Comfort Food

Ever since the weather cooled down a tiny bit and it barely sprinkled, I have been in the mood for comfort food. Evan and I planned our weakly menu as we usually do on Sunday. I ran to the farmers market bought all of our fresh produce and bread and picked up our other ingredients at Trader Joe's on Hyperion. 

This weeks menu (in no particular order):

1. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans

2. Chicken Mulligatawny (a type of hearty stew)

3. Hamburgers, corn on the cob, asparagus

4. Something with turkey, we haven't sorted that one out yet

This menu does sound heavy, but we are good about portions and only buy what we need for one meal. Also as I said, "Comfort Food"

Tonight I made Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

I always start with the potatoes since they take the longest to cook. For Evan and I we only need 8 small to medium potatoes. I put a large pot of water on to boil and after they are clean toss them in. Tonight I left the skins on. Then I set up my plates and bowl for dredging my chicken. I prepare one plate with flour and seasoning, this time I used paprika and some black pepper. Then in a bowl or pie plate I beat one egg. On the third plate I mix bread crumbs (already bought) and toss them with chopped cilantro and  a little parmesan cheese. I heat up a frying pan with about 1/2" of vegetable oil. I use medium heat (a 5-7 on your range). If the oil is too hot it will instantly burn the chicken. If it is too low the chicken will not cook fast enough and turn into an oily mess. I then clean my chicken (we usually it 1/2-3/4 lb. between the two of us). It is important to always rinse any chicken and dry it off with paper towels. I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them into chicken tenders. First I run the chicken through the flour plate and make sure it is completely coated, then I dip it in the beaten egg mixture and coat all sides, then I finally toss in the breadcrumbs and pat on until they are all covered. When they are all ready begin to fry. If you over crowd your frying pan it will also lower the temperature of the chicken, be sure to watch that it is frying and not just sitting in the pan. If it is not sizzling turn it up a little.

For the green beans I toss a little butter in a saute pan with crushed garlic. After the garlic has cooked a little, I toss in the beans. I let them saute for a second and then add some chicken broth. I turn the heat up a little and put a lid on and let them cook. Then I check the potatoes if a fork easily goes in they are done. I take the potato pot off of the heat and place a kitchen towel over the top of the pan(this prevents them from becoming mealy). I flip the fried chicken to make sure I cook it evenly on both sides. I always set a plate a side with a few paper towels for when the chicken is finished. Then it is time to mash. I add a little milk and butter to the potatoes. As I mash, I continue to add milk until they reach the desired creaminess. I also always toss in salt and pepper. Then I check the chicken in the center with a knife and fork to be sure it is completely cooked and no pink remains. I Pull out of the oil and place on the paper towel plate. The green beans are also finished. Then I plate it up and we eat. We also usually make a mixture of mayo and mustard to dip our chicken fingers in. 

I won't lie it was exactly what I had been craving. I hope you enjoy.