Archive for Food

Sweet & Saucy

July 9, 2010 · Filed under seafood · Tagged

Those who know me know I eat salmon as often as I can get my hands on it, always wild, never farmed!

We had an old Cooks Illustrated lying around and my Husband wanted to try this recipe, so I told him to whip it up!  DELICIOUS!

The jalepeno jelly might be with condiments, but at Safeway it was with the jams and jelly’s over by the bread.  This really is the perfect mix of Sweet & Saucy and my kids LOVED it as much as we did!

Don’t let the food processor throw you off, it took no time at all and you can use a blender if you want.

Grilled salmon in jalapeno glaze

  • 1/2 cup jalapeno jelly
  • 2 scallions
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons margarine (recipe calls for butter)
  • 4 salmon fillets, deboned and skinned
  • salt and pepper

In your food processor, process the jelly, scallions, cilantro, lime zest, and garlic until fine. Transfer to a small pan and, over medium heat, allow to bubble up for about 2 minutes. Reserve about 1/4 cup of glaze and put aside for finishing this dish, then add 2 tablespoons margarine to the glaze in the pan to thicken. Set aside.

Make four little trays (or boats) out of heavy duty tin foil for each individual salmon fillet, making sure to make a rim around each tray to keep the glaze and juices from spilling out. Lightly spray each tray.

Season each fillet with salt and pepper, on both sides. Brush the glaze on both sides. Place in the boats and place the boats on your heated grill. Carefully flip the fillets when blackened on one side and brush again with the glaze.

When blackened on the flip side, plate the fillets, then add more glaze (the reserve) on the cooked salmon. Makes 4 servings.

(Those directions come with, we baked it in the oven at 350 just because we were out of propane that night and it was still wonderful!)

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Another yummy, easy, breakfast shake

May 12, 2010 · Filed under Breakfast, Shake It Up!!! · Tagged , , ,

(Recipe and photo from Whole Living)

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons flaxseeds (or buy ground and store in the fridge)
  • 1 medium banana (6 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2/3 cup ice cubes

Directions

  1. Place the flaxseeds in a blender and puree for 30 seconds until they are coarsely ground.
  2. Add the banana, yogurt, honey, and ice cubes and puree until smooth and thick. Serve immediately.

Get your protein, potassium, calcium, fiber, and omega-3s in a delicious morning shake.

Per serving: 245 calories; 9 g protein; 4 g fat; 49 g carbs; 4 g fiber.

Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

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Sassy Satay!

May 7, 2010 · Filed under Chicken, Meat · Tagged

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Sandy beaches. Pink Pagoda. Hawaiian Fish Tacos.

April 30, 2010 · Filed under Recipes, seafood · Tagged , , ,

If you like reading my blog about food, and feel good about what you eat and how you look…then become very CLOSE to your new Personal Shopper, Kim Main Brooks.  This woman has the lock and key to the fashion world and good taste.  Reading her blog on FaceBook has cost me some serious dough (too MANY good ideas and finds), but it is so much fun, I just can’t quit!

I met Kim in Maui and she is full of fun, fabulous info!  While in Maui she kept talking about how they just had Fish Tacos, were making Fish Taco’s again, wanted another Fish Taco.  What the heck, I need in on this action!  So Kim sent me her Famous (I am adding that part) Hawaiian Fish Taco Recipe and IT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!

 

For those of you who claim you don’t cook, this is exactly the kind of recipe you need.  Have fun with it, add what you feel like adding, crack open a Corona Light, add a lime, hit Jimmy Buffet on the Ipod…say Pink Pagoda out loud a few times because it makes you smile, and is fun to say.

My Girl Kim’s Famous Hawaiian Fish Taco’s

(Because it is 5 O’Clock somewhere!)

