Mar 16, 2011

Another Lesson in Cooking

You should read the recipe before you start cooking.

We're trying to eat more chicken these days because people say it's healthy. Blah. I don't like chicken.

Anyway, I saw a recipe in my Everyday Food book that seemed pretty healthy. Chicken, potatoes and peas.

The picture looked good so I thought I'd give it a whirl.



I bought all the ingredients and started cooking. I hadn't actually read the recipe yet, just looked at the picture and list of ingredients.



That looks like the makings of a healthy meal, right?

No.

The chicken was fried and then baked. The potatoes were boiled, then fried. Ooops.

The recipe also called for mixing in lemon juice and cilantro to the potatoes. After I made the most perfect fried potatoes I have ever cooked, I couldn't do it. So, I just added it to the peas. So here's another lesson, don't be afraid to not follow a recipe. I hardly ever follow recipes exactly.



So, our healthy meal turned out to be not so healthy. Chicken. Go figure. Had I read the recipe before starting, I would have realized that everything but the peas were fried.

Oh well, it may not be the healthiest way to eat chicken and potatoes, but it sure was good!

6 comments:

  1. Ha! I've done the same thing before. Looks tasty though!

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  2. I'm glad to read someone else in the world fails to read recipes ahead of time...but you can end up with some pretty good stuff that way ;)!

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  3. YUM.
    did you go to culinary school? are you a chef and i just haven't dug deep enough into your archives to find that out? and a food photographer? can i hire you to cook meals for my family? ok, good :)

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  4. That's what makes you a good cook! Improvising. :) My husband does it all the time, and it just baffles me. For me, cooking is like trying to navigate in a foreign country. We had some really yummy chicken last night that tasted like it was fried, but it was baked. I don't know if he used a recipe or not, but it had panko bread crumbs on it with some thyme and I don't know what else. It was crunchy and good, though! :)

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  5. You guys crack me up with the comments!

    No, Danielle, I didn't go to culinary school (kind of wish I did though) but if you buy the airfare, I'll cook for you anytime!

    Jenny, panko is one of my faves! I always use it when recipes call for breadcrumbs.

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I know it can be a little scary but go on, I'd love to hear from you!