Rockin' The Kitchen Like It's My Job

Who's up for some more foodiness tonight? Because I'm still all about Campaign for a Less Fat Coco while attempting to zero in on easy things that I really like as to not be deterred from said campaign. Dig? Dig!

I really did not want to make dinner tonight. The heat has been oppressive and draining this past week. Anything involving a flame or radiant heat does not appeal to me at this juncture. However, I just spent $6.00 on two organic chicken breasts and I'll be damned if those sweet little cluckers die in vain because I'm too lazy to appreciate their sacrifice and make something delicious out of them. So, I changed into the thinnest, shabbiest t-shirt I own, slid on my garden clogs and fired up the grill.

2o minutes later:



I ain't tryin' to brag, but this was one of my best experiments yet. And you can do it, too! Here's how it all came together:

1. Take a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub completely with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides, rub in to the chicken breast. After I do this, I go turn on the grill and let the chicken sit out to "sweat" a little.
2. Once the grill is hot 'n' ready, turn the heat down to medium-ish and throw the breast on. Get yourself a portabello mushroom. This is a personal preference, but I never rinse or wash mushrooms under water. They absorb water quickly, and that screws up the texture IMHO. Rather, wet a small piece of paper towel and spot-wash the mushroom, removing all dirt. Drizzle with olive oil, put on the upper grill rack (or the non-heated side for indirect grilling).
3. Hang out a bit, then remove the mushroom. I think I left it on for 5 minutes, tops. Just enough to get it tender and give it a couple grill lines. Then, remove the mushroom (leave the chicken). Go inside, get yourself a small baking pan and put your grilled shroom on it. Sprinkle generously with feta cheese and drizzle with olive oil. A dusting of Hungarian sweet paprika is good if you have any. Place under your oven's broiler until the feta starts to melt together and brown slightly. Remove da shroom; set aside.
   
4. Get a dinner plate, throw a handful of baby spinach leaves on it, squirt some bleu cheese dressing on the spinach leaves (go easy, though, too much will overpower everything else) and sprinkle with some pre-cooked, crumbled bacon on top. Not too much, just enough to give the end result a slight smoky flavor.
5. Yank the chicken off the grill, and cut into strips. If you put it on the spinach leaves while it's still really hot, it'll wilt the leaves which is good for texture. Arrange the chicken, garnish with sundried tomato (I like the julienne-cut tomatoes that come in a pouch).
6. If you're like me, dice the Hell out of everything and mix it all together. Best salad ever. Filling, tangy, smoky and nutritious!

If anyone makes this, let me know what you think!

Now, I order you to cast your gaze upon my handsome boy.

Fish Don't Fry in the Kitchen, Beans Don't Burn on the Grill

As part of an on-going effort to become less fat, I have been cooking pretty much all of my own food for the past few weeks. Gone are the days of grabbing a quick bite; I have forced myself to slow down... take a breath... and plan my meals. That's not to say I have sworn off delicacies from joints like Popeye's or Taco Bell, but those occasions will be few and far between. It's been very rewarding, physically and spiritually, to make grocery lists, take my time at the store or the farmer's market, select everything from veggies to meats to seasonings in its natural state and then turn it into something tasty from my very own kitchen. It's kind of zen, really. I recently came across a hellagood marinade for chicken. Here's the recipe for anyone who wants it:

Really F***ing Good Marinade

1/4 cup chopped shallots (shallots are awesome for cooking, I've discovered)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced

Just mix all that stuff together and let the chicken marinate at least overnight (I prefer a couple days). The sugar in the honey makes the chicken breast caramelize slightly on the outside when grilled. Another thing I've learned in the cooking trial and error process is that if something calls for fresh herbs or juices (rosemary, thyme and lemon juice/rind in this case), using fresh as opposed to dried or bottled makes an enormous difference. Huge.

For dinner this evening I took the grilled chicken and cut it into thin strips width-wise, and put it on top of a bed of baby spinach leaves and yellow squash chunks (both raw) with a little shot of bleu cheese dressing.

Good stuff.