Chicken Wings with Green Chile Rice

Not actually mine. Those I ate much to quickly.

Going to college at the University of Texas opened my eyes to many things. Playing quarters with Red Dog. 3 a.m. pizza delivery. Watching the hillside of sunbathers from the 13th floor of the dorm. You know, normal college stuff.

But perhaps what has stuck with me the most is probably the food. Its not the first time I have talked about the likes of Magnolia Cafe and Kerbey Lane, nor will it be the last. But prior to college chicken wings were a random appetizer never partaken. And then Pluckers and Buffalo Wild Wings came into my life. It was a very dangerous discovery. Even more when you start adding in 64 oz. of a frothy beer.

And Pluckers and BWW are not the only places that got it right. I have to say most chicken wing joints in Texas got it right one way or another. And then I moved to Utah. A place where BWW doesn’t doesn’t exist. And the chicken wings here leave you scratching your head.

Much like my search for good Mexican food, I can never find anything quite how I want it. Now to give SLC credit, Trolley Wing Company near downtown SLC doe s make a good wing. And Wing Nutz has Shiner on tap. But we are not playing horseshoes or hand grenades here. And it does tend to get a bit pricey.

Chicken Posole

Tonight's dinner: Chicken Posole

Recently I made the decision to start getting a magazine again. In the past it had been things like Sports Illustrated, Maxim, Stuff and Men’s Health. But this time around I went ahead and dipped into a subscription for Cooking Light.

Given my focus of trying to eat healthier than I had been for the first 25 years of my life, I figured it was a good move. Plus I was a frequenter of their website and used their recipes quite often. One day I saw a decent deal of a year’s subscription, so why the heck not right?

So my goal with this is to try at least one recipe each month from the magazine, make them put their money where their mouth is. Well the first month came and went without me actually making anything. Matter of fact I think I barely glanced at the month’s issue. But this month’s just arrived in the mail and it had two immediate things going for it, chicken tacos on the cover and a section on quick Tex-Mex recipes.

Green Curry Chicken

Up until about five years ago I had never had Indian food. My first experience with Indian was at The Clay Pot which is saddled up next to the campus of The University of Texas at Austin.

I must admit, maybe it what I choose, maybe I shouldn’t have gone with the buffet, but I didn’t enjoy it. And then I married my wife. And she made sure I got the good stuff. And now I have to make sure I get my fill of tandoori chicken, nice and spicy.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

I have been playing this little game with my wife as of late. She says she’s hungry and I tell her to pick something and I will cook it.

For the most part she will choose something that I have made before. But the other day she threw out soup. And so for this challenge, I was thinking not the canned stuff. Or the powder in a bag, just add water stuff.

So off to the store we went and concocted a recipe from our imagination. We went with something classic, not too far off the beaten path. Chicken vegetable. And lots of vegetables at that.

Last few days: Leftovers, sausage, chicken

Wednesday
Still recovering from a long weekend with my mom and a fridge full of leftovers, we tackled the last of the taco soup. Taco soup is one of those meals where the leftovers are quite possibly better tasting than when it is first cooked. One day when I make it up, you will learn the secrets of taco soup.

Thursday
It was game night and we had a couple of friends over to hang out, watch a movie (Son of Rambow, quite good), and play some games. One of my friends had mentioned he wanted brats for the evening. However, given that brats tend to have quite a bit of fat and sodium in them, and that both my friend and I are the ones trying to lose weight, I hit the store for some healthier alternatives.

Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

So needed something simple and quick tonight. And being as I am trying to eat healthier I needed to mix in some vegetables. Wasn’t quite sure what to go with until my wife suggested rice bowls.

Rice bowls tend be quick and I make them a couple of different ways. Tonight I ran with teriyaki chicken bowls. Really easy to do, and even simpler to toss in some veggies near the end to steam them. Veggies chosen this time, some fresh broccoli, mushrooms, and garden grown green onion. As I got close to the end of cooking I really wish I would have had some thin cut carrot chips or slices to throw in as well.

Like I said quick, and makes for great leftovers.