macadamia chicken

while cleaning out my freezer (who knows how long those freezer-burnt waffles had been in there), i found some boneless chicken breasts and thighs left over from a previous experiment.  i had some macadamia nuts that have been sitting around for awhile, so i thought i'd see if i could combine the two and conjure up something interesting for dinner.  i have to admit that i'm pleased with how things turned out.

total prep time for this was about 5-10 minutes, and total cooking time was about 30 minutes.

ingredients:
- boneless chicken (two thighs, one breast)
- flour
- 1 egg (i used two, but for three pieces of chicken, one would be more than sufficient)
- macadamia nuts (suitably pounded/crushed/chopped)
- various seasonings (cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, black pepper)
- olive oil

preparation:
there are three chicken coatings for this particular experiment.  first, mix some cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and paprika with the flour.  this will be stage one.  second, beat the egg into a bowl.  this would be stage two.  finally, crush the macadamia nuts.  in case you weren't paying attention, this would be stage eight.  i'm really not sure how best to crush macadamia nuts...my big wooden mallet didn't quite work out, so maybe it would be easier to take a knife and just chop them on a cutting board.

add olive oil to a large frying pan, and heat it to medium-high.  while the pan is pre-heating, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, and then dip it into the egg.  coat one side with macadamia nut pieces, and place in the heated frying pan (macadamia nuts face-down).  once in the pan, coat the top side with macadamia nuts, oregano, and black pepper.  flip after 4-5 minutes.  after flipping the meat, i added a little more pepper and oregano.  i ended up having to flip a couple more time (for a total pan-sear time of 15 minutes).

i had expected the chicken to be cooked after about 8-10 minutes, but apparently it wasn't completely thawed, so i improvised after 15 minutes.  next step involved transferring the chicken to an oven-safe pan and baking at 350°F for another fifteen minutes.

verdict:
even though it took quite awhile longer than anticipated, this macadamia-encrusted chicken was worth the wait.  the crust was crispy (and not soggy), and the chicken itself turned out to be very tender and juicy.  served with steamed zucchini, a worthwhile meal was had.

on the downside, the macadamia nuts didn't really stick to the chicken very well, and i managed to scorch some of them.  maybe this would be less of a problem if i had gotten the pieces smaller.  next time, it would probably also be smarter to sear the chicken for a shorter period of time and finish it in the oven for a little longer.

pancake fail

complete and utter cookery failure isn't something that happens to me very often.  i don't know if it's because i don't often try difficult recipes, if i have bad taste (and will eat anything), or if i'm just that good a cook...but rarely do my culinary experiments result in something that i find inedible.

this morning was different.

i decided i wanted pancakes, which is something i haven't cooked for myself in quite awhile.  so i broke out the jiffy pancake mix (nothing fancy, but it generally gets the job done) and the cast iron skillet.  and the nice heavy-duty spatula i got after realizing that using plastic spatulas and hot cast iron don't play well together.  but alas, i had two problems.

problem one:  i made the skillet too hot.  using high heat brings the temperature up quickly, but then you have to remember to turn the heat back down so you don't burn everything.  unfortunately, it took me two cajun-style pancakes to remember this.  why two, you might ask?  well, the first pancake is always an ugly mess.  i think there's some universal law about this.  so it took a second blackened pancake to make me think about the consequences of my inaction with regards to stove temperature.

problem two:  i undercooked several pancakes.  this is possibly related to the high skillet temperature in that  the outsides got all nice and brown before the batter on the inside set.  needless to say, uncooked pancake batter is not particularly appetizing.

out of the eight or so pancakes, only about half were edible.  sadness.  but on the bright side, i had sort of expected mediocre results, so i didn't even try to add chocolate chips or blueberries or such to my pancakes today.  which is to say, at least i didn't waste good ingredients on failed pancakes!

and why, might you ask, would i admit such a shameful kitchen failure to the internet?  well, anyone who claims to have only successful culinary experiments is full of it; mistakes will be made, and they should be noted if they are to be avoided in the future.  and besides, people deserve to know that ihop may be a better option than my kitchen for pancakes...at least until i get more practice!

