This is a blog for people to discuss what they are eating. There is a theory that by journaling eating habits, people will eat healthier. I am trying to cook more at home and feed my family a wider variety of foods. People can just read or join as co-authors. Topics don't have to be recipes with nice photos. You can write about eating habits, special diets, culinary cultural differences, etc.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Getting rid of leftovers...

I never said I made a healthy dinner ... LOL
.
With the holidays over I did notice one thing.. there was a LOT of food in our apartment... people would bring things over.. or we'd order pizza or something. So that big Wegman's trip almost went to waste. Granted some things are freezer friendly (chicken, steak, fish, seafood (what I call it when it's not fish.. so things like scallops and shrimp), frozen veggies.. duh.., shredded cheese, etc.) so.. I figured.. okay.. I don't have anything planned for tonight.. so dangit I'm going to get rid of it all.. So I go in there and start looking.. I must have looked like a mad woman because hubby hit the deck.. (quietly asked if I needed help but just ran to the living room to hide in a game so he wouldn't get yelled at if he got in my way.. I guess I was pretty determined)..

This is what a plantain looks like when it's out of it's husk thingie.. (so the before and after.. )

Anywho.. I noticed a couple things I HAD to make or it would grow sentient and start to crawl out.. okay.. checking.. Broccoli.. Everyone.. please.. if I can have a moment of silence for the broccoli? ............. R.I.P. Broccoli.. that's why it was on sale.. /sigh.. went bad too fast.. I HATE wasting food.. I'm so sorry.. off it goes into the trash.. okay brussels sprouts.. (sorry Chaki...) still hanging in.. resilient mofo's.. okay that's going today.. got my veggie.. Oooooh plantains are maturing quickly.. one is almost turning black.. ooooh that's going to taste good.. better stuffed with something but I have no patience today.. I'm doing tostones dangit.. er.. hmm.. I managed to clear everything else beforehand so it's all like breads and stuff and the lettuce is hanging in just nicely :D Good girl! Go me!

This is what the plantain looks like when you chop off the sides.

I figured I can make chicken.. I have boned chicken and boneless chicken.. both frozen.. oh I'm too lazy.. ooooh I have some panko breadcrumbs. Alright.. fry fest it is.. Anyway.. doing 3 different dishes all with different cooking times is going to be a pain in the arse.. soooo happy hubby is here for backup.. and away from me so I don't burn myself.. .. .. as much... (only 4 burns.. small ones.. from jumping oil... must get better fry shield.. Anyway.. plantains are going to be worst so I'm doing that first while I boil water to boil the solidly frozen 4 pieces of chicken (these are thighs.. so the drum stick and the thigh portion that I separated, bagged in 2 portions and froze when I bought it in the family pack).

Food of the gods I tell you.. Plantains cut in thick pieces to be fried for the first time.

If you notice the color on the outside of the plantain these are maturing so the inside of the plantain is actually much sweeter and softer (not like bananas though.. those are uber sweet and squishy at this stage..).. if they go black they are difficult to fry crispy.. but still uber delicious :) By the time I take them out of the outer husk thing.. not sure what that outside thing is called.. checking. hang on.. they are calling it layers while the inside is the shoot? Bah.. outside hard thing.. soft inside thingie.. that works for me.. anyway.. by the time I took out the outside thing.. I cut it along one side with a butter knife (this should be sharp enough) and split open with your fingers. The more mature they are the harder it is to get them off in one clean shot.. I guess since it's softer it tends to stick more to the inside lining. With unripe plantains I can actually peel it off in one shot like a pro.. today.. I used force.. LOL It broke in a lot of stages and I just had to scrape off what was still hanging on to dear life. And for the love of God don't eat the outside stuff.. that's there to protect the inside.. oy.. I don't even want to think about how bitter it would be to eat it..

Second stage already done - they are drying.. can you tell hubby's been watching a lot of Alton?

I'm not sure if I bored you with the details on how you make these .. you know.. if you want to know I'll tell ya.. I think I already did.. twice fried.. squish between.. yeah something about how I'm writing this is totally giving me deja vu.. Anyway.. at this point I'm already frying BOTH the plantains AND the chicken.. and of course I think I sense disaster.. oh.. I started steaming the brussels sprouts.. That's easy.. turn on steamer.. walk away..

