Friday, July 18, 2008

Friday Florida Food Fest: Remodel Repast

Even remodelers have to eat sometime ...


As I mentioned in the harrowing Venus Dogtrap post, I spent Wednesday doing serious carpentry ... the kind with angles that have to match up.

As if ...

You can work up a serious appetite running back and forth to the chop saw, climbing up and down on the really cool work platform thingie, and pulling various tools and other objects out of Bears chewinator.

Before I knew it, I was waaaaay past normal supper time.

When I finally called a supper break, it was supper for one as the girls were off shopping for a pending girl trip to a mountain cabin in Nawth Georgia, and Junior was away playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band at his buddy's house for a few days.

So it was just me ... as is often the case around here in the summer.

After I successfully fought off a fried chicken jones that would have involved driving and cleaning up, it was time to find food "inhouse".

In the semi-empty fridge, there were 3 small leftover baked potatoes, some salad fixin's, and two "convenience breasts" ... that's what we call those frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

We call 'em that because they are breasts and they are very convenient.Now I had a plan.

Into a small bowl, I whisked together a big slosh of Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice, chopped garlic, a squirt each of rooster sauce and tabasco, some course black pepper, a few squirts of teriyaki sauce, and a sploosh of olive oil, and a bit of thyme. This was set aside to "meld".

I splashed a little VOL into a hot cast iron pan and laid the naked breasts (no seasoning yet) into the hot oil.

While the breasts were browning, I coarsely chopped the cold baked potatoes, gave them a little tumble in olive oil, and set them aside.

When the chicken had browned just a little, I tossed the potatoes in around the breasts and let them cook on the range for a little while.
Then I poured the sauce I had prepared over the whole pan and slipped it under the oven broiler for 10 minutes or so, just to finish it off with a nice brown glaze.


Served with a simple Caesar salad on the side and a cold beer (Yuengling), it was pretty amazing.

Quick, flavorful, and rustic.

That's MAN food ladies.
Pretty healthy too. Check back over those ingredients ... you see any salt?

Nope.

You don't need it if you season it creatively.

So now you know ... FC doesn't open a can of soup or pop in a frozen pizza when the family's away.


There's going to be more manfood around here this week as all the girls are going up north to Georgia starting today. They have a connection at the GA Aquarium so they're getting a backstage tour there and then it's chick cabin time with some more girls.


I was invited, as was Junior, but we could see a bit of thirdwheeliness occuring, plus girls need to be just girls sometimes. Girls gotta bond too.

We guys compromised and agreed to "Bear sit" for a few days while it was all girly in the cabin, and then we might cruise up for a few days to restore order.


It's a damnfool husband who doesn't understand compromise.


This one does.

22 comments:

Doug Taron said...

>That's MAN food ladies.

Of course it is. There are breast jokes in the recipe.

Dani said...

Is this the aquarium that has the whale shark??

h said...

Looks tasty. Salt, butter and sugar are things of Satan and the province of BAD cooks and restaurants.

Wouldn't surprise me if ALL of those sauces you used already contain salt. Adding more is asking for a coronary.


I'm a city troll now. MM is SCIENCE. Should be easy for you.

Sayre said...

You don't have to be a man to appreciate the artistry of such a dish! My own husband is a whiz at throwing things together to come up with a meal when there's "nothing to eat".

Anonymous said...

I am assuming, in a fit of testosteroni manliness

(testosteroni - a PUN! It sounds like a dish! YUM!)

you ate the food right out of the cast-iron skillet. Please say it's so.

When the Pulguinha vacates the Band-Aid, it's typically for an all-nighter. She's a Guitar Hero freak, too. I positively suck at it, as well as carpentry.

Seems I can't win - except for those kite photos.

Anonymous said...

FC looks good something simply and easy. Keep up the good work. Jabo

lej619 said...

my-o-my you can cook. I'll have to give that one a try. I did something like that the other night and boy it turned out great!
Continue having fun!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like our trip last year! We went up to a cabin in Blairsville (North Georgia,) where the mountains were beautiful! I'd love to go there in the fall.

Answering Dani's question (if that's okay) :) yes, thats the aquarium! I have some photos of it buried on my site somewhere. If you'd like to see them, I can hunt down the link!

Your girls are gonna have a blast! I miss the mountains right now as the dog days of summer are socking it to Florida.

On the other hand, I always love having the house to myself, too.

Hows the remodeling coming, FC?;)

Sharon said...

Man-food or not, this WO-man would eat it!! Looks fantastic. Now I'm hungry...

Freste said...

