Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs

Posted on January 14, 2013 by pete

Got chicken thighs, and don’t want to grill? Check this “recipe” out. For the effort to flavor ratio, its incredible. Salt, pepper, cook in pan. Move to oven. Cook more. Flip, eat, savor.

I paired the chix with some olive oil rubbed baked potatoes and frozen peas – absurdly simple, yet balanced meal. Zing.

Sophisticated enough for a Sunday supper yet quick enough for Wednesday’s dinner, this master recipe is all in the technique. Cook the thighs skin side down in a cast-iron skillet to render out the fat and make the skin as crisp and, dare we say, delicious as bacon.

Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs: Quick Recipes Recipe: bonappetit.com.

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Cleaning your Aluminum Baking Pans

Posted on January 14, 2013 by pete

I recently replaced my very, very beat up baking pans with some new Nordic Ware Half Sheets. Exciting stuff right? I am on somewhat of a mission to keep these things from getting as bad as my old ones. I was a little surprised to learn that my favorite cleaning tool – Bar Keepers Friend – is not supposed to be used on aluminum. Oops. Probably part of what killed my old ones.

There is hope, still – baking soda, those green “scrubby” pads, and some grunt-work can really remove the worst caked on grease.  Great use for that old baking soda that you know is in your cabinet, waiting to ruin your next baking project.

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Food Resolutions

Posted on January 6, 2013 by pete

One more note on my new found resolution approach. I realized that simple things can be resolutions as well. I’ve chosen a few for myself, to be tackled in the kitchen. These are my secondary resolutions – the measurable and “check it off my list” ones. Simple, plain old goals. No need to make them “resolutions” – but why not – they will be easily accomplished, and can be expanded upon yearly. So on that note – here goes:

  • roast whole chicken – somehow its always too daunting for me to tackle, yet the payoff is fantastic
  • build more quick, economical and balanced dinners – less “beige” food
  • believe in the slow cooker – it takes up a lot of space, but can produce great results with some thinking ahead
  • properly stock freezer – there should always be the makings of meals in there. meats and whatnot

Maybe I’ll add more. Who knows. But these are simple things that require little work – and once I get them figured out, they will be RESOLVED.  And hey, maybe I’ll write about them here.

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Resolving Resolutions

Posted on January 6, 2013 by pete

New Years Resolutions – notorious setups for failure. I am not a fan. But my issue is not the actual idea of resolutions – it is simply the manner that people choose to resolve. The all to common “lose weight” or “start a diet” are destined to fail.

Despite my preexisting opinion on the matter, I’ve decided to make some resolutions this year. But not these huge lifestyle changes that will be too difficult to hold up – I have a different approach. The main gist of it will be action. Its vague and means little, right? I’ll start small.. for instance – everytime I enter or leave a room – there’s something that could be cleaned up, organized, or thrown out. So I’ll do that. Not all at once, but when you consider how often you see such things – there are countless opportunities to take tiny actions.

Messes are inevitable – with a busy house, and just the way of things .. nothing can remain pristine for long. However, the longer you go without effort to keep it that way, the worse it gets, and the harder it is to maintain. Soon these little messes – old mail, those magazines you never read, the dust bunnies – pile up and climb into the back of your head. They chirp and squeak and gnaw on your brain, creating stress.

So this action – just taking an extra minute or two here and there to create a better environment – is my “resolution”. The end result is just “better”. Its not specific – and hard to say if it is even measurable. But it is improvement, so at some point I believe there must be a noticeable difference. Its not a nonstop cleaning spree – its just leaving a little less disaster everywhere I go. Better surroundings = better feelings = better everything.

I know I don’t have time to go to the gym, nor can I justify the expense. I can however, go for a quick run around the neighborhood, and have exercise off my list in 20-30 minutes. I don’t believe in diets – I just eat mindfully. Less bad stuff, more good stuff. No need to label it. Those aren’t resolutions to me.

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Party-Ready Margarita Recipes – from Saveur.com

Posted on May 3, 2012 by pete

Margaritas should not require “mix”. Usually mixes are full of awful ingredients, jacked up with sugar, and flat out kill the taste of a proper marg. Here are some great options from Saveur. Check them out:  Party-Ready Margarita Recipes – Saveur.com.

