Except chain restaurants. I hate chain restaurants.
Now, granted, I didn't always maintain this position. In fact, I will admit that there was something comforting about the consistency and predictability of chain restaurants. I always knew what I was getting.
Then, something changed.
I became middle aged, and my digestive system was not going to put up with that crap anymore.
The lovely greasy, salty, high fat items that I adored in my youth now waged war against me. Too much salt? I'm a puffer fish for 3 days. Too much grease? I've got the runs the next day. Too much spice? Assburn, 'nuff said.
Many/most chain restaurants rely very heavily upon salt, preservatives and flavor enhancers to maintain consistency. To their credit, many of the chains are trying to offer healthy/low fat/low calorie alternatives. But, again, the sodium content of these items is way off the charts of a healthy diet. And if you're sodium sensitive like me, low calories don't matter if you end up retaining a ton of water.
So, I cook a lot more at home. I've always loved to cook, and recently, I've come to a very eye-opening conclusion:
My cooking is better than, at a minimum, 95% of the restaurants within a 5 mile radius of my house.
For example: tonight, I made Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. I used organic chicken, olive oil, a little butter, thyme, bay leaf, white wine, chicken broth, salt and pepper, all items that are readily available. It was fucking fantastic! The flavors were bright, rich and savory without being heavy. Served along side was haricots verts (tender young green beans) that I steamed in the microwave with olive oil, salt and pepper. The whole meal took 45 minutes to make, and rocked the house with the hubby and the kiddos.
No restaurant anywhere near me offers this, and if they did, I would put mine up against theirs in a heartbeat.
And it was better than any takeout I could have ordered from a restaurant near my home, most of which are chains.
Cooking at home doesn't have to be complex or time consuming to be good. As I stated, my Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic took 45 minutes to make. And I know every ingredient I put in it and where it came from. There is power behind that. And the ability to feed my family amazing food with simple ingredients on a budget makes me proud.
So, skip the take out. You can make it better and cheaper than what the restaurants offer. And here's the recipe to start you off:
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
40 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 Tbsp butter, total
1 3-4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, washed and patted dry (two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings, two breasts)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 c. chicken broth (homemade or low-sodium canned)
Suggested sides: Fresh green beans, crusty french bread
Place garlic cloves in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes.
While garlic is steeping, heat olive oil and 1 Tbsp. of butter in a large sautee pan or dutch oven over medium high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place skin side down in pan/dutch oven. Do not crowd. Brown the chicken on all sides adjusting heat as necessary to prevent burning and/or smoking. Once chicken pieces are browned, spread the garlic cloves around the chicken pieces. add the thyme and bay leaf and a splash of the garlic water used for steeping. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook the chicken for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
Remove chicken and garlic from pan. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid by half, then add the chicken broth. Continue to simmer and reduce to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat, and swirl in the remaining butter. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken and garlic and serve the rest on the side.
Happy Cooking!
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