First MAKE YOUR BONE DUST

Makes about 2 1/4 cups
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
3 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp mild Indian curry
2 Tbsp dry, hot mustard, such as Keen’s or Coleman’s
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground cayenne
 
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.  Transfer the seasoning mixture to a container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

Second PREP THE FISH

Fresh Mahi Mahi is the way to go.  Backup fish= Cod or Tilapia. 

2.5 lbs for 7 adults, 3 kids (2 tacos each for the adults/3 tacos total on kid side of things) with no fish leftover.
Cover fresh fish with “Bone Dust” rub and drizzle with olive oil.  Cover and let sit.
  • Grill fish on the BBQ ( it took 15 mins. on lower heat).  Use warm fresh tortilla’s and load them up with the fish, chopped avocado, chopped cabbage, sour cream and freshly made salsa.  Hot sauce on the side for the heat seekers.

Third MAKE YOUR SALSA

Salsa just had a bevy of veggies in it and you could use anything:
Chopped japanese cucumber
Chopped jimica
Chopped cilantro
Chopped mild Maui onion
1 large jalepeno chopped (could have used 2)
2 medium sized tomatoes chopped
1 large mango chopped (could have used another small)
I think that was it.  It’s super yummy and feels like a really healthy meal.   The kids love it to as there is no fishy taste to the true cod, Mahi Mahi, or tilapia.
 
Great Recipe Kim!  Here are some of my tips:
  • Buy the cabbage chopped in a bag at Trader Joe’s
  • Try Fat Free Greek Yogurt for a zip instead of sour cream
  • Mango Salsa at Costco is YUMMY if you are rushed
  • A can of pineapple is always a good addition if you are finding mangos are not in season or not at the store you go to
  • Costco carries frozen Tilapia and Mahi Mahi

NOTICE there is no CHEESE!  Try it this way before tossing it on, you really DO NOT NEED IT!

And for all of you that are like me, and your body thinks a simple carb is an automatic pound-per-bite, try tossing it all over a bed of lettuce, or shredding the lettuce and add it to the cabbage, salsa and place the fish on top!

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Steak. It’s what’s for dinner.

April 24, 2010 · Filed under Meat, Recipes, Red Meat · Tagged ,

I know I don’t post a lot of red meat recipes, but I still enjoy a good steak, and since we don’t eat red meat very often when we do I buy it hormone free, and grass fed.  When you are spending a bit more on a meat, and not eating it often, you want to make every bite count.

Jillian Michaels was on the Today Show and this recipe sounded DELICIOUS!  Guess what? It is!

This is from her new cookbook (which I do not have, but plan to get) “Master Your Metabolism”.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Jillian Michaels “Master your Metabolism Cookbook”

Serves four

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion • 3 garlic cloves • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes • 1/2 cup packed flat- leaf parsley leaves • 2 tablespoons packed fresh oregano leaves • 1/4 cup extra- virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper • 1 pound skirt steak • Olive oil spray, for the grill

DIRECTIONS

In the work bowl of a food processor, place the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the parsley and oregano leaves, and pulse until the herbs are coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Place the skirt steak in a shallow pan and pour 1/3 cup of the chimichurri sauce over it. Turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate, preferably for at least four hours and up to overnight. Cover and refrigerate the remaining sauce.

  1. If using a gas or charcoal grill, spray the grill with olive oil and prepare a medium-hot grill. If using a grill pan, spray it with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
  2. Grill the steak for four to five minutes per side for medium-rare.
  3. Let stand on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak and divide among four plates.
  4. Top each serving with one generous teaspoon of chimichurri sauce and serve.

The 411 on Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce: Calories 339/ Fat 25g/Carbs 2.8/Protein 24g/Sodium 193

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Magical Breakfast Blaster

April 19, 2010 · Filed under Breakfast, Shake It Up!!!, kids · Tagged , , ,

Reposting per a discussion I had today.  Really, I know many Mom’s reading this blog can tell you NO ONE in your home will complain when you make this for breakfast!  And you will love rinsing the blender out and being all done with meal one!  Add a healthy piece of toast like (Mack’s Flax-buy it at Costco and freeze it, remember real food will go bad), with some peanut butter and you have served a pretty well-rounded, healthy breakfast..with little effort. 

