Recipes & Beyond

When I first started this blog I talked about my customized cook book.  Basically it is a blank notebook that I glue in recipes that I print from the internet. 

The system I have with my husband is as follows :

• I print out a bunch of recipes from my favorite sources on the internet.
• He throws away the ones that don't appeal to him.
• The printed pages get stuffed into the back of the recipe book.
• As we try the recipes out the good ones get glued into the book, and the ones we wouldn't eat again go into the trash.

This has been a great system for us, and gives a good visual when we are making a grocery list for recipes we might cook during the week.

From these recipes we are able to improvise cooking methods, and create new recipes as well.  In the beginning of our relationship there was a lot of baked chicken.  Baked chicken is quick, easy, and tasty with simple ingredients.  Then we discovered poaching which is even quicker and easier.

Poaching chicken is one of my favorite cooking methods because it requires very little watch time so you can go off and do something else while it cooks away.  The basic method is as follows :

• Bring enough liquid to cover the chicken to a boil.
• Cook covered for 10 minutes.
• Take off heat and let sit for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

It is that simple!  Now that you know how to poach, what do you poach the chicken in?  Here are some ideas :

• Chicken Broth
• Fruit Juice - A mixture of Orange and Pineapple Juice works really well.
• Water with herbs and spices of your choice.

You can serve the chicken as is with some side dishes or chop it up for a dinner salad or to make a chicken salad as well.  If you want to try a lighter version of traditional chicken salad use low fat sour cream instead of mayonnaise.  

By using our collected recipes as a base, and then substituting flavors and cooking methods the possibilities have become endless.  Eating healthy isn't all about salads and rabbit food, there are plenty of methods and ingredients to make each meal new and exciting.