I?m a good home cook. Sometimes I?m a great home cook. But one thing always remains the same, no matter what I cook: I cook chunky. I?ve realized that since culinary school, all I do is cook what feels comforting to me. That usually includes some sort of Mexican or Italian food, with tons of cheese, and usually bacon fat. Any recipe can be improved upon with bacon fat. Too bad the same isn’t true about cholesterol. I need to cook healthier! all this cooking chunky is no good for me, and plus, I just found out that Australia does not have the same type of bacon that we eat, which really throws a kink in my recipe repertoire. And I?m sure my lovely ibs would appreciate a few healthy meals as well. I attempted to make a healthy meal last night. Cauliflower soup with parmesan and chives. Pretty good, actually, except for the stinkiness that cauliflower seems to get when you cook it. I?ve wanted to make more soups, and I?ve really wanted to play around with cauliflower, but the husband doesn’t like it so much. I served it with my special grilled cheese sandwich, which includes shredded chicken and a veggie-packed cream cheese. Yup, I took a healthy meal and made it chunky. I really need help. Last week I made herb and lemon marinated chicken breasts with smashed broccoli and garlic, and it was amazing! I?ve never really cooked with lemon in savory dishes before, but I am quickly becoming a huge fan. Thai food, with poultry, even Ethiopian is better with a little lemon. the broccoli was great too (thanks, Tyler Florence!), sort of mushy, with tons of garlic, and a little chicken stock and yoghurt, which makes me think it is not all that healthy but at least a step in the right direction. Oh yeah. And the recipe called for skin on, bone in breasts, but I did not have them, and you needed the extra fat from the skin to make the pan sauce. So I threw in a little bacon fat. Need I tell you how transcendent the sauce was? I could have made a gallon of the stuff and licked it off my arm for an entire month, THAT is how good it was. Sigh. I?ll miss you bacon fat. ~LTG
I cook chunky
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Amy Reinke
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MIsty
