How to Roast Chicken Breast

We've all had it: dry chicken. Maybe it's Aunt Buelah's chicken which always seems to have just finished trekking across the Sahara. Or perhaps it's your own, and you don't know why, but it seems to tag along with Aunt Buelah's on the journey. Well, unless you actually like dry chicken, you need not suffer any longer! Chicken can be cooked safely, be flavorful, and not be dry!

It's actually quite simple to bake a moist chicken. I'm going to discuss how to do it using chicken breasts, but it's the same method for any parts of the chicken; if you buy a friar pack, just prep the all the pieces the same and put them on the pan together! The difference with this recipe is that the chicken is already butchered, or cut into parts, rather than whole. If you're looking for a recipe on how to cook a whole chicken, I like The Barefoot Contessa's recipe. (I have used her for inspiration on this one, too!)

The great thing about having cooked chicken on hand is you are set for healthy food quick. You can toss it in a green salad, whip up some chicken salad, eat it plain (hot or cold!) with a little dip, add it to a quick stir-fry... It makes healthy meals that much easier. And if you're living by yourself like me, the effort of cooking every night just isn't always appealing (shocker, I know!), so having some pre-cooked chicken is a big help.

A note about thermometers: Use one made specifically for food (not one for when you're sick - I doubt they go high enough!). I have a digital one, ThermaPen by ThermoWorks, and love it. This particular one is an investment in kitchen tools running between $70-$95, but I've had it for a few years now and it's a high-quality thermometer. Of course you can get digital thermometers for much less!! I did a quick search on Amazon and CDN makes a digital thermometer for about $17 and it had good reviews. Just shop around and see what you find. The most important thing is that it's accurate!

Roasted Chicken Breast
Chicken, bone-in or -boneless, skin-on or skinless
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
bowl of water in an oven-safe dish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Place chicken on sheet pan (make sure pieces are not touching).

3. Drizzle olive oil on chicken and rub with fingers to cover

4. Sprinkle chicken liberally with both salt and pepper.

5. Place pan in center of oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

6. Begin checking at about 25 minutes with temperature tester. (If you are doing pieces smaller than breasts you may want to check earlier.) Insert tester in thickest part of meat; when it registers between 155-160 degrees, remove from oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Meat will continue cooking so if it isn't yet at 160 degrees* (proper cooking temp), it will reach that temperature. Do not slice chicken during this time as this allows the juices to absorb back into the meat - resting helps retain the moisture!

*Chicken should be white (not pink) when fully cooked. If your chicken is pink when you slice it, that means it is not fully cooked. Slip it back in the oven (or microwave if it's already cold) to finish cooking if necessary. I often make a tiny incision in the top (to prevent juices from running out) when removing it from the oven to check the color in the thickest section. But remember, it will cook a little bit more when sitting, and over-cooking is what makes it dry!

Enjoy!

Tomato Pasta

It's Friday night and you're just not in the mood to spend time slaving over the stove. Or perhaps it's a busy weeknight and you need to pull dinner together quickly.

Tonight was just one of those nights for me. As I contemplated walking down to get some Thai takeout, I remembered an interview I saw with Michael Symon this week in which he talked about the staples to keep in your pantry so you can whip up a pasta dish any time. I couldn't remember everything he listed, but I did have what I figured would make a great dinner.

Sure enough, I was right. The pasta was thick and chewy, the sauce had a hint of spice from the fresh garlic and chili flakes. The simplicity of the meal made the food even more comfortable.

Tomato Pasta
1 can diced tomatoes
5 small gloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 T olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. dried chili flakes
favorite pasta noodle
Grated parmesan cheese for topping

1. Boil water for the pasta, and cook according to directions. Begin the sauce while the water/pasta is on. Be sure to salt the water after it's boiling, but before adding the pasta. I once heard to make the water as salty as the sea; I don't know if it's true, but it's usually the rule I use.

2. For the sauce, heat the olive oil over low heat in a medium sauce pan. Once hot, add the minced garlic; sauté until fragrant, being careful not to scorch the garlic.

3. Add the diced tomatoes, basil and dried chili flakes, a dash of salt and a twist of pepper to taste. Simmer until the pasta is done.*

*For runny pasta sauces, cook the pasta until one minute shy of being ready, strain, and add to the sauce and continue to cook for a minute longer. The pasta will soak up the liquid (and therefore flavor) of the sauce.

4. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day...

Hello Friends!

If you haven't noticed, there's a few changes being made here at Delectable Cate. I think they're for the better, and hopefully you do, too. Aside from looking better, the content of the blog will be changing as little as well. Ever since starting Delectable Cate in 2011, it has occasionally been suggested I also review restaurants. Well, I have finally decided to take up that suggestion. So keep your eyes peeled for scathing reviews (although I'm hoping for delectable finds, as it will make for much more enjoyable outings on my part) in addition to the usual delicious recipes!

Enjoy!