Monday, June 28, 2010

And Susie Homemaker is back for another addition of....hey, that wasn't bad!

You know.. that's funny that I said that. Because I'm usually so busy working/shooting, editing, and you know--sleeping, that I barely get my dishes done (much to the horror of Randy). There's only so many hours in the day right? But sometimes things just work.

Yesterday while sitting in a golfcart (first off it was Sunday and I was taking the day off--don't you judge me) the epiphany hit me. So I'm doing a crap diet again which is why I get inventive in the first place. I'm always trying to figure out a way to fix up some of the old standbys so they aren't as boring because basically while on it I eat copious amounts of chicken breast and it gets old. I look up recipes and pick and choose what I like and discard what I don't and come up with my own version.

You will need:

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Gallon Ziplock Bag
Water

Kosher Salt

Tobasco Spicy Brown Mustard

Agave

Lemon Juice
Soy Sauce

Mayonnaise
Worc
estershire Sauce


Easy Right?? No? It is!

OK first off we're gonna do a brine. I hate it when I cook chicken on the grill and it comes out a little d
ry and all the flavor is on the outside and there's nothing in the middle. A brine makes your meat more tender and helps it absorb more moisture before hitting the grill. Put four chicken breast in a ziplock bag. Add about 4 cups of water and a 1/4 cup Kosher Salt. Do not use table salt!! It has iodine in it and will make your meat tastes funky. Besides... this stuff tastes better period and it is absolutely the best thing for grilling steaks--I'm just sayin. Close ziplock bag pushing out as much air as possible.

Let meat sit in brine for about 45-60 minutes.




Next up we have Agave. Not many people may be familiar with it so let me explain. This is a low glycemic sweetner---much better for you then sugar. Its awesome on fresh berries. Tastes like a DREAM with no funky Stevia aftertaste. This stuff is great for people on HCG, low sugar, and low carb diets. It has the consistancy of warm honey. You can bake and cook with it and its very easy to use. And before you roll your eyes and say you don't want to go to the funky smelling Whole Foods to get it---you can find this at Walmart in the baking section and at Costco in two packs. It's more expensive then sugar of course, but if you use it just for putting over fresh fruit this summer it will be worth it!! Promise!

Put about a 1/4 cup in a small bowl. (Ok ok... and if you still aren't sold on the Agave--jerks. You can use honey.)



Next up we have some Tobasco Spicy Brown Mustard. I went with this because Randy loves kick to his food and I didn't want it to be the same old same old. Randy and I found this at Walmart next to the mustard and the Tobasco. If you are afraid of spice don't be. The agave tones it down quite a bit. Maybe even too much for some tastes. The point is this stuff just gives the flavor another level.

Add about a 1/3 of a cup.








So next we're gonna add
a little Worcestershire Sauce. If you don't already own this you can find it next to the BBQ sauce and rubs. Lots of people use it in marinades and making jerky. A little goes a long way. So I'd recommend a small bottle unless you are familiar with it.

Go ahead and add about two teaspoons.
If you don't have this you can use a steaksauce like A-1. They a mirror images of each other and the flavor should be very similar.








OK... so this is where I'm gonna get the looks.. the looks of yeah right... REAL healthy. Right? Am I right?

Don't worry. Its not much and considering we are just basting the chick
en with it your not gonna be eating very much. You can leave it out if you want. I made mine with so I'm not sure how or if it effects the flavor.

Add about a tablespoon of mayonnaise.






Now we need a little bit of acid. Next on the list is Lemon Juice. Add a Tablespoon.















Soy Sauce is next. I should have measured, but in all honesty... I almost never do. Which is why I am the worst baker known to man. What they don't tell you when you bake is that actually you are doing precise chemical reactions--measure correctly! In cooking I just throw in what I want till it tastes good.

I'd say give it three to four good squirts. If you are using Kikkoman with the huge top hole... better go... Hmmm. Two teaspoons.




Mix all together. This is a good time to give it a taste. This is pretty easy to tailor to your own needs. If you think its too sweet--add mustard or vice versa. Pretty simple to add a little this and that till it tastes how you like it. I was never a huge fan of mustard back in the day--or honey mustard for that matter--but this stuff is very tasty and you might want to have extra for dipping. It would probably with a few alterations make a great salad dressing as well. For extra flavor you could also marinate your chicken in this after the brine.








Be certain you drain well and pat chicken dry to get off excess salt. Give your chicken a dip in the mustard and put on a pre-heated grill. Grill for normal amount of time but turn and baste chicken often. Baste generously. It gives the chicken a lovely golden color and comes out looking beautiful. You could do this on a broiler if you needed to but the grill really does add something special to the taste. Remove from grill when chicken is firm. The meat should be super juicy.

Hope you try and enjoy it! I think its gonna be a new favorite at my house!