creative writing for amateurs

one of my friends has been encouraging me to write, which is perhaps one of the reasons i created this blog.  so i uncovered a writing competition whose prompt is to write the opening sentence (25 words or less) of a story based on the photo below.

when i first saw the picture, two completely different things popped into my mind: william carlos william's poem entitled "the red wheelbarrow" and nirvana's nevermind album.  random, i know, but my mind works in mysterious ways.

still, after a couple drafts, i came up with a sentence that made me happy.  i have no illusions of greatness, but maybe i'll actually dabble with turning it into a story.

as soon as she hit the water, charlotte knew the dress -- a beautiful crimson silk -- would be absolutely ruined.

feel free to submit your own entry (deadline of 2/25)...but no thieving of my idea!

pepper stuffing

i have absolutely no idea where this recipe originally came from, but my mother often cooked it when i was a kid.  it's a dish that i still enjoy, and when it's dreary and winterish outside, it's a perfect bowl for lunch.  and if i particularly liked bell peppers, i'd actually serve this dish as intended.  but fortunately, pepper stuffing is perfectly satisfying sans bell pepper!

total time is about 30 minutes, and this includes both prep and cooking; most of the prep can be done while the meat is browning.  there are probably 4-5 brian-sized servings

ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey (it comes cunningly prepackaged at the store!)
- 1/2 cup long grain rice
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cans stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz, i tend to prefer italian recipe, but a quart of canned homegrown tomatoes is even better)
- worchestershire sauce
- various herbs/spices (garlic powder, black pepper, hot pepper, paprika, basil, oregano, and rosemary)
- cheeeeeeeese

preparation:
brown the ground turkey on medium to medium-high in a large skillet.  lately, i've been going for 93% lean turkey, as it results in only moderate amounts of grease.  additionally, if you go any leaner, the cost at the grocery store seems to be much higher.  i used to use ground beef, but turkey works just as well and is nominally more healthy.

roughly chop the turkey with the spatula while it's browning.  if you don't, the meat will stay in fairly large chunks, and this just isn't the consistency of ground beef.  although my seasonings change from day to day depending on how i feel, today i added garlic powder, ground (hot) pepper, black pepper, paprika, and basil to the turkey while it was browning.  the way i figure it, i might as well make the meat taste nice, even if i do end up draining some of the flavoring off with the grease.  browning takes about 10 minutes or so.

after the turkey is browned, drain the excess grease.  it goes without saying that this should be drained into a cup or something...and not the sink.

once the grease is drained, put the pan back on the stove, and add the rice, water, and tomatoes.  i usually chop up the stewed tomatoes a little with the spatula...just so i don't end with oversized chunks of tomato in my bowl.  for seasoning, i add 2-3 shakes of worchestershire sauce, rosemary, oregano, and more black pepper.  in case you haven't noticed by now, i like a little kick in my food.  stir well, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium.  cover and allow to simmer for about 15-16 minutes (stirring occasionally).  the key is to make sure the rice is cooked.

although i personally like adding some corn into the bowl of pepper stuffing, i have always warmed it up separately so the corn stays crisp.  and a little shredded cheddar cheese on top makes everything taste oh so splendid.

verdict:
if i didn't have a stuffy nose today, i suspect i might think i had been heavy-handed with the seasonings.  but as it was, the flavorings were noticeable but not overwhelming.  i could taste the sweetness of the tomato and basil, and i felt the heat of the pepper.  the corn adds that occasional juicy/crunchy nugget to contrast with the softer texture of the rice and meat, and the cheese gets all melty and wonderful.

key lime pie

no, i didn't actually make a key lime pie.  but i did get a piece (with raspberry sauce, even) today!  all because i am eminently forgettable.  maybe i shouldn't derive so much amusement from this...but i just can't help myself. =)

background: some people were going out to lunch at work today (fun times).  however, due to coming down with a cold this week, i've been left with a cough for the past couple days...nothing terrible, but it just isn't something i would subject people to at a restaurant.  so i wasn't intending to go.  but still, it's funny when people call from the restaurant asking where i am.  i could probably pretend to be offended that a whole group of people walked out of the office without first stopping by my desk, but i find the whole situation entirely too funny to act outraged about it.

free pie?  score!  and it might even convince me to try my hand at making one some day.