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Finally Got in Touch

Posted on April 26, 2012 by pete

It has been almost 3 years since my last mobile phone upgrade .. I finally gave up on Blackerry – which, in the end, was not a hard choice. In 3 years, there had been almost no change in their products – and things were fairly dated even 3 years ago. Shame on you, Blackberry.

My only alternative was to go Droid. Sure, the iPhone 4s actually covers all my initial complaints that I had with the 3G.. but I just couldn’t do it. Too many words to eat, and I just can’t catch that Apple Fever.. as I already have Googlitis. It was time for the all-Google experience.

Kim and I went on a quick trip to Mexico in March – which was what finally prompted me to upgrade.. I needed something with wifi to use while lounging at the pool.. and it might as well be a new phone.

I went to Costco and let myself get talked into the Droid BIONIC by the sales rep there. He said no one had ever returned one.. unlike the newer devices (Razr and Nexus).  I was not looking to spend $200+ on a new device.. and I landed the BIONIC with piles of free accessories (including car dock and spare battery) for a mere $50.. while retaining my unlimited data. Not to mention it had 32Gb onboard with a free 32Gb card – pretty awesome.
So.. what’s the deal? After 2 weeks with the phone (that’s as long as you have to return then now, eesh).. I was still content. The “Droid Does” theme is very true. This thing.. does. It just works. It does all the things I want it to do, and then some.

Yes,  its huge. Yes, I still hate typing on the touch screen. Yes, I still hate taking pictures without a dedicated button. But such is life. 2 months in, I’m still happy. Its a very fast, capable device, that hangs with the latest and greatest. It looks good, works very well, and (as long as I turn off 4G), it lasts through the day pretty well. Streaming music in the car, and Google Navigation have pretty much replaced the need for an iPod and a GPS device.

The phone doesn’t hang, The web works. There are apps for everything, and they work. Apps are updated regularly. Updating them is cake. Its quite, quite nice.

I still miss the size of my Blackberry. It was manageable. I miss typing on keys, and I have to say, using the ‘mouse’ on the BB is still more accurate most of the time. But alas, Blackberry never bothered to put decent software on their devices.. I must now learn to evolve.

 

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Chicko Brocco Pasto

Posted on April 4, 2012 by pete

I have a few names for this dish, and I claim no ownership to it. It is somewhat based on a Bittman recipe – Pasta with Anchovies and Arugula, and part based on..  ”I need dinner, fast”.

So.. what here’s a rough recipe list:

  • pasta. 1/2 pound or so, any type you like really
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • broccoli (or other veggie you like to saute)
  • chicken tenders
  • parmesean cheese (and/or pecorino ideally)
  • crushed red pepper
  • rosemary, or other herbs
  • 2tbsp olive oil

What do we do with this stuff? Well first we pre-heat the oven to.. 350 or so. Next, toss the chicken with some oil and rosemary, or whatever herbs you like. Last time I used rosemary and it was awesome. As the chicken cooks, set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cook the chicken through – no more than 10 minutes. Watch out as it may spatter and smoke.

On one burner, begin heating your water. Boil your pasta as directed, but cook to about 80% of doneness (ie, if you have orecchiette needing 12 minutes, cook it for 9 or 10. Whatever comes before al dente. As the pasta cooks, heat oil in a *large* saute pan at medium heat. Once hot, add chopped garlic. Just as garlic becomes fragrant, but not browning, toss in your vegetable – I find broccoli does very well here, it sautes nicely and maintains its crunch.

Your chicken should be done by now – dice that up. As the pasta is faux-finishing (that 80%), save at least a cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta, add a good splash of water to the veggie saute.. and toss the pasta in. Stir it up, using the liquid to deglaze as needed. Toss in the chicken – and add more pasta water as needed. Throw some cheese in, keeping things saucy as with the pasta water. Mix up the pan till things firm up if they are not already. Once the ‘sauce’ is thick enough to coat, you are ready. Dump into dishes, top with more parm/pec and red pepper, and serve immediately.

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