Avoiding the temptation for over punnination here, I totally agree that once I started hitting the farmers' markets here, the refined, processed, hydrogenated, extruded, over saltified stuff has fallen into someone else's shopping basket. My adopted philosophy is that if many more hands and machines have touched your food before you do, then it ain't really food. That sauce you made sounds great over the chicken breasts. Mind if I have a nipple?

amarkonmywall said...

Love it. Laughing at Doug's opening comment. Yes, the GA aquarium has the whale shark-I'm agin it for the same reason I'm agin elephants in zoos but I've been treated to that behind the scenes tour and they'll love it. The tide pool mechanics are very cool and getting on the cat walk above the tanks is pretty exciting.

The food looks delicious- your food posts always make me hungry and we season in very similar ways.Garlic, teriyaki (no salt, hoho!)and a bit of heat. I'm not a big fan of condiments so I usually skip the wood glue.

Aunty Belle said...

Heh heh...youse a clever fella, FC. Yep, compromise...as if ya' ain't DElighted to git the place to yoreself fer a few days..and git points fer it too--ho!

Know yore ladies will have fine time--Jasper-Ellijay-Blue Ridge area ? Lovely!

I reckon I could find ya jes'by followin' the aroma--sounds amazin'.

Oh, an' I stealin' yore word: Sploosh

Anonymous said...

You men and your innuedo! LOL!

Just back to offer to "Bear sit" for a few weeks...er years, er months?

Sandcastle Momma said...

That sure looks tasty! Looks like you'll be fine there in man land LOL My husband says you're a lucky dog and to enjoy!

Deb said...

The cast iron skillet strikes again!

I could use a little chicks only cabin time with my Starflower.

Anonymous said...

I have one of those work platform thingies. How did I get by without one?

I cook when I'm alone too, usually with cast iron or the grill. You just can't do any better.

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, great looking meal.

jean said...

You not only seem to understand how to compromise but how to cook too. Love it.

SophieMae said...

That looks SOOOOO good! I love your cooking style.

I left a comment yesterday, but it isn't there. Did I have another Boo Radley moment or did Booger eat it? Anyhow, the gist was... it was worth waiting 20 minutes for the vidjo to load and Emma's wren shots are smashing!

R.Powers said...

Doug,
The potential was high.

Dani,
Had ... I think. I know at least one of them died. Not the place for such a pelagic animal.

Troll,
Touche. Yes, the rooster,tabasco, and the teri have salt, but they were minimal ingredients due to their fiesty nature.
Good point tho, I should have said no "extra" salt.

Sayre,
Thanks. It's easy to be inspired now that gas is over $4 and the nearest store is 15 miles away.

Thingfish,
Yup, no sense dirtying another dish.
Good word that.
I have my analysts probing those pictures right now for tech hijinks. Everyone knows STK's never alight.

Jabo,
Hey thanks! I think the best food is simple with minimal prep.

Lej,
Love to cook. Not much of a baker, but I like most other areas.

Laura,
I think Bear would love to visit with you and Buddy. Not sure about his catophilia tho. He's never come across one.
Remodeling ... All windows are framed, wainscoting is 2/3 done, ceiling moulding is done except where it must wait for the full panel wall to be completed, chair rail not up, but finished and ready.
Hardiebacker board purchased and waiting to be cut for hearth retiling.
Gotta draw out the fireplace mantle sketch with measurements soon.
Wondering if I would get Bear back if you did sit for him?
LOL!

Sharon,
Yeah, it's really anybody food.
Unless you don't like chicken ... anyone, anyone?

Freste,
I think you're right about that. I'll ship some sauce to you by Greyhound BUSom.

SC Momma,
Oh yeah, I'll survive okay!
:)



Vicki,
No extra salt okay!?
Jeez! Did I blow that or what?
Glad to see you don't think elephants should be in zoos either.
No orca, no elephants, no whale sharks.
Wood glue goes best with a dry wine, not beer.


Aunty Belle,
You are good. One of those is the target town.
Sploosh away my dear.

Deb,
Is there anything better for cooking?

Kevin,
It is the most amazing thing. I use it constantly, but only occasionally as a dinner table.

cndymkr/Jean,
I know how to survive.
:)

R.Powers said...

Sophie,
Thanks!
I know the feeling. I can never leave a comment at Wren's place.
Glad you liked the video. When I uploaded it, I just clicked upload and went to bed because it was going to take half the night to get to Youtube.

Anonymous said...

Definition: Compromise, coming to an understanding between to parties, and then do it the way she wants.

Bro J