Even not feeling up to par, you know there’s only so long I can go without cooking. Interesting thing, your subconscious. Tonight’s dinner was another comfort food dish, and I didn’t plan it that way. Flipping through some recipes, this one just spoke to me. I guess your mind really does know what your body wants.
Tonight for dinner, I made Crispy Chicken with Basil and Sweet Tomatoes. I served it over Buttered Rice. Buttered Rice is the way my Mom made rice for us growing up and I consider it another “comfort food” for me … The Husband had never even heard of putting butter on rice, and with him growing up in a Cuban household where rice appears nearly nightly, I thought that funny. Anyways… I digress. The original recipe for tonight’s dish is a Jamie Oliver one that I modified (recipe below includes my changes). It was incredibly simple to make and delicious down to the last morsel. A great meal to make for dinner on a lazy Sunday; with almost no time to pull it together, you’ll have it baking away in 10 minutes flat.
One thing I love about Jamie Oliver, once you get past the dizzying speed at which he moves, is that he really cares. He cares about what kids are putting into their bodies, hence the theme of his newest cookbook, Jamie’s Dinners. He’s seeking to educate everyone on how to serve their children better food, driving home the point that getting dinner on the table fast doesn’t necessarily mean “fast food.” The recipes in his new book are geared to getting dinner on the table in lightning speed, but still keeping it healthy, or naked, in all its goodness and glory. He’s also working with schools to create better lunch programs for the kids, filled with healthier choices. Gotta love that.
Tomorrow’s my turn to bring lunch for the office. I made Citrus-Shrimp Salad, which is served over a bed of romaine lettuce. Dessert is Cherry Salad. The Citrus-Shrimp Salad, for Weight Watchers followers, is only 2 points, and the dessert 3.
Tune in tomorrow to find out what goodies I got from Amazon today. Until then…
Crispy Chicken with Basil and Sweet Tomatoes
4 chicken drumsticks and 4 chicken quarters (legs and thighs joined)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
a big bunch of fresh basil, rough chopped
1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
1-1/2 lbs of new potatoes, scrubbed and chopped in bite-size pieces
Preheat oven to 275. Season the chicken pieces with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and put them in a snug-fitting pan in one layer. Throw in all the basil leaves, the halved cherry tomatoes and the potatoes. Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan and drizzle over some olive oil. Mix around, pushing the tomatoes and potatoes underneath the chicken. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Take it out, and stir it all around a bit and raise the heat to 325 and cook for another 2 hours. It’s done when you see clear juice coming from the chicken when pierced and the meat falls off the bone. Serve over buttered rice, hot mashed potatoes or linguine.
I love your new pictures! They are really interesting. Have you been taking photos of the pictures in the cookbooks? I think I might be trying this soon!
Thanks for the idea.
My mom used to put butter on our rice too…..you’re among good company.
I, too, find it odd that someone has never put butter on rice. It was often a side dish in our house.
Jennifer – thanks for the compliment, but no, they’re not from the pictures in the cookbooks. I’ve just been reading up on my digital camera’s manual, playing with the coloring/cropping software and doing some general “picture taking” research. Glad to see it’s working. :)
Biscuit Girl & Stephanie – glad to see it’s not just me! I like the way The Husband makes rice too, just the butter on top is always a natural for me.
WOW! I am really impressed now!!! They look great!
Photography, like cookery is an art.The more you practice, the more your skills will improve.