Lazy and bored? That's not an excuse.

In a previous entry I told you that I was feeling lazy and bored lately. I still feel the same. I guess it's a phase that will take it's time and eventually I will go back to my usual creative self. The oven is not fixed yet, we are still waiting for the piece that the technician had to order twice because the first time, against my advice, he ordered the wrong one. I hope it will come soon, because the holiday season is approaching very fast, and, lazy or bored, I have to take care of business, so I must have an oven ready. Still, we have to eat, and we do. I thought I should tell you, as I usually do, how we are doing, how we are getting through this phase. Actually I am not that upset about it. I am taking my time. If I want to cook I do, if not, I just find some easy solution. Of course the hurricane that hit New York made things easier for me. I know, I hate to admit it, but we were from the lucky few who did not lose power, so we were glued to the TV all the time and did not think about food. How could we? 

Today I took my time having breakfast and reading the papers, then, before I ask my usual question, I got an idea. What if we try something new? I had some chicken defrosting in the fridge, so I decided to cook them in a completely different way. I decided to make 

CHICKEN STROGANOFF

                                               

Why not? We make it with beef, so why not with chicken? Is it going to taste bad? How could that be? It's chicken, mushrooms and a creamy sauce..how can that be bad? With that thought,I went to the kitchen and started cooking. It turned out to be one of the easiest meals I ever made. I started by putting a pot of water to boil for the pasta. In the mean time I prepared the chicken. Everything was ready by the time the pasta was cooked. You'll need:

10 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, visible fat removed

1 pint of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture

2 tbsp flour

1/2 container (16 oz) sour cream

1 or 2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

With a sharp knife cut the chicken in strips, about the size of your finger (2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide). Transfer all the chicken strips to a large non stick skillet. Drizzle the chicken with the lemon juice, add the onion/garlic mixture, salt and pepper, and sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour over it. Mix to coat. Start cooking the chicken on high, turning frequently so that it doesn't brown too much, but allowing it to cook through. When the chicken strips are no longer pink, add the mushrooms and stir until they welt down. Reduce heat, continue cooking until it's almost done. Mix the remaining tbsp of flour with the sour cream and add it to the skillet. Stir to mix and adjust seasoning if need be. Let it cook for a couple of minutes more and you're done. Serve over pasta.

You may have noticed that I did not add any oil or butter, that's because I think that thighs, even with all the visible fat removed, still have some more fat left in them. The addition of the sour cream is fat enough for me.