Chicken, Bread, and Chocolate Item #276

I've been griping that it has been cold and rainy here of late. Today is no exception to that, nor was yesterday. I shut off our furnaces on May 21, and I'm not turning them on again until September. This is supposed to be summer, and we dhouldn't need heat during the summer. Where did I leave my sweater, again?

Anyway, last night I decided to make one of my broiler bottom dinners, since it was 52 degrees and raining. Yep, it warmed the kitchen right up, and everyone stuffed their faces - even those fussbudgets who gripe that they don't like dark meat and want some of that nice, dry white meat. Let's use Dog's title this time, since I used Moo Goo Gai Pan seasonings, with different veggies....

MAR-GEE GAI PAN

4 pounds boneless chicken
2 pounds broccoli spears
1 pound carrots
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
ginger powder or ginger root
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch

Spread the olive oil in the bottom of the broiler pan, add the onion, garlic and ginger root (minced, if used) to the oil. Put under the broiler for 1 minute, stir and return for another 30 seconds. Cut the chicken into 1/2" thick slices, salt and pepper, and put in the pan. Flip twice so both sides are coated with the oil/onion mix, and put under the broiler for 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with ginger powder, if used instead of ginger root. Meanwhile, cut the carrots into fat matchsticks, and steam the carrots and broccoli for 5 minutes. When both sides of the chicken have been broiled, pour the pan drippings into a sauce pan, and add the veggies to the chicken Reduce the oven to 400F, and put the chicken and veggies into the oven. Heat the pan drippings in the sauce pan with 1/2 cup water, and, if needed, 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder. With the remaining 1/2 cup water, whisk the cornstarch, and whisk into the drippings after they boil. Boil for a minute or 2, until the sauce thickens and clears. Remove the chicken from the oven, pour the sauce over it and stir, and return to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is done. Serve over a bed of white rice. The dog will cry because there is no scrap for him. (This fed 9 people).

With this dinner went...

VIENNA BREAD

3/4 cup warm milk
3/4 cup warm water
3 tsp or 6 tsp yeast
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Combine in the bread machine, or use your mixer (see my tutorial on the sidebar). Let rise 15 minutes, form into two loaves in 8x4 pans, let rise, and bake at 350F for 26 to 28 minutes. The crust will be beautiful brown and soft. It will make great sandwiches, too, if it lasts until the next day.
Last night was Brownie Tuesday night, but on Monday, which was also cold, I made a nice small yellow cake. I didn't feel like making "real" frosting, but in my 365 chocolate desserts cookbook, I had found a recipe for a perfect topping....

#276: CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (or more if it's not sweet enough for your taste)

Beat the cream until it's soft. Sprinkle on the cocoa and sugar, and beat until somewhat stiff. Add the vanilla extract, scrape any cocoa powder and sugar off the sides of the bowl, and beat until the mixture is quite stiff. I promise you my critics scarfed this up without any complaints. They also opined that it would be excellent on top of vanilla milkshakes or ice cream sodas, or on mint chocolate chip ice cream. None for me, thanks; I still don't like chocolate flavored stuff!