I may be the only person who hasn't watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, but that won't stop me from sharing this method for making chicken nuggets at home. Hmmm, I learned it from an American Heart Association cookbook which has managed to hide itself somewhere in my house. So rather than specifics, I will share the gist and leave it to your kitchen sense to fill in the gaps.
The idea is this - coated pieces of chicken that are then baked instead of fried. I say coated instead of breaded because the coating could be just about anything suitably dry and crumbly. Panko for example, or crushed up crackers, or even crushed up cheese crackers.
Cut up some pieces of chicken into whatever size you like. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Dip in a wet material for binding such as beaten egg or buttermilk. Then dip into your crumbly mixture. Bake on a baking sheet coated with a little oil (or nonstick spray) or use a Silpat until done, turning once during baking. I can't tell you how long to bake because it will depend on the size of your nuggets and how hot your oven is, but I would expect that 375 for 20 minutes would do it. Keep checking though so they aren't dry.
Showing posts with label meat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meat. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Fish tacos at home
I'm not one for purchasing a lot of prepared food, but I make exception for food that requires frying, particularly deep frying. Why? I don't have a vent hood in the kitchen. I even cook bacon in the oven. I mention this because it is relevant for fish sticks.
Fish sticks make the base for quite good fish tacos. Spend the extra buck or two for a good brand and not the kind that is made of minced fish. Bake them up and serve in corn tortillas with condiments such as cilantro, grated cheese, guacamole, and/or sliced avocado, salsa, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, lime wedges, and our favorite - cabbage slaw. Cabbage slaw is easy, too. Shredded cabbage mixed up with cilantro, some red onion, lime juice and salt to taste.
Everybody's happy.
Fish sticks make the base for quite good fish tacos. Spend the extra buck or two for a good brand and not the kind that is made of minced fish. Bake them up and serve in corn tortillas with condiments such as cilantro, grated cheese, guacamole, and/or sliced avocado, salsa, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, lime wedges, and our favorite - cabbage slaw. Cabbage slaw is easy, too. Shredded cabbage mixed up with cilantro, some red onion, lime juice and salt to taste.
Everybody's happy.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
In case I say that I didn't do anything this weekend
Here is the evidence to the contrary.
Yes, I made the bread, too.
Also went to the zoo, did the shopping, played princess, changed the sheets, changed diapers, sorted hand-me-downs, made chicken masala (still in the oven, did the taxes, and nursed approximately 1,000 times.
Oh, and updated the blog. ;-)
Monday, November 16, 2009
Eating Philadelphia Day By Day
Day 1: Arrival. From the taxi we saw a sign, “Down Home Diner Open Tonight” That looked perfect. It turned out to be even better than expected. The diner specializes in bacon. The owner smokes it himself, and it is cooked to crispy perfection. We lucked into ordering entrees that included bacon, but it was a tipoff that the server’s t-shirt said “I heart bacon”.
Day 2 (Saturday): First investigation of the Reading Terminal Market. Faithful readers may recall my descriptions of Westside Market in Cleveland. Reading Terminal Market is like that, but bigger. Lots of vendors of fresh food, cheese, meats, produce, and fish alongside stalls proffering food prepared from local sources. It was amazing. There is a large corner of Pennsylvania Dutch vendors selling crafts, baked goods, and everything that can be pickled. Nice!
The transition to Eastern time wasn’t kind, and it was mid-morning there before I made it over for breakfast. This is offered to help explain why I selected a Reuben sandwich from Herschel’s Eastside Deli for my brunch. The meat was sliced in front of me, approximately ¼ inch thick slices that were barely held together by remaining connective tissue. It glistened with gelatinous juice. I ordered it with everything which included Russian dressing. Usually I prefer my sandwiches without the dressing, but I wanted to experience this in its original form. My chosen rye bread (choice of pumpernickel or rye) was spread with the dressing and then layered with swiss cheese, the meat, and sauerkraut, and then put into a sandwich press griddle. The press didn’t flatten it out much, and it was hard to eat. It was the kind of sandwich that you can’t put down and then pick up again successfully. Best Reuben I have ever had. This may spoil me for other Reubens for a long time.
