(One of My Own) Fast Food My Way!

Economical food doesn’t necessarily mean “poor quality” in any way. A lot can be done with easy to prepare foods- in this case, frozen vegetables. Though they’re not fresh, that doesn’t mean presentation is out of the question. It’s my own personal philosophy to use what little one has to its fullest extent. I think it’s an idea that holds well under today’s economic crunch weighing down on so many Americans. Waste not, want not! That’s an easier way to say it.
An idea came to me pretty much out of the blue during a class lecture. I wondered how well frozen vegetables would turn out if I put them on top of rice while it was cooking. I prepared the rice as normal- 5 minutes in boiling water. I figured that if the vegetables lost any nutrients while they were boiling with the rice, the rice would absorb them while absorbing the water. If such is not the case, I welcome any corrections. Anyhow, they turned out well and retained a small amount of crispiness, at least as much as frozen veggies have.
As far as the chicken goes, I didn’t follow a particular recipe. I used various simple techniques I acquired from previous recipes. I marinated thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts in white cooking wine over night. I put each piece in flour and lightly browned each side in a pan. I added the same liquid they were marinating in along with a ½ cup of water. I cooked them covered until the liquid was pretty much evaporated. I sprinkled ground pepper, a little bit of sea salt (the cooking wine adds a decent amount of saltiness in my opinion) and paprika. As my man, Jacques Pepin would say, “This is fast food- my way!”
P.S. I did pay attention during the rest of the class period!

Chimay is, without a doubt, my favorite beer. It’s brewed by Trappist monks at Scourmont Abbey in Belgium. I first tasted Chimay during a visit to Orlando, FL where a good friend of mine- an expert in beers, though not certified- treated me to a bottle. That bottle had a cork in it. That’s something you don’t see too often! I haven’t been able to find many stores that carry Chimay. But, I found one today! This guy cost $4 per 11oz bottle! Well worth it, though. It’s supposed to be poured in a goblet type glass. I don’t have any proper glasses for Chimay; so, a pint glass was the next best thing. The reason the pint glass looks like it should be holding a little more brew than it is, is because I started the beer before I snapped the photo. I couldn’t resist! Cheers!