Lucy wrote:
> I decided to make what I like.. so I stopped by the store on the way
> home, and was all ready to make my first entire meal sans cookbook.
> It was just for hubby and me, the kids ate before I got home. (lucky
> kids).. I intended to make:
>
> -boneless skinless chicken breasts sauteed in olive oil, garlic and
> those little sweet onions (not green onions and not pearl onions.. i
> forget the name)
> -fresh baby spinach leaves, sauteed in olive oil with black pepper
> (again, this isn't intended to be gourmet, it is just what my
> tastebuds like)
> -steamed cauliflower florets with diced red pepper
> -steamed asparagus with butter and lemon juice
>
> What I actually made, however, was:
>
> -boneless skinless chicken breasts that were raw (yes, raw!) in the
> middle, with burned garlic, and little onions. I put plenty of olive
> oil in the pan, and yet when I lifted them to turn them over.. I
> ripped some of the flesh off, as it stuck to the pan. haha
> -spinach leaves, but only one serving. Who knew it would shrink so
> much? I am tempted to email the FDA and ask them to require
> manufacturers to put on the package: WARNING: Shrinkage does occur,
> and all the viagra in the world isn't going to correct this.
> -cauliflower florets and stalk, with diced, mushy red pepper. By the
> time I cut off all the black spots, there wasn't much left of the
> cauliflower, so I added chopped up stalk.
> -steamed asparagus with butter and lemon juice, that actually turned
> out great! <gasp>
>
> So.. hubby and I fought over the spinach and asparagus, then flipped
> a coin for pizza or chinese. I won.. so it was chinese.
>
> Ok, so bring on all the shame as well as the tips!
> lucy


I loved that story! ROFL. I've made some incredibly horrible meals in the
past too, Lucy. I think your pan was too hot, causing the garlic to burn
and the outsides of the chicken to brown before the inside got a chance to
warm up. <g> In all honesty, chicken can be a tricky thing when you sautee
it in a pan.

I make an easy chicken courdon (sp?) bleu where I take a boneless skinless
chicken breast, pound it flat then place ham and swiss cheese on half of the
top, fold it over and bread it, but even though I've made it about 20 times,
I sometimes *still* don't get it done enough in the center.

Any kind of greens shrink to less than half of what they were all fluffy and
fresh in the package. Many veggies do, actually. Broccoli shrinks,
cauliflower shrinks, mushrooms (not a veggie) shrink. Buy extra and even
though you fill your steamer to the brim, you'll be amazed at how much it
goes down. And if you accidentally put in too much, the bonus is LEFTOVERS!
(Leftover spinach is great in an omelette!)

Great job on the asparagus! I like butter and lemon on mine too. What I've
also done in the past, after I lightly steam the asparagus is put it in a
baking dish (with butter and lemon) and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of
that and add a light sprinkle of breadcrumbs; then broil 'til the
breadcrumbs turn a light brown. It's just for a little change of pace and
it's SOOOOO good.

Good luck with further cooking adventures and let us know how it all turns
out!

kili