We also visited the Flying Monkey Bakery. They offered many varieties of brownies, too many choices in fact. But, luck was on my side. They offered a variety pack of brownie edge bites for $2. That’s a great value because I could taste several different brownies, and I really like edges. I didn’t actually eat any at that moment, but into the bag they went for later.
After that I didn’t need to eat again until dinner, and I wanted some vegetables, so I visited Nanee’s Kitchen. Nanee is from the Peshawar region of Pakistan and serves freshly-made Indian and Pakistani food. I tried the spinach paneer with nan and dal and felt like I had balanced out the meat-fest of brunch. The food was well-flavored, spiced but not hot, and the nan was fresh and crusty and chewy. I used to think that I didn’t like Indian food, but I am learning that I just needed more experience with good food and a greater variety.
Day 3: Back to the market, but it is Sunday morning, so not all of the vendors were open. We wound up back at the Down Home Diner with a lot of local Philadelphians. I had a breakfast burrito and shared a side of bacon. Good stuff, all. Very friendly server, Zach, provided local tips and color, but wasn’t really attentive about refilling coffee. That night we visited Delilah’s Southern Comfort. We had heard that the mac and cheese was something to talk about. I had a chicken platter – fried chicken, cornbread, and mac and cheese. I can report that it was good, but I can make it just as well. The cornbread, however, was exceptional. Slightly sweet and creamy, not dry at all.
Day 4 (Monday): With the giant APHA Conference across the street, breakfast was tough at the market. There were lots of people. I wound up getting an egg bagel from Spataro’s. It was fine, but nothing special. Coffee was from Old City Coffee, and I didn’t actually like it much. I had café au lait, and it was too hot to drink for about 20 minutes and the coffee itself was very bitter. I won’t go there again. Lunch a the market made breakfast look empty. My only chance to get food in a short time was to head back to Nanee’s Kitchen where I had a lamb kebab in nan. The meat was tender and well-cooked. There were two sauces, one was yogurt-based, and the other was a little sweet and garlicky. It was a good sandwich especially for $6. Monday evening we had our Utah social at McGillin’s Olde Ale House. It’s the oldest continuously operated tavern in Philadelphia. Our food was nothing too special, except for the meatballs in gravy (red sauce) were really good. The best thing that I tried was actually Original Sin Hard Cider. It was fruity and smooth, not sharp at all, but not cloyingly sweet either.
Day 5 (Tuesday): We slept in a bit and then went on a cheesesteak quest. This is a food item which engenders much passion in Philadelphia. Many outlets purport to be the home of ‘original’ or ‘best’ cheesesteaks, but it seems to come down to three contenders: Pat’s, Geno’s, and Jim’s. I’m proud to say that Scarlett and I stepped up to the plate and tried them all. It was a lot of walking but totally worth it. First stop was Jim’s Steaks in the 400 block of South Street (1.3 miles from our starting point). We split one that they helpfully cut in two for us and then set off to the south and Pat's King of Steaks. Pat's is famous, and supposedly the place where the sandwich was invented. There is a memorial of where part of Rocky was filmed. They were less polite, and not interested in helping the customer unless the order was properly given. Whatever. It wasn't all that. At Pat's we also enjoyed a birch beer which tastes like root beer, smells a bit of cream soda, and is more red than brown. For anyone counting, it is 0.8 miles from Jim's to Pat's. Geno's is literally across a weird intersection from Pat's. At Geno's we split our third cheesesteak of the day and then walked back to the convention center (1.6 miles -- fyi google maps estimates 36 minutes, and we did it in about that even with a diaper changing stop).
The verdict? We liked Jim's best - onions were in large, recognizable pieces, and the bread was chewy but not hard. Also, the politeness and indoor seating went a long way in our book. Oh, and we walked almost 4 miles.
No need for much dinner that night -- salad with felafel from a middle eastern vendor back at the market.
Day 6 (Wednesday): The Pennsylvania Dutch were back at the market, and I enjoyed an apple dumpling for breakfast (along with a bite of Scarlett's pickle and cinnamon roll, but not at the same time). Lunch was a tuna melt which was good with fries which were not at another Amish vendor. Quinn wasn't too impressed.
Day 2 (Saturday): First investigation of the Reading Terminal Market. Faithful readers may recall my descriptions of Westside Market in Cleveland. Reading Terminal Market is like that, but bigger. Lots of vendors of fresh food, cheese, meats, produce, and fish alongside stalls proffering food prepared from local sources. It was amazing. There is a large corner of Pennsylvania Dutch vendors selling crafts, baked goods, and everything that can be pickled. Nice!
