A Quickie

I really wanted to start this blog off with a really flashy meal but let’s face it- on a Monday night sometimes you just want to make something quick and dirty. These days I’m really trying to build my “weeknight meal” repertoire- you know what I mean- the type of food where you get maximum bang from minimal effort. My trick lately is to choose a recipe like this one, where a simply prepared meat is served with an easy sauce made from a few zingy ingredients (GINGER! JALAPENO!) simmered in an effortless base (Crushed tomatoes! Coconut milk!
We come in cans!). The original recipe calls for grilled chicken but this would also be delicious with fish or tofu (SEE? My cooking blog is totally inclusive). This is also a great little dish to whip up when you live in a freaky part of the country where it’s been in the low 50s and constantly drizzling despite the fact that it’s mid June. I felt like I was in sunny Brazil for a few seconds. I have a great imagination. (the unappetizing looking pile of brown glop on the plate is refried beans. Shuttup- I love things that come in cans.)

I also wanted to quickly mention the wine that we had with this meal: L'Ecuyer de Couronneau 2005 Bordeaux Supérieur (the one with the horsey head guy on the front). This has been a recent favorite of ours since Wade picked up a bottle ($13) at Market Time several months ago- it was so peppery and delightful that we bought 3 more bottles, even though we knew that they all had moldy corks. Yeccchh. (EDIT: Wade wants me to let you guys know that the outside of the cork was moldy- not the inside. Never drink moldy wine, kids!!!!).But seriously- if you like spicy earthy reds without too much fruit this is the wine for you. Also it's organic so now I feel like a big fat jerk for announcing at the lunch table in my office that there are no good organic wines (that's what I get for parroting everything that Wade reads to me). And if you know what Bordeaux Supérieur means, let me know.

Thoughtless meals

We all have a repertoire of meals we can make that require no thought at all. For many people their repertoire is a source of deep embarrassment because it doesn't extend much beyond cold cereal, roasted squash, or a can of soup. Expanding this repertoire expand your enjoyment of cooking. linearly.

The first step in expanding your repertoire beyond frozen Trader Joe's could be roasted chicken. Imagine a drug dealer who doesn't own a gun, said "dealer" would be almost as feckless as the home cook who can't work with chicken. Now imagine a drug dealer with a gun. ooooo! scary drug dealer! Now imagine a home cook who is comfortable with roasting a chicken. That's not a cook, that's a chef! That's a chef who will get laid tonight.

Roasting a chicken is easier than you think. Preheat the oven to 425F. You'll have nice, crispy skin because you roasted at a high temperature. Pat salt and pepper all over the inside and outside of the chicken. Place the chicken on its side in your roasting pan. You will get good results roasting on anything made of metal that is oven safe, even non-stick cookware will work fine. After 20 minutes flip it to the other side. After 20 more minutes flip it onto its back. Take it out of the oven after 10 more minutes, and let it rest 10 minutes. Thats 50 minutes in the oven for a 3-4 lb bird, you may need to adjust if your bird is much bigger or smaller. I bet that you already have this recipe memorized!

You know, there's a lot of extra space in that roasting pan, why don't you add some vegetables? Cut a potato and an onion each in half without peeling either of them. Cut the onion at its widest part, so the root is entirely on one half, trust me, roasted onions are good. The first time you flip the chicken, add the potatoes and onions to the pan, cut side down. They'll absorb some fat! You'll be roasting them for 30 minutes. (If your potatoes are big you might want to start them when you start the chicken) If you want to be really fancy, keep some tapenade on hand to spread on the potatoes when they are done. Serve 1 onion and 1/2 potato per person.

Learning to work with chicken is empowering. There are fantastic things you can do with chicken, a lot of fantastic things! Keep an eye out for meals that you can make that require little thought and effort, yet will get you laid.