When I was looking at chicken recipes for ideas about roasting times, I came across a chicken recipe called “Cheating on Your Boyfriend Chicken”.  It was basically fried chicken covered in cheese, and it’s supposed to help you find someone to cheat on your boyfriend with.  I think I would just leave my boyfriend for the chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken, split up into breasts, thighs and drumsticks, leaving skin on where preferred
• 1/4 cup light butter, melted (Mine is 45 calories per tablespoon, therefore around 180 altogether.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pinch dried rosemary, ground up between your fingers
• 1 pinch dried thyme, ground up between your fingers
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt  (If you don’t have garlic salt, just use an extra 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together butter, olive oil, and all the herbs and spices.  Dip each of the chicken pieces in the mixture, coat well, and place into a well greased high sides pan (NOT a flat cookie sheet).  Let sit for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grind black pepper over the chicken, making sure the skin side is up and there’s a little space between each piece of chicken.  Bake for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees.  Let cook for at least another 10 minutes (or until at an internal temperature of 170 degrees).  Turn the broiler on high for 5 minutes to let things crisp a little.  Remove from the oven and let sit, covered in aluminum foil, for at least 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Yes, meet the rutabaga.  I have no idea why my mom and I decided to pick up a shrunken head look-a-like to cook for dinner when I was back at my parent’s house on vacation, but it worked.  This is the UGLIEST vegetable I have ever seen in my life.  It looks just like a shrunken head!!  Plus, it’s a giant weight that smells like cabbage mixed with carrots, yet somehow transforms into something delicious.  It’s like the swan of the vegetable family.  The Christina Ricci of children (sans forehead).  Follow along, and watch the magic of the rutabaga.

Ingredients:

• 1 rutabaga
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed in your hands
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Olive oil Pam

You need a good knife for this one.  I prefer heavier knives; it makes the job a lot easier.  Just cut off the top and bottom, and slowly guide the knife under the skin.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Peel the rutabaga until all the hard skin has been removed.

Look how much prettier that is now!  I feel a little bad for knocking on the rutabaga.  I know what it’s like to go through an awkward phase.  I feel like I should apologize the next time we meet, with butter, salt and unhealthy things to slather it in when I’m not blogging.

Grease the pan well with Pam.  Toss all the seasonings in with the cubed Rutabaga and spread out on the pan.  Bake for 45 minutes until it starts to carmelize and is knife tender.  One rutabaga, around 210 grams cooked, is 100 calories.

I like the kinda tie dyed look of the inside of the vegetable.  Reminds me of middle school when I would wear tie dyed shirts and 100 butterfly clips in my hair like a headband because I thought I was hot.  I still wonder to this day why no one just shook some sense into me.  I also wore a plastic blazer for God’s sake.