 At our house we set the alarm so we are downstairs early enough to all eat breakfast together and chat about the day ahead !  NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Seriously, mornings are chaos at our house.  Ideally the kids have oatmeal, high-fiber cereal with fresh fruit or yogurt, or maybe eggs and toast.  But MOST mornings we are on the run so the cereal gets inhaled, or breakfast barely gets finished and we throw fruit or a snack bar at them in the car. 

Doctor Oz shared the shake he and his wife serve their kids for breakfast and it looked like a winner.  Sure enough both kids SUCKED it down! 

So blend it up and throw it in some to-go cups if you feel like the kids didn’t get enough to eat!  Check out the protein, they will be ready to hit the books FOR SURE! 

The Magical Breakfast Blaster

Magical Breakfast Blaster

 

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings so double for 4 ppl 

1/2 large ripe banana, broken into chunks (or other fruit of your choice)
1 scoop (1/3 cup) Soy Protein (like Nature’s Plus Spiru-Tein)
1/2 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 tablespoon apple juice concentrate or honey
1 teaspoon psyllium seed husks
8 ounces water 

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Optional: Add a few cubes of ice, as well as powdered vitamins. Cover; blend until fairly smooth. 

PS.: Don’t forget to the MAGICAL, that part is VERY important! 

The 411 on Magical Breakfast Blaster: | 136 calories per serving/Healthy fats: 2.4g/Fiber: 6.3/Protein: 29g

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Chicken Licken

March 29, 2010 · Filed under Chicken, Meat · Tagged

There are so many great recipes that call for shredded chicken.  Enchiladas, tortilla soup, casseroles, chicken salad, pasta dishes…the list goes on and on.  This is my favorite Roasted Chicken Recipe.  The recipe calls for two chickens which is so smart!  The reason being is the first one can be a meal in itself, preferable on a Sunday evening.  I serve it hot out of the oven with a yummy rice dish, and a big green salad.  After dinner I take the leftovers and shred them with the 2nd chicken I baked.  Placing the shredded chicken in a ziplock I am set for any number of recipes I may want to make that week!
 
This recipe comes from Cristina Ferrare’s Family Entertaining and I have been using it for a few years now…it is easy, and FLAVORFUL!
 
 

Ingredients:

Roasted Chicken:
  • 2 chickens , 4 1/2 to 5 pounds each
  • 6 lemons
  • A poultry mix of fresh herbs: Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano work well

Marinade for one chicken:

  • 1 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup juice from fresh lemon (don’t discard lemon rinds)

Directions:

To make marinade: Place all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl.  Whisk with a wire whisk until ingredients are incorporated well—the marinade should have a smooth and creamy consistency.

To make roasted chicken: Preheat oven to 425°.

Clean chickens well and pat dry. Place each chicken in its own baking dish.

Stuff cavities with lemon rinds and fresh herbs. A poultry mix is fine, usually consisting of rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano.

Pour marinade over chicken. Add cracked pepper and remaining herbs to the top of each chicken.

Place an oven thermometer in each chicken and cover with aluminum foil. Place on the lower rack of the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then remove the aluminum foil. Baste with a basting bulb. Keep basting often, every 15 minutes until the thermometer reads 180°.

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Q and A for Tracy!

February 17, 2010 · Filed under 411, Costco, Food, Fruit, Organics, Quick Dinner Ideas, Reference/Books/Help, Trader Joe's, kids · Tagged

My friend Tracy watched Food Inc. a few days ago and I am so impressed!  Instead of burying her head in the sand she is being PROACTIVE!  Go GIRL!

She emailed me some Q & A, so here is my 411!

Do you buy all organic?  

