”
This chicken is better than the airline chicken,
”
said my daughter at dinner last night.
“This chicken is better than the airline chicken,” said my daughter at dinner last night. High praise, indeed, coming from a teenager who regretted ordering the chicken instead of the pasta on our flight home.
It wasn’t such a long flight – 5 hours from Kauai, Hawaii – but it felt longer, given that I had recently knocked my knee against rocks while boogie-boarding, and used every muscle in my body trying to water ski on one ski. It was in that tight, confined airline space, with tight, out-of-sorts muscles, that I began to feel older.
And that’s precisely when I began to feel that I was on a really lousy flight. There’s no room to stretch, no room to move. The air’s on too high. The reading light doesn’t work. And why – oh, why – does that stewardess have such an annoying voice and that sweet smile topped by too-red lipstick?
Why do they serve tropical crackers with manicotti, followed by a Chinese lemon cookie? Why can’t you get a drink with dinner instead of half an hour later?
Meanwhile, my husband began to get red-faced when the captain insisted on talking about our altitude and flying speed on the intercom, repeatedly interrupting the last 12 seconds of the 49er game with idle chit-chat. And for those who watched the game or read the paper yesterday, you know how important those last seconds were.
Though we only mumbled complaints to each other, there was no denying it. We were grumpy. We were childish. We were tired.
And, even more, we were churlish about returning home to work and laundry and winter, when we had been basking in a December summer paradise. Back to grocery shopping, and planning dinner, and cooking when I sometimes don’t feel like it.
But I have to admit, I was happy to see our pets again. I’m happy to be getting started on the goals of 2003. I was happy to be sitting down to eat with our girls at the kitchen table last night. Especially when I got such a great compliment: “This chicken is better than the airline chicken.”
How can I beat that?
• Quick chicken: This chicken is moist and tender inside, with a crispy outside. It can be done in about half an hour, but cook it 45 minutes if you want the garlic to be soft and sweet.
Better Than the Airline Chicken
(Garlic Skillet Chicken)
6 pieces chicken, whatever cuts your family likes
Salt & pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
6-12 whole garlic cloves, with skin
3/4 cup white wine
Cut chicken pieces into uniform sizes (so they cook at the same rate). Salt and pepper both sides.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter in skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add chicken and whole garlic cloves in a single layer. Brown chicken on both sides; this will take about 8 minutes total. Then add wine and cover skillet.
Cook for 25 minutes more and then test chicken for desired doneness. If still pink, continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve hot with rice and steamed asparagus.
• Taste of summer: Need some levity on a gray winter day? Use two perfect winter ingredients: oranges and avocados. This salad can be assembled quickly and the dressing is delicious.
Orange and Avocado Salad
With Zesty Dressing
2-3 T. chopped red onion
1 T. chopped basil
1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers, or to taste
3 T. orange juice
2 T. honey
1/3 cup olive oil
Put all ingredients into a screw-top jar and shake until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.
4-5 seedless oranges
2-3 avocados
8 oz. baby arugula leaves
Slice oranges and avocados into rounds (remove pits and peels). Divide arugula among salad plates, top with oranges and avocados, and drizzle with dressing.
• One-dish wonder: This is a quick and easy recipe with a kick from the McCormick Spice Co. The Cajun flavors may be too spicy for kids. You might want to try my trick: make the dish as spicy as you want, then heat up a can of Campbell’s Chicken ‘n’ Stars for them.
Fat Tuesday Noodles with Smoked Sausage and Shrimp
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 lb. smoked or andouille sausage (low fat is fine)
1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
32 oz. (4 cups) chicken broth
8 oz. angel hair pasta, uncooked
Saute onion, celery and bell pepper in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in Italian seasoning and red and black pepper.
Cut sausage in half lengthwise, then in 1/2-inch slices. Add sausage and shrimp to skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until shrimp begin to turn pink.
Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Break pasta in half; add all to skillet. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until pasta is just done.
Makes 3-4 servings.
Tip of the Week:
If you need a funnel in a pinch, but can’t find a real one, here are two substitutes: Clip off the corner of a plastic bag or form one out of heavy-duty foil.
Notes from Jenny’s Kitchen
• If you’re in a hurry, turn on the oven as soon as you walk in the door. By the time you’re ready, it will be preheated.
• Pasta will keep almost indefinitely if kept in a sealed plastic or glass container in a cool, dark place. The exception is whole wheat pasta, which will only keep for about a month before starting to turn rancid.
• If you find after peeling a hard-cooked egg that it’s not quite done, prick it with a fork a few times and microwave at medium for 10 to 20 seconds. Let sit for 20 seconds. It’s done.
• End notes: Christmas cookie bakers, you are fantastic! Our readers baked more than 2,000 cookies that were given out at the Armory to homeless people on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. You truly are the best!
Jenny Midtgaard Derry is the Executive Director of the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau. Write to her c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, 95021. E-mail: jd****@****ic.com.
