Anyway, dinner last night was a success. The final verdict on the chicken was not to cook it ahead of time. I rubbed the chicken with a mixture of olive oil, lemon, salt, black pepper, and finely grated garlic. I rubbed it in really hard and also made sure to get it all under the skin. Whole potatoes and carrots also went into the dish, covered with the same mixture minus the garlic. The lemon juice ensures the potatoes and carrots will preserve their color through the baking process. The whole thing was very delicious, and it must mean something when I say that because usually I am overly critical of my cooking. I could not find one thing that was wrong with this chicken (to my amazement he he) and people went for seconds so I think it was good. It was crispy on the outside and very juicy on the inside, falling right off the bone (although not falling off the bone as sometimes happens when I cook chicken in the slow cooker. That's a bit too much falling-off-the-bone for my taste, but I usually manage to overcook chicken in the slow cooker.) We also had bread, tomato-vermicelli soup, rice, and salad. I meant to take a picture of the chicken after it was done, but I forgot. We have some leftovers so maybe I'll try to take a picture tonight of our plates or something. Here's a picture of the salad:
It was a colorful addition to our table. I only use lemon juice, olive oil, and salt as dressing. It's lighter and also very easy to make. The dressing goes in right before we sit at the table, or else the whole thing becomes wilted and less appetizing to look at (if you make it more then an hour in advance that is). I also soak the lettuce (preferably romaine or frisee...I don't like iceberg lettuce that much, as it is crispy but doesn't have any flavor, it's like chewing hay..mmm but the nutty goodness of the frisee or the romaine...yum!Also the darker the color the better it is for you!) in a mixture of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar before I make the salad. I don't buy my lettuce prepackaged, so I feel this step is necessary. You wouldn't believe all the crap that falls into the water during this soaking process--very tiny green bugs that would be impossible to detect which mostly don't come off with the regular washing procedure, and a lot of fine brown hmmm earth/soil/sand/no-clue-what. You have to of course rinse the salad after this soak (and I rinse before, too). If you have slightly wilted lettuce, this procedure also restores it back to being good and crispy. I don't exactly know the chemistry behind that but it does help, try and see! Maybe it's just the water and the vinegar has nothing to do with it.
On another note, tomorrow is Christmas day. Everyone in the world is getting ready for some sort of celebration around this time of year, be it Christmas, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Yule, winter solstice, New Year celebrations, etc etc...It is a very festive time with lots of decorations, lot of colors, music, food, new hopes and desires waiting to be fulfilled. It is also the time of year when a lot of shopping happens with much stress and spending. As we officially enter the holiday season, I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect upon what it is that this season means to them, and looks beyond the whole shopping/gifts craze.
I wish you all a holiday season filled with happiness and joy, and Merry Christmas to all my christian friends.
Peace.
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