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Looking to break out of the meat and potato rut? Master Chef Emeril Lagasse has some mean, green and lean ideas for the average Joe and Jane to bring variety into the kitchen. One episode features Emeril helping an amateur chef "moo-ve" away from meat to healthier options and provides great shopping tips to use at your local grocery store or farmer's market.
The main dish: chicken. Chicken isn?t just chicken any more. For those trying to make sense of the fowl lingo:
- Local organic chickens travel lesson than 7 hours from the farm to the store.
- Choosing Organic Chicken limits the amounts of toxic and long-lasting chemicals in our environment. For details on the meaning of organic, see the USDA Organics homepage.
- Free range chickens have access to the outdoors and are fed a diet free of hormones and antibiotics.
- Air-chilled is the process of air-chilling or using cold air instead of water to keep chickens cold, thereby concentrating the natural flavors.
- Whole vs. cut-up chicken. Cut-up pieces are more appropriate for cooking for one or two people. Cooking just enough is one of the top 10 tips for greening up your meals.
- White vs. dark. There?s no green choice here, so please your palate!
Super sides and tips:
- Quinoa, the super grain. Emeril shows a healthy alternative to making ?rice in a bag.? Buying in bulk reduces packaging waste and allows you to reuse your containers.
- Broccolirab with fresh parmigiano reggiano. Choose vegetables that are in season. See Earthtalk: Why Eat Locally for reasons to eat seasonally and take advantage of Mother Earth.
- Utilize fresh herbs and spices. Create your own rub by mixing fresh spices. Emeril?s Rustic Rub is easy to prepare and sounds yummy!
In the end, Emeril helps a good guy cook a delicious, healthy meal for his friends who were tired of the usual meat, potatoes and canned corn. For more chicken recipes, Whole Foods Market has some interesting recipes to squawk about.
