Sweet & Sour Chicken

On Saturday, I started to panic (internally) a little. My tightly budgeted grocery list, purchased on Monday, was starting to thin out, and I was concerned that I didn't have anything to make for dinner on Sunday. I started to think about the handful of things I had still left in the refrigerator, and I decided that I'd keep it simple: baked chicken breast with a couple of fibrous sides.

Taking advantage of one of the sauces my co-workers gifted me back in June, I marinaded two chicken breasts (I took them off the bone) in sweet and sour sauce. I cooked them, like usual, on a rack atop a cookie sheet. I love that this allows the fat to drip away and the heat to circulate around the meat. After a short time marinading (even twenty minutes is acceptable, when you're trying to keep it quick), I put the chicken in the oven at 350-degrees for about 25 minutes. I use the old "press on the meat" trick to determine when it's done. You've probably seen chefs do this before: make a tight fist, looking at your down-turned thumb. Press the skin just above the last thumb knuckle. You should feel that it's firm with a slight give. If your chicken feels like that, it's cooked through. Of course, chefs also recommend letting your meat rest after taking it out of the oven, which lets the juices redistribute and the meat carry-over cook for a bit. These tricks really do work. I use them all the time, and I rarely overcook or undercook a piece of chicken.

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All that said, I cooked the meat for about 25 minutes, until I felt that familiar firmness. In the meantime, I threw some sliced potatoes in the oven as well. Because I also cooked the potatoes on the oven rack, I didn't bother to toss them in olive oil (which you would normally do to keep them from sticking to the pan). I just sprinkled them with garlic powder and a little dried cilantro. This means I added zero oil and zero salt to the potatoes-- and they were tasty!

The second side was my favorite part of the meal, actually. I added a tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan, then threw in two handfuls of frozen corn, half a really finely diced onion, and a small head of broccoli, sliced and diced super-small as well. I saw Michael Voltaggio prepare broccoli in a similar way on Top Chef last season, and it looked great-- and easy! The small bits of broccoli mixed so well with the corn and onion, and some bits of the mixture caught on, giving the whole thing a delicious, rustic flavor. I loved every bite-- and saved the side dish for last so I could savor it.

This meal was borne out of desperation, but necessity is the mother of invention, right? I am convinced that if we use our imaginations (and, usually, a little more advanced planning), we can create home-cooked meals and avoid that drive-thru nonsense we all know we shouldn't be eating. But I know you're busy. This meal took thirty minutes to cook, plus twenty minutes of marinading (skip this step if you really want to, and glaze the chicken a couple times as it's baking), plus ten minutes of clean-up. That's one hour total. You can do it! I'll keep churning out easy-to-make, healthful, and budget-conscious meals if you'll keep giving them a try-- with fork in hand.