ego, you all should know that I think like an octegenarian.  I refer to people my age or younger as "young folks", consider my cat to be my child, and although I'm somehow a faster walker than most elderly people I know, I get winded too easily and would much rather travel in a Rascal Scooter than walk to the destination myself. 

And no...it doesn't have anything to do with my "unhealthy" recipes. I scoff at the notion that what I love so dearly is slowly killing me.

Anyway, I love theming meals or party snacks around get-togethers or events that I or my friends throw. I made shepherd's pie to have a marathon of a certain fantasy-themed television show that I may or may not be ashamed of obsessing over.

If there's an occasion for cupcakes, I will bake the hell (excuse my French) out of some and I will make sure it's a flavor that has some sort of purpose.  Like, for my annual Oscar party, I will decorate the cupcakes with as many of the nominee's names that will fit.

Once fall rolls around (um, hello...now?), I will make sure every batch I bake is fall-y. Pumpkin, spice, whatever. I will do it, and I will do it proudly.

This weekend, I will be cooking a fall-themed meal for the Mitchells. Roasted butternut squash soup, pork tenderloin...and possibly (most likely) a  few cupcakes. Fall is the favorite season of many, so I can't claim to be its #1 fan, but I do go all out for the season, and I'm very glad I have friends that feel similarly and indulge my obsessiveness.