I tried a new baked chicken recipe this weekend. Let me go back a smidge. My baked chicken usually turns out awesome – super crispy, salty skin, moist meat, utterly delectable. You can eat the skin like a potato chip. However, last time I made it, we got hit with a one-two punch of a questionable chicken and an undercooking Heather. The meat measured the right temperature, but when we cut into it, it looked a little pink. We risked it and starting eating, only for Tim to discover what can only be described as a postule. It was pretty gross. So it’s been a while since I’ve made chicken. I figured it was time for another go, and how better to refresh the chicken brand at our house than to try a new recipe. So I tried this one on a $15 chicken from a local farmer. I followed the recipe pretty closely, just using dried thyme instead of fresh. I also didn’t make the sauce.
Neither Tim nor I were impressed with this bird! The skin was chewy, and the meat was chewy too, especially the dark meat. I don’t know if the recipe is at fault or the chicken or my cooking, but something failed there. I won’t be trying this recipe again. In fact, I just put it in the recycling. We ate what we could, and I stuck the rest into freezer bags to use for bone broth.
I also made this recipe again: Asian Pork Meatballs. This has to be one of my all-time favorite recipes. These turn out tasty every time, and they are so versatile! Quick note – I didn’t have any fresh jalapenos, so I used pickled jalapenos. I also don’t know what “chili garlic sauce” is, so I added maybe a teaspoon or two of chili powder and a chopped up clove of garlic. I also forgot the sesame oil. As always, they turned out great. We ate some of them straight up. The next day, we ate them with over-easy eggs on top of them (amazing). The next day I chopped up the remaining 5 and sauteed them with cabbage. Again, amazing. Pork is just so awesome. Pigs are smart. Eating pork makes you smarter.
This week is going to be a fridge-forage week. Tim and I went to a local brewery on Sunday instead of meal planning/grocery shopping, so we’re going to have lots of meals consisting of eggs, sauteed frozen veggies, and frozen salmon, which actually doesn’t sound too bad. We are almost totally out of snack foods however. Today when I got home from work I ate 2 dates and about 10 almonds with some raisins. Exciting! I guess it’s better than eating a bag of Cheetos. I read this article from the NY Times about how mega-food companies literally engineer food to reach your “bliss point.” The article mentions that Cheetos are basically the perfect snack, and I have to agree. Ever since I read the damn article, I’ve been craving Cheetos. Cheetos are like the anti-paleo.
Interesting observation, from the paleo perspective, by the way. For months after going paleo I was easily able to notice the effects of eating grains or cheese on my system. It made me all rumbly and gassy pretty quickly (sorry if that’s TMI). As I’ve been on the paleo wagon longer, I’ve noticed that now I get bad effects if I eat bad oils too. For example, today I ate lunch at Panda Express. I had chicken & string beans and the sauteed veggies (broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, and carrots). This is a meal that would give me NO problems at home. But my stomach still hasn’t recovered from the the PE version. It looks like I’m slightly pregnant. I know it’s the bad cooking oils they use on their food. There is probably some added sugar in there too. Maybe some MSG? Anyway, in my experience, the longer you eat well (i.e. Paleo) the quicker and more forecefully your body will tell you when you DON’T eat well. It’s good in that it makes cheating less attractive, but it’s bad in that it makes cheating less fun. Yin and yang, Man.
