Feral Cooks

Good food shouldn't be tame

Post-Thanksgiving Food Hangover

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Could the day after Thanksgiving be the day folks are least likely to cook? Seems like it. With a food hangover from the day before compounded by the absolutely ridiculous shopping frenzy in which far too many people participate, time for cooking doesn’t stand a chance.

If you do feel like cooking something really easy, try these recipes:

Hong Kong-style Crispy Rice

This is really easy to make, and it tastes great without being too heavy. Bonus: most Asian markets are open throughout the holiday if you don’t have the sausages in the house.

Ultra-Good Mac & Cheese

This is too good to pass up. And it’s really easy to make, with only a few key ingredients.

Nasi Lemak (the best rice you’ll ever make)

This rice goes with so many other dishes, or it could just be eaten as a light meal. No matter what, you can’t go wrong with this.

Annual Cranberry Sauce Rant

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It’s time for my annual rant about crappy canned cranberry sauce that people buy for Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t buy that garbage! Make this cranberry chutney instead. It’s really easy, and you’ll be known as the one who freed the family from the pain, torture and anguish of canned cranberries.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Pan-seared Chicken Cutlets

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I’ve never been a fan of chicken breasts, as I associate them with dry, tasteless chicken that’s slightly tough. These fried cutlets are the opposite of that: moist and flavorful. They’re actually perfect for making a chicken sandwich with some lettuce, tomato and toasted ciabatta bread.

What you’ll need

  • Boneless chicken breasts (however many you’re cooking)
  • Salt and ground pepper
  • About 1 cup flour
  • Whatever spices you want to season the flour with

What to do

Slice the breasts in half, horizontally, making them half as thick, then pound them to about 0.25 – 0.33-inches thick. Season both sides of each piece with salt and pepper.

Add the flour to whatever vessel you’re going to use to dredge the chicken and add whatever spices you like to the flour and mix well. I used a honey-garlic teriyaki spice. Dredge both sides of each chicken piece in the flour, shaking off the extra before putting them on a plate.

Heat about 1T, or maybe a little more, in a large, heavy frypan. Once the oil is hot and starting to smoke (about 400 degrees measured with an infrared thermometer) add the cutlets, cooking them on the first side until browned—about 3 minutes. Flip them over and cook on the other side for about another minute.

When done, remove them to a plate and let them rest a few minutes before topping them with onions or mushrooms (if doing that) and serve.