I have a friend who leads a boneless, skinless, boring existence.

She hasn’t let herself have the pleasure of eating a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast in years because she thinks they’re full of fat, hard to cook and, well, boney.

Oh… what she’s missing.

Making bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts is one of the easiest and most flavorful weeknight meals you can prepare. While the chicken cooks, you can put on your comfy pants, go through your mail and play a couple of rounds of Quiz Up.

You can season bone-in, skin-on breasts with whatever you have on hand… a shake of barbecue spice (like mine) or even a simple rub of olive oil, salt and black pepper. The bone gives the chicken added flavor and keeps it moist and juicy. I strongly recommend using an instant-read thermometer so you don’t overcook the meat!

Oh, one other thing… bone-in breasts are also less expensive, so you may want to buy few extra and cook them at the same time. Later in the week you can pull the skin off, shred the meat off the bone and have another great dinner!

 

 

Here’s a lovely little appetizer that you’re going to want to bookmark: Chicken Marsala Meatballs.

These tasty little bites are made with deliciously nutty Parmesan cheese and ground chicken, so they stay moist. Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily that gives food, especially sauces, a light sweetness with hints of tamarind and vanilla, and overall deepens the flavor of the dish.

I made Chicken Marsala Meatballs as an appetizer, but you can serve them with the rich wine sauce as a main course over rice or pasta.

Here’s the tutorial… the printable recipe follows!

 

Chicken Marsala Meatballs

1. Gather your ingredients: 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided; ¼ cup finely chopped parsley; 1 pound ground chicken (I used thigh meat); ½ cup breadcrumbs; 2 cloves finely chopped garlic; 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; ¼ cup chicken broth; ¼ cup Marsala wine.

 

2. Finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Place ½ cup on a plate; set aside remaining ¼ cup. 

 

3. Finely chop the parsley; set aside.

 

 

4. Place the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and egg in a large mixing bowl. Blend with your hands or a spoon until well incorporated.

 

5. Form into 1-inch balls.

 

 

6. Roll each chicken meatball in the Parmesan cheese on the plate; set aside.

 

 

7. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add meatballs and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often until lightly browned on all sides.

 

8. Add chicken broth and Marsala wine. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. 

 

9. Remove from pan and top with remaining cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

 

I shared this recipe On the Monday Handmade Linkup Party... Come over and take a look!

The big business of food made a lot of news this week… what with Dow Chemical’s Agent Orange corn and Burger King’s whopper of an announcement.

Now, while you finish your Nutella sandwich I’ll share the rest of the headlines.

Yesterday, the Obama Administration, bowing to pressure from ag groups, withdrew a proposal to restrict child labor on farms. The proposal would have banned kids from working in feed lots, grain bins and stockyards as well as from using power-driven equipment.

Dow calls the corn “Enlist.” But critics have labeled it Agent Orange corn because it’s resistant to the herbicide that was an ingredient in Agent Orange, and could pose a serious health threat (think cancer) to us as well as the environment.

I stopped eating pig a few months ago after I took a pig butchering class and became more aware of how factory-farmed pigs are raised. Well Burger King says “No more!” This week the chain announced that all of its pork and eggs will come from cage-free pigs and chickens. Wow. Someone is actually listening.

The government reported a new case of mad cow disease this week (the first in the U.S. in six years). Was finding it a lucky break… or are their methods for discovering diseased animals actually getting better?

We’ve never been a big Nutella-eating household, what with Sistie’s nut allergy and all. But some mothers I know slather it on everything, believing it is a healthy, “good for you” kind of food. Well, the makers of  Nutella got spanked this week for being just a tiny bit deceptive about their product.

Finally, beautiful ruminations on chili powder, paprika, chorizo and working hard in the food industry in David Dominguez’ poem “Oxtail Stew.” Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting happenings in the food world this week, a lot of it chicken related. I’ll jump right into it as soon as I finish my bucket of KFC.

Every week it seems Mama has some sort of farm animal antibiotic tidbit, but you need to pay attention to this stuff because, even if you don’t eat meat, it will affect you in some way.

End of lecture.

This week, the Food and Drug Administration said farmers and ranchers need to stop feeding antibiotics to healthy animals for the sole purpose of helping the animals grow larger.

The Humane Society yesterday released a report and video of their undercover investigation into the Pennsylvania-based Kreider Farms egg factory. I know this doesn’t go on at every egg-producing plant, but it’s still jarring to see mummified bird carcasses inside cages with living hens laying eggs.

Now, from eggs to the whole bird: The USDA says it wants poultry plants to do their own inspections of live birds instead of having USDA inspectors handle the task. This means plant employees would determine whether the animals are sick or not… excuse me, but does anyone think that sounds just a little goofy? Can’t you just see HUGE problems ahead?

In other chicken-related news, KFC Thailand says it’s sorry for the Facebook message it posted urging people to “hurry home and follow the earthquake news… and don’t forget to order your favorite KFC menu.” Of course Stephen Colbert had a brilliant take on the episode.

 

You know how Mama loves gadgets… take a look at this. Microwave Drawers aren’t new but they’re becoming more affordable. If you’re redoing your kitchen and counter space is an issue, this is something to consider.

Finally, they auctioned off the winner of last month’s World Champion Cheese Contest. At this price, I don’t think you’d pack it in your kids’ lunchbox. Have a great weekend!