Nature Walk

  This video is all about some things I see while out walking with the dogs and in it I mention a plant that is edible. I looked it up and it is actually called "Oxalis" and can be added to salads or even boiled to make a drink that is similar to lemonade. Now on to the video.

Strolling with the dogs

We've been having thunder storms the last couple of days with lots of rain which we really needed. Saw a really good movie earlier in the week and wondered if anyone had seen it too. It was called "The Other Side of Heaven" about a young Mormon missionary that was sent to an island in the south Pacific for a couple of years. Whether you are Mormon or not it is a really good movie. Now on to the video I made while exercising the dogs yesterday.

Facts, not myths in the kitchen

Facts, not myths in the kitchen!!

This article was taken from Yahoo.Com written by America's Test Kitchen Cooking School

Myth 1. Searing meat seals in juices. 

Forget this one. It's not true, never has been and never will be. Most likely the idea came from the crusted exterior that meat develops as it is seared; surely that crust will seal in the juices, right? But in the test kitchen we tested this old maxim by weighting steaks before and after they were cooked. Some were seared first, others weren't. There was no difference in the amount of juices that were lost between the various steaks. None, nada.

The main purpose of searing is to add flavor by converting natural sugars and amino acids into flavor compounds via browning. If you want juicy meat, you can slow roast it (which prevents meat juices from being squeezed out.) And always let meat rest after cooking so that it can reabsorb any of those precious juices.

Myth 2. Marinating meat makes it juicy and tender.

No, it doesn't. Marinades are usually made with some kind of oil, citrus, and herb combo that can only penetrate the very exterior of the meat. In the test kitchen we found that after 18 hours, a red wine marinade made it's way ONE MILLIMETER into beef. Hey, that's perfect for tenderizing those two millimeter thick steaks!

Now if that marinade contains an acidic ingredient--like the above mentioned citrus, or vinegar, you can actually do more damage to the meat. Acids will begin to break down the exterior fibers of the meat. Left too long in an acidic soak, that exterior will go from meaty to mushy, and eventually, chalky and dry.

So the takeaway here is that if you want to flavor thin cuts of meat--cut for a stir fry or paper thin palliards for example--go ahead and give them a quick 10 minute-or-so marination for flavor.

Myth 3. Eating pink pork will make you sick.

Once upon a time this may have been true as there was a fear of ingesting an ugly parasite named trichinosis.  Cooking pork to a safe but gray interior temperature of 160 degrees would kill off trichinosis--but who would want to eat that dried up chop?

Today, government standards have all but eliminated the risk of trichinosis contamination from pork. According to the Center for Disease Control, between the years of 1997 and 2001, the average reported cases of trichinosis was twelve.

So go ahead and go for a slightly rosy hue.  The test kitchen highly recommends cooking that pork chop or loin roast until it registers an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees. And be sure to let the pork rest for 10 minutes or so--the internal temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees but the meat will still be beautifully moist.

Myth 4.  Always rinse off poultry that comes from the supermarket.

Back away from the sink my friend. I know that it has been pounded into your brain that you should unwrap that poultry and give it a good rinse in the sink. But beware that what you most likely doing is splashing all of those yummy surface pathogens over your sink, faucet and surrounding area. Now, if you are willing to give the sink a through scrub down it will be fine, but you are better off simply cooking the poultry to a safe internal temperature (165 degrees for the breast meat and 175 for the thigh meat.)

So those are a few of the myths out there. I hope that busting through these gives you more confidence when preparing meat.

  

Rocky

  Rocky was napping this afternoon and making some strange noises so I got it on my camera. Not very long but it was fun getting it.

At the doctor's office

   I've been fighting with Blogger trying to get text and a video on this same posting and I promise I will win. Don't know why things have to be so complicated at times.


   Beth got up this morning complaining of being dizzy and said it happens to her at work as well. Dr. Langley gave her an immediate diagnosis. I told her that she may be having reactions from not taking good care of herself. Namely eating some scrambled eggs when she gets up and then not eating again until she gets home in the evening. Just not eating enough or getting the proper nutrients in her diet. They took blood and will be testing it but told her to eat something every 2 to 3 hours and take multivitamins. I love it when a plan comes together.

Finger Licking Good, almost no cleanup

Asian Chicken Tenders Baked in Foil Pouches

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into nuggets

Soy Sauce

Corn Starch

Hoisin Sauce

Brown Sugar

Grated Ginger

Minced Garlic

Ingredients may vary depending on how much chicken you need to cook. I had about 1 lb. In a bowl I put 1/2 cup of corn starch, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbl grated ginger and 1 Tsp of minced garlic and stirred together. Add the chicken nuggets and toss to completely coat all the pieces. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

I used 18 inch aluminum foil & tore off a piece about the same width. Spoon the chicken along with some of the sauce into the center of the foil. Bring up two sides to meet and fold downward being careful not to allow liquid to spill out the ends. Then fold in the ends toward the center sealing the pouch. Repeat for as many pouches as is needed. Place on a large enough pan to hold them all and put into a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

Serve with a flavorful rice like Basmati. 

You could add veggies to the pouch like broccoli, carrots, green onions, be creative.

Remember, all you have to wash is the bowl and throw away the foil. I love that part.  Enjoy. 

Visiting with Odie