Author: Faith

Things were kind of crazy around here this week so I picked an easy recipe from another one of my bargain cookbooks,Best-Ever Chicken by Linda Fraser. But by the time N got home from golf class (he has realized that it’s kind of a career requirement for a lawyer to know how to swing a club) and I started on dinner it was nine o’clock. N graciously agreed to chop all the vegetables for the salsa (which was the tastiest part of the meal) and so I repaid his kindness but serving him still-raw-in-the-middle chicken. Le sigh.

Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Corn Salsa from Best Ever Chicken by Linda Fraser

Chicken Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast halves, about 6 oz each, boned and skinned
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
• salt

Salsa Ingredients

• 1 fresh hot green chili pepper
• 1 lb. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/4 cups corn, freshly cooked or thawed (I roasted some fresh corn in the oven and it was delicious!)
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. With a mallet, pound the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap until thin.
2. In a shallow dish, combine the lemon juice, oil, cumin, oregano and pepper
3. Add the chicken and turn to coast. Cover and let stand for at least 2 hours, or chill overnight
4. To make the salsa, char the chili skin over a gas flame (or under the broiler.) Let cool for 5 minutes. Wearing rubber gloves, carefully rub off the charred skin. For a less hot flavor, discard the seeds.
5. Chop the chili very finely and place in a bowl. Add the rest of the salsa ingredients and mix well.
6. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Season lightly.
7. Heat a ridged broiler pan. Add the chicken breasts and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the meat on the other side for 3-4 minutes more. Serve the chicken with the salsa.

The Verdict
2 1/2 (out of 5) stars. I think this book executes it’s goal pretty well (providing a wide range of dishes based on chicken) but for some reason I wasn’t really feeling it. (Maybe I’m just embarrassed that I didn’t cook the chicken correctly?) Each recipe comes with photos and the directions are written very clearly. I just don’t think it will be a book I’ll go back to again and again.

So dear readers, I have a question for you. One of the reasons I wanted to do this cookbook series was to thin out my cookbook collection. I’ve amassed too many over the years and need to pare it down. I was thinking that I’d give away books that aren’t really for me by letting people leave a comment and then picking a winner at random and mailing said book to them. But is it weird to give a book a lukewarm review and then offer it as a giveaway? I don’t want to offend anyone but I like it when books go to a good home.

What do you think?

On the spectrum of Rachael Ray haters/fans I find myself feeling mostly vague admiration for her. Like a lot of people I’m a sucker for a good Horatio Alger-esque rags-to-riches story and there is no denying the woman’s impressive drive and ambition.

I’ve made some of the recipes from her first book and liked them okay and so I was pleased when I received this book, her second, as a gift. But when I actually sat down and looked through it all I felt was ambivalence.

I made the Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad recipe and it turned out fine. It’s a decent pasta salad that kids might enjoy since it does, true to it’s name, taste vaguely like pizza. I myself prefer a little lighter-tasting pasta salad.

Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad from Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2

Salad Ingredients

• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 8 fresh white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 stick pepperoni, casing removed and cut into small dice
• 1 pound frewsh mozzarella cheese
• 20 leaves fresh basil, torn or thinly sliced
• 1 pound wagon whell pasta, cooked all dente, cooled under cold water, then drained

Dressing Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 gteaspoon dried oregano leaves of Italian dried seasoning
• 1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (eyeball it)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (eyeball it)
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Combine tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, pepperoni, mozzarella, basil, and pasta in a big bowl. Whisk garlic salt, oregano or Italian seasoning, tomato paste and vinegar together. Stream in olive oil while continuing to whisk. When oil is incorporated, pour dressing over pasta salad, add a few grinds of black pepper, then toss to coat evenly. Adjust your seasonings and serve. Left overs make a great lunch or snack the next day!

The Verdict
2 (out of 5 stars). In general I find the book a touch too hokey and chipper. Meals are organized according to categories such as “Make Your Own Take-Out, Family-Style Suppers, Passport Meals, etc…” when I prefer books organized by protein or dish category. A lack of pictures (except for 8 color pages in the middle of the book) and any nutritional information were big minuses for me. It wouldn’t be such an issue except that the book’s list price is $16.95 which seems too high to me. It feels like her publisher wanted to take advantage of Ray’s new-found popularity and jacked the price up without adding a lot of value of content.