Yep... when it comes to cooking that's basically me up there. The only thing I can cook is Ramen and anything with boiling water. I had many cooking ventures in college where I dormed and lets just say my friends gave up on me. In the course of those four years I managed to start three fires, two in the oven and one inn the microwave. Plenty of things burned beyond recognition. Unfortunately my artistic creativity doesn't help in the kitchen as I always love mixing this with that and not following recipes. I once again dare to try to cook, and well this is what happened!
The original recipe is Grilled Chicken with Yogurt- Herb Sauce but my family doesn't like yogurt so I cut the Yogurt- Herb sauce part. Below are the ingredients I used for it.
Sprinkle generous helping of salt and pepper on the chicken. As I didn't know it's best to slice the chicken fairly thin because it makes cooking a heck of a lot easier. I used two large chicken breasts that I cut into thin strips about half an inch thick give or take. I diced the leaves (make sure you wash them first) and mixed them with the diced garlic, honey, cayenne pepper and olive oil. I just mixed them as well as a I could. The actual recipe asked to puree it in a blender which unfortunately I had no idea where it is. I marinated the chicken in the mixture and put plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. You're suppose to marinate it for no more then 24 hours but me being extremely hungry after going shopping and just finding the kitchenware decided to whip one up.
Here is the chicken in the mixture. I'm not a big fan of overpowering basil flavor but this had a slight fresh aroma which surprised me since when I was chopping the basil it made my fingers smell all funky and basil-ly. Oh at least something came from me watching all those cooking shows. If you stack teh basil leaves and roll them together. You can slice it and it makes it much easier.
Here's another thing I had to improvise. I had no clue where the frying pan or grill was so what did I do? I used a
wok. If you don't know what it is. It's a Chinese type kitchenware used to stir fry stuff. I set the heat on low and dipped one of them in and man did it sizzle! I love the sound of sizzling... don't ask me why. I cooked it around 3 minutes each side or until it was tender. I was paranoid and even cut them in the thickest part to make sure it is fully cooked. Even though i don't like overcooking things I rather not take my chances with getting some kind of bacteria that would wreak havoc on my digestive system. Here are the results!
Nice and golden brown and all those little things on it were the pepper and leaves. I ate some very cautiously though I've never had problem with food no matter how bad. My friends say I have an iron stomach. You know what it actually tasted good! It was moist and even though it was browned it didn't have that brunt taste! The pepper and cayenne peeper give it a extra punch making it a bit spicy but not overpowering. The basil and the parsley blended to make the whole thing taste very fresh with hints of both, again not overpowering.
I cooked the rest for my family and they were pleasantly surprised too! Not to toot my own horn by my dad and sister are harsh critic and won't hesitate to tell me that my cooking stinks. The most surprising thing to them was the flavor. Since in my home 99% of everything we cook is Asian cuisine and normally we don't use basil or really even black or cayenne pepper. My mom commented that she loved the unique flavor and asked me to make more. I said... next time.. surely I will try more stuff.
While pouring the extra virgin olive oil or (EVOO) I recalled listening to those cooking shows and health shows about which oil is best for your health. We don't want to clog our arteries with fat and cholesterol and what not. So I went around snooping for the answer. Here's one take on which is best.
Making Oil Choice: Top 3 Picks
If you have room in your pantry and a wallet for only 3 oils, this trio offers health and versatility.
Extra-virgin olive
This flavorful, heart-healthy oil is unrefined thus high in antioxidants and polyphenols that are a tonic to cardiovascular health. Less expensive, but so-called "pure" olive oil (not extra-virgin) is refined and more tolerant to heat but also less nutrient-dense. Don't bother with "light" olive oil; it has virtually no character and even fewer polyphenols. Use extra-virgin in low-heat cooking, baking and dressings.
Canola
High in omega-3s, this practical bland oil with a relatively high smoke point can be used for sautéing and baking. Most canola oil is highly refined to extract as much oil as possible from the seed. The resulting inexpensive version has a long shelf life. Some consumers choose to pay more for less refined organic canola oil. The organic designation guarantees that the seed was not from genetically modified plants.
Walnut
This specialty oil sports a higher price tag, but along with its rich, nutty flavor comes omega-3s and vitamin E. Close runners-up in this category include toasted sesame, pumpkin seed and almond oils. We chose walnut as a top pick for its relatively long shelf life: 3 months when refrigerated. Use it to dress salads, especially those containing flavorful cheese and nuts.
I got this from Eatingwell.com. There's loads of places to find out more information I'm only citing one source.
BTW I give major major props and kudos for all the people that cook!
Until my next cooking adventure... good day and eat well!
My newest little creation the Oreo Cow! What's an Oreo cow? They're cows that are black and white that resemble an Oreo with black on both ends and white in the middle just like the cookie. I first saw those in New Jersey where my family visited a farm owned by a friend. It was pretty darn cool.
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