I do not buy all organic.  If I am not sure whether or not something needs to be organic I google it and do some reasearch.  I try to buy organic when it is something my kids consume a lot of.  I also go by the rule of buying organic when the “skin is thin”. 

Go organic: apples, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, pears, nectarines, peppers, celery, potatoes, and carrots

Save your cash: avocados, eggplants, pineapples, bananas, corn, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, sweet peas, oranges, grapefruit, and squash

Go organic: all lettuces and greens such as kale, collards, mustard, swiss chard, and spinach

Save your cash: broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, melons, and sweet potatoes 

Go organic: milk, yogurt, and cheese (milk and yogurt I am firm on.  String cheese I also buy organic because my kids eat a lot of it.  I buy regular cheese for sprinkling on chili or a quesadilla because we eat soooo little of it.)

You can also buy a lot of organic berries frozen, and I use those in shakes every day!

Eating organic seems really expensive?

I thought so too at first, but if you pay attention it really isn’t that much more.  Given that eating cleaner also led us to eating at home more, we have saved tons of money (and calories)!  Also when you are conscious of what you are eating you buy foods you know you will eat, verses a lot of stuff I just tossed out in the past.

The one thing you realize very quickly is if you eat IN SEASON you will save money.  I bought two spaghetti squashes at Trader Joe’s the other day for $1.75 each.  They keep forever in a cold, dark place and allow me to feed 4 of us, plus leftovers for about $5 (when I add the pasta sauce and a salad). 

Winter has forced me to explore new foods (squash, leeks, carrots, and lentils) that I use to stay away from.  I love summer.  The farmer markets around here make eating organic, and clean, so EASY! 

We don’t eat a lot of meat and that is what gets pricey if you are buying grass-fed (the GMO Corn is as concerning to me as the hormones and antibiotics (we were not raised with these things) being put into our bodies in the amounts our kids are exposed to.  We feed this to the cattle, but it is also in almost all of our processed foods).

We eat lots of seafood.  Frozen tilapia, and wild Alaskan salmon are pretty inexpensive at Costco.

Join the PCC (or any local co-op).  You are supporting local growers, and your local economy, and you know you are getting good stuff!  It was a $65 fee to join, and I get a coupon for 10% off every month and you also get 5% off every 15th and 16th of the month and a newsletter with great recipes for eating in season.

Also, I view it as an investment.  I would rather spend a bit more up front and keep us all as healthy as possible, than pay downstream in medical bills.

I went to Trader Joe’s today and did pretty good-just paying more attention to labels.

They say to watch the first 3 ingredients, I try to watch the 1st five.  Watch for sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn-syrup.  A clean, clear label with words you can pronounce is a GOOD THING!  I think the best book you could read to learn about all of this is Michael Pollan’s, In Defense of Food.  He also has a great explanation (cliff notes if you will) in Food Rules, for why and how to eat healthier.

Good rules to follow (when you can)

No sugar.  

No high fructose corn syrup.  

No trans fats.  (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated)

No saturated fats.

Nothing enriched.  

Words you don’t know or cannot pronounce. (Mono- dyglicerides for example)

And extra words, like “added”!

Do you cook every night?  If you do, what kind of meals do you make? 

I do.  If we eat out or do take out as a family it is sushi, subway, taco time or Indian food.  Or occasionally we order Zeeks and I get half- no cheese loaded with veggies and sauce (you would be surprised)!  It is just easier for me to know what I am putting in my mouth, and to know where it came from and what has been done to it.

We eat lots of lentils (a million ways to cook these and Trader Joe’s has them pre-cooked so you can just add them to a recipe), chili (vegetarian, or turkey-homemade or bought), salmon, tilapia, shrimp, tofu (don’t knock it til you have tried it), soups, salads (oil and vinegar, or a variation….no more ranch or other sugar and fat dressings), and whole grains. Whole grain pastas, wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, and tabouleh (this one takes 30 minutes and just hot water).  And I do cook chicken, and red meat, just not often, and I do buy it from the PCC or Whole Foods.

