Chicken and such

It has almost been three weeks since I started my new hobbies. I have still gotten nowhere with the knitting. I have a feeling that I will be struggling with that for a while. In any event, I am into my third week of the Self Challenge (which is still going on and can be signed up for on Self.com). I've actually been doing a good job keeping up with the challenge as a whole and the only real complication is the menu design. So far I haven't made a single item they suggest. Instead I make my own menu. Perhaps this is cheating just a little bit, but I've stayed within the alloted caloric intake and I've cut out all items made with enriched wheat. Phil and I have even been making our own treats and desserts so we know exactly what is in the food we eat.

To answer a question posed to me in one of my comments ... errr, actually my only comment on this blog ... I usually stick with using thin filets of chicken breast. The only seasoning I use before the cooking process begins (usually) is ground sea salt and ground peppercorn. Some of my recipes call for other seasonings, but I have been trying to stay away from adding too much extra salt, just one quick pinch of sea salt over each piece of chicken is as far as I go.

Here's a good quick Asian Recipe that I use when cooking either chicken or beef strips. The recipe listed here is what I use for chicken. I normally have other/different additives for the steak.

Laura's Quick Teriyaki
Chicken:
4-6 pieces of chicken sliced thin, then cut into strips
1 tsp ground sea salt (or table salt)
1 tsp ground black peppercorn (or black pepper)
1/4 cup white onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (which I refer to as EVOO)
Fresh Red Pepper (sliced)
Steamed brocolli (optional)


Sauce:
1/2 cup low sodium teriyaki (Aloha brand is the best, but others are fine)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp corn starch

Cooking Directions:
Sprinkle chicken with the salt and pepper. Put EVOO in deep cold skillet making sure to coat bottom of pan. Add your chicken strips. Cook on Med-High for roughly 10 minutes or until a light brown (making sure to cook all sides of the chicken). I tend to add my onion, garlic, and sliced red pepper towards the end of the ten minutes, before I add my sauce. While your chicken is cooking, mix up the ingredients for your sauce. I find it's best to start with your water and corn starch (to allow the starch to dissolve). Once the chicken is a golden brown add the sauce mixure and the brocolli. Reduce heat to Med-Low and cook for another 5 minutes.

I usually serve this with a brown rice, but Phil isn't a fan of brown rice so I'll divvy it up between that, white rice, and a healthier version of fried rice we came up with after a visit to Benihana's.

Woo!

I'll finish up this post by updating on my favorite hobby: reading for fun! So far I've made a huge dent on Tim Dorsey's work. I've been reading it in chronological order (which is painful, because the story line doesn't follow as such, but Mr. Dorsey requests that it be read that way ... I'm sure I'll figure out why one day) and I am finally up to Stingray Shuffle. I bought that and Cadillac Beach today in the hopes that I might make it through both by the end of next weekend. Serge is my new all time favorite character (although Carl Hiaasen's Mick Stranahan is a close second). Dorsey sells his stuff on his web site and one day I will finally give in and get my Serge's Florida Experience shirt. In any event, Hiaasen's and Dorsey's books are perfect for the person who wants to learn their Florida history, but doesn't want to be bothered by the boring books. Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on "The Tropic of Cracker: The Florida History and Cultural Series" and "Seasons of Real Florida".