Fried chicken - Panko bread crumbs. A little oiler than usual though..

Again at this point I realize I'm waaaaaaaaay over my head.. I mean I did the Holly and committed to it but I did the mistake of doing too much fried.. I should have gone with instinct and stewed the chicken or something.. the oil temperatures were totally different. Different pans for each.. both on electric stoves.. I HATE ELECTRIC STOVES.. and both going on at different times and had to be babysat.. Hubby came in and helped after a couple expletives in Spanish were strewn about the kitchen (Yes dear.. cursing in Spanish is still cursing.. LOL)..

These came out well except first batch that was a little greasy but overall I enjoyed this.. which is good.. because we have a lot of leftovers LOL

The problem was because I was overwhelmed .. I mean nothing burned.. far from it.. I lowered the temperature which is a Huuuuuuuuuge no no in frying.. that makes the food totally soak up the oil.. The biggest problem was the chicken. Right now as I'm typing this I feel the oil sitting on my stomach.. (sorry.. ). If I kept it at the temperature I would have been fine.. but I panicked and lowered it so I can concentrate on the plantains.. by the time hubby took over the damage was done and it soaked up a lot of oil. Didn't realize it until we ate it all.

These Brussels sprouts (didn't know brussels in this word had a s in it.. stupid wiki.. now I have to type it correctly..) came out perfect :D

Meanwhile the only semi nutritious thing was the sprouts.. and even then I slathered it in butter and mozzarella cheese :) mwahahhahahahahha .. ehem.. that was awesome! Oh! Forgot to add that the tostones I cook always has a dipping sauce (wait for it I can almost hear Holly heaving.. wait.. and Tricia too..) I make a dip that's made with mayonnaise (I only use Miracle whip.. sorry Tricia..) and ketchup with a clove or 2 of garlic. Even people squeamish about it taste it together and wonder wtf.. I can eat it with or without but hubby really likes it too (and he's not a mayo person) so I make it all the time. It's friggin' easy too.

Labels: , , , ,

5 Comments:

Blogger Chaki said...

THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing a reality check on the difficulties of deep frying. I am deathly afraid to deep fry. Mentally, I know I got to do the Holly... but my mind tends to wander and commitment level low... Two different temps is a no-no and definitely something I would do though. My getting rid of leftovers should NOT be photographed. LOL

January 8, 2009 at 12:32 AM

 
Blogger Arsenette said...

LMAO :) Well I'm actually usually on the ball but today was not one of them.. LOL Poor Broccoli .. I hate wasting food.. But yeah.. had to show the disaster.. looked good though.. and it wasn't a MAJOR one .. but still.. sooooo glad hubby cleans.. he did the floors, cleaned the stove and even windexed it! and even washed all the pots I used. I just loaded up dishwasher :p

January 8, 2009 at 12:35 AM

 
Blogger Some Kinda Wonderful said...

You witch! You know I can't get thru the computer screen to get at those tostones!!! :) And you usually can't find good plantains around here. The few times I've found them they are already yellow turning to black, which is fine since I love fried plantains, but you can't make tostones with them. My mouth is watering so bad now for Florida/Rican/Cuban food. I have tears in my eyes. /lays her head down on the desk and weeps softly for the memory of stewed chicken, black beans and rice and tostones/ sniff sniff

January 9, 2009 at 5:44 AM

 
Blogger Arsenette said...

Awwww sorry SKW!!! :)

I did have one of the black ones and the tostones were reaaaaaaaally crispy.. why? Because they broke apart! Still.. those were the sweet crunchy ones..

Still. I'm jonesing for that loaf of bread.. I can't find that kind anywhere... /sigh

January 9, 2009 at 1:44 PM

 
Blogger Some Kinda Wonderful said...

Went to the Kroger this morning and low and behold! To my amazement they had PLANTAINS!!! Still green on the ends, starting to turn yellow in the middle, no black. I'm a happy woman now! :)

January 11, 2009 at 7:31 PM

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home