The kids love chili night, my tortilla soup, and we make pizzas all the time-their FAV!  It is amazing what kids will put on their pizza if they help put it in the topping bowls, and then we just throw them on the BBQ.  (Whole foods and TJ both sell pizza dough for under $3.00). 

We bought some crab for Valentine’s Day, so tonight was crab cakes, shrimp and a salad – YUMMERS!

What do you send with your kids for lunch?

What is tough about lunches is being creative, and making it fun enough that they don’t harp on wanting all the crud the kid next to them has!  The first day of school this year James came home asking when he could have a gogurt?  So we had a chat about food, verses fun food, verses sugar, chemicals and food coloring masquerading as yogurt.  It is impossible to ask your kids to eat healthy if you do not.  I have found my kids are pretty cool about it because they want to be like Mom and Dad.  Some day that will change, and then I will focus on how those “fun foods” make us feel (tired, lethargic, thristy…so on).

There is no peanut butter allowed at his school so it is turkey cheese, sunbutter, cream cheese and jelly.  The key is the bread, this is where I try to make it as nutritious as possible.  We also do wraps and he likes hummus, turkey,cream cheese, cucumbers.  I do send a juice box, Hansen’s 100% juice (Costco).  I wish he would drink water…but lets be real.  We then send a fruit-seasonal, so right now it is small tangerines, apple slices, or pear slices.  We also send hummus and chips. He loves cucumber slices with lemon pepper on them (so do I)).

The junk food/treat is either stretch island fruit leather, kids cliff bar (Costco), dried mango slices (Costco), or a cookie (they might be organic, or vegan, he doesn’t know nor care).  I look for things that maybe aren’t perfect, but better than the alternative.  Last week the kid next to him got 8 OREOS, a chocolate milk, and some Cheeze-Its for lunch.  I sware, people have lost their minds!

I will post my Costco and Trader Joe’s Grocery lists, the staples that I always pick up.  I still hit Safeway for basics, and their organic brand is pretty good.  I have not been down any of the middle aisles at Safeway in ages.

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Yummy yogurt, Yucky yogurt

February 8, 2010 · Filed under 411, Breakfast, kids · Tagged

Yogurt is a staple in our home, but the yogurt you find in my fridge today is nothing like the yogurt you would have found over a year ago.  I think yogurt in America has become nothing more than a base for adding sugar, food coloring, additives, high-fructose corn syrup, potassium sorbate, sodium citrate, caramel color, and EXTRA YUMMY stuff like modified food starch.  Would any of you guessed you needed any of those things to make yogurt?

It is sad that our taste buds have evolved to a place where even our dairy products need to be ”fake” in flavor and pink or green to appeal to our eyes!  Come on people, you know when you peel the lid back and dip your spoon into a “Key Lime” flavored yogurt with a thick, neon-green syrup at the bottom that you are not really eating fresh lime, right?  RIGHT?

Again, moderation.  If your kids need to have a Go-gurt once or twice a week, probably not a big deal (I don’t buy these).  Personally if I were going to buy these, and serve them, it would be an occasional treat, and as dessert!  Let’s teach our kids that junk food is, well, junk…instead of raising them believing junk food is food!

Greek yogurt can be sweetened up for your kids in several healthy ways.  Add a few drops of Agave, a small spoonful of a healthy jam, fresh blueberries, crunchy cereal…PLAY AROUND with it.

Here is a comparison of Yummy vs. Yucky yogurt!  I wanted an Apples-to-Apples comparison, though I doubt many of us purchase this version of “Yucky” yogurt, it is probably much, much worse!

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Dirty Birdy!