The transition to Eastern time wasn’t kind, and it was mid-morning there before I made it over for breakfast. This is offered to help explain why I selected a Reuben sandwich from Herschel’s Eastside Deli for my brunch. The meat was sliced in front of me, approximately ¼ inch thick slices that were barely held together by remaining connective tissue. It glistened with gelatinous juice. I ordered it with everything which included Russian dressing. Usually I prefer my sandwiches without the dressing, but I wanted to experience this in its original form. My chosen rye bread (choice of pumpernickel or rye) was spread with the dressing and then layered with swiss cheese, the meat, and sauerkraut, and then put into a sandwich press griddle. The press didn’t flatten it out much, and it was hard to eat. It was the kind of sandwich that you can’t put down and then pick up again successfully. Best Reuben I have ever had. This may spoil me for other Reubens for a long time.
We also visited the Flying Monkey Bakery. They offered many varieties of brownies, too many choices in fact. But, luck was on my side. They offered a variety pack of brownie edge bites for $2. That’s a great value because I could taste several different brownies, and I really like edges. I didn’t actually eat any at that moment, but into the bag they went for later.
After that I didn’t need to eat again until dinner, and I wanted some vegetables, so I visited Nanee’s Kitchen. Nanee is from the Peshawar region of Pakistan and serves freshly-made Indian and Pakistani food. I tried the spinach paneer with nan and dal and felt like I had balanced out the meat-fest of brunch. The food was well-flavored, spiced but not hot, and the nan was fresh and crusty and chewy. I used to think that I didn’t like Indian food, but I am learning that I just needed more experience with good food and a greater variety.
Day 3: Back to the market, but it is Sunday morning, so not all of the vendors were open. We wound up back at the Down Home Diner with a lot of local Philadelphians. I had a breakfast burrito and shared a side of bacon. Good stuff, all. Very friendly server, Zach, provided local tips and color, but wasn’t really attentive about refilling coffee. That night we visited Delilah’s Southern Comfort. We had heard that the mac and cheese was something to talk about. I had a chicken platter – fried chicken, cornbread, and mac and cheese. I can report that it was good, but I can make it just as well. The cornbread, however, was exceptional. Slightly sweet and creamy, not dry at all.
Day 4 (Monday): With the giant APHA Conference across the street, breakfast was tough at the market. There were lots of people. I wound up getting an egg bagel from Spataro’s. It was fine, but nothing special. Coffee was from Old City Coffee, and I didn’t actually like it much. I had café au lait, and it was too hot to drink for about 20 minutes and the coffee itself was very bitter. I won’t go there again. Lunch a the market made breakfast look empty. My only chance to get food in a short time was to head back to Nanee’s Kitchen where I had a lamb kebab in nan. The meat was tender and well-cooked. There were two sauces, one was yogurt-based, and the other was a little sweet and garlicky. It was a good sandwich especially for $6. Monday evening we had our Utah social at McGillin’s Olde Ale House. It’s the oldest continuously operated tavern in Philadelphia. Our food was nothing too special, except for the meatballs in gravy (red sauce) were really good. The best thing that I tried was actually Original Sin Hard Cider. It was fruity and smooth, not sharp at all, but not cloyingly sweet either.
Day 5 (Tuesday): We slept in a bit and then went on a cheesesteak quest. This is a food item which engenders much passion in Philadelphia. Many outlets purport to be the home of ‘original’ or ‘best’ cheesesteaks, but it seems to come down to three contenders: Pat’s, Geno’s, and Jim’s. I’m proud to say that Scarlett and I stepped up to the plate and tried them all. It was a lot of walking but totally worth it. First stop was Jim’s Steaks in the 400 block of South Street (1.3 miles from our starting point). We split one that they helpfully cut in two for us and then set off to the south and Pat's King of Steaks. Pat's is famous, and supposedly the place where the sandwich was invented. There is a memorial of where part of Rocky was filmed. They were less polite, and not interested in helping the customer unless the order was properly given. Whatever. It wasn't all that. At Pat's we also enjoyed a birch beer which tastes like root beer, smells a bit of cream soda, and is more red than brown. For anyone counting, it is 0.8 miles from Jim's to Pat's. Geno's is literally across a weird intersection from Pat's. At Geno's we split our third cheesesteak of the day and then walked back to the convention center (1.6 miles -- fyi google maps estimates 36 minutes, and we did it in about that even with a diaper changing stop).
