Song: Spirit of the Woods
YouTube Channel: Legends of Fantasia
Yesterday...
I took my sister and the dogs to what I thought would be a nice day at another reservoir
just an hour away from home.
However...
just as with the other reservoirs I had tried recently...
this one was also closed until summer.
This one I can understand...
as the final drive to the reservoir from the highway was rather precarious on certain sections...
and to have many cars attempting the drive in winter could prove to be disastrous.
Only after having almost reached the shores...
did signs tell of the seasonal nature of this reservoir.
And so...
I turned around and headed back home.
Most of this road was one lane with multiple pull outs to allow opposing traffic to pass.
And...
much of the road had steep drop offs as well.
In this photo...
we were in north Woodland Park...
and going home.
I live just west and south of Pikes Peak
(the mountain pictured).
As this is my sister's last full day here...
she wanted to make a meal for us.
I had placed 6 large frozen chicken breasts into the fridge a couple of days ago...
to defrost.
My sister then proceeded to make an absolutely delicious Italian style meal
with the defrosted chicken breasts.
I will include the recipe at the end of this article.
This chicken rub was so good.
It was part of a spice package my elder sister and her husband
had given me just prior to my departing Nevada for my new home...
here in Colorado.
I have always loved stuffing.
This Pasta Roni package makes one of the most flavorful pasta dishes
I have ever eaten.
It was the first time I had tried it.
A couple of weeks ago...
my sister went shopping with me.
She wanted me to try it...
as I had never known of its existence.
I am so glad she had put it into my food cart.
I will be ordering a couple of dozen of these from Walmart...
as I can also add shrimp to make it a whole meal.
I have to say...
I already had two dozen large chicken breasts in the deep freeze...
but as I have never cooked chicken breasts before
(I just buy rotisserie chicken at the store)...
I was just waiting for the right recipe to use them in.
The chicken breasts in the following recipe were the most
tender and juicy chicken breasts I have ever had in my life.
I would have to say that this was my little sister's best meal
that she has ever cooked.
The only times I had ever liked chicken breasts
was the rotisserie chickens from the stores...
and Chicken Parmesan at Italian restaurants...
until today.
All other forms of chicken breasts had previously been somewhat dry.
Not so with the chicken breasts my younger sister had made.
These were the juiciest, most tender, and most flavorful chicken breasts
I have ever had in my life.
I ate two large breasts...
they were that good.
The recipe calls for a cooking technique I had never done before...
Brining (as you will see in the recipe).
This recipe is fantastic.
You will want to try it.
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RECIPE
Tender and Juicy Chicken Breasts
(6 large deboned chicken breasts)
(If frozen...gently defrost in the fridge 2-3 days prior)
Brine - Soak the defrosted chicken in brine water for 3 hours
(a large bowl with the chicken completely submerged...
and with a large handful of salt dissolved into solution - lukewarm water).
After the 3 hours...
rinse off the chicken in water...
pat dry each piece.
It is supposed to make the chicken especially moist and tender.
Butter - 1/2 stick melted butter
Completely coat the chicken
Spices - Completely coat each piece with your favorite chicken rub
after having coated them with the melted butter.
Bake - Oven at 450 F - 20 minutes covered - then 3 or so minutes uncovered
until the chicken is a golden brown.
Rest - 10 minutes (check inside to ensure doneness).
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The Italian flavored Pasta Roni went perfectly with this dish...
and the stuffing was an added bonus.
----------
As today is filled with nothing but clear blue skies...
my sister should have an easy...
but long drive ahead of her.
I will probably rest tomorrow after her departure.
But...
other than having a general idea of what projects I wish to complete...
I go by feel each day.
I may start on the forest...
I may decide to sit in my recliner and read...
I may decide to go on a trike ride and then sit in the sauna...
I never know for sure until that particular day.
And that...
is the freedom I love so much.
Sounds delicious.... Chicken breasts are so versatile. You can bake, grill, smoke, fry, etc. You should always have them in your freezer.
ReplyDeleteMary will miss the beauty of Colorado I am sure. Especially the views from the loft. Once the weather becomes nicer, I hope to come visit soon.
Yes, you, James, and Musa are always welcome at my home...anytime. I also ordered Curry for future meals. There are so many good dishes I wish to make in bulk so I may have at least several meals worth at a time.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I always thought that chicken breasts were a bit dry so great to learn that this method keeps them moist. My wife has brined our Thanksgiving turkey and it comes out well so make sense that it would work for chicken breasts.
ReplyDeleteI was so surprised. I had never heard of brining, and, at first, it seemed counter intuitive as to how it would work since osmosis is the prime mover of water out of an object being brined...if the brine is at a higher concentration in solution than the object...as in pickling. However, with a low concentration solution, the water and salt solution is then pulled into the meat. That is what makes it so juicy and tender. I had never heard of this method of meat preparation before. It is a fantastic method that I am sure may be applied to other meats and situations.
DeleteBut, of course, that is what marinade is and does, except with added spices and flavors.
There is so much I do not know about cooking. But, I will be experimenting in the future, as I love to eat.