December 15, 2009 · Filed under 411, Advice from the Experts, Meat

Huge SHOUT OUT to Jen F. who texted me a heads up on the new Consumer Report Article just out on Chicken Safety.  I gotta say, the more I read, the more I relish my choice to eat less meat!  But listen, I still eat meat, and I know most of you do, so if we are going to eat meat and feed it to our kids let’s be active participants in the farm-to-table process, and let’s all remember that every dollar we spend on a specific BRAND of food is a vote for that Company to continue its practices…good, or not so good.

I know a lot of you can not stomach the icky talk about what might be coming into our homes, so I will outline the basics of the article, and if you want the full 411 you can read it for yourself!

Here is the 411 on their findings, and the full article can be read here, and will be on New Stands January 2010!

What I Take Away From This Article, My Own 411

  • If I can stomach the prep, or just decided to COOK only whole chickens, buying air-chilled broilers is the safest way to go (WHOLE BIRD PEOPLE)
  • Store-brand organic chicken (from these findings) is more likely to keep my home free of Salmonella that non-organic chicken
  • If I have to buy mainstream, I will buy Perdue!
  • I will always use a meat thermometer and make sure my chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit

First A Few Definitions

Campylobacter:    Odds are if you have had food poisoning you had Campylobacteriosis as it is the most common cause of diarrhea in the United States!!!  Defined it is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism.  More common in cases of “here and there” than associated with major outbreaks.

Salmonella:  Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment.  Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including birds. Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. 

Some 411 On The Illnesses Associated With Chickens

Each year, salmonella and campylobacter from chicken and other food sources infect 3.4 million Americans, send 25,500 to hospitals, and kill about 500, according to estimates by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  BUT the article goes on to tell us that these are reported cases, most of us don’t go to the hospital when we have food poisoning, we ride it out at home.

What’s more, the CDC reports that in about 20 percent of salmonella cases and 55 percent of campylobacter cases, the bugs have proved resistant to at least one antibiotic.

Here Is WHAT Consumer Reports Tested

Consumer Reports has been measuring contamination in store-bought chickens since 1998. For our latest analysis, we had an outside lab test 382 chickens bought last spring from more than 100 supermarkets, gourmet- and natural-food stores, and mass merchandisers in 22 states. We tested three top brands—Foster Farms, Perdue, and Tyson—as well as 30 nonorganic store brands, nine organic store brands, and nine organic name brands. Five of the organic brands were labeled “air-chilled” (a slaughterhouse process in which carcasses are refrigerated and may be misted, rather than dunked in cold chlorinated water).

Here Is What They Found

  • Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens, salmonella was in 14 percent, and both bacteria were in 9 percent. Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens.
  • Among the cleanest overall were air-chilled broilers. About 40 percent harbored one or both pathogens. Eight Bell & Evans organic broilers, which are air chilled, were free of both, but our sample was too small to determine that all Bell & Evans broilers would be.
  • Store-brand organic chickens had no salmonella at all, showing that it’s possible for chicken to arrive in stores without that bacterium riding along. But 57 percent of those birds harbored campylobacter.
  • The cleanest name-brand chickens were Perdue’s: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. This is the first time since we began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board.
  • Most contaminated were Tyson and Foster Farms chickens. More than 80 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens.
  • Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the salmonella and 60 percent of the campylobacter organisms we analyzed showed resistance to one or more antibiotics. (THIS SHOULD SCARE YOU)

Here is What CR Suggest You Do

  • Make chicken one of the last items you buy before heading to the checkout line.
  • Choose chicken that is well wrapped and at the bottom of the case, where the temperature should be coolest.
  • Place chicken in a plastic bag like those in the produce department to keep juices from leaking.
  • If you’ll cook the chicken within a couple of days, store it at 40° F or below. Otherwise, freeze it.
  • Thaw frozen chicken in a refrigerator, inside its packaging and on a plate, or on a plate in a microwave oven. Never thaw it on a counter: When the inside is still frozen, the outside can warm up, providing a breeding ground for bacteria. Cook chicken thawed in a microwave oven right away.
  • Don’t return cooked meat to the plate that held it raw.
  • Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.

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