The verdict? We liked Jim's best - onions were in large, recognizable pieces, and the bread was chewy but not hard. Also, the politeness and indoor seating went a long way in our book. Oh, and we walked almost 4 miles.
No need for much dinner that night -- salad with felafel from a middle eastern vendor back at the market.
Day 6 (Wednesday): The Pennsylvania Dutch were back at the market, and I enjoyed an apple dumpling for breakfast (along with a bite of Scarlett's pickle and cinnamon roll, but not at the same time). Lunch was a tuna melt which was good with fries which were not at another Amish vendor. Quinn wasn't too impressed.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Where bacon comes from and how we cook it
According to my three year old: "Mom, bacon comes from the inside of a pig. It got cut out when it was dead."
If you have visited my home you may recall that our lovely open kitchen lacks one nice feature, a vent hood. (If you haven't been to my home, why not? We love guests.) Due to the lack of hood, I don't tend to fry on the stove. It stinks and greases up the kitchen and has on occasion set off the smoke alarm (which is of course a particle detector, non-specific to particles generated by combustion.
But we like bacon. Alton Brown once again provided the solution, bake it in the oven. This contains the mess to the oven, and I know it is time to clean said oven when I am baking something else and smell yummy bacon.
That said, I find AB's directions ineffective. He says to lay the bacon on a rack on a sheet pan in a cold oven, then turn it to 400 and bake 12-15 minutes. No way is it anywhere near crisp in that time in my experience.
I use a broiler pan, and start it cold then turned to 400, and it takes about 30 minutes. I turn once and rotate the pans (because you might as well cook as much as you can fit and have the cooked bacon on hand). Then remove to paper towels to drain.
Last night the bacon went onto our favorite BBT sandwiches, bacon, blue cheese,and tomato. I used Cherokee Purple tomatoes. Next time, probably tomorrow, will be Pineapple.
If you have visited my home you may recall that our lovely open kitchen lacks one nice feature, a vent hood. (If you haven't been to my home, why not? We love guests.) Due to the lack of hood, I don't tend to fry on the stove. It stinks and greases up the kitchen and has on occasion set off the smoke alarm (which is of course a particle detector, non-specific to particles generated by combustion.
But we like bacon. Alton Brown once again provided the solution, bake it in the oven. This contains the mess to the oven, and I know it is time to clean said oven when I am baking something else and smell yummy bacon.
That said, I find AB's directions ineffective. He says to lay the bacon on a rack on a sheet pan in a cold oven, then turn it to 400 and bake 12-15 minutes. No way is it anywhere near crisp in that time in my experience.
I use a broiler pan, and start it cold then turned to 400, and it takes about 30 minutes. I turn once and rotate the pans (because you might as well cook as much as you can fit and have the cooked bacon on hand). Then remove to paper towels to drain.
Last night the bacon went onto our favorite BBT sandwiches, bacon, blue cheese,and tomato. I used Cherokee Purple tomatoes. Next time, probably tomorrow, will be Pineapple.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Burgers and Fries at Home
This fall we bought part of a cow. About 1/12 to be exact. We split a quarter-cow with two other families. I think that next year we will get more. It's from a family farm in Idaho. Pasture-raised, and I know that the ground beef is from only 1 cow. This has been the impetus for our rediscovery of the hamburger. Previously we made lamb burgers (with lamb from the same farm actually), and those are great, too.
So here it is: burger and fries in the middle of winter. I actually pan-fried them because there is a lot of snow on the deck, and when it is this cold the grill timing is unpredictable. The only seasoning for the meat was a couple of cloves of garlic that I sauteed in olive oil and then mixed into the meat with some cracked pepper. We dressed the burgers with slices of red onion and blue cheese. Jeff added ketchup, but I didn't. On the side, waffle fries (the frozen kind that you bake - Alexia brand, surprisingly, no I will say dangerously, good - thanks, Costco!) and a small green salad with roasted red peppers from a jar, pickled asparagus from a jar, fresh mozzarella chunks and balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
