OT Vegimite redux

I thought about mentioning that and realized it really didn't matter....

Oh dear... Don't know they'd want him either... snort

No - though I might try that one with him soon. He takes the chicken breast, a load of bread crumbs, and about a cup of the dried granulated garlic and bakes it. There is nothing mellow about the taste of the garlic - that stuff if fine to sprinkle on a pizza, but baked like that, ugh.

I find you can use the boneless breast - if you oil it, nestle it in the garlic and cover the pan with tin foil. It's not the flavor you get with a whole chicken with the skin and fat, but it is "acceptable".

Cheryl

Agreeing - nothing quite like true roast chicken - especially when you've taken the time to slide some seasonings/butter under the skin. Yummy. That said, I use boneless breasts a lot - but they are generally marinated and then cooked somehow - sometimes grilled, oven pan-grilled, and in curries - which I do a lot. Sometimes I just do a marinade with some yogurt, onion, a little oil, and some kind of spice powder - or mustard. Doesn't take long with the boneless breasts. On the yuck side - I actually finally tried ground chicken 93% lean. Thought it would be horrible - but... I mixed it with mustard, some chopped shallot, parsley, cilantro, salt/pepper/garlic - and importantly - dusted the patties with flour - pan grilled (minimal oil). They were great - made "patty melts" with them - and DH really liked it. Can you tell we're doing Weight Watchers?

I've also switched to using Panko for breading - the Japanese bread crumbs. They're fluffier - and do really well - more like if I took the time to do homemade breadcrumbs (which would mean having to wash the food processor bowl after). Just a suggestion - I did some fish, and some chicken breasts

- mixing ground nuts with Panko, a really fast egg wash dip, then gentle coating with the mix (whatever seasonings in the mix), and pan fried in some olive oil w/ garlic cloves. Pretty good - not deep fried - the DS might like that - get him away from the garlic powder plunge.

Ellice

AH, on the Marmite topic - Cheryl - if you want some - just LMK - I can definitely get it locally. And do have a package getting put together for you.

Ellice

Oh - he's making his own breadcrumbs...with the cup of garlic powder....

Do you think he's testing himself? Or just being macho??? It's got to taste pretty awful and very bitter.

Lucille

I think his previous openness to "flavor" is returning and he is playing with it. If there had been any left after his first round of garlic bread, he's have used the frozen paste.

Since I need to hit the grocery store anyway today, I'll get some frozen herbs and the garlic and ginger in jars.

At least that will have some taste. As you said, the powdered garlic is good on pizza, but even then I think only when it's very fresh. Once the jar is opened, it loses it's taste quickly and is just blech.

Lucille

Not to long ago my grocery store had a whole bunch of fresh ginger on the reduced table. I often freeze fresh ginger to grate into stirfrys, etc. This time, I peeled the ginger, cut out the soft spots and then pureed the rest. Mixed it with rice vinegar, and made my own bottled ginger. It will keep for months in the back of the frig.

I usually have the jars of chopped garlic and picked ginger on hand. You can also sometimes find herbs in squeeze tubes. Right now I have lemon grass in a squeeze tube - great for Thai food. I like to make ceasar salad, but it's a waste to open a whole tin of anchovies to use just one. So the tubes of anchovy paste work well for that as well. - Also works for pizza since the DH likes anchovies on his pizza.

MargW

I wish I could find a way to have the flavor and savor of cilantro outside of the fresh stuff...

But I'm getting some of the lemon grass today

Check if your grocery store has the herbs in a tube. They are usually in the veggie area near the fresh herbs. The ones I can recall seeing are cilantro, basil, chili pepper, lemon grass, ginger, and garlic. They need to be kept refrigerated but are dynamite for giving a quick flavour boost. The brand is Gourmet Garden

Their website is

MargW

LOL - someone else who uses anchovy paste. I grew up with some family recipe - I think from my grandfather who got it from some restaurant crony - of a vinaigrette made with anchovy paste, some herbs, a touch of sugar - really yummy.

I tend to buy garlic/ginger paste in the Indian grocers. And then always have fresh garlic, often a jar of ginger, in the fridge. I do freeze fresh coriander(Cilantro), and green chilis.

Ellice

I nabbed the lemongrass. I had tried the cilantro before and it's just not right. I might try the basil once though.

Did get the one pound jar of minced garlic. I only buy the fresh when I know I'm going to use it.

I'm making my killer chili for a party next weekend.

Cheryl